Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Skolski.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I knew I wanted to be an architect from an early age and decided to go to Wentworth Technical Institute to earn my architecture degree. I did several coops for a firm that specialized in multifamily housing and assisted living facilities. I went on to work for that firm for several years before moving to a firm on the North Shore. I began the licensing process and became licensed at the age of 32.
Soon after, my wife and I decided I should go out on my own which was in 2006. At the time Lorie had a great corporate job so was able to support our new business endeavor. I started out by working with single family home owners. My office was in the barn of our property in Ipswich where I worked with our two basset hounds by my side. It was small work but it was steady and helped me continue to learn. After a year we decided to move to Salem which would mean losing my barn office. It turned out to be a very positive loss. We opened an office at the Cummings Center in Beverly and have now been there for 10 years. I moved in to a small 1-person office and continued to focus on single family homes but also started meeting some developers that were doing some small multifamily housing.
Over the last 10 years we’ve moved 4 times within the Cummings Center. We’ve been in our current space of 3000 sq. ft. for the last year and have grown to a 10-person firm. My wife has always worked on the business side of DMS during her spare time. However, she joined the firm part-time 4 years ago and then full-time 2 years ago. We are a husband-wife owned architecture and interior design firm that truly loves our business. We now focus on multifamily housing, commercial office build-outs, fire/flood disaster recovery, interior design, and continue to work with homeowners as well. I am thrilled to be where we are today and continue to move forward with aggressive growth and expansion plans.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle that we encountered was the recession of 2008…it hit us hard. I was able to keep the business afloat by taking small jobs that just paid the bills. Towards the end of 2009 the phone started to ring again and hasn’t stopped since. The benefit that came from that down time is that I had to learn how to network, how to get out and develop business. I had never been comfortable with networking but I had to learn to not only be comfortable but to make it a part of my daily work schedule. Today, as the managing principal, 75% of my time is spent on business development, so I am thankful for the time I had to develop those skills.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the DMS Design story. Tell us more about the business.
DMS is an architecture and interior design firm with locations in Beverly and Boston. Our headquarters is in Beverly where we’ve been for 11 years. We also have a Boston office that mainly serves as a marketing and business development office.
We provide architectural services for the housing industry and work mainly with developers on multifamily projects that range in size from 15 units to 200 units.
We also provide commercial office build-out services to companies that includes interiors. We are a 10-person firm and continue to look for talented junior staff to join our team and grow with us. DMS is known as the firm that has experience with funding agencies such as HUD and DHCD. We are known to be able to “get it done”. We meet budgets and timelines and have the ability to jump on projects quickly. Our clients know that we provide quality work quickly. Where other firms have trouble committing to timelines we thrive on fast turnaround times. We are most proud of the fact that we have repeat clients and long-term partners that we work with.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I think luck is defined by timing and perseverance. Most of the new business that we win comes from timing and making sure you are in the right place at the right time. I may meet someone today that wants to do business with us when they have a new project. But, if I don’t regularly stay in touch with that person, someone else could be the last person to shake his/her hand and end up with the deal. We recently implemented a CRM system to manage our “touch-points”. I want to be in front of the people that are making deals happen…those are the clients we want. I need to make my own luck with consistency, quality work, and being a trusted advisor.
Contact Info:
- Address: 100 Cummings Center, Suite 339C, Beverly, MA 01915
& 225 Franklin Street, Suite 2600, Boston, MA 02210 - Website: www.dmsdesign.com
- Phone: 978-965-3470
- Email: info@dmsdesign.com
- Facebook: @dmsdesignllc
- Twitter: @dmsdesignllc
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