Business Lessons We've Learned from Dogs

For those of us under stress this morning from a weekend of holiday shopping and massive traffic on the way to work…a little humor from MyBUSINESS Magazine on secrets your dog won’t tell you:

1. “Always greet customers with excitement and enthusiasm even when you just saw them three minutes ago. They never grow tired of thinking they’re the most important thing in your life.
   
2. Don’t confuse you tail with a goal worth chasing.
   
3. Sleep as many hours a day as possible, but always be ready to play when the chance arrives.
   
4. Don’t be afraid to get dirty; in fact, relish it.
   
5. When the big folks are feasting, if you know how to work things, you’ll be able to feast, too.
   
6. Barking a lot is annoying; don’t do it often. That way, when you do bark, people spring to attention.
   
7. Don’t bark at the mailman. He’s been known to have a dog treat in his pocket.
   
8. The more you show that you don’t need a leash, the less you’ll have to wear it. Conversely, if you’re always tugging on your leash, you’ll always have to wear it.
   
9. The joy is in digging the hole, not in hiding the bone. But it’s also reassuring to know there are a few bones hidden.
   
10. Biting someone never leads to anything good.
    
11. Continuously learning new tricks keeps you young.
    
12. Fool your masters into thinking they are in charge.”
    

Ronald D. Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM
CEO
SMPS National

Getting Started with Google Analytics

In order to set up your website with Analytics, you will need to have the capability to edit your website. If you do not have access, you will need to contact your webmaster. This is necessary so you can insert the code that allows Analytics to track the activity on your website. Once you can edit your website, just go to the Google Analytics page and create your account. There you will be taken through the steps and provided the code you will need for your site.

Setting up your account will take anywhere from 5 - 25 minutes. And once you have updated the pages that you want tracked, you will start to receive Analytics report information within about 24 hours.

Now there are many, many modifications that can and should be made to your Analytics account and how your site is set up to track traffic flow. So once your site is coordinated with Analytics, you may want to do some research into how you can best customize your strategy. Here are some links to get you started.

Beginner Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/profile?v=_qfG2d9etvk&user=googleanalytics&hl=en

Campaign Tracking
http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55540

Quick Tricks: Going A Little Deeper
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=85CE2D27BC6FD84B&hl=en

If you haven’t already, take a look at the “Tools of the Trade” article featuring Google Analytics in the fall edition of SMPS Atlanta’s Inspiration newsletter.

Michael Rouse, Business Development Coordinator
Draper & Associates
SMPS Atlanta, Communications Committee Member

A/E/C Mega Meeting: Retrofitting Suburbia

Ellen Dunham-Jones was the keynote speaker at this year’s A/E/C Leadership Roundtable Mega Meeting addressing the topic of suburban sprawl. With more than 200 people in attendance, Ms. Dunham-Jones discussed her new book Retrofitting Suburbia and the following topics that relate to our current economic climate and our design/development industry.

Our industry is facing massive foreclosure numbers, dropping tenant leases, and increasing energy costs. Owners, designers and developers are forced to begin to think outside the box, literally. Dilapidated retail centers, dead big box stores and grayfields (parking lots) are the prototype of suburbia and the ideal candidates for urbanization, re-greening and rehabilitation strategies.

• Urbanization: Full scale retrofits (changing a closed-air mall to a high density, mixed use open-air development)
• Re-Greening: Restoring natural resources (removing a run-down strip center and restoring the area to a natural floodplain)
• Re-Inhabitation: Mixing uses, community serving businesses, and pedestrian friendly stores (redeveloping an empty big box Wal-Mart into a mega church or temple)

Suburbia was built on cheap land, cheap oil, and cheap water with mainly unsustainable materials and a lack of public space. With an immense increase in transportation, housing and energy costs, it’s imperative that we focus on impacting climate change and enhancing affordability. Consider the following statistics:

• The average Atlantan drives 66 miles a day (national average: 33 miles/day).
• The average office employee uses 30% more energy driving to work than an office building uses during the eight hours the employee works.
• Suburban job growth is outpacing urban job growth by a factor of six.

