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.

   

  

Welcome from the 2023 SFx Chair

By Janet Bloomberg FAIA posted 02-14-2023 12:22 PM

  

Welcome to AIA SFx 2023!  The year ahead looks very exciting, with an energetic group of board members leading the way. It’s our second year with state representatives as part of our network, and we have quite a few new states joining the fold. This increases our overall national footprint and allows us to have a much larger impact around the country. The state representatives – new and continuing – are enthusiastic and motivated, and their contributions to our group will be extremely valuable.

Our theme this year is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), so this will guide our overall goals and initiatives. We’ll discuss strategies for small firms to be more diverse and inclusive, and we’ll learn from each other about what has been successful, what has been challenging, and how our discussions can help us work together to make progress.

We have new workgroups this year, including Advocacy, Sustainability, and All-Call, in addition to our ongoing workgroups – Conference and Outreach. Each group will focus on specific objectives to benefit small firms and enrich our practices. The Advocacy workgroup will develop a line of communication between SFx and AIA National, giving small firm issues a stronger and more direct voice. The Sustainability workgroup will bridge the gap between small firms and the 2030 commitment, making it more achievable no matter the size of your firm. The All-Call workgroup will select our speakers for the year, tying these discussions to the EDI theme, as well as other areas of interest to small firms. A’23 is shaping up to be an exciting event, and our Conference workgroup will organize gatherings so we can meet each other in person (a nice break from the Zoom screen!). We’ll also provide a curated list of small firm courses, events, and activities, as a guide to your registration. We hope as many of you as possible will attend this year! Finally, the Outreach workgroup will continue to get the word out through social media and other sources, while informing us of what’s happening for small firms around the country. SFx state representatives are invited to join these workgroups, and this will allow us to broaden our knowledge and expand our goals as small firms together.

It’s always constructive to remind ourselves of the SFx mission statement, which includes advocating for the value of small firms, curating and disseminating pertinent resources, and informing the AIA of small firm issues. Here is a link to our web page for more information: aia.org/sfx. How can we work toward increasing our success in these areas, and bringing small firm issues to the forefront within AIA and beyond? 

I look forward to a year of dialogue, discourse, and healthy debate among all of us. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about how we can do a better job of advocating for small firms. And if you have any interest in joining us next year, please feel free to contact me directly: janet@kube-arch.com.

Here's to a productive and successful 2023!

Janet Bloomberg, FAIA
AIA SFx 2023 Chair

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