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Mind The Business: Small Business Success Stories artwork

Strategic Growth: Knowing When to Scale Your Business

Mind The Business: Small Business Success Stories · 2025-04-03 · 30 min

0:00--:--

Key moments - from our scoring

Substance score

42 / 100

Five dimensions, 20 points each

Insight Density8 / 20
Originality7 / 20
Guest Caliber10 / 20
Specificity & Evidence9 / 20
Conversational Craft8 / 20

TKZ Architecture specializes in healthcare, government, residential, and commercial design across Tennessee and beyond, with work on projects like Nashville airport redesign. Taku Joe started the firm after getting his architectural license, driven by a belief that well-designed spaces can transform people's lives and trajectories. The turning point for scaling came when they realized they needed help accessing specific client segments - particularly healthcare - which led them to hire Busi Ajayi, whose 20+ years in healthcare and nursing background brought insider knowledge about how medical professionals and patients actually use designed spaces. The episode focuses on practical scaling decisions: Taku emphasizes that cash flow is king in architecture (invoices often take 1-3 months to pay), and QuickBooks helped them identify which clients pay on time versus those who don't, allowing them to be selective about new projects. Both founders stress the importance of doing one thing well at small scale before expanding, recognizing that scaling an inefficient process just creates bigger problems. They discuss their vetting process for new work - evaluating client expectations, timelines, and fit - and their willingness to refer projects to other firms when it's not a good match. Time-blocking and scheduling help them balance creative work with administrative duties, while monthly financial goal-setting with QuickBooks keeps the team aligned on growth targets.

Key takeaways

  • →Cash flow management through QuickBooks helped TKZ Architecture identify reliable-paying clients and strategically pursue projects that support consistent cash flow for hiring new team members.
  • →Before scaling, ensure your current operations run efficiently at small scale; scaling an already-creaky process just creates bigger problems.
  • →Hire for gaps in your expertise (Busi's healthcare background) to access new market segments and bring customer-centric insights architects alone wouldn't have.
  • →Be selective about which projects you take on based on client expectations, timeline realism, and project fit - it's better to refer misaligned work to other firms than overcommit.
  • →Time-blocking and scheduled planning offload administrative burden from your mind, freeing up mental space for creative strategy and design work.

Guests

Taku JoeBusi Ajayi

Topics in this episode

Revenue forecastingTime blockingQuickBooksCash Flow ManagementBusiness development strategyIntuit QuickBooksmind the businessmind the business podcastiheartTKZ ArchitectureHealthcare facility designNashville airport redesignProject selectivity and vettingArchitecture licensing

Questions this episode answers

How long did it take TKZ Architecture to generate enough revenue to live off?

It took about 4 to 6 months from starting the business to reach a level of income where Taku could support himself and his employees.

What are the first steps to finding initial clients when starting an architecture firm?

TKZ Architecture's first 2-3 clients came through partnerships with other architecture firms and referrals from people they previously knew who trusted them with residential projects.

How does cash flow impact scaling decisions in architecture?

Cash flow is critical because invoices often take 1-3 months to pay; QuickBooks helped TKZ identify which clients pay on time so they could strategically target reliable-paying clients before hiring new team members.

What should you look for when deciding whether to hire or scale your business?

Watch for telltale signs like consistently working late into the night or having employees work overtime - these indicate you have enough work to support new hires and it's time to scale.

Why did TKZ Architecture hire Busi Ajayi specifically for business development?

Her 20+ years of healthcare and nursing experience positioned her to access healthcare clients they wanted to pursue and bring insider knowledge about how medical professionals and patients use designed spaces.

What our scoring noted

Our reviewer’s read on each dimension, with quotes from the episode.

Insight Density

8 / 20

The episode contains several practical takeaways relevant to small business operators - particularly around cash flow management, client selection criteria, and knowing when to hire - but much of it is generic advice (build on your network, prioritize communication, maintain quality) that circulates widely in business podcasts. The cash flow insight about client payment patterns and the 50/50 intentional-vs-reactive growth framing offer some substance, but these are interspersed with filler, pleasantries, and lengthy product placement.

cash flow is king
One thing we quickly learned is not all opportunities are great opportunities for us

Originality

7 / 20

The guest's core insights - build on existing relationships, maintain personal touch during growth, know your seasonal patterns, diversify revenue streams - are well-established playbook items. The referral-based client acquisition and time-blocking productivity technique are presented as though novel to this business but are standard practice in many professional services firms. There is little contrarian or first-principles thinking offered.

