Starting Your Career as an Interior Designer: The Business of Interior Design

Turn! Turn! Turn!

More than seven week ago we approached a new antique dealer here in town about working out some sort of strategic alliance.  He had just taken over a space that had been another antique shop for more than 13 years.  We had worked with the other shop and thought there might be an opportunity here.  I wrote a two page draft of how we thought the association might work for both parties and included us working from time to time on the sales floor, in house seminars and open houses to create buzz.  We entertained he and his lady friend to dinner at our house and talked the night away about how we could work together.  I have to admit he wasn’t as savvy as I had first thought and in the course of the conversation I discovered he didn’t really have any retail or furniture experience at all.  Most of his conversation centered on how much we would be paying him in commissions on sales from clients we might acquire while working in his shop.  We were not surprised when he didn’t return our phone calls and seemed not to be interested.  Needless to say we began to loose interest in a relationship with him.  Low and behold, I get an email from him today talking about a working relationship.  His note of more than 500 words told the tale.  Without saying so he has discovered sales aren’t as easy as he thought and clients aren’t knocking down his door.  He now believes we might be able to bring something to his endeavor and wants us to get together to talk.  Now, unfortunately, we don’t trust the man and worry about how an association might affect our reputation in the community.  He moved here less than five months ago and really doesn’t understand how a small town works.  I’ve never been one who believes you have to live in a community forever to be part of it but it does take time to understand who the players are.  This man hasn’t a clue.  He came from LA and brings an attitude that speaks volumes.  He seems to believe we are all not quiet as switched on as he and we really don’t understand business.  His business depends a lot on tourist traffic and, except for the AT&T golf classic in early February; there won’t be a lot of tourist around until late April and early May.  So, what to do, what to do?  Robert and I have a lot of thinking to do.  At the same time we had lunch yesterday with a builder who has been in the community for more than 25 years.  He is very interested in what we offer for his business.  We met through our new professional group NARI, the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.  We are happy to be a part of this new chapter on the Monterey Peninsula and believe it will bring us many good connections.  So, things to tend to turn, turn, turn.  As Scarlet O’Hara said, “tomorrow is another day” and these past few days just proved it.

May we all have a very Happy and Prosperous New Year.

Santa, Baby

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the town not a client was stirring, not even crazy Mary.  The sofas and pillows were snug in their new homes and the time had come to enter the zone.  This Christmas I am so very happy to have good friends and family around for the holidays.  After spending the past few holidays out of town we decided to keep Christmas at home this year.  Business has been very quiet and a few days off aren’t exactly what we need right now.  Still, the quiet time for the business around the holidays is a fine respite from the day to day workings.  This is the time of year when we are asked what we want for Christmas.  More clients and new projects, of course.  Maybe a larger line of credit.  How about a new project management software package?  Robert and I have, since 1983, taken the week between Christmas and New Years off.  Most of the vendors and factories are closed and it is very difficult to get any business done.  So, why not take the time to regroup and focus on the year ahead.  I’ve turned Sirius radio to the holiday channel and listen to carols all day long.  I just finished the table arrangement for Christmas Eve dinner with a small group of friends.  It’s been fun taking the time to prepare for the next few days.  We even have a friend throwing a Boxing Day party.  The English holiday created for servants of the landed gentry who had to work and serve on Christmas Day.  Their holiday came the next day and was also the day the Lord of the manner gave Christmas boxes to all his staff.  The tradition continues in England as a second day off for most people. 

I do, of course, have a list for Santa.  Most of all I want the upcoming book launch to be a success.  Not just for me, but for those who will buy the book and, hopefully, create a business and prosper as interior designers.  Selfish, yes, but that’s what asking Santa is about.  There’s somebody else to ask for things like world peace and an end to the continual occupation of Iraq.  Hoping our service men and women come home next year before Christmas to spend time with their families.  This is such a joyful time of year.  Even those of us without children in our immediate family enjoy seeing the kids at the mall talking to Santa and asking for whatever it is they most desire.  For this week I won’t really focus on the business of interior design but the business of keeping the holiday spirit alive and well in Carmel.  Be sure to take the time to remember absent friends and loved ones and let those around you know how much they mean to you.  Get ready for the coming year with an open heart and clear mind.  Keep the spirit of Christmas in your heart and use that spirit to enhance the way you conduct business.  With that thought we will all be better business people and designers.  

