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So you're anxious to be your own boss ...

Here's a short story for one to consider, on the subject of a sole proprietorship:

My first years in the field of architecture allowed me the experience of working as a general laborer, wheel barrowing concrete, mixing mortar and the like. One summer, I became an electrician’s assistant, one year a carpenter, and another year as a general contractor for the design, permitting and building of pre-kindergarten facility.

The career began very uplifting, full of hard work. I had entered into the profession of architecture thinking that on the warm days this architect would be out in the field working the designs that had been drawn on the boards on the cold days, in the office, before computer aided design and drafting (CADD).

Although that was a great, correct choice, the lifestyle did not last as long as I had hoped. Within a few years the wife and I had the first Sunshine after the Rain child, then another Beloved One child, and then an economic downturn, that led to diminishing the regional economy. Thus came the reason why relocation to a part of the country where there were many of architectural projects redirected to our young family’s community.

Entering a different state, ended the plan to work half-time in, half-time out of the doors, due to the nature of business as usual, then. One door opened and led to another door, the opportunities exploded.

A second important desire, of mine, was to be fully computer literate in the coming information age, as I knew the collective future was moving toward this eventuality. Yes, a time prior to desktop and laptop and handheld computing, required splitting 40 hours a week standing at the drawing board and sitting in front of huge CRT screens, a digitizing board, while mainframe computing, with 'less than massive' 86 megabyte hard drives, then, and for years to come on other machines.

 

Out of school for 15 years and a registered architect, I reunited with friends to form an A and E (architecture and engineering) partnership. The enterprise went on about three years until unplanned and uncharacteristic events materialized. So, after an abrupt demise, I thought to myself, ‘ I will have to be very careful if one wants to be a partner in another firm again.’ 

Ten (10) years passed before the opportunity to work for myself, by myself, with myself, and of course with others beyond the studio, manifest itself.

Imagine the elation to switch to such a rewarding experience as to commute twenty seconds to one’s laptop, on foot, instead of driving oneself an hour in a fossil fuel crazed line of bumper to bumper psychosis. Better to listen to what the birds are saying, than the talking heads on the car radio. Much better for one’s passion to watch the sun stream across the south face of the building one sits, year in and year out, from the springtime with it's red buds on maple tree, turning to yellow seeds and green leaves, on the black bark backdrop, all at the same time, for an evolutionary billion springs on end. 

More inspiring to bring the mind, thoughts for restorative environmental designs, under the canopy of shady summers, colorful autumn's and harsh winters, than the immobile crawling in a thoughtless line of manipulated madness, as is, and remaining today, a midwest majority planned life cycle.

The last decade of this proprietor’s vocation has been the most rewarding, becoming Jack for all trades, or disciplines, as called in the architect’s profession. That being, the Jack, strategizing his plans, estimating the designs he specifies, administering the documents he permits and bids, while wearing hats of an accountant, of an attorney, of an engineer, of a contractor, and known as Jack to none.

The first couple years of the proprietorship were fast and furious, non-stop work, for public and private clients. Three dimensional fly arounds, over and through residential and multi-family projects. Rendered views of many building types Church, School, Store, College Classroom, Office, Court Services, Hospitality, Laboratory, Warehouse, for salt and more inside and out and about. The events of those first solo days were worth pinching myself to make sure this reality wasn’t a pipe dream. 

To be able to wake up and choose the project one wants to work on any given distinct day, was amazing. The deadline of the day needed to be met first, then, that project, then, let’s move this project along. The many projects need for one’s touch all at once, to keep the many clients satisfied, is a far cry from sounds of partners or employers or inventors with squabbles or over assertions or carrots on unreachable sticks.

Then there was a bursting of a bubble.

In my case the analogy was more at balloon busting. It was more like me holding the neck of a balloon, while the mouth makes funny sounds, via escaping air, the balloon deflating, the long sought reality fizzling away. There was work, steady art and commerce, for a goodly time. 

The regular two calls a month, signaled a downturn of work by becoming one call a month, to an unstable telephone call a quarter, to unsustainable “no” calls, month after month. It isn’t true I wasn’t revisiting the business plan, or not strategizing, or not planning or not branding, or not BIMStorming™, because the opposite was the case, just as I continue today.

The cultural conditions, with purposeless economic stagnation, became a larger issue than myself, my calling, my reality. Life’s architectural transfigured work became most difficult to address with my super understanding spouse. Even as I relayed the horror stories I had heard about colleagues, in firms across the nation, and the neighboring cities, support waned, anxiety rose, sex ceased. 

What I learned in the past decade, no matter what road I travel into the future, this solo practice will make me soulfully, emotionally, intellectually, politically and yes, physically the most humble of the strongest architects world wide. Mother Earth does care.

Perhaps the biggest perk, as sole proprietor, is an easy choice. It is the choice to decide to physically exercise each and every day, allowing for harmonic evenness in human living. For in it, the exercise, this activity of and for our most complex of human form, movements and decisions are prioritized. Because of this choice, with or without a chronic disease, I operate at full capacity all waking hours attaining utility wearing the solo architect’s many hats.

Scarmack Architecture OH Studio

Some do and don’t's for professional and proprietor follow.

• Do tell the truth. If someone asks not to draw the creek with running water under the building, on the plans, don’t take the commission. If you do, you end the chance of ever realizing your own shingle hanging proudly for the State to see.

• Do keep abreast of technological advances in the building materials and science world, as the industry moves extraordinarily slow, it won’t be a difficult task.   

• If another architect comes to you and says, ‘tell the front office you saw the ad for this job in the NY Times, we can split the signing bonus four ways’, them don’t take the job, become a sole proprietor instead. Not only is bad karma invited into life, you are out the $2K if things go south. 

• Don’t entertain a prospective client that comes to your studio with bandaged ankle, carry a poodle, declaring her son is studying at the theological seminary. She will lie in court.

• Do realize there are over seven billion others on the planet, and whether or not they know, most all can use at least one of your services.

• Do be thankful you answer to yourself, and don’t worry you have no one to demand of you what to do.

 For instance, writing a story for one to consider.