we partnered with other architecture firms as well as people we previously knew who reached out
sitting down and scheduling a meeting with yourself to plan out your week and then we go in and time block

Guest Caliber

10 / 20

Taku Joe is an architect and founder of a multi-disciplinary firm with real projects (Nashville airport work, government contracts, healthcare facilities), which demonstrates legitimate operator experience. However, the firm appears to be mid-sized regional (Nashville-based, expanding to Atlanta/Tennessee) rather than a hyper-growth or marquee operation. Busi's 20-year healthcare background is relevant but she is a business development hire rather than a founder or C-suite operator with scaling experience at scale. This is a credible local/regional player, not a standout guest caliber.

TKZ Architecture builds trust in their customers, knowing there are no wrong questions and makes it a priority to, as cliche as it may sound, treat their clientele like family
She comes to the role with over 20 years of healthcare and leadership experience

Specificity & Evidence

9 / 20

The episode includes some named examples (Nashville airport, Georgia projects, state of Tennessee work, Google Ads) and specific timelines (4-6 months to profitability, year-over-year seasonality patterns). However, there are almost no concrete numbers: no revenue figures, employee counts, project values, marketing spend, or contract sizes beyond vague references like 'hundred thousand dollar contract.' The specificity that is present is mostly anecdotal rather than data-driven.

took about four to six months. Uh, to really see that level of income
here's a hundred thousand dollar contract

Conversational Craft

8 / 20

The hosts ask reasonable opening and transitional questions but rarely push back or dig deeper into claims. When Taku mentions 4-6 months to profitability, no follow-up on actual revenue or burn. When he says they're expanding to 'bigger projects,' no specifics requested. Austin asks a few clarifying questions (about seasonality, marketing), but the tone is uniformly soft and congratulatory. There's no productive tension, skepticism, or sharp cross-examination of the business model or assumptions.

Walk me through the process of finding those first 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 clients
when you say ramp up your efforts or ramp them down, I'm curious if you guys have any sort of like, paid marketing efforts

Conversation analysis

Computed from the transcript - who did the talking, and the words that came up most.

Share of words spoken

  • Speaker D39%
  • Speaker A26%
  • Speaker B20%
  • Speaker C15%

Most-used words

quickbooks33intuit24clients19bring14architecture13healthcare12mind11projects11building11back10growth10client10started9grow9first9human9

Episode notes

Building a thriving business isn't always about rapid expansion. When should you hit the accelerator on growth, and when should you pump the brakes? Jannese and Austin are in Nashville, Tennessee to talk with Taku Zhou and Sibusiso Ajayi of TKZ Architecture LLC to explore this crucial entrepreneurial crossroads. The duo shares candid insights from their journey building TKZ Architecture, revealing the moments they knew it was time to scale - and importantly, when it wasn't. They discuss how they balanced the allure of growth against the need to strengthen their foundation through refined workflows, established protocols, and market positioning. Tune in as we unpack the strategic decision-making that goes into sustainable business expansion and learn the telltale signs that you're ready for growth and how to execute that transition successfully. Learn more about how QuickBooks can help you grow your business: QuickBooks.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full transcript

30 min

Transcribed and scored by The B2B Podcast Index.

Speaker A: M. The views, information and opinions expressed during this podcast are solely those of the individuals involved and do not represent Those of Intuit QuickBooks or any of its cornerstone brands or employees. This podcast does not constitute financial, legal or other professional advice or services. No assurance is given that the information is comprehensive, accurate, or free of errors and the information presented is for information purposes only. Intuit QuickBooks does not have any responsibility for updating or revising any information presented. Listeners should verify statistics statements before relying on them. Welcome back, everyone. This is Mind the Business Small Business Success Stories, a podcast brought to you by Intuit QuickBooks and Ruby Studio from iHeartMedia. I'm Janiece Torres.

Speaker B: And I'm Austin Hankwitz. Janese, your business ventures are obviously much bigger today than they were when you started. So you are no stranger to the concept of growing and scaling a business.

Speaker A: Definitely not a stranger to that, Austin. But I did have to learn a lot of lessons over the years about the best approach and strategy to growth because it's not always a direct line upwards. So in today's episode, we're going to be talking about strategizing growth in your business. I'd love to know from you, Austin, what are some things that you did to grow your business?

