The Power of Small – Little Things Make all the Difference

By Nathaniel Rhine

Today we are told to think big and look at the bigger picture. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being ambitious. Unfortunately, we have lost the value of little things.

Have you had the opportunity to open a door for a woman and she said,”Thank you”? How did you feel? Have you ever been sick at home for a few days and an associate of yours gave you a call to see how you were doing? How did you feel? Those simple yet small gestures meant a great deal.

When it comes to our business, there’s no difference. A doctor wrote an article in a medical journal and it was later brought to his attention that the word medicine, which is the correct spelling, was spelled: m-e-d-e-c-i-n-e. What impression did the readers of that article have? Perhaps the reader would think twice before allowing that doctor to perform a surgery on him. Surely because of a small spelling mistake, the doctor’s potential patients may have lost trust and confidence in him.

If the doctor had taken an extra minute to proofread his article, he perhaps could have left a better impression on the readers. It only required a small amount of time and effort.

As an architect, I must pay close attention to every detail of my designs. It literally could mean someone’s life or death. A detail could be a small nut and bolt that may cost only a few cents each. However, if I failed to pay attention to such a detail, and omitted the nut and bolt, I could possibly jeopardize the safety of an occupant of that building.  

At Nathaniel Rhine Architecture, we separate ourselves from other architecture firms by focusing on the details, no matter how big or small they may be. Our aim is to be the best at what we do, not the biggest or the best known. By being small and focused on the details, we are in a better position to satisfy our clients. When our clients are satisfied with our service they will proudly tell others about our firm. Ultimately, we will become better known.

Yes, at times we had to decline offers to design for potential clients. Not because we didn’t want to do it and didn’t think the projects were challenging enough. Rather, we had declined some offers because we felt we would be spreading ourselves too thin. If we were to have taken on additional projects that were too much for us to handle, we would be providing less quality service to our existing clients, which is both unprofessional and eventually unprofitable. We can not afford to lose our current clients who are valuable to our practice.

Therefore, by our firm being small, we are in a better position to do many other small things that do make a lot of difference.

In conclusion, the power of small things really does make all the difference. Today, everyone is sending emails and text messages because it’s convenient and fast. Very impersonal as well. However, to prove that small things do make a difference, why not spent a small amount of time and send a hand written letter thanking someone today. See the results. Whatever they are, let me know. Thank you for your time and have a great day ahead. A simple house can be a beautiful home. A beautiful home will encourage peace and tranquillity, calmness and a sense security. It all begins with the architecture of the house. The architecture of the house must be simple as well. The architecture mustn’t be a collage of many styles, whims and fancies. It must have a goal in mind and it must speak that to the occupants and visitors of the house. A simple house does not have to be big and/or expensive. Nor does it have to be boring and uninviting. A simple house is a building type that is made up of walls and openings such as windows and doors to help create a space for living. To live freely, peacefully, and calmly. One can not and will not achieve and experience such wonderful states of being in a cluttered house. Change it with minimalist architecture, an architecture that may be simple yet very beautiful.