It’s important to have green buildings, but more important to locate them properly. We need to start focusing on retrofitting the fundamental infrastructure and redirecting growth of the suburbs. Single-use developments inhibit the growth and stability of Suburbia. When designers and developers introduce the synergies of a walkable mix of uses and public spaces it results in reduced traffic, increased health, and increased property values.

Retrofitting Suburbia offers urban qualities at suburban costs. We can start by building on parking lots, widening sidewalks, adding trees, introducing bike lanes and incorporating pedestrian friendly shopping. Suburbia is getting old and the presentation of new urbanism and sustainable infrastructure can support slowing communities and local businesses in this challenging economic climate.

If you would like to learn more about the topic of preventing suburban sprawl, you can purchase Ms. Dunham-Jones’ book Retrofitting Suburbia, available for purchase at www.amazon.com. Ms. Dunham-Jones is a professor at Georgia Tech and holds a M.S. in Architecture. She will also be organizing and presenting at the 2010 Congress for New Urbanism annual program: Prescription for Healthy Places, May 19-22 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Currently she is involved with LWARPS – We Can Reverse Sprawl – in 100 years

• Transit on every major corridor
• 1000 ft buffers on stream beds (reservoirs, etc.)
• Subdivisions that are too close to water or too far from transit will not be viable (eco-transfer)

Now is the time for looking ahead to retrofitting suburbia. Goals include:

• Planners changing zoning
• Public to partner
• Architects/Engineers to develop complex designs

Click here to listen to the podcast of the event.

Malory Hunter, Business Development Manager
Foresite Group, Inc.
SMPS Atlanta, Newsletter Editor

9 Steps to Motivating Your Team Today

When it comes to motivation, are you just going through the motions? Make yours a GREAT team to work on. Here are a couple ideas adapted from ‘A great attitude’ www.qpcteam.com.

1. Keep your promises. Do what you say you’re going to do. And if you can’t, tell members as soon as possible.


2. Don’t lie. Even little white lies to sugar-coat bad news destroy trust.


3. Cut down barriers. Remove those obstacles that block the way your basis business and you’ll do away with an amazing amount of friction and drag.


4. Keep score. How can team members know if the team is winning or losing if you don’t keep score?


5. Recognize others. Asking for teamwork, then neglecting to recognize those who excel at it, signals that teamwork really isn’t that important.
   
6. Have fun. Even the hardest workers need to kick back, laugh, and have a good time. Celebrate successes.


7. Have Pride. What makes you proud to work here and be part of the team? What did you do today to merit that pride? Share your pride and ask your team members too.
   
8. Communicate constantly. Tell them exactly what’s going on, why it’s happening and what they need to do for success. Ask questions and demand answers. Don’t hide behind technology.
   
9. Do your fair share. All team members must be fairly tasked. (Share the ‘dirty work’).

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
– Helen Keller

“Experience is not what happens to a person; it is what a person does with what happens to them.”
– Aldous Huxley

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
- William James

Ronald D. Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM
CEO
SMPS National

Drum roll please...the results are in!

In the SMPS National Publication the Marketer (link access for members only), the article “Silent Presses” discussed how online publications and blogging is resulting in a decline of the newspaper/magazine industry. Although other industries are twittering and involved in the blogosphere, where does the A/E/C industry stand regarding online technology? The National Conference, buildbusiness.org, had a session dedicated to social media. The case study during this session involved HOK who is way ahead of the curve compared to any other organization in the A/E/C industry. HOK has employees in all of their global offices posting to the their blog, www.hoklife.com. Are A/E/C marketing professionals leery of accepting new forms of technology and do we lag behind other industries?

SMPS Atlanta has embraced this new way to communicate by being the first chapter to maintain a blog, but where do our members stand regarding the utilization of technology? How do our members feel about moving to an online newsletter only? In an industry that is pushing for sustainable design, are we also embracing the other areas that can make us “green”?