Speaker B: Really great question. I think in the beginning I started to get a sort of spidey sense that, wait a second, I'm pretty good at marketing my own products as it relates to financial technology. I wonder if the companies that I'm working with could also use a helping hand. And so that was one of the first ways that I was able to begin expanding my business is looking around and saying, hmm, hm. I feel like I do this very well. I wonder if this can also be, you know, have a positive impact on the people I'm working with beyond just, you know, given some tips and tricks. And then could this turn into a real business segment that makes substantial money and really add to our bottom line? So that was a recent example of something that I've done. But I'm curious, are there any recent examples for you?

Speaker A: Yeah. So when I first started out with my personal finance content creator Journey, I was teaching a lot of workshops. And so every single time I was going to teach a workshop, I had to build out that outline, build out presentation, and that takes a lot of work. So I eventually got to the place where, like, I was thinking about how can I scale this education business? And so I ended up turning to creating courses. Because when you build an online course, you can build it once and then you sell it a bunch of times. So that's something that has helped me be able to monetize my knowledge without exhausting myself by having to physically teach programs. Because now people can sign up, they watch the videos and lets me serve many clients versus just a couple at each workshop.

Speaker B: I think that's really powerful, right? From going one to one to one to many, right?

Speaker A: Yeah. But enough about us. Let's introduce our guests. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

Speaker B: You just started your business because you love what you do. But every entrepreneur knows it takes a lot of work and the right tools to thrive.

Speaker A: A More powerful intuit QuickBooks gives you the combined power of essential business tools and access to a team of AI agents and and trusted human experts that take tedious tasks off your plate so you can get more done in less time.

Speaker B: QuickBooks on the Intuit platform unload your workload and helps enhance your profitability so you no longer do just what you need to get done. Outdoit with Intuit QuickBooks this episode is

Speaker A: brought to you by Intuit QuickBooks. Learn more about QuickBooks at, uh, quickbooks.com MTB Taku Joe has been a designer since he was a child. He is a believer in the power of architecture and its ability to change people's lives. He also noticed early on that it was a field that could seem inaccessible to some with its jargon and potentially extreme price points. So Taku founded TKZ Architecture, which specializes in commercial, healthcare, government, religious and residential projects, as well as in the clients themselves. TKZ Architecture builds trust in their customers, knowing there are no wrong questions and makes it a priority to, as cliche as it may sound, treat their clientele like family. They're based in Nashville, but serve areas all over Tennessee and even take on projects around the country and overseas on a case by case basis. We're also joined by Sibu Siso Ajayi uh, who is the business development lead for TKZ Architecture. She comes to the role with over 20 years of healthcare and leadership experience. She's a mother, wife and visionary whose service background brings a compassionate dynamic to the business of designing for clients. Taku and C. Busiso, welcome to the show.

Speaker C: Thank you. You can call me Busi.

Speaker D: Thank you for having us.

Speaker B: We are so excited to have you. Now let's take a step back. How did you get here? What's the story? Give me the play by play.

Speaker D: So I'm an architect by training and before we started our company I'd worked in a number of different firms that's what's required in order to get your architectural license. Once I got my license, I knew that I wanted to start a company to make a difference. The philosophy that I embrace and we embrace as a company is that a place can change how someone feels and their trajectory in life just by being in a great place. And so we wanted to bring that option to the marketplace.

Speaker B: How have you changed people's day to day lives because you've been able to change their environments?

Speaker D: So with our healthcare projects, one of the big things we look into is not only the patient experience, which is really big, but also the provider experience. And so we have taken it upon, upon ourselves to not only design the client facing aspects, but the provider, the doctor, the nurse, the places that they frequent to be mentally relaxing and rejuvenating for them.

Speaker B: That's amazing.

Speaker A: Yeah. I'd love to know more about the different industries that you guys have worked in. I wasn't expecting to hear healthcare. I thought y' all are just building homes.

Speaker D: Yeah, well, we specialize in a number of industries, healthcare being one of them.

Speaker A: That's awesome.

Speaker D: We do work for the state of Tennessee as well as we do some airport work. And that's as well another place where you can really make a difference. We all know how airports can be stressful. They can be places of high intensity. And so having, uh, well planned out and well thought out spaces really makes a difference for people who travel. We also do residential, as you mentioned. So those are the big markets that we typically are in.

