Small Firm Exchange (SFx)

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Who We Are

The mission of the AIA Small Firm Exchange (SFx) is to advance the mutual interests of architects practicing in small firms. The objectives of the AIA SFx are three-fold:

1. Advocate the value of small firms, the national SFx, and local SFx groups, both within the AIA and to the public.

2. Curate and disseminate the most pertinent resources and information, from the AIA & elsewhere, that benefit small firms.

3. Inform the AIA of current issues facing small firms and areas in which current resources/information are lacking.

Approximately 75% of all firms within the AIA are small firms (less than 10 employees), which equates to 14,459 small firms within the organization.

~26.8% = sole practitioners = 5,173

~33.5% = 1-5 employees = 6,459

~14.7% = 5-10 employees = 2,827

For context, small firms share of staff is 16.0% and share of billings is 12.0%

We need to find ways to leverage that size for collaboration and influence, just like the individual large firms do.

   

  

From the 2018 Small Firm Exchange chair

By Chyanne L. Husar AIA posted 12-31-2018 12:00 AM

  

Greetings fellow Small Firm Exchange (SFx) Representatives and membership,

It was truly an honor to serve as the 2018 chair of the SFx where we gathered to seek unity across our country by curating solutions for small firms. As volunteers, we have fostered leadership, we have supported our members and local components, and we have advocated on behalf of small firms. I am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished this year and would like to share some of the highlights:

  • Our social media channels have continued to expand and our latest offering of an Instagram feed featuring small projects has been a great hit with a growing number of followers.
  • We have completed another cycle of the small firm survey which provides valuable information to small firms looking to grow and expand.
  • Our representatives gave presentations at A’18, CACE, Grassroots, Speak Up, SGN, as well as local meetings sharing how SFx can better serve small firms across the country.
  • We organized conversations among small firm leaders which will serve as a podcast to be released in the coming year.
  • With the help of our generous sponsor Monogram, we were able to send our leadership to the Annual Knowledge Leadership Assembly where we built stronger relations across the AIA community and worked to understand our role across the community.
  • During A’18, we hosted welcome parties, trade show floor tours, and helped small firms navigate .
  • We are working towards combined events with SPP, CRAN, and Housing for A’19 furthering our mission of bridging the AIA Knowledge Communities.
  • We advocated for small firm data and have developed working relations across the AIA that will benefit small firm bargaining power.
  • We continue to develop a three-year leadership pilot program.
  • We developed a small firm business plan to support upcoming firms in establishing a strong foundation.
  • During the year we held monthly conversations on topics that impact small firms such as Health Care, Sustainability, Technology, and Urban renewal which gave our regional reps an opportunity to learn from each other. One of the largest outcomes of this dialog was the realization that Oregon and Kentucky components offer a type of association health care for members. We have started working with the AIA trust and partners to make this a more widely available option for small firms in the next few years.
  • All this is to say, we certainly did our best to meet our goal of focusing on increasing our reach and our awareness to connect with our representation and share our voices (as small firms) from local to national issues. I am so grateful to those of you who helped move our mission forward and I personally look forward to continuing to serve the AIA as I transition from the SFx board to the Small Project Practitioners AG in 2019. In a country divided, may our work serve as a reminder that there are causes that can bridge this divide by serving our common

In unity

Chyanne's signature

Husar, AIA
2018 SFx Chair

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