To gain some insight we conducted a survey to find out what our members and prospective members thought about our communication efforts to determine what type of communication is preferred and how they utilize technology. The survey revealed that even in our industry you can begin to see the paradigm shift, as more and more A/E/C professionals begin to want information at their finger tips. We surveyed over 1,000 industry professionals and received 168 responses, as of this blog entry. 60% stated they preferred to receive the newsletter online vs a hard copy. 22% stated they prefer to receive a hard copy and 18% stated they preferred both.

So, why does technology take longer for the A/E/C industry to accept? Is it because the X & Y generation are slowly creeping into our industry? Is it because marketers and principals aren’t sure how new technology pertains to them? Maybe a little of both. When asked if you knew SMPS Atlanta had a blog, 33% said Yes and 67% said No. Of that 33% that said Yes, only 14% actually read the blog. However, 51% said they felt the blog was of value to them or their firm. Additionally, as a comparison 56% of those that responded said they don’t even read other blogs. So for that 44% that do read blogs, we are working on new content based on your feedback. Additionally, we will be putting out topic ideas with deadlines to get our members involved in the newsletter and blog.

Over the next year we will continue to publish the newsletter, however, in the future we may move to be online only as the results revealed that we are still split on this issue. You will also begin to receive a special edition of the infoblast with one to two articles every other month. SMPS Atlanta will continue to send the regular infoblast out each week on Wednesday mornings. Also, 70% stated they were interested in podcasts, so we are looking into this technology.

Please comment on the blog, call, or email me or any board member with any feedback. As we are here to advocate, educate, and connect leaders in the building industry.

Sarah C. Mackley
Innovative Solutions Group, Ltd. (ISG)
SMPS Atlanta, Director of Communications

Senior Roundtable: Thought Leaders Share Perspective

While in the midst of economic uncertainty and firms trying their best to stay ahead of their competition, it was refreshing to see firms sharing information to help fellow A/E/C members survive in today’s market at SMPS Atlanta’s Senior Roundtable event. With more than 60 people attending, Steve Setzer, Senior Correspondent with ENR Magazine moderated a panel of esteemed professionals which included:

• Monica Bell - Senior Vice President and Global Director of Marketing and Business Development with HDR CUH2A
• Pete Kienle, FSMPS, CPSM - Business Development Director with McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc.
• Bruce Lea - Senior Business Development Manager with Gilbane Building Company
• Bill Viehman - Chief Marketing Officer with Perkins + Will

Although the panel discussed some of the negative impacts of the economy, Peter Kienle posed the question, “If marketing professionals aren’t positive then who is?” Reflecting on the event, Beth Harris, President of SMPS Atlanta and Regional Business Development & Marketing Manager with McDonough Bolyard Peck (MBP) commented, “We had great questions and comments from the audience. The panel was totally willing to open up and share ideas and activities that set them apart. They encouraged us to think outside-of-the-box, now a requirement for survival in these times.” The panel discussion revolved around three questions:

• What are your thoughts about the existing market?
• Where do we go from here with a difficult economy? What outside of the box and provocative ideas can you share?
• What should your firm be doing to cope?

Firms tend to have amnesia and forget the key fundamentals when things get desperate and fear steps in. The panel focused on the do’s and don’ts to be successful. Bruce Lea stated firms should “focus on how to come out stronger”. For example, is your firm maximizing time in front of clients? Do you have a focused, aggressive business behavior, identifying a champion for key clients? Are you reducing the proposal mill versus increasing the number of proposals?

This is a great time to be out in front of your clients, so spend your time wisely by getting involved with clients. Don’t forget the top three things you can do in marketing: hold a seminar/training session, volunteer for a speaking engagement, and write an article or white paper. Always follow the money trail and make sure your client has funds to pay for the project. Lastly, the panel strongly discouraged firms from buying work, as that practice tends to delay the inevitable. Firms buying work now, will ultimately be hurting later leading to reduced staff levels, and clients ultimately pay the price in the end.

All panel members shared some out-of-the-box examples. Monica Bell mentioned her passion for measuring accountability which led to developing a system for measuring face time. Additionally, they are conducting Post Occupancy Evaluations (POE) for work done by their firm and other firms, to identify areas that could be more efficient. Bill Viehman suggested not waiting until a client comes to you with a problem, but rather identifying an area that could help people in a certain industry.