Speaker A: That's really interesting. And yeah, I love me m a good airport. I don't one that's well designed.

Speaker B: Wait, so I know Nashville airport was just sort of redesigned over the last couple years. Where you all part of that?

Speaker D: Yes, we teamed up with some of the companies here that help provide services. That's so cool.

Speaker A: So why architecture? What is it about the field that enticed you to want to pursue that as a career?

Speaker D: Yes, um, I always wanted to be a designer since I was a little kid.

Speaker A: Did you play with Legos?

Speaker D: No, no Legos, but cars, surprisingly. And what I found is if you draw something, even if you don't physically have it there, it creates it in reality. So I would draw cars or buildings or whatever, and in my mind that thing would be there. And so architecture was a great field, partly because architecture tends to be a field where a majority or a big chunk of architects own their own businesses. The other half work in bigger firms. And so I thought, hey, if I can own my own firm, then It'll be a quicker pipeline from bringing those ideas in my head into reality and really wanting to serve people. Knowing that buildings, infrastructure, environment can change how a place looked. It just lined up with my personality and talents.

Speaker A: It's such a fascinating career. Personally, um, I'm just always amazed by how you can take something that's in your head and now see it manifested in real life in the world and be able to touch it. It's such an awesome form of, I think, art.

Speaker D: It's crazy. I designed a building years ago when I worked for another firm and the building was right on the route I took to work. So every day I'd look and it was the building that I'd sketched on a notepad. The first time it happened, it's almost surreal because you're like, that was in my mind and now it's right there. So.

Speaker A: All right, so I'm assuming that the letters TKZ in TKZ architecture are your initials.

Speaker D: That's correct, yes.

Speaker A: I love that you're putting your stamp on your company like that. What motivated you to make that choice?

Speaker D: So just like you said, putting the TKZ on our projects means that we have to stay there and really believe in what we're doing. Because my name is on the end product. So there's no hiding from any quality defects because they know who it is. So we really believe that strongly in what we do.

Speaker B: That is so cool. Now I'm curious, when did you guys cross the hurdle of, whoa, I can live off this money now?

Speaker D: That's a great question. And it was a eye openening and wonderful experience to see that. Very gratifying. I think it took about four to six months.

Speaker C: Mhm.

Speaker D: Uh, to really see that level of income. And, and it, like I said, it's very satisfying to know that we can put food on the table for ourselves and also our employees.

Speaker B: Walk me through the process of finding those first 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 clients where you were able to say, okay, this is actually working. We are actually putting money into our bank accounts. Like this can turn into a thriving business.

Speaker D: I'd say the first two or three clients came through partnership. So we partnered with other architecture firms as well as people we previously knew who reached out and said, hey, we see you're starting an architecture firm. We have a house that we want you to do. And so they trusted us, uh, with their house and we didn't let them down.

Speaker B: That's very cool. Yeah.

Speaker A: You know, I think that speaks to the importance of just using your network, especially when you're first starting out, because typically your first customers are going to be referrals of people that you've already built trust with. How do you think you've been able to foster that part of your career where you were working for other firms so that you knew like you were going to have a clientele base when you were starting off on your own?

Speaker D: Since I knew I was going to start a company for quite some time, pretty much since high school, having that in the back of my mind influenced the way I interacted with coworkers as well as clients.

Speaker A: Mhm.

Speaker D: So surprisingly enough, previous coworkers will recommend projects, but just having it in the back of the mind that I want to start a company created a way of interacting in those previous environments.

Speaker A: Tell me about how you knew it was time to start scaling and bringing this lovely lady on board.

Speaker D: Absolutely. So Boost Literacy has been a gem. And one of the things we saw is the type of clients that we wanted to bring and focus in. She, uh, could have access to those because of her experience, because of her gifts and her talents in terms of business development. So she has hit the road running, setting up appointments, meeting with new clients, healthcare, real estate, all of the above, and really engaging and bringing us in new work. So when we said we wanted to grow in terms of the type of projects and the scale, that's when we knew it was time to bring her in.

Speaker A: Busi, can you talk about your background and how it has benefited the company?

