Strategic planning has become essential for architecture and design firms navigating a rapidly changing industry landscape. A well-defined strategy helps firms align their operations, HR, and business development efforts to create a resilient, forward-focused organization.

Let’s look at a strategic planning process broken down into four essential phases.

Phase 1: Practice Review and Information Gathering

The strategic planning journey begins with a thorough assessment of the firm’s current state. This is achieved through anonymous online surveys and in-person interviews to capture insights across operations, HR, and business development. Key elements include:

• Marketing and Business Development (BD) Review: This includes an audit of current marketing tactics, brand positioning, client feedback, and competitor analysis. The firm’s market positioning, growth targets, and long-term marketing strategy are central to this component.

• Operational Review: This looks at project management systems, financial health, budget controls, client communications, and other essential management areas. The goal is to identify the firm’s operational strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities.

• HR Review: The human resources component assesses employee satisfaction, recruitment, work-life balance, and overall company culture. This review provides a vision for strengthening HR processes and fostering a positive workplace.

The outcome of Phase 1 is a comprehensive understanding of the firm's current landscape, setting the stage for the next phase.

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Phase 2: Assessment and Discussion Retreat

Phase 2 is an intensive, interactive assessment phase that can take place over two days at a retreat or through virtual sessions. Here, key stakeholders engage in in-depth discussions to evaluate findings, discuss the firm’s direction, and define its mission and vision.

• Day 1: Focuses on presenting findings from the information-gathering phase, including SWOT analysis, industry trends, and a discussion of the firm’s mission and vision. This day is about understanding the firm’s current standing and what it hopes to achieve.

• Day 2: Concentrates on specific areas such as marketing and BD, HR, and financial health. Through facilitated discussions and break-out sessions, the team collaborates to identify key areas for improvement, explore opportunities, and set the groundwork for strategy development.

By the end of Phase 2, the firm has a clearer understanding of its internal strengths, market position, and potential strategic priorities.

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Phase 3: Strategy and Measurement Development

In Phase 3, the focus shifts to defining the firm’s strategic direction and establishing measurable goals. This stage involves intensive work on three primary areas— marketing/BD, financial health, and HR,—and consists of two main days:

• Day 1: Teams refine strategy in specific areas, establishing focus points and defining activities that support growth and resilience. This includes setting objectives for each area based on the insights gathered in Phase 1 and Phase 2.

• Day 2: Accountability and measurement take center stage, with discussions on budget allocations, responsibilities, and scheduling for each strategic initiative. Participants collaborate on setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress.

By the end of Phase 3, the firm has a detailed action plan with assigned responsibilities, budgets, and KPIs for tracking success.

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Phase 4: Implementation Support

The final phase of the strategic planning process provides the firm with hands-on implementation support to ensure the plan becomes an active part of daily operations. Over six months, the firm participates in regular check-ins to assess progress, address challenges, and make necessary adjustments.

• Months 1-2: Bi-weekly meetings focus on key areas—financial health, HR, and marketing/BD—to maintain momentum.

• Months 3-6: Monthly progress meetings continue to support the implementation process, adjusting strategies as needed.

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Conclusion

This structured, multi-phase strategic planning process equips architecture and design firms with the tools to proactively address industry changes, improve operational efficiency, and enhance long-term competitiveness. Through careful analysis, targeted strategy development, and consistent support, firms can navigate the complexities of today’s market while setting a clear path toward growth and resilience.

To help firms unlock new opportunities, Oomph has partnered with WORKBENCH, a consultancy specializing in design firm operations and people management, to develop a strategic planning program.

Ready to shape the future of your design practice?  Contact us for a consultation and discover how our strategic planning services can drive your success.

info[at]oomphgroup.com

Design firms have traditionally focused on delivering exceptional work and outstanding client service. However, the emphasis on revenue-generating work, coupled with tight deadlines, proposal preparation, and daily management focused on minimizing overhead often overshadows the development of effective practice management systems, targeted growth strategies, and long-term planning.

This traditional approach to practice management is now under pressure. Rising demand for faster, more cost-effective construction, improved risk management, advancements in AI, new materials, and industrial methods are disrupting the AEC sector. Coupled with an increasingly competitive landscape and demographic shifts, these changes are accelerating the need for design firms to rethink their operations and market strategies, reshaping traditional practice models into innovative and unexpected formats.

