Most Productive Specialties and

Approaches for Small Planning

Firms

Roger D. Blevins, FAICP

16 April 2013

Outline • Preamble/Introduction: Specialties & Approaches

• What Type of Firm are You?

• What is Your Target Market?

• Must Keep Overhead Low

• Be the GTV

• Typical Small Firm Specialties

• Do a Business Plan

• Business Planning Clear and Focused Decision-Making

• Business Plan

• Biz Plan Purpose

• Know Your Limits

• Small Firm Specialty – Highly Focused

• Questions?

Preamble

• The APA does a wonderful job responding to the

needs of local and state government planning

agencies – the emphasis is on government planning.

• APA has consistently provided very good guidance

to assist government planners in dealing with

planning consultants; how to hire or select a

consultant; and how to manage a contract.

• Planning consultants are the other part of the

conversation.

Specialties and Approaches

• There is tremendous gratification in running your own business;

determining your own destiny; and fulfilling your personal dreams.

• But with this freedom comes tremendous responsibility. You must

make payrolls; deliver a quality product to your clients; and a financial

report to governing agencies (local, state and federal).

• Meeting your reporting obligation to your local, state, and federal tax

agencies is likely the most difficult and time-consuming task. If there

is any one obstacle a small business must address it is the complying

with those requirements.

• However, ultimately you must win and produce a marketable product.

This presentation discusses one aspect of a running a small planning

business.

What Types of Firm are You?

• Most cost efficient?

• The planning expert?

• The most experienced?

What is Your Target Market?

• Small Town – Greatest opportunity. Must

be very efficient.

• Large City – Strong competition.

• Private Developer – High risk.

• Teacher-Producer – Fun but the pay is

terrible.

Must Keep Overhead Low

• Find & perfect a specialty to better compete.

• Go for lower price work that large firms don’t

want for consistent pay-back.

• Free-lance team vs. in-house staff can keep

labor cost low.

• Must be focused and avoid diversions. Only

go after what you can win.

Be the Go-To-Vendor (GTV)

• Build your product library.

– Know more than competitor.

– Be more efficient in product development.

• Develop proprietary approach -- Avoid

sharing.

• Be the solution source for clients.

• Strive to be the GTV.

Typical Small Firm Specialties

• Land use controls (e.g. zoning, sub-division,

etc).

• Economic planning (downtown revitalization)

• Site planning and re-zoning (trusted

agent/broker with developer and local gov.)

• Teacher (use experience to teach others)

Do a Business Plan

• Business planning often is second to our

daily fire drills.

• Although we are land planners, it does not

mean we can formulate a business plan.

• Spend time on laying out a strategy for your

business – where you going and how you

plan to get there.

Business Planning Clear and

Focused Decision-Making

• You need a checklist type of approach to achieve

specific objectives effectively and economically.

• Decision making process must be based on

specific preset criteria.

• Actions of the small firm must consider

capabilities, competition, and client relationship.

Business Plan

• What works at a government planning office may not work in a consulting office.

• You must have a plan – you need a strategy and business plan. Your guide and daily checklist should be a written business plan.

• The business plan is a “how do you market, pursue work, and develop a product.”

Biz Plan Purpose

• Your small firm biz plan should provide an operational strategy. It provides a process, project tracking and adjustments.

• Your business planning should provide your preferred business model; and plans or strategy for financial, operations, and marketing.

Know Your Limits

• Avoid impulse RFP.

• Often we see an RFP that looks very

attractive. Each hour expended on an RFP

is an hour lost on a product.

• We should only pursue those RFPs we have

a high probability of winning.

Small Firm Specialty – Highly

Focused

• A small planning firm cannot afford to be diverse. By its very nature a small consulting practice must be focused and usually produces only a few planning products.

• But those products should be high quality and very competitive. This is the edge you have over large multi-disciple firms.

• All firms, large and small are profit driven. The major difference is a small firm has a very thin profit to loss margin. A large firm can make it up on another aspect of the project or from another client. A small firm will not.

• A small planning firm must be a focused expert.

QUESTIONS?

Facilitated Discussion:

“Public vs. Private Practice Planning”

Tuesday, April 16, 2013 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm

Session Facilitators

Roger D. Blevins, FAICP Federal Planning Division; Private Practice Division Senior Planning Principal, Lightstone Design, LLC San Antonio, TX rogblevins@aol.com Rick Darienzo, AICP Chair, Federal Planning Division President, John Gallup & Associates Marietta, GA rick_darienzo@johngallup.com Mark N. Lundgren, AICP Federal Planning Division, Past Chair and Member, Executive Board Emeritus; Private Practice Division President, Land Pointer, Ltd. Chicago, IL Mark.Lundgren@LandPointerLtd.com

Justin Meek, AICP Private Practice Division Senior Planner, City of Marina Marina, CA justin.meek@gmail.com Deborah L. Myerson, AICP Chair, Private Practice Division Principal, Deborah Myerson Planning & Development Consulting Bloomington, IN dlmyerson@yahoo.com Scott D. Turner, AICP Private Practice Division Director of Planning, Nitsch Engineering Boston, MA sturner@nitscheng.com

Open Discussion

• This is an open discussion.

• Share your thoughts.

• Present questions to panel.

– State name.

– Where you work and/or live.

Session Synopsis

• Planners entering the field may consider whether to pursue public agency employment and or working for a private consulting firm to establish their professional niche. What are the key differences?

• Planners with experience in both realms will participate in this facilitated discussion co-sponsored by the Private Practice Division and the Federal Planning Division.

Session Theme

• What are the differences and similarities between the two?

• What should new professionals know as they evaluate how to direct their career path?

Starter Topics

Work Culture How do the work demands compare for public and private sectors? What are differences in career path mobility? For new professionals? For career changers? How do interactions with the public vary? What are other work culture differences and similarities?

Straddling Public and Private What is it like to make a transition from one to the other? What if you do both public and private practice at the same time? How do ethical situations vary between public and private practice?

Planning Tools -- How do some typical planning tools differ between public and private practice?

Comprehensive Plans/Specific Plans vs. Installation Development Plans/Area Development Plans Form Based Codes Plan Implementation -- Funding Mechanisms Plan Review: City Council vs. Real Property Planning Board or Facilities Board

APA Divisions -- communities of professionals with shared interests.

Federal Planning Division The Federal Planning Division provides a forum for planners involved in the development/implementation of comprehensive planning and land management policies, techniques, and procedures at federal properties located within the United States and abroad. The division focuses on programs that protect and enhance those properties and improve the lives of the individuals who live on, work on, and/or use federal lands and facilities. The division hosts a website and a quarterly newsletter, Federal Planning Network.

Private Practice Division

The Private Practice Division strives to provide services to meet the needs of private practitioners. The division offers its members access to networking opportunities, resources, timely information and technical support. The division seeks to: • Promote the quality of private practice. • Improve the quality of life as a private

practitioner. • Increase the recognition of the value of

planning in the private sector. • Improve the manner in which consultants

are used. • Improve the image of the planner/private

practitioner.

THANK YOU!

Thank