We all want our interior design clients to love us and spread the word on how great our business is. And the good news is that it really takes just small efforts to create a business that wows clients and that in turn, helps client retention, smoother projects, greater client loyalty, more referrals, and helps you stand out from the competition. Plus clients want to know they’re an integral part of your business and you appreciate their patronage.
Read MoreMany people think making money is dirty or bad (especially women). And even worse, sometimes we’re not even aware that we carry around this belief - it just shows up in how we conduct business and life. If you feel unsure about your pricing or keep spinning your wheels on how to price - there are ways to overcome it.
Read MoreThe Real Designer Series talks to 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.
Read MoreWow, 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.
Read MoreThe Real Designer Series talks to 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 Andrea Jagicza
Read MoreThe Real Designer Series talks to 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 Allison Ruda
Read MoreLast week we had five experts in the interior design field share their knowledge on finances. Here’s a recap of what we learned:
Read MoreAll month we’ve been talking about being smart about your business finances. Just because you are a creative you are not excused from the good financial habits that will help you create a profitable interior design business. In fact, not knowing and understanding your numbers is a sure sign that your business won’t be a success.
Read MoreHow to pay yourself in an interior design business? How much? How often? From what accounts?
When you’re hired as an employee, you don’t have to worry about getting paid, paying withholding taxes, or when you’ll get your paycheck. But as a self-employed business owner, these are all considerations.
Read MoreToday I am going to share with you the financial workflow that I use for interior design clients. This is just one way of doing it and many interior designers do it differently - and some probably do it the same. In fact, please share your workflow in the comments!
First, as I mentioned in last week’s post: How Often to Bill for Interior Design Services, I bill my clients every two weeks for time billing (my hourly fees). Reimburseables get billed once a month and sent with the time billing invoice. So that is two invoices per month for clients and my design fees.
Read MoreConsistency in business is important for morale, cash flow, and professionalism. Yet, so many designers aren’t sure how often they should be billing for interior design services. And because of this uncertainty - I see designers struggling with confidence and cash flow.
A while back we had an electrician over to do some work on the house. We didn’t receive the bill that month or the next. Admittedly, I half hoped maybe he forgot about the invoice altogether. But finally, 3 months later we received the invoice. And even though it was a bill that I anticipated I was still a bit frustrated that it took so long.
Read MoreWant to hear something crazy? You should do what you want. Because that’s the way you let your light shine and share your gifts with the world.
Too often interior designers get into this business and then the business of the work starts to get to them. They’re not making money. They don’t think clients value and appreciate their work. The stress of expectations. The suck of creativity. The weight of running a full-on business. All the responsibilities and pressure.
Read MoreOne of the problems with interior design is the long timeline. A lot of money is invested before clients see much progress. It can be scary for clients. To lessen the fear, you want to create fast results.
When I was working full-time as an interior designer, I was hired by a couple to help turn their track home into their home. This was at the beginning of my business and I was still feeling out how to run it. About a month into the project, after I’d done the design plans, had contractors come out for quotes, and we’d met a couple of times, I got an email from the client.
Read MoreI love making things easier for myself. I also love processes and organization. I love working smarter and not harder.
One way that I do that is by utilizing an online scheduler. It’s simple, but can help you work smarter as well as add a bit of professionalism to your business.
So I wanted to share today how using an online scheduler in an interior design business can also make your life easier. I use Acuity Scheduling (and if you have a Squarespace website this is probably the best choice because of the existing integration) but there are many options to consider (just search “online scheduler”).
Read MoreMany of us are coming back this week from extended time off, so you may not be thinking about how to take more time off. But the start of the year (anytime really) is a great time to make sure you are scheduling in downtime for yourself while running your interior design business. And since we are doing our yearly planning - you also want to include time off in that.
Read MoreLast week I hosted a planning webinar - sounds sexy doesn’t it? But taking the time to review your business and to plan your focus for next year can be very sexy - especially if it involves more money, less mistakes, and more magic in your business.
Read MoreWhether you have a client installation and project completion that you need a gift for or whether you’d like to give something more than a card this holiday - this client gift guide has the perfect gift for all your clients.
As always, the best gifts are have thought and intention behind them. The time your client mentioned their love of ballet, or a favorite restaurant in Paris, or their guilty pleasure are all nuggets you can translate into a perfect gift.
Read MoreI often get overwhelmed when my to-do list seems never-ending. At that point, I need to take a step back and ask myself if there is anything that can be eliminated or delayed. Usually overwhelm comes when there is a lack of focus and a lack of control.
When you run a business, your to-do list will always be too long. Sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking that once X happens, it’ll be different. For example, once you have more clients, you’ll be less stressed. But this isn’t the case. Once X happens, you’re likely going to be in a slightly different situation, but more or less the same mindset. That is the reality of running a business, there will always be problems to solve and new issues to address.
Read MoreThey spend the day in the weeds - answering emails, putting out fires, talking to clients, posting to social media, managing employees, following-up on orders - and no one is looking after the big picture of the business.
You’re the pilot - but flying in the fog.
It’s time to get a 10,000 foot view of your business.
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