Interior Design Business Resources

Finding the Cheapest Price Isn't Your Job

As an interior designer or decorator, you may feel like you don't receive the respect that the profession deserves. There are certainly people that think that all we do is fluff pillows and spend other people's money.

But interior design is more complex than most people know. We must navigate the tricky waters of family, home, marriages, and multiple personalities. We have knowledge of a wide-range of skills and specialties. While a tile-layer or window-covering workroom has specialized knowledge in their specific business, interior designers have to know a good deal about those businesses as well as their own.

Happy Thanksgiving

I'm grateful for all of you! Happy Thanksgiving.

Capella KincheloeNovember 22, 2017Comment

Finding a Great Accountant

Years ago when I moved to Arizona, I contacted the only local resource that worked with Studio Designer. I was restarting my business in Arizona and wanted someone to help setting up Studio and do my monthly bookkeeping. Luckily, that resource was my business accountant and bookkeeper Denise Maxwell. What is great about Denise is that she works almost exclusively with interior designers, she understands our business, she works in the program that works best for interior designers, and she is a great bridge between being a designer and accounting. If you aren't as lucky as I am to have found a great accountant on your first try, read on for my interview with Denise about finding a great accountant for your interior design business.

How to Get Out of A Project With Grace

Sometimes you begin a project and a few weeks or months down the road you realize this isn't the project for you. Something isn't right, maybe there are red flags, maybe you have too much on your plate, maybe the client is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. There are many great reasons that you should get out of a project. And it is perfectly okay to get out of a project. But, getting out of a project shouldn't be a decision taken lightly. You want to honor your commitments, just not at the expense of your personal well-being.

Texting for Business

A few weeks ago I received a question that inspired this post. She wanted to know how I tracked my time when I was texting with clients. She told me sometimes when she received text messages she wasn't in "work mode" and often forgot to write down that time to track. This question originated from the article I wrote: How to Make Money as an Interior Designer. In this article, I lay out how much money you may be leaving on the table by not charging for as little as an hour a week.

If you're spending an hour a week texting clients and not billing them for it, you could be losing $6500 a year (based on $125/hr)! AN HOUR A WEEK. $6500 lost for not tracking your texting.

FundamentalsCapella KincheloeNovember 1, 2017texting, client communications Comments

Getting a Budget from Clients

Here is a secret from my business: I don't meet with potential clients unless I first have an idea of their budget. I don't need a spreadsheet with every penny accounted for (In fact, I really don't want that!) but I do need a starting number that they feel comfortable with.

Here is another secret to getting this number: You ask. Then if they don't know (many don't and this is okay!) then prob further. Keep asking in different ways to get a number from them. Don't waste their time or your own entertaining a project that is an impossible budget. Usually there are two types of clients, those that have a number but don't want to share it because their afraid you'll abuse their money. Or they really have no idea what it should cost. If you're lucky you'll get a client that has an appropriate budget. If you're unlucky you could get a client that has an unreasonable budget.

Interior Design Basics: Setting Up Trade Accounts

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.

Red Flags

So many times after a project sours designers tell me that there were red flags from the get-go. So the good thing is that potential clients will usually reveal from the start that they're not the right clients for you.

Too often designers, especially new designers, are so eager for work and to get hired that red flags are ignored or they don't know what to look out for. In the beginning, there are a few areas that you should consider before accepting and moving forward with a project.

ClientsCapella KincheloeOctober 11, 2017red flags, working with a client, saying no Comments

How to Handle Returns

I see this question a lot. So I'm going to share with you how I handle returns. Remember, this is how I do it, that doesn't mean that it is the right way to handle it for your business. It's just one way to do it.

The first thing you need to do is accurate set up your client's expectations. This means that you put a refund policy in your contract, not only for product and orders, but also for the markup on that product, for your time procuring and expediting that product, shipping and freight fees, install costs, and restocking fees.

Real Designer: Grayson Pratt

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.

InterviewsCapella KincheloeSeptember 27, 2017Real Designer, interior designer interview, interior design businessComment

Real Designer: Courtney Moss

About Courtney Moss: Despite being passionate about design, it wasn't until Courtney graduated with a degree in Marketing and Communications, did an interior design opportunity fall into her lap and her career in interior design began. Then 5 years ago, she started her own design business and hasn't looked back, infusing bold pops of color into southern charm.

