Must use simple tool to develop and grow your business!

In a recent podcast produced by Matt Handal, author of Proposal Secrets, titled Growing A/E/C Firms with Doug Reed, I share how a unique approach centered around an accounting mechanism (the timesheet) that most of our firms use, will help firms grow even during the most challenging economy. I know because I was a consulting engineering firm owner who grew more than one firm dramatically during the heights of a recession. In this podcast, I share my personal story and explain how you can implement this system at your firm, explain why principals and accounting folks “get it,” and provide insight into why firms fail at growing except during the best of times.  I experienced the pain and suffering of riding the economic waves. The downward part is no fun at all.  I vowed never to let this happen to me again and I discovered that this approach was an important solution to disconnected the firm’s growth from economic whims.  It is far more enjoyable to focus on what one can control and leverage that to win.


Mark Buckshon of Construction Marketing Ideas had this to say about the podcast: “Business Consultant Douglas F Reed, P.E. has outlined a simple approach to encouraging/growing business development initiatives among AEC practitioners that combines simplicity and effectiveness in one package….Professional service providers already have the tools at hand to track time activities, and can — over time — measure the effectiveness of encouraging/fostering a business-development mind-set throughout the organization.”


I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I enjoyed sharing my ideas for growth and success.