Looking back, creating an AEC start-up during the brutal recession of the early 2000’s sounds like the worst timing imaginable. Sounds like a great way to lose everything, a great way to regret chasing a dream, a great way to move back in with your parents. What it doesn’t sound like is the beginning of a success story that defies all logic and luck and proves that 3 people with a big dream can actually become more profitable than they ever imagined. Here’s Ampirical’s incredible story.
Let’s get this straight: Ampirical isn’t just successful—it’s nationally recognized and shattering predictions by growing over 2,000% in revenue in the last seven years.
Ampirical went from three employees to being in the Top 25 of Engineering on Inc. Magazine’s Top 500|5000 fastest growing private companies in just seven years. And they can actually pinpoint why.
Ampirical, By the Numbers:
Staff growth over seven years: From three employees to 77
Percentage staff growth = 2,466%
Engineering revenue in 2006: $391,000
Engineering revenue in 2012: $9,375,000
Revenue growth: 2,297%
Ok, seriously—a comma? Who has a comma in their growth percentage? What is Ampirical doing that makes them so amazing?
First off, their engineering, architectural and surveying work is heralded as a benchmark in the industry and companies from all over the country seek them out for it. No cutting corners there.
But secondly, they prioritize beautifully and their office efficiency is off the charts, so they’re running at maximum billable hours at all times.
For those office management tasks, they credit BillQuick for speeding up their cash flow and helping them “spoil” their regular clients. Here’s how it breaks down:
First They Sped Up Cash Flow
Pamela Flucke, CPA and Controller at Ampirical explains, “BillQuick sped up the invoicing process immensely because all the required information for our workflow is kept in one spot. Previously, we kept time and expense entries in QuickBooks and we had to sync time. Now we’ve eliminated that step entirely. It’s a lot more user-friendly. For example, with QuickBooks, we could only manage to create and send 20-25 invoices a month. Now we’re able to do 100+ a month. It’s grown by leaps and bounds. So as a result our cash flow has improved due to faster cycle time. We typically email instead of manual mail and that saves time too.”
Ampirical credits BQE's BillQuick for speeding up the firm's cash flow.
Then They Managed Budgets Better
Knowing where you stand in regards to the budget is easy when you can automate reporting, Flucke explains. “Project managers are running reports in BillQuick and having them delivered to their email every Monday morning, so instead of having to manually check how many hours they’ve spent so far and how many they have left in their budget, they just know. They’re also starting to manage their employee’s utilization levels with that. They don’t have to think about it—it’s one less thing, since it’s automatically generated.”
They Keep Clients Coming Back
When asked if it helps her juggle clients easier, Pamela laughs, “Yes! And each one wants to see something different on the invoice. We’re up to 20 custom invoices—we’re very accommodating to clients in that way—we like to spoil them. Most of them are repeat clients.”
Here’s How They Made All That Money
While the rest of their staff grew 60% from 2010-2012, and their number of invoices, time sheets and reports grew exponentially, they didn’t have to expand their admin staff. They only added more engineers and specialists to provide even better service, and as a result, their revenue skyrocketed without adding overhead for non-billable staff.
Learn how BillQuick can help you improve your cash flow too.
Read more about Ampirical’s impressive Inc. Top 500|5000 nod here.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Apr 19, 2022
VDC maturity and the key to driving better, more predictable outcomes
While more stakeholders across the AEC value chain embrace the concept of virtual design and construction, what is driving the vastly different results that organizations achieve? The answer lies within an assessment of VDC maturity.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 19, 2022
6 trends to watch in healthcare design
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, IMEG’s healthcare leaders from across the country are seeing several emerging trends that are poised to have wide-ranging impacts on facility design and construction. Following are six of the trends and strategies they expect to become more commonplace in 2022 and the years to come.
Concrete Technology | Apr 19, 2022
SGH’s Applied Science & Research Center achieves ISO 17025 accreditation for concrete testing procedures
Simpson Gumpertz & Heger’s (SGH) Applied Science & Research Center recently received ISO/IEC17025 accreditation from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) for several concrete testing methods.
Sponsored | BD+C University Course | Apr 19, 2022
Multi-story building systems and selection criteria
This course outlines the attributes, functions, benefits, limits, and acoustic qualities of composite deck slabs. It reviews the three primary types of composite systems that represent the full range of long-span composite floor systems and examines the criteria for their selection, design, and engineering.
Building Team | Apr 18, 2022
Shive-Hattery Acquires WSM Architects
Shive-Hattery announces that it has acquired WSM Architects, Inc., a 13-person architecture firm in Tucson, Arizona.
Building Team | Apr 15, 2022
Frank Gehry to design his largest building yet for his hometown of Toronto
Famed architect Frank Gehry will design his largest building to date for his hometown of Toronto, Canada.
Healthcare Facilities | Apr 14, 2022
Healthcare construction veteran creates next-level IPD process for hospital projects
Can integrated project delivery work without incentives for building team members? Denton Wilson thinks so.
Industrial Facilities | Apr 14, 2022
JLL's take on the race for industrial space
In the previous decade, the inventory of industrial space couldn’t keep up with demand that was driven by the dual surges of the coronavirus and online shopping. Vacancies declined and rents rose. JLL has just published a research report on this sector called “The Race for Industrial Space.” Mehtab Randhawa, JLL’s Americas Head of Industrial Research, shares the highlights of a new report on the industrial sector's growth.
High-rise Construction | Apr 14, 2022
Seattle’s high-rise convention center nears completion
The new Washington State Convention Center Summit Building—billed as the first high-rise convention center in North America—is on track to complete most of its construction later this year.
Wood | Apr 13, 2022
Mass timber: Multifamily’s next big building system
Mass timber construction experts offer advice on how to use prefabricated wood systems to help you reach for the heights with your next apartment or condominium project.