Well, the tide went out in early 2008 - the economic tide that is.

Businesses were hit hard, especially architecture firms.

And when the tide went out, a lot of architecture firms were left running around looking for some trunks.

Wiser, older architects told me they had seen this happen before - in the early 80', in the mid 90's, and the early 2000's.

Unfortunately, it doesn't take a devastating economic collapse to create a precarious situation for an architecture firm.

Is it possible to completely recession-proof your firm?

I doubt it.

But with foresight, things can be done to lessen the impact of the ups and downs that plague our industry.

Since this is a site about finding and attracting the right kind of work, today our topic is marketing.

Do you currently have an effective marketing system?

Or are your marketing efforts haphazard and inconsistent? Are you are spinning your wheels, wondering where you can invest your resources for maximum return?

A "system" is defined as "a set of principles or procedures according to which something is done; an organized scheme or method".

An effective marketing system works like a well-oiled machine, bringing in a steady flow of good clients.

To get a steady flow of leads, people (and businesses) need to know you exist, and they need to know what you have to offer.

So how do they find you?

How many lead sources do you currently have that feed leads to your firm?

The most tried and true method is word of mouth. But firms that relied on word of mouth alone ran out of options when the work started to get scarce.

The more lead sources you have, the safer your firm is from the "lack of work" beast.

This is where an effective marketing system comes into the equation. Richard Petrie, the #1 marketing consultant for architects says that architects should have a minimum of 10 lead sources. And more is better.

A lead source can be a job-site sign, past clients, or a newsletter. It can be an industry partner, consultant, or even another architect. Of course it needs to be done right to be effective - more on that in a later article.

Take a moment for a quick checkup. Mentally, or on paper, list out the different avenues that you currently have that bring you leads.

Do you currently have a minimum of 10 lead sources for your firm? If not, can you add to this list?

The kinds of lead sources you need will vary depending upon your market area and industry focus.

It is impossible to explore every possible lead source or effective way of generating new business in this article.

But, over the next few weeks, we'll be adding additional articles and resources to this site about how you can implement this 'marketing machine'.

The first resource is a free report we've prepared titled "The Top 10 Places For Architects To Generate New Clients In 2014". This report is the result of working with dozens of architects and thousands of dollars worth of marketing studies. And as an early access member of ArchitectsMarketing.com it is yours for free.

Access this report by clicking the big blue button below: