Small Firms Council
News & Events
Small Firms Council Discussion Events & Recaps
Next meeting: May 12th @ ACEC Washington
The ACEC Washington Small Firms Council is presenting a discussion series for ACEC firms to share information and insights on a number of topics in an informal and open forum. The topics listed here reflect the prioritized interests that small firms identified during a survey conducted in the summer of 2009.
Recap of February 10th Meeting:
Small Firms Council
Discussion: Forming strategic alliances with other firms
February 10, 2010
EnviroIssues
Participants:
Tony Dollar, SvR, tonyd@svrdesign.com
Bill Holladay, Roth Hill, bholladay@rothhill.com
Dustin Ong, CivilTech Engineering, dustin@civiltech.com
Dave Harms, BHC Consultants, dave.harms@bhcconsultants.com
Kristina Walker, EnviroIssues, kwalker@enviroissues.com
Moderator:
Pat Serie, EnviroIssues, pserie@enviroissues.com
Challenges to competing and teaming with the big firms:
- Insurance requirements
- Name recognition
- Big firms can do it all
- Smaller version of a big firm, no specialty
- ‘No mark up’ requirements
- Large firms add us to proposal & then don’t use us
- More consultants appears more expensive
- Primes don’t understand consultant structure
- Indemnity language
- Clients slant to large firms (intentionally and unintentionally)
Benefits of small firms:
- Local connections
- Specialty or niche
- Relationships
- Integrity
- Efficiency
- Promptness
- Responsive
Solutions:
- Teaming agreements
- Focus on relationships & integrity
- Remind large firms we’re here (and on the contract)
- Put in the time to build relationships/market
Other thoughts:
- Pat suggested bring concerns to the ACEC Cabinet to begin discussion on challenges with the larger firms.
- How can we educate our clients or potential clients?
- Jurisdictions are selling services to each other – should there be a clear, public process for this work just like consultants?
Suggestions for future topics:
- Teaming agreements (possible panel with large and small firms as well as clients)
- Shared roster portals
Small Firms Council Survey Results
Recently ACEC conducted a survey for the Small Firms Council. The survey asked respondents to prioritize seven topics to discuss at a quarterly meeting.
The most important topic small firms want to discuss is how to successfully manage costs, with 59% of respondents placing it in the top 3 choices. The least desired topic was downsizing strategies, with 66% of the bottom three priorities.
The option for networking with big firms also had a top response, with 50% of respondents placing it in the top 3. Topics on how to find work did not score highly, with 50% of respondents selecting it in the bottom 3 priorities.
Breakdown of priority for top discussion topic.
| Top number is the count of respondents selecting the option. Bottom % is percent of the total respondents selecting the option. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Human Resources: employee retention - Providing competitive benefits in this economy | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 8% | 8% | 23% | 31% | 15% | 8% | 8% | |
| How can small firms successfully manage costs? | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 6% | 29% | 24% | 12% | 29% | 0% | 0% | |
| Downsizing strategies | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 17% | 8% | 8% | 0% | 8% | 33% | 25% | |
| Tips on how to find work | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 21% | 14% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 29% | 14% | |
| Networking with big firms | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| 19% | 19% | 12% | 6% | 6% | 19% | 19% | |
| Finding a balance between time spent marketing and billable work | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 20% | 7% | 20% | 20% | 27% | 7% | 0% | |
| How does graduation from OMWBE affect long-term success | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| 20% | 13% | 7% | 13% | 0% | 13% | 33% |
Bid on City of Seattle Work
City of Seattle Procurement Site | Follow the link to the City of Seattle's main solicitation list.
OMWBE Meeting Schedule and Events
OMWBE’s 2010 business development and training workshop schedule will include a series called “2010 MWBE Business Planner”. This series of bimonthly sessions is designed to give certified firms the opportunity to meet with OMWBE and state agency representatives at the Olympia office.