Speaker C: Yes. I have a background as a pharmacy tech. I actually worked as a pharmacy technician while I was in nursing school. So it's uniquely positioned me to feel very comfortable in different settings. When Mr. Taku told me that he was looking to expand into healthcare, I felt like I could bring, bring that knowledge to the company because everyone knows what it feels like to walk into a building where you're just relaxed. But we don't always know what goes behind those feelings. And being in healthcare, I don't always know why a building feels nice. It's nice to work with someone who does know why. And then I can also bring in the aspect of, hey, maybe we should put this over here instead of there, because this is how people walk through this building. Those are things that maybe an architect wouldn't just know off the bat. Or maybe we should put the physicians lounge on this side because the nurses will be over here and maybe they should be able to interact, but maybe not at lunchtime. You know, everyone wants a break from the work, even if they're at work, they want a place where they can relax. So I feel like because of my healthcare background, I'm able to contribute very, uh, positively to the company that way.

Speaker A: So we all know the saying, mo money, mo problems. And I'm wondering what has the expansion process for your business looks like, and how have you used the information that you get out of Intuit QuickBooks to make decisions around expansion?

Speaker D: One of the key things I would say to any small business owner and something that we really realized before we started expanding, is that cash flow is king. And in our industry, it's not unusual to send out an invoice and maybe get paid one, two, three months later. Uh, but if you're looking to expand, you really have to find a way to bridge those downtimes. And so Intuit QuickBooks has helped us identify the clients who pay on time. It's identified the clients who tend to take a little longer. And the great thing is there's a lot of automation, which has helped us follow up with our clients on an automatic basis, but that the data has also revealed to us what type of clients we need in order to have consistent cash flow. So by evaluating that in our meetings, we've taken that information and strategically positioned ourselves to go after that type of client. Because when we bring on new employees, new team members, the cash flow really makes a huge difference.

Speaker B: What specific characteristics or key insights do you include in your sort of process to determine this is something we take on or this is something we pass on?

Speaker D: One thing we quickly learned is not all opportunities are great opportunities for us. And so we're fortunate to be in a position now where we can select our projects more selectively. And that go, no go process looks like evaluating the time frame and the expectations of the client, if they're realistic or not. We provide different tiers of service to accommodate different levels of engagement and hence the resources financially that are required. But at the end of the day, it's if the client's expectations are reasonable, if the time frame is reasonable, if the project fits into what we are specialists at. Sometimes we find that there's a great project, all of the other boxes are checked. But it's something that we're not really comfortable with. And when that comes up, we're happy to refer the client to another architect or another firm that can better help them.

Speaker C: Because of my healthcare background, I always want to know why someone wants this building built. That sounds so basic. If someone is saying, ah, uh, I just came into this land and, you know, that's different than someone saying, this is all I own and everything I have is riding on this being perfect. When you hear those things, then you know how your work ethic is. You know how you're driven to do things. And you need to hear if that's gonna work with the person's timeline and also their expectations. It helps if they've worked with an architect before, but it's not a require. It lets us know that they have an idea of the process. We have ways of reassuring the client that we are capable, but at the end of the day, that's not always what they need. A lot of people are capable, but we need to make sure that we're lining up with what they need. So we're very honest with them because maybe of time constraints, we just may not be the fit for them right at this moment.

Speaker B: I think it's very noble that you all are so open to referring other architecture firms. You know, if it's, hey, guys, this isn't a good fit because abc, but these people might be a better fit for you. I think that's a really great way to operate a business.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's how you run a business with integrity and that's how you maintain that client relationship for long term. So I think it's worth it. Coming up on Mind the Business. Small business success stories.

Speaker D: There's a saying that success is when opportunity meets preparation. So we've always been geared to grow. That's one of the things we've looked at. But we've grown more than we've expected because of unexpected opportunities.

Speaker A: We'll be right back.

Speaker B: You started your business because you love what you do. But every entrepreneur knows it takes a lot of work to run a business and the right partners and tools to thrive.

Speaker A: What could be better than the combined power of business tools, AI, automation and experts you can trust?

Speaker B: Trust.

Speaker A: QuickBooks on the Intuit platform gives you access to powerful AI agents and trusted human experts so you can work like you have a bigger team behind you.

Speaker B: AI agents and trusted experts help you to confidently do more in less time. Managing your books, chasing payments and finding leads are done for you so you can focus on the bigger picture, helping

Speaker A: you enhance profitability and grow with confidence. With QuickBooks, essential business tools, AI agents and trusted experts working together on Intuit's platform, you no longer do just what you need to get done.