To remain competitive in this rapidly changing environment, it is now crucial for AEC firms to have a roadmap for adapting to change and seizing future opportunities. A strategy outlining steps to improve financial, human resources, and operational management systems, along with a plan to differentiate, grow, communicate and promote the practice are now needed to remain competitive and resilient in the face of change.

“You wouldn’t design a building without a programme. Why would you run your firm without a plan?”

What is strategic planning?

Strategic planning is a firm’s roadmap for the future. It’s a process that helps a firm define its direction, set long-term goals, determine the best strategies to achieve them, and decide on the needed resources.  

The process begins with a comprehensive 360° evaluation of the firm, creating an up-to-date inventory of essential practice management systems and processes to identify any gaps or areas needing improvement. Next, it includes an in-depth analysis of the firm’s financial health, covering revenue streams, cost structures, and profitability metrics. Human resources are also thoroughly assessed, focusing on organizational structure, staffing levels, and employee performance. The evaluation then extends to marketing and business development systems, examining current strategies, market positioning, mission and vision alignment, client acquisition processes, and growth opportunities.

Beyond evaluating management systems and procedures, a strategic plan offers a detailed analysis of the firm's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats—both internal and external—relative to competitors, current market conditions, and emerging industry trends.

Following a comprehensive inventory and evaluation, the strategic plan provides a platform for discussing and aligning on the next steps. This process builds consensus on priority areas, action steps, and implementation strategies, resulting in a clear action plan to drive improvements in financial management, people and project management, and marketing and business development for sustainable growth.

What are the benefits? Why should you consider strategic planning?

First and foremost, a strategic plan offers a clear vision and direction by outlining a roadmap for the firm’s future. It serves as the firm’s ‘programme’—the north star that aligns all team members with the firm’s goals and objectives, ensuring everyone is working towards the same vision.

For smaller firms, it identifies missing or insufficient practice systems and provides a plan to address these gaps. For larger firms with more robust leadership teams, it offers an opportunity to align senior and emerging leaders, facilitating the adoption of new perspectives and ideas, and ensuring a smooth transition of responsibilities with a unified plan that everyone agrees on.

The thorough analysis of a firm’s management systems, cost structures, profitability metrics, organizational hierarchy and staffing levels, helps pinpoint key financial goals and strategies. This enables more effective resource management, boosting profitability and supporting sustainable growth. Plus, the strategic planning process prioritizes initiatives, directing time, funding, and personnel to the most important areas to maximize value and ensure efficient resource allocation.

In a fast-changing practice environment, a strategic plan is crucial for enhancing risk management by identifying potential threats and challenges. This enables the firm to develop contingency plans and strategies to mitigate risks, ensuring greater stability and resilience. Additionally, it encourages ongoing improvement and innovation by assessing internal performance and industry trends, helping the firm adapt to changes and seize new opportunities.

The process also helps define the firm’s market positioning and identify the right types of work to pursue, keeping the firm competitive in a price-sensitive market and ready to respond effectively to new competitors in areas like pre-design or project management. Strategic planning also addresses shifts in client needs—such as the move from new builds to retrofits—by identifying the most effective service, marketing, and business development strategies.

Lastly, for firms facing ownership transitions, the process creates a plan for transferring practice management, client relationships, and business development responsibilities to younger partners. In essence, strategic planning aligns the firm’s goals with market demands, preparing it for sustainable growth and resilience in the face of change.

Ready to take your firm to the next level?

Oomph has partnered with WORKBENCH, a consultancy specializing in design firm operations and people management, to develop a strategic planning program that helps architecture, engineering, and interior design firms navigate rapid change and shape their future.

Visit our strategic program page to learn how we can help you define a clear vision and direction to move your firm forward!

Every new engagement is a journey of discovery, of getting to know the client’s team and their work, and for us - inevitably - of falling in love. Because, time and time again: the more we dig, the more we learn. And the more we know, the more we admire… and love.

And it’s happened again, working over the past year with the team at Number TEN. We’re head over heels, as they say… Because Number TEN are great. In fact, they are more than great because they dedicate every day to making lives better. Can you imagine anything better than that?