Several panel members discussed how marketing plans are becoming less about the company’s business approach and more about developing an action plan for each individual. Additionally, panel members mentioned that their firms are also focusing on more robust personnel programs by developing staff and taking advantage of down time. There was some concern that a “brain-drain” would occur once things return to normal and firms will be scrambling to find good people.

If you have any additions or out-of-the-box ideas, please add a comment to this blog.

Sarah C. Mackley
Innovative Solutions Group, Ltd. (ISG)
SMPS Atlanta, Director of Communications

Working with the Federal Market

The Federal Market - it’s so hot right now.

Yet for most AEC firms, the phrase “federal market” strikes a chord of confusion, hesitance, and trepidation. What is an SF330? Where do I go to find solicitations? What’s with all the acronyms? These are common questions for those new to this market. With the economic stimulus package indicating an increase in spending on government contracting projects, there’s never been a better time to pursue federal contracts. Easier said than done, we say.

For many companies today, the need to understand and infiltrate this new market is necessary for their survival. Luckily, SMPS is in tune and offered a spectacular program to address the AEC industry’s thirst for information. Setting a record attendance for a luncheon program, “Doing Work with the Federal Market” featured a highly knowledgeable panel; Brian Whelan with the General Services Administration and Les Zuniga from the Savannah Corps of Engineers honestly answered a number of questions, while Chuck Schadl from the Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center served as an expert moderator.

After a lunch filled with end-of-year awards for the SMPS Atlanta chapter, inquisitive questions were thoughtfully answered by the panelists on how to become eligible for government work, how to work best with government entities, stimulus projects, and more. A few featured questions:

Q: What is the number one cause for disqualification with a SF330?
A: A late submittal. Under-qualified firms. Not following the solicitation.

Q: What is the best way to work with the government?
A: Getting government work is not a game of chance. There is no substitution for satisfactory experience and relevant experience. Asking for debriefings after each submittal is also advised; this will help you to better understand what is being looked for.

Tip: Switching team members throughout the process is not advisable!

Q: What is more important; experience or performance?
A: Experience – that factor weighs in before anything else.

Q: Do you have to have previous government contract experience in order to be awarded another?
A: No. Relevant experience is the key factor. The government would like to expand its horizons on the companies they work with. The more companies competing for projects, the more competitive the pricing will be!

Tip: Make sure proposals have page numbers!

By the end, there was one very clear point: follow the directions of the solicitation. A simple concept often forgotten.

Emily Choate

Choate Construction

Program Committee Member, SMPS Atlanta

Event Sponsor:

Top Ways to Stop Wasting Time

Often without thought, we allow time wasters to gobble up chunks of our day. It can happen so easily. You can prevent these “minute maulers’ from doing their damage by trying one of the suggestions in the book "Yes, You Can" by Sam Deep & Lyle Sussman below.


Enjoy your new found time:

1. When planning a new activity, anticipate all that might go wrong so that you won’t be forced to fight fires when an expected crisis occurs.


2. Don’t answer the telephone during a meeting or project if it disturbs the flow of progress or causes you to waste other people’s time.
   
3. Keep your desk and office organized so you have quick access to what you need. Put things in a place where you won’t have to hunt for them.


4. Delegate effectively so you are not busier than your subordinates and can make the best use of your time.


5. Communicate with the intent to be understood so you don’t have to send the same message twice.


6. Improve your listening skills so that you’ll never be paralyzed by uncertainty about what someone has asked of you.


7. See that the meetings you attend start and end on time and that there are no unnecessary deviations from the agenda.


8. Stand up when unwanted visitors get past the pit bull who should guard your office. Come around from behind your desk and meet the person near your door.


