ABSTRACT
Getting paid is the difference between business survival and failure. Money may not be the reason you practise architecture, and it does not replace the broader value you can offer, but not receiving proper payment for your services is a perennial complaint among architects. The most important thing in managing client expectations is to be frank, honest and upfront about money at the beginning. In contrast, professional clients may not understand exactly what your services involve, but they will know what they want from you – which does not usually include an explanation of how things work in the construction industry. Every client wants to be kept up to date, even if there is nothing to report. At university, architecture is an art, and in practice, it becomes a craft, but your firm is a business – it sells your time to make money.