Speaker B: Outdoit with Intuit QuickBooks this episode is

Speaker A: brought to you by Intuit QuickBooks. Learn more about QuickBooks@AH QuickBooks.com MTV M. Welcome Back to mind the business. All right, so the day to day duties of managing a business obviously can take a lot of your time and sometimes can get in the way of you being in that creative space to think about what's next in the business. So how do you all balance that?

Speaker D: So one of the things I'm a big proponent on is sitting down and scheduling a meeting with yourself to plan out your week and then we go in and time block. What that does is it offloads the administrative burden off of our minds so that we can be creative. Because it's tricky being creative, coming up with new designs, new ideas, when I'm thinking, oh, I have an invoice to send out, or, uh, oh, I have a meeting with the client, or I have to file this tax paperwork. And so what we found is if we put it in its convenient cubby maybe for next Thursday, I know it's going to get taken care of responsibly. And so I can now freely exercise creativity. So without worrying, um, about the day to day duties.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's a good strategy because sometimes you just have, especially as an entrepreneur, you have so much going on in your head that unless you can visualize it and see kind of what the priorities are, it can all feel like everything's important all at once.

Speaker D: Exactly.

Speaker B: Let's now talk a little bit more about the growth side of the equation here. Do you have any specific action items that you'd like to share with other small businesses who are saying, okay, we are ready to take it to the next level. We've been doing this now for several months. We have our client base build up, but we're ready to really scale.

Speaker C: The first thing that you have to really think about is what are you doing that is unique? Uh, what are you doing that makes you special? The best way to do that sometimes is just to ask people around you, hey, when you think of me, what comes to mind? How do you view us? Uh, how do you think of us? It also sheds light on where you're maybe deficient or where you could improve.

Speaker B: So as you weigh those pros and cons, walk me through that process that you all would take as it relates to growing this business.

Speaker D: Yeah, so it's a decision every business has to come to whether they grow or they don't grow. And really, one of the pros of growing the business is just a synergistic effect. The more people that we have, the bigger projects that we can take on. The clients look at it favorably because they know that our Capacity expands and we can handle their size of project. One of the cons, though, is as a business owner, it typically initially means more work for you. So in my case, I found that I need to work longer in order to onboard our new hires to bring them up to speed. But the payoff with that is when they get up to speed, we really reap the benefits of their added effort and the synergistic effects.

Speaker C: Our advice for the small business owners is if you're doing it efficiently and well, run on a small scale, then scaling up becomes a lot more feasible. If you, if the thing is already a little bit creaky and squeaky and there's not enough oil in the beginning, then now you just have a bigger squeaky problem.

Speaker A: So, yeah, it's always easier to scale something that's working versus trying to retrofit and fix all the problems when they're at a, uh, massive scale.

Speaker C: Yes.

Speaker A: What about for all the entrepreneurs listening, the small business owners who maybe aren't sure how to identify that it is time to expand? What would you say are some of those telltale signs that you realized, oh, okay, I think we've reached our capacity. I think we need to build out so that we can take on more work without necessarily burning ourselves out.

Speaker D: We want to make our decision before we reach burnout. But some telltale signs are if you're consistently working into the night, uh, as the company grew, I realized, hey, if I'm always working late into the night, we need to bring more help in. Or if you're making your partners or your other employees work late, then you know that there's enough work to be done and you need to start thinking of bringing other people in.

Speaker B: So what strategies have you found helpful in tracking the size of your business? If that is the steadiness, the growth, or maybe some unopportune declines here and there. Because we've heard from other business owners that Intuit QuickBooks is a great tool for simplifying all the different ways there are to run and grow your business. From tracking money coming in and going out, to staying on top of invoices and overhead costs, QuickBooks allows you to do it it all in one place. So how have you guys tracked your business in a very accurate way?

Speaker D: Yeah. So intuit QuickBooks has been key to helping us run our business efficiently. And so everything from sending out invoices and collecting payments, we use Intuit QuickBooks. And one of the great things we do is when we meet, we talk about our financial goals for the month. So we have a financial goal and then stretch goals, uh, which always, you know, can help lining the pockets with profit. But either way, we quickly can look into QuickBooks dashboard and they show us where we are for that month as well as historically around the time of year, what are, uh, the finances doing? And so that historical look in the past helps us to be able to project into the future. We know, okay, maybe there'll be a lull because of the season, or maybe there'll be a high point where we need to start reaching out to our engineers, our other partners, to make those connections for more projects. So that dashboard view on Intuit QuickBooks has been essential.