9. Stop thinking about what you have to do and do it.

“Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff that life is made of.”
-Benjamin Franklin

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”
-Charles Buxton

“We all find time to do what we really want to do.”
-William Feather

Ronald D. Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM
CEO
SMPS National

Get with the Program

If you've seen the movie WALL-E, raise your hand. That's what I thought, quite a few of you. I am very afraid that the depiction of human beings in this movie may actually come true one day. For those of you who haven't seen the film, picture a cruise ship turned into a space vessel on a permanent voyage somewhere in outer space. Technology has advanced so far that each individual literally has to do nothing - not even stand up. Every individual is an obese blob of inactivity moving around in a personal hover craft with a holographic-like display screen less than two feet in front of him or her. The only visible activities carried out by the average person are talking (incessantly to too many people at once), listening (passively to multiple sources at once), staring (at screens while missing out on most everything else going on), and pushing buttons (which can make anything happen). I do not want to go there.

You may be surprised to learn that this entry is about social networking and media. Where the heck did that term come from anyway, and why did it only get popular AFTER technology existed to "enable" it? OK, let's get on track here. I am NOT your typical user. I'm actually writing this on my own Google Documents account (http://docs.google.com) from a computer that currently serves my personal network (hebblethwaite.net) as a spam filtration system (www.nospamtoday.com) before sending incoming emails to a Scalix Server (www.scalix.com) running on a Fedora Core 4 linux box (http://fedoraproject.org/) - yeah, I know version 10 is out now, just call me old school. That being said, I do have some concerns about the role technology is playing in our lives. At the end of the day, I want to be in control of technology, not vice versa. I want technology to support and improve human relationships, not degrade them.

Judging by the plethora of webinars, conference sessions, and "experts" that are now available to teach you about social networking, I will assume that some of you still have NOT begun using one of the following: LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace, twitter, Plaxo, and who knows what tomorrow. This composition will not teach you how to do those things. What I want to do is challenge your value strategies related to the tools themselves.

• How are you using them to improve the visibility and positioning of your firms, your services, your people?
• Are you doing things in one online community that you'd prefer NOT to be seen by members of another (good luck with that)?
• How much time do you spend staring at screens compared to actually talking to other human beings in meaningful purpose-driven conversations that actually produce results?

Look, I don't want to rain on anyone's parade. I love the fact that my LinkedIn profile (http://tinyurl.com/cfpjkw) is 75% complete (after being at 60% for months); that 10,526 people have joined my network since April 24; that when I google myself, the first 30 links are about me, not the other Kevin Hebblethwaite; and that if I really want to I can follow Ashton Kutcher's every move (http://twitter.com/aplusk). I do wonder however, how much more information we can really take. Sooner or later we actually have to plan, design, and build great projects. Who's going to do that if we're all tweeting and texting all the time?

I simply would like to be convinced that there is a story in the continuing progress of technology that does NOT end with a scenario similar to the opening shot aboard the Axiom in WALL-E. I challenge you to seriously think through your personal and professional strategies on social media and networking. Do everything you can to make them help you, not hinder you.
This is too funny - I guess writing a google doc while generating tinyURLs while searching for myself all over the Web while trying to listen to U2's new release (a really great album, www.u2.com) is just a little too much for my Pentium 4/256MB RAM computer. Maybe I need to get with the program.

I was punching in the numbers at the ATM machine
I could see in the reflection, A face staring back at me
At the moment of surrender, Of vision over visibility
I did not notice the passers-by and they did not notice me.

-Bono

Kevin Hebblethwaite, President
SMPS Atlanta Past President and EAC member
SMPS National Chapter Delegate
EDI, Ltd.
www.twitter.com/ediltd

Hard Hat Tour of Gwinnett Braves Minor League Stadium Synopsis

An unseasonably cold wind was blowing on Tuesday, March 31st, but that didn’t slow the numerous trade crews and their monumental efforts to complete the Gwinnett Braves ballpark. Nor did it stop the many members of SMPS and DBIA from attending a presentation and tour of this amazing facility. Special thanks go out to Ashley Dale of Barton Malow, and the SMPS Programs Committee for all of their efforts to make this spectacular event come to fruition.

