5 Reasons Your Interior Design Business Isn't Growing

Your interior design business may not be growing because there are 5 areas that you are neglecting. Below I go into each area, however, these should be thought about as a rebalancing of your time, not about adding more to your already long to-do list. By incorporating these areas into your business you will be more productive and feel more balanced.

And a reminder - these areas below are important whether you are can’t-keep-your-head-above-water-busy or so-slow-you’re-desperate and everywhere in between. In other words, they should be a consistent, permanent part of your business.

5 Areas to Spend More Time On For Growth

CEO Time

When all your time is spent on working IN your business, there is no one at the helm to direct and manage the business. You need CEO time to work ON your business. That means taking time from client and design work and looking at your:

• marketing efforts

• reviewing financial reports

• reviewing and creating systems and processes

• examining problems and issues and how to resolve them

• doing an audit of your website

• reviewing key metrics

• setting goals for the future

How much time should I spend on my business? How much CEO time is required depends on your and your business. There may be certain times that more is required - a growth phase or when you’re just starting for example. But consistent CEO time is a requirement of running an interior design business. You should always have regular time scheduled to put on your CEO hat.

Read more: Tracking Your Business: Monthly Reviews

Growth tip: Spend a few hours a month with your CEO hat on.

Self-Care

Often when we run our own businesses the line between personal and business gets blurred. Especially now, in the time of COVID19, when everyone is home. We’re often working late, after dinner, on weekends, and there is always something to do so we continue working thinking that if we can just cross a couple more things off the to-do list you’ll finally be able to get ahead or take a break.

However, this is very rarely the case, because there is always more to do or that we should be doing! Breaks or feeling on top of your to-do list don’t come from doing more. They come from being scheduled and respected. It’s up to you to create boundaries for yourself and STICK TO THEM.

I know that it’s easy to get burned out, it’s easy to tell yourself you don’t have time, it’s easy to work right through dinner. But this is not good for your brain, your creativity, your health, your relationships.

Growth tip: Schedule breaks and time-off and stick to them.

Learning

Successful people spend a good amount of time learning new skills and information. If you are grinding out work, you’re likely not devoting any time to learning and growing. It’s important to invest in yourself so that you grow. When you aren’t learning, you are stagnant.

You can learn anything. Or as Marie Forleo says, “Everything is figureoutable.” This mindset and belief will change your business. You can learn anything.

• Read business books

• Enroll in a course

• Devote time to watching online tutorials

• Work with a coach/teacher/mentor

Growth tip: Think about what skills you would like to acquire. Make a list. Research how to gain those skills and begin.

Marketing

Clients don’t just show up at your doorstep. They have to know you exist. How are you going to get your ideal clients to know you exist? What are you doing to get seen by their eyes?

If you are not actively doing marketing, your business won’t grow. Sure you can rely on your amazing service for referrals, but I’ve seen businesses that have relied on referrals suddenly dry up or not be working with the kinds of clients that they want.

If you think marketing is overwhelming, remember that you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Marketing is best in small, consistent actions. Marketing can be:

• social media

• website updates

• community relations

• volunteering

• advertising

• public speaking

• being interviewed

• publications

• client relations

• there are millions of ways and you should spend a few minutes daily working on it.

Read more: Create a Marketing Plan for Your Business and Keep New Business Coming

Growth tip: Create your marketing plan and spend 15-30 minutes daily implementing it.

Reviewing Goals

Do you know that people spend more time planning their vacations than their life? Research has shown over and over that people who set and review their goals on the regular are the more successful ones. This is why CEO time is important. Do you have goals set for your business, not just “it would be nice” but concrete goals that you’ve maybe given the SMART treatment to (S-Specific, M- Measurable, A- Achievable, R- Relevant, T- Time bound)?

But not only do you have to set goals, flush them out into manageable chunks, but you also have to revisit them to make sure you’re on track or if you need to reassess. I believe that everyone approaches goals and motivation a little differently, so if this is an area that feels especially difficult for you, explore ways that you can make it work for you.

Growth tip: Schedule 5 minutes a day to review your goals.

Moving Towards Growth

Running an interior design business is mostly about running a business - not the actual design or servicing clients. Too often the business gets neglected. If you’re business isn’t growing - you’ve probably neglected the business stuff.

Use the growth tips to get things back on track.

• Spend a few hours a month with your CEO hat on.

• Schedule breaks and time-off and stick to them.

• Think about what skills you would like to acquire. Make a list. Research how to gain those skills and begin.

• Create your marketing plan and spend 15-30 minutes daily implementing it.

• Schedule 5 minutes a day to review your goals.

Share below: What growth tip do you need to focus on?

About The Author

Hi! I’m Capella and I’m an interior designer who helps fellow designers build their businesses. Forget secrecy and competition, I believe designers should support and uplift each other. By helping and boosting one another, we can elevate the business of interior design together! Hang around a bit and I’ll share all the business “secrets” no one else wants to talk about.