And now, with full blinders on, we are thrilled, and beyond proud, to show how we helped Number TEN tell their story, with language that is fresh, that zeroes in and connects with the reader, that is memorable, and that paints with few words the essence of who they are: incredibly caring people whose mission is to make life better.

We are thrilled to announce the launch of a strategic planning program for architects, engineers and interior designers in partnership with WORKBENCH!

 The program brings us back to our roots in 2006: offering comprehensive support to AEC firms. We’re revisiting this approach because, through our focus on strategic marketing, we've seen that the unique needs of professional services firms require more than just a marketing or business development plan. Whether launching a new service, expanding into a new sector, or opening an office in a new region, successful implementation impacts the entire firm—affecting operations, people, finances, and overall strategy. We are looking forward to partnering with Melissa Van Loon and the WORKBENCH team, to provide our clients with the full support needed to successfully implement the marketing and business development strategies we create.

STRATEGIC PLANNING PROGRAM HELPS ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS & INTERIOR DESIGNERS MANAGE A RAPIDLY CHANGING PRACTICE ENVIRONMENT

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, October 24, 2024 – Architects, engineers, and interior designers can now elevate their practice and navigate industry changes with a strategic planning program that offers a 360° view of practice operations, identifies areas for improvement, helps set actionable goals and provides a clear roadmap for success. Ongoing support ensures that strategies are successfully implemented, and program objectives are met.  

The program evaluates systems and practices in the areas of project and financial management, recruitment, employee satisfaction, company culture, and marketing/business development. This comprehensive analysis identifies a firm’s strengths and weaknesses and provides a framework to align strategies and activities for enhanced operations, personnel management, and marketing.

Created by Oomph Group Inc., a leader in design marketing and business development, and WORKBENCH, a consultancy specializing in design firm operations and people management, the program is structured into four key phases. It starts with a practice review and information gathering through anonymous online surveys and in-person interviews. Next, an assessment and discussion retreat is followed by strategy design sessions, which include a SMART goal-setting workshop, the establishment of accountabilities, project schedules, budgets, and performance metrics. The final phase offers six months of implementation support through regular progress-tracking meetings to ensure successful execution. The sessions can be delivered either in-office or virtually, tailored to each firm's needs.

“The architecture, engineering, and construction industry is undergoing rapid and transformative change,” said Oomph Group CEO Johanna Hoffmann. “The need for faster, more cost-efficient construction, increasing focus on sustainability, advancements in AI, innovative materials and methods, and growing competition from larger firms and new market entrants are reshaping the sector. The challenges facing design firms today are more complex than ever.”

“Disruption upends the status quo, but it also unlocks opportunities: firms that embrace change can thrive and reach new heights,” said WORKBENCH Co-Founder Melissa Van Loon. “A plan for improving financial, human resources, and operational management systems, along with a strategy to differentiate, communicate, promote, and grow the practice are now needed to remain resilient and profitable in the face of change.”

 Program details are here

About Oomph Group Inc.

Oomph helps architects, engineers, and interior designers tell their stories through integrated marketing and business development plans that make them more competitive and help them grow their firms. Operating across North America, Oomph provides strategic insights and innovative solutions empowering design professionals to achieve market success. Visit www.oomphgroup.com to learn more.

About WORKBENCH

WORKBENCH is a design-focused consultancy serving small and medium-sized firms. Specializing in practice operations, strategic planning, and industrial design, WORKBENCH helps firms grow their footprint, improve operations, and explore new revenue streams. By identifying pain points and strategic growth opportunities, WORKBENCH develops actionable initiatives that drive long-term success. Visit www.workbenchdesign.ca to learn more.

Programs details are here

The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction [AEC] industry is now being disrupted.

The way buildings are financed, designed, and constructed has remained relatively unchanged for decades. As the largest contributor to global GDP (13%), the AEC sector is critical to the world economy, yet it remains one of the least efficient, with a mere 1% annual growth in productivity. The sector faces challenges in managing risks, controlling costs, and meeting time deadlines. 1.

Today, the industry is at a tipping point. The demand for faster, more affordable construction, the need for risk management, and the push toward sustainability are driving the adoption of novel technologies, materials, and methods.

