Meridian Architecture and Design

Words in [brackets] are blanks you fill in with your own details when you adopt this sample in Supreme Plan AI.

Executive Summary

Meridian Architecture and Design is a small architecture studio in Atlanta, Georgia, owned by Nadia and Peter Osei. We design residential additions and renovations, small commercial tenant improvements and prepare permit drawings and construction support.

Why this fits. Many homeowners renovate rather than move and small businesses are building out spaces. Large firms often focus on bigger projects, and owners want a licensed architect who understands budgets and codes.

Here is what our numbers show. In Year 1 we plan about 10 residential design projects, 4 tenant improvement projects and 12 permit and construction administration jobs. That brings in sales of $221,400, growing to $534,168 by Year 5. We expect a profit of about $13,800 in Year 1, a profit of about $62,400 in Year 2, a profit of about $72,400 in Year 3 and a profit of about $100,700 by Year 5. Designer pay, the office, software and insurance are our largest costs, and the plan counts all of them.

We need $85,000 in total. Of that, $38,500 is startup costs (computers, a plotter and furniture, design software, licensing and professional insurance, an office deposit and launch marketing), and the rest is cash for the first months. We are putting in $25,000 of our own savings and asking for a $60,000 SBA 7(a) loan.

We are Nadia and Peter Osei, owners of Meridian Architecture and Design. These numbers are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end of this plan, not promises.

Company Description

Meridian Architecture and Design will be a limited liability company (LLC) in Atlanta, Georgia, owned and run by Nadia and Peter Osei. Nadia is a licensed architect who has designed homes and tenant improvements for firms and now wants to run her own studio. Peter handles proposals, scheduling and the business side.

What we do:
- Residential design for additions, renovations and new homes.
- Tenant improvement and small commercial design.
- Permit drawings and code review.
- Construction administration and site visits.
- Feasibility studies and concept design.

Who we serve: Homeowners, small builders, developers and small business owners in the Atlanta area.

Licensing and insurance. Nadia will hold her architect license in Georgia, and we will register the firm and carry professional liability, general liability and workers compensation insurance. We use written agreements for every project and follow local permitting rules.

Our promise. Clear design, accurate drawings and a project that stays on budget and schedule as far as the design is concerned.

Where things stand today. The business plan, fee schedule and portfolio are written. The next steps are the office, the software and the first clients.

Problem & Opportunity

Small projects often get less attention from large firms, and owners struggle to understand drawings, codes and costs.

What customers run into:
1. Large firms that are not interested in small projects.
2. Designs that look good and are too expensive to build.
3. Permit delays caused by incomplete drawings.
4. No help when construction questions arise.

Why it matters. A good design saves money in construction and avoids mistakes, and careful drawings speed up permits.

Products & Services

Meridian will be the small studio in Atlanta that gives every project the architect's attention.

What makes us different:
1. Direct access to the licensed architect.
2. Clear fixed-fee proposals.
3. Designs checked against budgets and codes.
4. Complete permit drawings.
5. Site visits during construction.

How a project works:
1. The client shares goals, budget and site information.
2. We prepare a proposal and agreement.
3. We design, review with the client and prepare permit drawings.
4. We support permitting and visit the site during construction.

Why customers stay. Builders and clients return for the next project and refer neighbors.

Market Analysis

Who we serve:
- Homeowners planning additions and renovations.
- Small builders and developers.
- Small business owners building out spaces.
- Realtors and contractors who refer projects.

How we sized the market. Our Year 1 plan is about 10 residential projects, 4 tenant improvement projects and 12 permit and construction administration jobs, a small share of the design work in a large metro area. Replace this estimate with your own count of permits and builders near you.

Why now. Many homeowners renovate rather than move, and small businesses are building out spaces. They want a designer who respects budgets.

Competitive Landscape

What customers can do today:

1. Large architecture firms. Strong and focused on larger projects.
2. Design-build firms. Convenient and less independent.
3. Drafting services. Cheap and not licensed designers.
4. Online design platforms. Cheap and impersonal.
5. Builders who design in-house. Fast and less independent.

Where we fit. Meridian will be a small, hands-on studio led by a licensed architect.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How customers will find us.

Before opening:
- Introduce ourselves to builders, realtors and contractors.
- Prepare a portfolio with project photos and drawings.
- Set up a website and a Google Business Profile.
- Offer a free first consultation.

After opening:
- Ask every client for a review.
- Offer referral credits.
- Visit builders monthly.
- Share project photos with permission.
- Host a design talk for local groups.

What we will measure. How clients heard about us, how many proposals become projects and how many clients return.

Operations Plan

How the business will run.

Season and schedule. Design work runs all year, with permit deadlines and construction schedules shaping the calendar. We book new projects four to six weeks ahead.

Team. Nadia leads design. A designer and drafter works with her from Year 1, and we add designers as projects grow.

Quality and safety. We follow professional standards and codes, carry professional liability insurance and use written agreements and change order procedures.

Equipment. We will buy computers, a large-format plotter, design and drafting software licenses and office furniture.

Paperwork and money. Every project starts with a signed agreement and a deposit. We bill by project phase and follow up on anything unpaid after two weeks. We keep the books in simple accounting software and set aside money for taxes and insurance every month.

