Resources for Small Firm Practitioners 

Practice with Purpose
Why do we practice - and how do we align our values with the way we operate our firms?

Structured Around Small Firm Realities
Small firm leadership requires far more than design excellence alone. It demands clarity of values, financial literacy, cultural awareness, resilience, and long-term thinking.

SFx programming in 2026 is intentionally organized around the full lifecycle of small firm practice. Each topic is design to pair reflection with practical application - providing small firm leaders with tools, case studies, and peer insight they can immediately put to use.

• ​Practice Models Explored
• Research for the Small Firm
• The Competency of Practice
• A Primer on Finance & Negotiations
• Building Excellence
• How Does AI Benefit the Small Firm
• Protecting Your Work
• How to Design for a Changing Climate
• Do Architects Always Need to Wear Black
• Social Media for Small Firms
• More on the SFx Community Hub

• Architects Guide to Business Continuity
  
  
• AIAU Business Acumen in Architecture and Design
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• Demystifying AIA Fellowship|
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• Why be a Citizen Architect

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Visit the AIA SFx Community Hub to connect with other members practicing in small firms (10 or fewer employees).

Contact Delaware's SFx Representative
Vacant - contact our Executive Director to learn more!

Join / Connect with SFx

• On the AIA Community Hub
• SFx on Instagram
• SFx on YouTube
• SFx on LinkedIn

Resources

• Small Firm Compensation Report​
• The Business of Architecture
• Small Firms and the 2030 Commitment​

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Small Firm Stats

Small firms represent:

• 75% of firms
• 16% of employees (FTE)
• 12% of the billings in the profession
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 Small Firm Size Breakdown: 

• Sole proprietors are 26.8% of firms
• 2-4 employee firms are 33.4%
• 5-9 employee firms are 15.0%