The day started with a special appearance by Gwinnett Braves mascot Chopper, who entertained everyone. With a backdrop of a welcome message to SMPS members on the video board, Beth Harris, of McDonough Bolyard Peck, and President of the SMPS Atlanta Chapter welcomed the group. Event sponsors, Crystal Plemons, of ATC, and Randy McCook, of DPS thanked us for the opportunity to be featured at the event. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Gwinnett Children’s Shelter. Their Executive Director, Nancy Friauf, described the organization’s mission and how it all started 22 years ago with 3 women from the local PTA. And last but not least, Mike Castle, of the Gwinnett Braves, informed the group about ticket prices and options. By the way, tickets start at only $5 for a space on the lawn, up to just $15 for a box seat behind home plate!

The presentation of the design/build project was given by Phil Roy and Len Moser of contractor Barton Malow; Matt Mitchell, architect with HKS and Bill Blackwell, AGM of the Gwinnett Braves. The project is a wonderful example of the design build process. A ballpark like this one would typically take 22-24 months to complete from design to ribbon cutting. This one will be completed in just 14 months!

The following is a listing of notable project facts:

• The stadium is developed by Brand Properties and is part of a much larger development that will include office, apartment, condos, hotel, and retail.
• The ballpark will hold 10,300 spectators total (7,500 seats, 300 in suites, 2,500 lawn)
• It broke ground 6/08 and because of a wetland issue was delayed 2 months and did not start building the structure until 9/08, but will be completed in 4/09!

Sustainability Features:

• 1.5 miles of underground water storage pipe that will hold 775,000 cubic feet of reuse water saving millions of gallons of water per year.
• The rock blasted for the underground utilities was placed in a crushing machine and reused on site for temporary roads.
• Timed lights in parking lots and automatic light sensors in many locations throughout the project.
• Local materials reduced fuel consumption, 95% recycled content in carpet, 10% pervious paving, and white reflective roof.

The group was then divided into smaller groups and toured the entire facility, including home team locker rooms, suites and back of the house areas. The suites feature granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and soon to be installed 50” flat panels. The super suite can accommodate large office or client outings and has a private sky deck overlooking right field. The ballpark has multiple bars and places to dine but all meals are prepared in a single kitchen and delivered to the patron’s location.

The Gwinnett Braves ballpark is an exemplary example of the design build process in action and will host countless fun filled days for our community.

Congratulations to all that were involved in such a marvelous accomplishment!

Mark Fore
CEI Engineering
Program Committee Member, SMPS Atlanta

Past Event Link

Event Sponsors:
Digital Printing Solutions
ATC Associates Inc.

Redevelopment in Georgia Program Synopsis

Maria Mullins, Director of DeKalb County’s office of Economic Development moderated an esteemed panel of industry experts including Ken Bleakly of Bleakly Advisory Group, Scott Condra with Jacoby Development, Ted Tarantino of MARTA and Bob Roche a City Councilman in Doraville.

Maria shared that based on current conversations with GM, there is no information to share at the present time. GM is not ready to talk about the redevelopment of that property until they work out additional details. The one criteria issued was the new development honor the legacy and history of the site and the plant. Once plans are developed, the city and county will work with GM to develop incentive packages to sustain the businesses and create opportunities for new companies to enter the market. Scott shared that the Ft. Gillem and Ft. McPherson projects have reuse plans prepared and are awaiting negotiations with the Army to finalize purchase and transfer. This should move forward in 2010 or 2011.

As the discussion turned to the impact of the economic stimulus plan on our industry, Ken shared that the market for Tax Allocation Districts (TADs) shut down about a year ago due to the interest rates and financing restrictions and thus deals aren’t closing now. Currently 55 cities and municipalities across Georgia are using TADs and as a result development has stalled. For recovery, the municipal bond market needs to stabilize. Second, the capital markets are frozen. Developers can’t get financing even with 50% equity. It will take a thawing of the credit markets to help get banks lending again.

Going forward, the focus is on infrastructure projects or projects tied to seaports and airports. It will take time for the retail and residential markets to recover and there won’t be many spec projects in the near future.

Bob Roche introduced the thought process behind the ordinance in Doraville that requires all new buildings to be LEED Certified before a certificate of occupancy is issued. It’s a win-win for everyone and he dispelled some of the misinformation related to certification costs. Atlantic Station is actually the first LEED Certified Campus in the nation and many others across the state and country are taking notice and starting to follow suit.