Speaker B: That's amazing. I'm actually curious more about the seasonality of the business. Do you mind double clicking on that?

Speaker D: Yeah. Uh, so we have times like the holiday season where people are spending time with their family. So maybe architecture is not the first thing on their mind. And so being able to see those trends, okay, we saw it year one, we didn't know what was going on. Year two or three, it starts to be a repeating pattern. And so we can ramp up our efforts or ramp them down, depending on that data we receive.

Speaker B: When you say ramp up your efforts or ramp them down, I'm curious if you guys have any sort of like, paid marketing efforts.

Speaker D: Yes, you hit the nail on the head. When we talk about ramping them up, it's putting more resources into the paid marketing. Right now we do quite a bit of Google advertisements. We also do in person business development where we're having lunches or having meetings with different clients. And so by ramping them up, we typically put in a higher intensity for those. And when we ramp them down, we just simmer it down, bring it to the back burner.

Speaker B: And then when you're ramping them up, um, talk to me more about how someone goes from I just saw a Google Ad to here's a hundred thousand dollar contract.

Speaker D: Yes. And it's an amazing thing. So contracts and architecture tend to be a lot bigger than your average purchase. But someone who's searching for an architect on Google or whatever other service has a pretty high intent to buy. So it' not random advertisement. They've actually themselves searched what's the best architect near me. And so we come up organically as well for our very local market here in Nashville as well as in Georgia. But for the paid ads, when someone searches that, now we have to bring them through the process of education to say, hey, you're about to spend X amount on a investment. Uh, Your home. And part of that investment is making sure the design is right. So it's a lot of client education to bring them to see that fee is what it requires to get the project done.

Speaker A: So I can imagine that, uh, you can have these plans for growth in your business, but then there are external forces that come into play that you can't even anticipate. Something like supply chain issues or labor issues. How do you at least try to mitigate those things so that it doesn't impact your growth?

Speaker D: So we diversify the types of work that we do. So governmental work or larger municipal work tends to be a lot more stable than, let's say, the residential market. In the residential market, we get hit with supply chain issues. And usually what we do is we communicate that to our clients. And so keeping our ear to the market trend allows us to readjust our business, but also to be a great resource to advise our clients.

Speaker A: Mhm. Yeah, that makes sense. It's kind of like you got to keep your ear to the streets, see

Speaker B: what's going on over the last couple years. I'm curious, how has inflation and the pandemic and all that sort of impacted your business, if at all?

Speaker D: Surprisingly, business has been quite busy. We were talking about it earlier that maybe people have been at home and they've had time in their home space and they've been able to dream and say, well, you know, I want to make an addition here or a, uh, renovation there. So it's really helped us in that regard. The surprise though, is on the construction side, finding builders has been tricky because they're very busy and because of that, prices have tended to be higher than normal. So we inform our clients that, hey, this is a great time to design, but we may take a little longer to find the right builder for your project because of the demand.

Speaker B: Gotcha.

Speaker C: And in the healthcare space, we've seen that our healthcare clients have started to think about expansion. It used to be that when you look at certain facilities, they all have a similar look. And now hospitals, clinicians, office buildings, they're trying to put a little personality in their buildings without going to one extreme or the other. They want to stand out. They don't want people to feel like they're going to an institution. So we've come in, uh, handy with creativity and with all the regulations and stuff. We have to be aware of what's required, not just what we want to see. So that's been a very interesting market, but it's also on the rise because of that.

Speaker A: That's awesome. Over the lifespan of your business, how much of your growth has been intentional versus kind of reactive to what's going on in the market or what customers are asking for?

Speaker D: That's a great question. I would say it's been about 50. 50. They're the saying that, uh, success is when opportunity meets preparation. So we've always been geared to grow, but we've grown more than we've expected because of unexpected opportunities. And so we're thankful that we had the infrastructure in place. But we've been met with opportunities, I'd say out of left field, and they've propelled us. And I never could have thought that some of these opportunities, uh, would come forward.

Speaker A: I have to think it's your reputations that attract those.

Speaker D: I think that's a big part in it.

