Advantages of Working with Professionals & the Power of Partnerships: The Outdoor Hospitality Market

As our presence in the Outdoor Hospitality Market has grown, and we have more opportunities to work with new clients, we often say that much of our success in this industry is due to our partnerships.

As architects, designers, and planners, we do what we do and believe that we do it well. But there are many things that we don’t do and this is where we rely heavily on our partners and vendors to fill holes in clients needs with projects. Market analysis reports, Feasibility studies, underwriting and lending requirements, land use and legal consultation, management and operations consultation, marketing and advertising, the list goes on. As is often the case, when we begin working with a new client their needs extend far beyond just what an architect does.

A core value of Clockwork is that we are a trusted advisor and partner with our clients in their project. This means that we often have to stretch our role to extend to some of those additional needs. Some of these are tangible, like creating a brand, graphics, logos, etc. Many are intangible, like always being available for a frustrated phone call over a process or a question that pops up. Referring clients with like minded values to connect with one another for mentoring or support, and building connections with others in the industry. Often it means connecting our clients with our network of trusted partners to provide all of the services and advice that we don’t do or aren’t the best option to provide.

We want the best for our client and for their project even if that isn’t coming from us, and that’s why we rely on partnerships. Most of all, it’s asking the questions that our clients didn’t know to ask, listening to their feedback and figuring out ways to accomplish their goals, and educating them along the way on a process that we are familiar with but they may be navigating for the first time.

Nearly every week we speak with potential clients at varying stages of project development that feel overwhelmed at the scope and scale of what lies ahead, and it can feel daunting when you are doing it all by yourself, and no one needs to try to do it all by themselves! Whether you are designing your first outdoor hospitality project or renovating your 10th, everyone needs a team of partners and a network that they can rely on.

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know.

There are many different factors and variables that affect decisions made throughout the design and development process. Making an informed decision with feedback from professional consultants and advisors ensures that the best decision is made. Evaluating future proofing and possible unintended consequences from some of those decisions minimizes risk of potential negatives down the road. Many of these potential decisions can have major cost implications to construction of a project, may affect the long term feasibility of a property, or may have a negative impact on potential revenues or guest experience. Knowing these factors helps our clients make the best decisions for THEIR project.

Time is Money, and there is tremendous value invested in a qualified team.

Involving consultants, advisors, and professionals in your project comes with a cost, and clients are often making their largest investment into their venture once they bring us on board. The development process, design, planning and approvals, permits, construction, and eventually grand opening can take many months to even years to complete and during that time our clients are making continual investment of both time and resources to move their project forward with the hopes of a one day return on that investment.

Hiring the right team of professionals can make that process run smoother and often times more quickly than bootstrapping it all on your own. This equates to faster openings and more months of returns in the big picture. Yes, investing in a team of professionals up front comes at a cost, and the dividend is paid with lower construction costs, higher ADRs, better guest experiences, cleaner lending transactions, and usually much less stress to our clients/owners.

Investing in a Long Term Relationship

A differentiator in Clockworks model is that we focus on building strong relationships with our clients and our partners. We solve problems, we listen to our clients and their needs, we ask questions, and we pursue the goals we have established together. We partner with our clients every step of the way through design, permitting, construction, and even after the project is completed and open. Our relationships with our clients come first, everything else is a product of that strong relationship.

Problems will inevitably arise with any project, challenges will be met, and a strong team with trust in one another will persevere. And we are always on your side, ensuring that our clients best interests are protected, that the end result is what they expected, and that their needs and goals are met.

If you are beginning the process of developing your own outdoor hospitality experience we want to meet you, to learn more about your goals, and to see what we can do to help you reach them. If you are an established operator that is looking for a partnership to help you get to the next level, alleviate the pain points and challenges of your day to day operations, or just need advice we would love to get to know you better. If you don’t even think you need an architect, but are looking for recommendations of a partner in another area of business we would love to connect you with our network of trusted partners.

No opportunity is too big or too small if the relationship is strong and that’s the core of what we do, investing in people, to do great things together.