These changes are prompting forward-thinking firms to reconsider their operational methods and market approaches, transforming traditional practice models into new and unexpected formats. A roadmap for responding to change and capitalizing on evolving opportunities is now critical.

In the coming months, we will focus on various aspects of the industry’s ongoing disruption and the essential steps firms need to implement to remain competitive. From formulating strategies for differentiation or new market entry, to methods for enhancing communications, business development, and promotion, we will explore the reasons, explain methods, and offer insights, guidance, and information to help firms navigate this novel and complex landscape.

1. Source: The Next Normal in Construction - McKinsey & Company

Public relations is experiencing a paradigm shift, magnified by an intersection of heartfelt human connection and cutting-edge technology.

As we sail into 2024, I turned to luminaries like Darcy Cudmore, Johanna Hoffmann, and Simon Dannatt, each shedding light on the transformative changes afoot in the comms space.

Darcy Cudmore, the founder of Darcy Allen PR, shares the notion of a humanized approach that's anticipated to dominate PR this year. With the demand for authenticity on the rise, Cudmore has cultivated a strategy that intertwines SEO's analytical prowess with the genuine storytelling of traditional PR. "Approachability is key," he says, "we are building personal brands through the lens of SEO, ensuring a presence that’s both visible and palpable." In his practice, Cudmore emphasizes empathy and humor, threading these human elements through the web of digital interactions to resonate with audiences on a profound level.

The CEO at Oomph, Johanna Hoffmann, with her robust repertoire of orchestrating high-caliber brand launches, charts the importance of social media savviness. By crafting content that ignites conversations and shares insights, she reinforces the brand's position as thought leaders, earning a steadfast online presence. "The PR landscape is as much about being seen as it is about being felt," Hoffmann notes, pointing to her adept use of platforms like LinkedIn Live to project a firm's ethos authentically. It's through these intersections of traditional media outreach and modern social engagement that Hoffmann spins a narrative which breeds familiarity and trust.

Simon Dannatt, CEO at The Sound, champions the increasing application of data insights to guide comprehensive outreach strategies. According to Dannatt, the cornerstone of effective communications now rests on thorough data analysis, methodically driving campaigns that yield measurable and impactful results. "Strategic planning hinged on data can elevate our consultancy beyond traditional methods," Dannatt posits. His approach is perceptive and future-forward, utilizing an array of AI tools to craft compelling narratives and informed decisions that stand up to the rigors of evidence and critical analysis. With such a methodical approach, Dannatt navigates the expansive terrain of complex communications issues, ensuring each move is marked by intelligence and insight.

The thread that runs unbroken through the fabric of 2024's PR expectations is the complementarity of AI – a phenomenon Dannatt, Hoffmann, and Cudmore adeptly navigate. Each recognizes AI's role not as an overlord but as a trusted adjutant that enhances human creativity.

Incorporating technology smartly while keeping content relatable, and piloting strategies that stay true to the brand's authentic self is the modus operandi. Communications frontrunners like our expert trio emphasize the importance of updating one's toolkit with AI competency, ensuring they can decode and wield digital trends with finesse.

In this burgeoning era of PR, the consensus among Darcy, Johanna, and Simon points to an industry ripe for evolution, leaning into personal resonance, enabled by tech-savviness, and enriched by genuine narratives. Their advice? Embrace the changes, upskill invariably, and harness the human touch that remains at the communication core — ensuring a future where PR is not just savvy but soulful.

It’s always a rush to be recognized for your work, and we are thrilled to be listed in DesignRush’s global directory of marketing firms as one of the top 3 PR agencies in Toronto!

The fragmentation of the publishing and broadcasting industries has made it much harder than ever before to procure media coverage. Knowing how to position firms, projects or services as newsworthy, and firm principals as influential thought leaders takes skill and creativity. We’re experts at it and delighted to be recognized as such. Thank you DesignRush!

For more information please visit https://www.designrush.com/agency/public-relations/ca/toronto

The thrill of seeing your clients’ work on the cover of a publication never grows old… We always aim for the top and it’s great to see that we haven’t lost our touch: we’re delighted to have procured, with our partner David Lasker, the cover of the September 2022 issue of Retrofit Magazine for our clients +VG Architects’ Niagara Parks Power Station project.