Speaker C: And word of mouth is very powerful. Like he said, supply chain issues. Those are things out of our control. But if on the front end we communicate that people are put at ease, they can go on that vacation, knowing they come back, things will still be rolling. So, uh, the communication has been key in helping our growth because we really value having time with our clients, talking to them. They know they can reach us almost anytime. They can text us, email us, and I think that's helped set their mind at ease.

Speaker D: Exactly. Exactly.

Speaker A: What's next for y'? All? What's the next vision?

Speaker D: The next vision is getting bigger projects. We're looking to make impact in our city, both here in Nashville as well as the Atlanta area. So we really want to bring our projects to a scale where people can appreciate them, the public can enjoy them. And so growth is definitely something we're looking into.

Speaker C: We're trying to get our name out there because we feel like a lot of times we see a beautiful building, and how often do we even know who built it? I mean, it's a rare conversation to have. It's just, ooh, unless it's like a stadium or something of that magnitude. But we're trying to bring the appreciation back for if it was ever lost, but the appreciation for nice buildings, for people to feel like, oh, there's something different going on here. You know, we don't want people to just feel like because they walked in a building, ah, it's just another building. We want our touch and our seal to be on things. So when people walk in, they're like, wow, okay. They're not sure what to call it, but they know there's something unique going on there.

Speaker A: Yeah, that's exciting.

Speaker B: How do you all plan to put Your mark on some of these buildings. Do you have buildings in the past that you've put your mark on if you're more recognized for that? I mean, is there a strategy around that or is it more like we kind of hope that this happens?

Speaker D: So there's a strategy, and some of it is hope. We put out a consistent product, a consistent design language where someone can look at our design and our style and say, okay, TKZ has made that. And so. So we do find that there's people who really appreciate that language. And finding our tribe, finding people who appreciate that getting our name out there will allow us to have those opportunities.

Speaker B: Very cool. Congratulations on all you have achieved. I mean, this is so exciting. I can't wait to see you all take over, not just Nashville, but the rest of the world.

Speaker D: Thank you.

Speaker C: Thank you.

Speaker B: I'll tell you what, Janice. The way Taku is running this business is just so inspiring. I. I can't wait to dig deep into my biggest takeaways before I do that. What are some of yours?

Speaker A: I think for me, the secret that they shared with us is how impactful those connections, that human connection can be in your growth strategy for your business. They talked about how they just don't lose that personal touch, you know, And I think as you expand as a business, it's probably very easy to kind of forget how important that process is of just making sure that you remind yourself you're still working with human beings. Human beings are investing in your goals and your dreams as a business owner. And so I think that's been a key part of how they've grown. And I think we can use that as a lesson to just make sure you never get so big that you forget that human touch.

Speaker B: Most definitely. I think massive takeaway that I had as well is it is okay to not be the right person for the job. At the end of the day, we want our customers to have the best outcomes possible. And I've realized this as a small business owner, and it seems like they have too, where sometimes we're not the solution. Maybe our friends are, maybe our other colleagues or maybe another company we worked with. Maybe that is the better solution for the customer. But being customer centric in general, I think is just speaks volume to their business and that keeps more customers coming in the door later on. So I really, really resonated with that. And, man, this is a really cool conversation.

Speaker A: Absolutely. A great episode as always. And we'll be back in two weeks for our season finale. You can find me on social media at uh Jo Quier Dinero Podcast and

Speaker B: you can find me at austinhanquitz. You can follow intuit QuickBooks on all social media at uh, QuickBooks and to get the tools you need to start, run and grow your business, head to QuickBooks.com today.

Speaker A: Don't forget to follow this show wherever you listen to podcasts so you can stay up to date on future episodes.

Speaker B: We also want to hear from you, so be sure to leave us a rating and a review. See you next time.

Speaker A: Money Movement services are provided by Intuit Payments, Inc. Licensed as a money transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services. This podcast is a production of iHeartMedia's Ruby Studio and Intuit QuickBooks. Our executive producer is Molly Socha, our supervising producer is Nakia Swinton, and our writer is Eric Lijia, our Head of

Speaker B: Post Production is James Foster and our mixing engineer is Paul Vitolens of Audiography. You just started your business because you love what you do, but every entrepreneur knows it takes a lot of work and the right tools to thrive.

Speaker A: A More powerful intuit QuickBooks gives you the combined power of essential business tools and access to a team of AI agents and trusted human experts that take tedious tasks off your plate so you can get more done in less time.

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