MARTA has already been affected by the economy. Ted shared that the Avondale project is ready to go, but currently on hold because bond financing isn’t available. Right now the plan is to wait another year or two until the economy rebounds before releasing any more projects.

Incidentally, Mayor Hartsfield purchased the land that became the airport during the Great Depression. NOW is the time to be planning for and looking at redevelopment.

Ashley Dale, CTI
Barton Malow
Director of Programs, SMPS Atlanta

Past Event Link

Event Sponsors:
DPR Construction, Inc.
Energy Ace, Inc.

International Business Program Synopsis

The SMPS Atlanta Chapter’s November program focused on international business and local A/E/C firms working abroad. The Panelists were Bill Griffin, Chairman of the Board, Rosser International; Helen Davis Hatch, FAIA, Principal and Vice President of Client Relations with Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback & Associates; Richard Taylor, a Partner with HLB Gross Collins, an accounting firm; and Danielle Fernandes, Project Manager of Business Engagement with the Atlanta Development Authority. The panel was moderated by Andrew Schutt, a Partner with Arnall Golden Gregory law firm.

What is attractive about Atlanta? What makes our city easy to sell?
Richard Taylor responded that our people are friendly. Other responses included:

• A good labor supply particularly of technically savvy people aged 25-35
• Having the largest airport in the work in our back yard is very appealing to CEOs
• Top notch colleges and universities that actively partner with private industries

What would you change about Atlanta?
The response was unanimous…our highway system. While the city has a state-of-the-art system, it’s obviously too crowded, and the only solution would be to have a metro system that actually goes somewhere. Danielle Fernandes added that the only other negative she has heard recently about Atlanta is that there should be more focus on the public middle school and high school systems because they’re not as competitive as they should be.

How do you learn, early on, about business opportunities interested in moving into Georgia?
Danielle says that they partner with the state chamber and with Georgia Power, and also have connections within the booming life sciences industry. Richard says that the local chambers of commerce and the Georgia Economic Development office are good sources of information.

Have you been asked in recent years about water resources in Georgia in light of our recent drought conditions?
Neither one of them have been asked about it. They said they tend to focus on business services issues. Plus the city of Atlanta just bought the Vulcan quarry which will function as a water reservoir for the area.

What do you focus on when trying to bring business into the city?
Responses included:

• Understanding your client’s needs
• Maintaining confidentiality
• Learning to connect with the people
• Learn to adapt to cultural differences (the book “Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands” was referenced)

What are some of the current and near future challenges?
Richard responded that the financial markets are certainly tight and there is definitely lower than normal activity. Danielle added that there are several domestic projects that are on hold until at least January. They both agreed that internationally, Europe is more affected than the Asian markets, and overall there is more activity in China and India.

Where should companies open offices?
Helen Hatch said that she feels the days of US companies working in China and the Middle East are numbered. Right now they need our expertise but that won’t last forever. China needs it more than Dubai for example. She stated that she thinks the Dubai bubble could burst at any moment. Bill Griffin added that India will keep going for a while, but overall it won’t be as strong as it has been.

What are some of the challenges working internationally?
Helen said that the most challenging place to work has been China and a large part of that has been because of cultural differences. First of all it’s not a democracy and it’s an insult to say no. As a result, most often they will tell you what you want to hear, which is not what is actually going to happen in the end. She also said that design competitions are really expensive and it’s a major investment you have to be prepared to make.

How did you enter the international markets?
Bill said that Rosser had employees on staff from the Middle East and wanted to work there, so the company made a commitment to put people on the ground there. Helen said that TVS’ work began with a retail client in Chile that they met through ICSC in the early 1990s. They are still doing work with that client, although they don’t have an office in Chile. Conversely, they wanted to sell their convention center expertise in China, and took one of their employees in Atlanta, who was of Chinese decent and wanted to go to back to China, specifically for that purpose. It took them 3-4 years of consistently selling to finally get work. With Dubai and India, they also had architects on staff that wanted to go to those countries to develop relationships. Additionally they also had contacts in the US through ULI that took them to the Middle East to work.