There is a great deal of strategy involved in procuring top PR coverage: sometimes your project speaks for itself, but most often you have to be creative and resourceful in devising unique story angles and ideas, and in finding new and unexpected audiences for your story. And critically, understanding whom to pitch, in what sequence, and when, often means the difference between a story on page 27 and the cover. If you would like to know how best to place your work in front of the widest possible audience, give us a call!

Congratulations to our clients +VG Architects and to The Niagara Parks Commission on the opening of The Tunnel, Niagara Park's newest attraction! The Tunnel's completion is the final stage in the adaptive reuse of the Niagara Parks Power Station, into an educational and entertainment destination that brings the magic of electricity and its history alive. Plus VG Architects was the project's Architect of Record and contract administrator.

Constructed between 1901 and 1905, the NPPS occupies a unique position in the history of the electrical and industrial revolutions, for it is here that George Westinghouse and his business partner Nikola Tesla used their generators and alternating current (AC) to supply electricity on an unprecedented scale.

We are grateful to our strategic partner, David Lasker for inviting Oomph to joint venture on the PR campaign for the architectural project, providing global pitch strategy, media kit content development and media relations.

Images 1 & 7 : Johanna Hoffmann
Image 2: Image 2 shows the station on the upper right hand corner, just before the Horseshoe Fall. An elevator descends 180 feet to the tunnel that travels 2200 feet to emerge past the waterfall. The tunnel opening is visible on the lower right of the image. Image courtesy Niagara Parks Department.
Images 3, 4, 5 and 6: Courtesy David Lasker

#niagarafalls #niagaraparks #niagaraparkspowerstation #heritagearchitecture #renewableenergy #industrialrevolution #engineering

After two years in quarantine, going Banff to present a workshop at the Alberta Association of Architects’ annual conference, was truly the best way to ‘rejoin the world’, and I couldn’t have chosen a more spectacular place to do it.

We always tailor our programs for each specific event and location. To understand market conditions in Alberta, we polled AAA members and interviewed leaders at several firms. What we found was both distressing - and very encouranging. The 2015 drop in oil prices greatly affected the Alberta economy, particularly the commercial real estate sector in Calgary, where a flight of oil companies left the downtown core with more than 14 million sqare feet of empty office space, and many towers up to 90% empty.

To stay afloat, Alberta architects have become extremely effective at identifying the best opportunties and markets for work, and at finding prospects and pursuing work. They prove that strategic, focused and linked marketing and business development drive results.

We showed how to build on the marketinb and business development foundation they have established with strategies for differentiating their firm and positionoing against competitors.

Today we hear more than ever about rampant undercutting to win pursuits and gain market share. But it's a time honoured tradition, as this letter from 1897 shows General Electric complaining bitterly about being undercut by Westinghouse for the contract to supply AC generators for the new Niagara Power station in Niagara Falls. What is unusual here is that General Electric thought it appropriate to send a formal letter of complaint, going as far as accusing the client of being unfair… While it's wrenching to lose a bid for a project we were really hoping to win, specially when we think the loss was unfair, we'd never advice complaining to the client. A killer workout, a stiff scotch, or even a good punch to the wall are less damaging... Tell us: how have you dealt with a particularly bitter project loss?

For the past decade, Oomph CEO Johanna Hoffmann has delivered workshops on design marketing across Canada and the United States - but always to owners and leaders of design firms. Presenting to fellow design marketers is a career first for Johanna and creating content for an audience of professional marketers has been a fascinating experience. We are thrilled at the opportunity and I'm really looking forward to next Tuesday, January 18!

The program focuses on the need for a comprehensive strategy that integrates marketing and business development. Deta

Marketing design services have come a long way since the early 2000s when printed brochures were the standard sales tool, public relations the most common promotional tool, and marketing teams were practically unknown. Since then, economic shocks, globalization, and the rise of publicly traded corporate super firms have intensified the competitive climate, forcing everyone to upgrade their marketing and business development practices.

Today, sophisticated websites, animated presentations, social media, public relations, and magazine-like pursuits are standard. But most firms still lack a complete marketing strategy with established activities, tactics, schedule, and budget – all linked to business development!

The AEC industry is entering a period of economic disruption, driven by digital tools and the need for faster and cheaper means of construction. Having a cohesive marketing strategy is essential to maintaining a resilient practice and sustaining growth. This session will address:

• Why you need a comprehensive marketing plan.

