Resource Type: Article

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The Importance of Employee Benefits for Small Business

For small-business owners, the importance of employee benefits is a significant factor when it comes to attracting and retaining talent. The majority of workers prefer attractive types of employee benefits—like insurance, paid time off, and a retirement plan—over pay raises. Whether you’re competing for talent or keeping the high performers you already have, small-business employee…

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Optimize Your Savings in 2022

Most architects and their employees are actively contributing to a retirement plan. Regardless of your personal situation, it makes sense to review the type of retirement plan that you have as well as your individual savings plan for retirement to make sure that you are maximizing your potential savings. The type of retirement plan, investment…

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A New Sustainable Standard for Architects

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is a system of criteria related to the environment, social equity, governance and supply chain practices that measure how investments and services can be scored and screened regarding sustainability. Why is this important  to you as a design professional? Let’s first define ESG.  The four components when considering ESG criteria…

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Do You Know?

Do you know that the importance of documentation cannot be overstated? From the outset of a project, it is important to have a signed written contract in place that clearly sets forth your scope of services, compensation, and anticipated schedule, as well as the legal terms and conditions governing your relationship with your client. State…

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Driving in Winter

Driving safety is of the utmost importance when a winter storm rolls in. Various types of weather events can significantly affect how you drive, and different situations call for very specific steps to stay safe. These tips can help you stay in control of your vehicle as you navigate the roadways.

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Global Climate Talks: Connecting the Dots to Architecture

The COP26 (Conference of the Parties) climate talks took place in Glasgow over the first two weeks of November. These meetings between heads of state around the world may seem far removed from your daily business concerns, but in reality, the actions taken and resulting agreements may have far-reaching consequences for your business model, including…

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Transitioning Your Firm for What’s Next

The AIA Trust organized a panel discussion for the virtual 2021 AIA Conference on Architecture. A panel of architects familiar with the importance of firm transitions shared their expertise about how vital planning for leadership succession is for a successful architecture firm — and what it takes to make that happen on an ongoing basis.…

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Client Selection: Number One Professional Liability Risk

As the nation’s most experienced insurer of architecture firms, the Victor and CNA program has the largest base of claims to inform architecture firms of their greatest professional liability exposures and methods to keep those exposures from generating claims. For architectural firms, clients are the source of most claims, and they often influence third-party claims…

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Alternative Healthcare Options

As a firm owner, determining the type of health coverage you can provide your employees and their families can seem like a daunting task, especially when it comes to knowing all of your options. There are a number of different health plans available to business owners in addition to traditional health plans. This information about…

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Encouraging Employee 401(k) Savings

Offering a 401(k) retirement plan for your practice in which your employees can participate is a valuable benefit. Frequently, motivating your employees to appreciate and take advantage of this benefit can be a challenge. However, a retirement plan with engaged, informed and participating employees is a successful retirement plan.

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