This year Ossa Studio was the winner of the 2020 business plan competition created by Charrette Venture Group. Last year at the end of 2019 I decided to participate in a business plan competition for architecture firms, even though I have always been working on my business model, never had the chance to give myself a deadline and a simple framework to work on my plans, and now this was the perfect opportunity to focus on the big picture of running a business and get feedback from experts in the field that can validate my ideas. This business plan competition happens every year and is put together by a unique innovative consulting firm focused in the architecture field. CVG Charrette Venture Group is a team of experts on call for small to midsize architecture firms, they offer an interesting combination of services that include finances, marketing, operations, management, and leadership, pretty much all the help you need to run an architecture firm that is not design.
This year Ossa Studio won first place and I’m very happy about this accomplishment for one main reason, Confidence. Starting and running a small business is a lonely journey, I Don’t have any partners to bounce ideas with and many times I find myself doubting whether my ideas, strategies, and plans make sense in the real world or not.
The greatest asset of an entrepreneur is his confidence and anything that increases my level of confidence is going to give me the courage to pursue a bigger and better future for my business and my family, winning the business plan competition is huge confidence buster for me, makes me feel good that I’m not crazy for spending hundreds of hours designing a business model with the same intensity I have when I’m designing a building, I’m very thankful for this opportunity and now more than ever convinced that the power of design is real and works not only in what we can see but also in what we don’t. I’m energized, engaged, and committed to continue building a global multidisciplinary design firm that creates impactful experiences through the power of design.