Some of the challenges that TVS and Rosser face working internationally include:

• Cultural differences
• Knowledge of the legal system (or lack thereof)
• Civil codes
• Local labor laws/labor pool
• Taxes and tariff issues (for instance there are double taxes in India)

Richard offered that he had assisted clients in both Russia and Algeria and found that official in those countries were, for the most part, corrupt. There were bribes required at every turn for one company that was trying to export a product out of the country.

Helen said the common denominator is relationships and it’s all about who you know. She said that TVS would never enter a design competition if they don’t know the owner and if the owner didn’t think highly of them. She also said they only decided to open international offices when clients demanded it, and that sometimes they still debate whether some offices should be representative offices or fully staffed offices, but it’s all based on what the client wants. She said they’re a very culturally diverse firm: there are 22 languages spoken by members of their Atlanta office.

How much time did it take for your firm to see a payoff for your efforts?
Helen said about 4 years in China and about 2-1/2 in Dubai. Rosser said it took about 3 years in the Middle East. Both agreed that firms should plan on about 4 or 5 years.

Take-aways from the panel members:

• There will be manufacturing and distribution centers moving into areas outside the city. Within the city, business services/human capital jobs will continue to move in, primarily those in the life sciences, telecom, engineering, and other high tech industries, because of opportunities to partner with local universities.
• A global economy is here to stay, and countries where there is still work, should you chose to open and office there, include Brazil, India, China, Mexico, and parts of the Middle East.
• One area that may see a lot of attention is the upgrading of infrastructure. Governments may pump money into infrastructure to get the economy moving again.

Lisa B. Roberson, CPSM
Newcomb & Boyd
EAC Member, SMPS Atlanta

Past Event Link

Dealing With The Reality of Unemployment

Having recently been unemployed, I would like to offer the following insight on how to deal with this new reality for so many in our industry. First and foremost, get registered with the Department of Labor immediately, regardless of your severance situation. They will know if, and when, you are eligible to receive an unemployment payment. In Atlanta, the system is backlogged, so it can take over a month to receive your first payment, apply now, before you think you need to.

Next, get out there -- and stay in front of people! Let others know you are looking for a job and get the word out. Attend association meetings, go out to lunch with your peers, keep up with what is going on in the industry, go on interviews - even if you do not believe you are right for that position. You never know what you will learn. And even if it is not the right “fit” for you, someone else you know may be perfect for that role--Pay It Forward!

For those who are employed and want to help, keep in touch with your unemployed friends, colleagues and peers. Most importantly, we are all in this game together, so let them know that they are not alone. Take them out to lunch, offer to pay for their registration to attend an association meeting, and pass along job leads as you hear of them. Write a recommendation of them to post on the SMPS Pay it Forward website, along with their resume.

These times are uncertain, at best. But one thing is certain, SMPS is here to stay, and we are here for our members and colleagues. We get closer to the end of the economic downturn every day. Now is a great time to get in front of those clients who are typically too busy to meet. This is the time to make a plan for “the turnaround”. What is your firm doing now to position itself for new project opportunities? You never know, the person you connect with a new job today, could be your new best client tomorrow. Build those relationships, stay connected, and remember, your friends at SMPS are here for you.

_____________________

Beth Harris was recently hired by McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc., as Regional Marketing Manager. MBP is a construction program management, cost estimating, scheduling, litigation/claims support firm in Buckhead.

Beth Harris

McDonough Bolyard Peck, Inc.

President of SMPS Atlanta

Vectors vs. Pixels

Here's a situation you may be familiar with. You've just joined a firm and you need to do a design that requires a vector image. Your boss doesn't understand why you can't just use a jpg, tif, or gif image and no one knows what a vector image is.

If you feel shy or irritated when trying to explain the importance of vectors, or maybe you need an entertaining reminder yourself, check out this funny 3-minute video by MacMerc.TV called Pixels vs. vectors. Additionally, iStock has a helpful article on vector tips and tricks: Points and Paths article.

Lastly, a great place to find that vector image is to call the printer that provides stationary or signs to your firm.

Sarah Mackley
Innovative Solutions Group, Ltd. (ISG)
SMPS Atlanta, Director of Communications