Management & Organization

The people who will run Meridian Architecture and Design.

Nadia Osei, licensed architect and owner. She leads design and signs drawings. Peter Osei, owner and business lead. He handles proposals, scheduling and the books. (Replace this paragraph with your own background.)

Team. One designer in Year 1, growing to four, each trained on drafting and code.

Office. Peter handles the office with part-time help as projects grow.

Outside advisors. An accountant, an insurance broker, an attorney who reviews contracts and a free mentor from SCORE or the Small Business Development Center.

Staff pay in this plan is a full year per person: owner / Principal Architect $78,000; designer / Drafter $52,000. Replace them with the pay you can offer where you live.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals and when we plan to reach them.
- Before opening (2 months ahead): register the firm, rent the office, buy the equipment and software, set up insurance and meet the first builders and realtors.
- Year 1: about 26 projects with Nadia and one designer; $221,400 in sales and a profit of about $13,800.
- Year 2: about 34 projects and a larger office; $293,241 in sales and a profit of about $62,400.
- Year 3: about 42 projects and a second designer; $369,204 in sales and a profit of about $72,400.
- Year 4: about 50 projects and a third designer; $449,447 in sales and a profit of about $85,200.
- Year 5: about 58 projects and a fourth designer; $534,168 in sales and a profit of about $100,700.
Growth depends on winning and keeping customers, so treat the later years as goals, not promises.

What we check every week: projects in each phase, proposals sent and won, billable hours, unpaid invoices and cash in the bank.

Funding Request

How much we need and how we will use it. Total we are raising: $85,000.

How we got that number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds up three things:
- Startup costs of $38,500, listed item by item in the Startup Costs section: $9,000 for computers and monitors, $3,000 for large-format plotter, $2,000 for office furniture, $2,500 for LLC or firm registration and attorney review of agreements, $5,500 for professional liability and general insurance, first payment, $5,000 for design software, first year, $5,000 for office deposit and first month's rent, $4,000 for branding, portfolio and website, $2,500 for launch marketing.
- The cash the business uses before it breaks even, about $0. Sales cover the daily costs once the doors open, so the cash we need up front goes mostly to startup costs.
- A cash cushion of about $43,800: three months of Year 1 operating costs.
- Together, the cash used before break even and the cushion come to about $43,800, and the three pieces add up to about $82,300, rounded up to the nearest $500: $82,500.
We are raising $2,500 more than that, $85,000 in all, to cover a slower first season than planned. With this funding, the lowest year-end cash balance is about $75,900, at the end of Year 1.

Where the money comes from:
- Our own money: $25,000.
- SBA 7(a) loan: $60,000.

Kind of funding we are looking for. An SBA 7(a) loan from a lender that finances small businesses, backed by our savings and the equipment as collateral.

How we will pay it back. We expect a profit of about $13,800 in Year 1, a profit of about $62,400 in Year 2, a profit of about $72,400 in Year 3, a profit of about $85,200 in Year 4 and a profit of about $100,700 in Year 5. With this funding, the business has money in the bank at the end of every year of the plan. Our loan is the SBA 7(a) loan at 10.5% over 10 years, $810 a month. That payment is already included in our cash flow. We chose these as cautious planning rates; ask the lender for the real rates, which may be lower or higher.

What we are offering the lender: the equipment and a personal guarantee.

A smaller first step, if needed. If we cannot raise the full amount right away, we can start smaller and grow into this plan:
- Phase 1: open with a small office and one designer, which lowers the startup costs and the loan.
- Phase 2: once projects are steady, add designers and a second office and follow this plan.
To plan the smaller start, make a copy of this plan (use Duplicate) and lower the numbers to match.

All numbers in this plan are estimates. We will update them as real results come in.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach before you send this plan:

- Your resume and a personal financial statement (a list of what you own and what you owe; lenders usually provide a form).
- Business registration papers and your EIN (your business tax number from the IRS, free at irs.gov).
- Your architect license and proof of insurance.
- A sample proposal and agreement.
- A portfolio of drawings.
- Quotes for computers and software.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Residential Design Projects: about $9,500 in Year 1, rising to $10,692; about $900 in direct costs, rising to $1,013; about 10 in Year 1, growing to 22.
- Tenant Improvement and Commercial Projects: about $22,000 in Year 1, rising to $24,761; about $1,800 in direct costs, rising to $2,026; about 4 in Year 1, growing to 8.
- Permit and Construction Administration: about $3,200 in Year 1, rising to $3,602; about $300 in direct costs, rising to $338; about 12 in Year 1, growing to 28.
- A residential design project averages about $9,500, a tenant improvement project about $22,000 and a permit or construction administration job about $3,200.
- Prices rise about 3% a year.
- Equipment ($14,000 in Year 1) covers computers, a large-format plotter and office furniture, and later years ($2,000, $3,000, $2,000 and $3,000) replace and add equipment.
- Pay (a full year, per person): owner / Principal Architect $78,000; designer / Drafter $52,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: office Lease and Utilities $18,000, professional Liability and General Insurance $8,000, software $9,000, marketing $6,000, admin $4,000. These grow between 4% and 15% a year.
- Customers and payers pay about 15 days after service, so at the end of Year 1 about $8,856 is still owed to us. Income tax at 21%.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and research.

Startup Costs