InterviewsCapella KincheloeSeptember 20, 2017real interior design business, Real Designer, interior designer interviewComment

Real Designer: Julie White

About Julie White After working for an award-winning design firm in Phoenix, Julie started J White Designs in 2012. At this point, she has over 13 years of experience in residential and commercial design focusing on high-end residential design, which is apparent in her beautiful project photos. She has a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Arizona State University and is NCIDQ certified. Julie has clients all over the state of Arizona and, full disclosure, is one of my local design friends. You can read more about her business in Client Confessions.

Million Dollar Decorating - Interior Design Podcast

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.

Ultimate Interior Design Pricing Resource

I've written many articles on pricing and created a free course to help designers figure out their sweet spot. I thought I could round them all up for you in one convenient place. Want to get really clear on what works for me and what I've seen work for other designers? Read the articles below.

Click Read More to Get 10 of the Best Articles on Pricing Interior Design

Multiple Revenue Streams for Interior Designers

Creating more than one way to make money in your interior design business is like diversifying your portfolio. If something takes a downturn you have other places where money is coming in.

On the other hand, I don't want you to complicate your business so much that it becomes unmanageable or overwhelming. Too much on your plate and business becomes messy and you won't be able to do anything well.

Below are some ideas on how to add multiple revenue streams into your interior design business. A caveat, if you want to add anything, you should be able to create it and then set it and forget it.

MarketingCapella KincheloeAugust 23, 2017pricing interior design, revenue, pricing Comments

How to Make Money As An Interior Designer

At the end of my course, The Golden Blueprint, I do review calls with participants. In the last session of the course I had several review calls every day and I found myself giving the same advice most every call. So what was the question that everyone was asking about? Pricing. Or more specifically, how to make money as an interior designer.

We would talk about how they priced their services and how they charged their clients and ultimately there was one glaring mistake everyone was making in their design business that was costing them valuable income.

Biggest Pricing Mistakes Designers Make

Psst. Designer. Do you want to hear the biggest trade secret of all time? You can't share it with anyone. If I tell you, you are sworn to secrecy. Other designers will ask. Don't tell them. This is just for you. I'm going to give you the Super Secret Magic Pricing Model. MPM for short.

I'm sure you know the Magic Pricing Model I'm talking about. The one where clients readily accept your fees and buy all the product you select without question. It is the one where your bills and invoices are always paid on time. The one where you make a ton of money easily. It is the one that is so easy you never have to have an uncomfortable conversation about money with clients. The MPM is the one that you make the most amount of money with the least amount of effort. I know you want it. Everyone wants it.

Markup is Dead

Let's go back to a time pre-internet. Cue the fog and crackly old-time radio. Generally, the wealthy were the only ones who could afford to hire a decorator. HGTV didn't exist. Correspondence was done via letter or the phone. Orders were placed with checks. Cell phones didn't exist or were giant bricks kept in the car "for emergencies". Shopping was all done in-store or from a mail-order catalog, you had to literally mail-in or call in your order. Things that couldn't be sourced would be designed and custom made in a workroom. Clients had no access to trade-only sources.

A Detailed Look at Pricing Interior Design Services

How do Interior Designers price their services? How should you price your services?

Unlike architects or realtors, there is no regulating body for interior designers. Therefore, there are about as many different pricing structures as there are interior designers. There is not a one size fits all for designers or clients, the bottom line is do you feel comfortable and confident in your pricing model?

Why Discounts Are Hurting Business

When you discount your services, you are undercutting the value of the entire industry. Ever bought a Groupon for a discounted exercise class, but then never went again for full price? If you pay less for something it is really hard to fork over more money later. When you lower the price of something, it sets a precedent and people don't want to pay more for it. The perceived value goes down. This may not matter when you are first starting or if you are in a slump and need whatever clients you can get, but it will matter when you are wanting to get paid more for your services or want to work on higher budgets. It also matters to all the other designers out there working their butts off and growing their businesses.