• Selling up: getting buy-in from the firm’s leadership

• The importance of linking marketing with business development.

• Understanding the buying journey

• Selling design is about telling stories

• Establishing themes and content management

• Promoting the firm: tactics for establishing awareness

• Promoting the firm: tactics for establishing relationships

• Creating a comprehensive marketing plan, schedule, and budget

When: Tuesday, January 18, 2022, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM EST

To register: SMPS Program

The last year and a half, COVID-19 halted development of new projects and all networking activities. This has had a lasting impact on the way many architects find new work, as it has disturbed the flow of pursuits and referrals —the traditional sources of work for many architectural practices. And while these interruptions will pass, more change is on the horizon, as the AEC industry enters a period of economic disruption, driven by digital tools and the need for faster and cheaper means of construction. Now more than ever, having a deliberate, focused marketing and business development strategy is essential in helping maintain a resilient practice and sustain its growth.

We are delighted to be invited by the Toronto Society of Architects to lead a one hour webinar for their members, where we will discuss:

• Why a “practice programme” is important for even the smallest of firms.

• The principal elements of a marketing and business development plan.

• How to distinguish your firm from competitors.

• Tactics for enhancing awareness of your firm and generating leads for work from private [B2C], and for corporate and institutional clients [B2B].

• An effective system for responding to pursuits, and for conducting Go/No-Go and Win/Loss assessments.

• How to become more competitive and stay ahead of the game.

Attendance is free for TSA Members, and the program qualifies for CEU units.

To register:

TSA Technical Series | Building a Resilient Practice Tickets, Tue, 5 Oct 2021 at 12:00 PM | Eventbrite

Canadian Interiors interviews Johanna Hoffmann for its Bevel Podcast:

Although we have been in the COVID trenches for what seems like an incessantly long period of time, there now appears to be light at the end of this tunnel. With vaccination rates on a speedy incline and phased re-openings across the provinces, things are slowly returning to normal.

But we’re not out of the woods yet, and even when the pandemic is officially declared over its effects will be long-lasting. Canadian Interiors invited us to discuss the pandemic’s effects on design firms , and designers’ space planning, project management and procurement skills are urgently needed now.

Tune in to hear steps you can take to get your firm through the crisis by finding creative ways to generate revenue and other stop-gap solutions that while not necessarily permanent, will help you not only stay on your feet but continue marching on even after normalcy returns.

Listen to the episode on Canadian Interiors’ website here: https://www.canadianinteriors.com/podcast/episode-10-why-designers-must-pivot-w-johanna-hoffmann/

Or, on your favourite streaming service:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/66UmyDYHyhXCbjSAezS2Db

• Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/bevel-canadian-interiors-conversations

• Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy8xYzg5M2I3NC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bevel-canadian-interiors-conversations/id1542303870?uo=4

• Anchor: https://anchor.fm/peter-sobchak

• Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/h42zufoz

• RadioPublic: https://radiopublic.com/bevel-canadian-interiors-conversa-Woxryy

We are thrilled to be presenting at Buildex Vancouver, and honoured to be the second session following the key note address on September 27th! Our presentation is timely and has been written to help firms manage and maintain a healthy practice, through market ups and downs, with specific strategies for dealing with COVID-19.

All programs are available online. To register visit: BUILDEX Amplified 2021 (informaengage.com)

Building and Maintaining a Resilient Practice

Session Code: M02

Monday, 27 September 2021 10:30am - 11:30am

PST/PDT (Pacific Daylight, GMT-7)

An agile, resilient practice is one that adapts, evolves and grows through long-term industry trends and changes and has the systems and flexibility to withstand sudden emergencies, business interruptions and economic downturns. Being able to target and proactively procure work is the foundation of an agile practice. In this session you will learn five strategies to strengthen your firm, and getting the work you want - through good times and bad.  

1. Your brand: know who you are, what you are selling and to whom to better tailor your services and stand out from competitors.

2. The tools and systems you need to respond quickly to RFPs and new clients requests.

3. How to enhance your ability to compete and how to pivot if necessary

4. How to build a network to drive work

5. How to enhance your visibility to support BD activities