A look back at all the great interior design articles of 2020. Have you read them all? Some old favorites and new classics are gracing the list this year. Which is your favorite?
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Wow, things are changing fast and a single news headline can make the world feel like it’s ending. But we’ve been through tough times before - uncertain times - and with the first countries hit with the virus improving, I can’t help but feel we will be on the mend soon.
The irony is that this year was supposed to be the year that I was more public and had more travel planned. Conferences, presentations, my Grandfather’s 90th have all been canceled. The universe has different plans.
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Sometime within the past few months I came across the headline: “Online Interior Design - How To Hire A High-End Designer For The Fraction Of The Price”. Ugh. Yes, let’s just keep making design cheaper and cheaper.
First, let me say, this is a complicated economic and societal issue that I am certainly not going to solve in a blog post, I’ll probably not even scratch the surface. However, I do want to get you thinking. Thinking about your contribution to the interior design industry.
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Below are the list of the top 10 posts of 2018. I have broken them down into the ones that are the most popular of all time - though may not have been written in the past year they are still relevant today. Then there are the top 5 that were written this year.
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All this month I’m interviewing real-life designers about what it is like to run a design business. As you’ll see these ladies have all different backgrounds and experiences, but one thing they all have in common is that they have taken my course, The Golden Blueprint.
About Oksana Kreiman
A native of Russia, Oksana moved to the US as a teen. After getting an associates degree in Interior Design, Oksana worked for another Denver design firm for 10 years before setting out on her own with Pure Design in 2013.
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I'm interviewing real-life designers about what it is like to run a design business in countries all over the world. As you'll see these designers have all different backgrounds and experiences, but I think you'll be surprised how similar we all are too.
About Ana Asturias
Despite being a trained dancer with a BS in Biology, 8 years ago Ana opened Lo Studio in Guatemala City, Guatemala. She is also a graduate of The Golden Blueprint, my business training program for interior designers. Typical projects for Lo Studio are high-end residential and office spaces for single men.
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I'm interviewing real-life designers about what it is like to run a design business in countries all over the world. As you'll see these designers have all different backgrounds and experiences, but I think you'll be surprised how similar we all are too.
About Anna Kovalchenko
Anna Kovalchenko moved from her home in Moscow, Russia to Marbella, Spain six months ago.
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When you buy retail, you buy at an inflated price. Yet, more and more clients want to buy retail. They want their furniture quick and easy. Not to mention cheap. But what they (and you) may not realize is that you're likely paying a much bigger "markup" on retail compared to the quality that you get than to-the-trade sources.
Usually when buying to-the-trade the cost to quality ratio is much better. Clients get more for their money. They'll be paying a smaller markup to the designer rather than a large markup to the retailer.
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1. Have a Specialty
When you're known for something, people will come to you to get it. When the keywords and text on your website is what your potential clients Google, more clients will find you. When you try to appeal to everyone, it makes marketing much harder. But someone looking for New England meets Palm Beach will certainly find Meggie H Interiors. A client wanting to decorate their kids room in Massachusetts? They'll find Boo and Rook. You'll book more clients if you have exactly what they're looking for.
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- Don't Ever Treat Your Business Like a Hobby - This means that you set it up properly from the get-go with proper business licenses, insurance, and legal structure. It also means setting up a website, a branded email (no gmail.com or yahoo.com), and a separate phone line. Businesses have separate bank accounts and credit cards, hobbies don't.
- Get Yourself a Contract - Always do work with a proper, legal interior design agreement. This is to protect both you and your clients. You're opening yourself to a world of trouble
I like to focus on my year ahead for the entire month of January. It doesn't seem like there is ever enough time at the end of the year to plan for the next one. In my business, January is a planning month. I like to spend some time reviewing last year and creating goals for the new year by asking the right questions and taking time to answer them.
In the January 2018 issue of O Magazine, Oprah writes, "What's the best way to live a full, honest, examined life? Where do we find deeper meaning? How can we bridge the gap between ourselves and others? The answer, in every case: Ask the right questions."
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One of the most intimidating things to do for a new interior design business can be setting up trade accounts. Unfortunately, despite being in sales, the trade reps aren't always helpful. And the applications have spaces that a new business likely can't fill out.
To apply for a trade account you just need to contact the vendor or sales rep and let them know you need to set up a new account. Look online for your local rep or call corporate or just pick up an application at the showroom. They can send the application straight to your email. Then you fill it out and return it. You'll get an email or letter back letting you know that your application has been approved and your new account number.
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About Grayson Pratt
After studying interior design for 3 out of a 5-year program in college, Grayson Pratt became impatient and got a degree in Political Science. Armed with a great base of drafting and color study after college, she worked for a large furniture store in the furniture mecca of High Point, NC and later for the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. Then 3 years ago she started Grayson Pratt Interiors in Atlanta. Like so many designers, most of her clients start with a couple rooms in their home and grow into the rest of the house.
Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with James Swan on his Million Dollar Decorating Podcast. They track their most popular episodes by comments so I'd love if you'd comment on the podcast page here: Million Dollar Decorating - Capella Kincheloe.
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I just finished the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown and was blown away by how much the ideas in the book paralleled my teachings and personal philosophies in both running a business and in life. If you ever feel like you have to do it all, that you have too much on your plate, that you are overwhelmed, that you don't know what to focus on or what is most important than this book is for you. And from what I hear from you in your comments, emails, and in coaching sessions this is pretty much everyone running an interior design business. I highly recommend you read it.
Here are how the principles can help you do less and achieve more:
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The title of this article is a bit of a misnomer because there are very few applications that you need to run an interior design business. Somewhere a few years ago, I stopped adding and started simplifying. This was a conscious effort to stop looking for the best way to run my business from external sources to start developing the best way to run my business by looking inside my business.
Simplicity and focusing on what really matters is what will make your business run smoother. By not cluttering up your process with various applications and subscriptions, you can give your attention to the work that needs to be done, not the app you should use to get it done.
That said here are some of my favorite apps for running an interior design business.
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Getting negative feedback from a client is inevitable. Let's just get that out of the way: you are going to get negative feedback and so is every other interior designer out there. You're not alone. But sometimes it feels like you're alone if you hear anything but rave reviews. It can feel like a giant spotlight is on you. Or like it is written on your face and everyone knows. But none of this is true.
Sadly, negative feedback will probably stick with you much longer than the rave reviews. At least it does for me. In a way, I think this is because we don't expect our clients to have criticism. We expect our clients to love the work we've done for them. This kind of feedback can make you question your talent and maybe even question why you are in interior design.
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The first thing to know about sales tax is that if you're selling product (and sometimes services) to clients you'll have to pay it and the second thing to know is that every jurisdiction has different rules and regulations. In other words, it is unavoidable and it is complicated.
Tax is required to be paid on goods sold, but some businesses can get exemptions to pass on this tax to the end consumer - the client. The designer purchases a taxable item with the purpose of resale and at the time the designer charges the client they also must collect sales tax. The purpose of resale is the exemption. The sales tax is passed on to the client.
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It is no secret that I love organization, so when I started organizing my business it came fairly naturally to me. Coupled with my desire to make things as easy and automatic as possible, creating business systems was actually fun. I realize that this is not the case with most anyone else. I enthusiastically recommend creating business systems and processes to every interior design business owner. And not because I think it is fun. Systems can help your business run smoother, more efficiently, and with minimal brain power. You may even have some unofficial systems running already without knowing it.
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Here's a little secret about me: I despise the financial/accounting parts of running my business. So much so, there have been times that I try to ignore it altogether, forget it exists. I just want to create!
Please don't do this. This doesn't help your business grow. And ignoring your financials does not make them disappear.
Here is where creating some money habits in your business is going to come in handy. Because you are going to make them habits and habits by definition are something you do regularly. You are going to be motivated because you know that keeping an eye on your money is going to help your business grow and run more smoothly. Easier.
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