Happy Christmas. 

Back to the Future

At this time of year so many of us take a look at our business plan and give it a little bit of a tune up.  That’s a good thing and will help with what is ahead.  But, how long into the future should you project?  So many people to whom I’ve spoken are just trying to stay in business until next week.  Well, that isn’t how to project what you will need to do to survive.  While working out what needs to be done next year you also might take a look at where you want to be in five years.  Yes, five years.  Now, this isn’t going to be an inflexible document in which you make all these plans with no thought of making needed changes.  In fact, by looking that far ahead you just might open a new set of thoughts about your business and what you, personally, want for the future.  Scary?  Maybe, but planning also involves some time for blue sky thinking.  Tomorrow will come and you need to be there to greet the new dawn.  I know, I sound like Pollyanna.  Well, a little bit of sunshine never hurt anyone.  Step back from all those accounting forms, tax forms and doom and gloom newspaper reports.  Don’t try to find out what the Dow is doing every thirty minutes.  Close the door to your office, turn off the music, computer email announcement and simply let your mind drift a little and forecast where you would like to be in five years.  It doesn’t have to be based on conditions today but on what will come from the changes that are sure to happen in the next five years.  So, can you be a little optimistic?  With that new optimism you will be able to see into the future and formulate some plans to take you there.  You will also realize how important your promotion and marketing plan is to your long range success.  After all, most of us are in this business for the long haul and that means looking farther than the next corner.  Oh, did I mention this might cost a little money?  That’s right.  Now is the time to spend more, not less, on marketing, advertising and promotion.  I know, there’s no money in the kitty for that right now.  Find it.  Beg, borrow or steal (oops, don’t steal) what you need to succeed in your marketing program.  I’ve said before the universe hates a vacuum and with decorators and pretend designers going out of business in record numbers right now is the time to fill that void.  If not you, who?  Get out there and promote like never before.  Let me know how it goes.

Open a New Window

Although keeping our head above water is important right now we shouldn’t loose sight of the bigger picture.  Now more than ever before is the time to get your head out of the sand and stick it in the air and look around.  I know, even though it’s two sentences I just mixed metaphors like mad.  Just bear with me.  I have continued to say there is opportunity out there if we just look for it.  As more border-line designers and companies fold their tents and steal away you can seize the moment and fill the void they leave.  The universe hates a void and someone will fill the void if you don’t.  Why not you?  While you’re at it don’t just copy what they did.  No, that would just be plain stupid.  Do something inventive and different.  As a matter of fact, surprise yourself and the world and do something completely out of the box.  If you believe “common knowledge” is going to help you now, forget it.  It’s common knowledge that got a lot of those other designers into the trouble we see around us.  Don’t let the old “sacred cows” of common knowledge lead you astray.  Make it much more interesting than that.  Turn it around and destroy what came before with your new and inventive take on the industry.  Let your current and prospective clients enjoy the reflective glory of your idea.  Even if the change you create is within your office and most of your clients don’t notice it is still good for your business.  As a matter of fact, there is a very sound theory that change should occur in your office at least once a month.  Heck, why not every week.  The change need not be large.  It could be as simple as moving samples around to make some more visible than last week.  Change the message on your tape machine.  Don’t be afraid to change a procedure or two.  If common knowledge in your area says you can’t charge more than $ 100.00 an hour for design time charge $ 110.00.  Yes, even in this economy.  Your clients will not notice a very small increase.  OK, make it $ 105.00 per hour.  If you already charge more than that just add 1 or 2 percent.  It all goes to the bottom line.  Common knowledge and sacred cows can get all of us in trouble if we don’t question them from time to time.  Don’t be afraid to question those old ideas.  I promise you will be pleased with the result.  Once you are switched on the change and cooking with gas you just may find sacred cows make the best burgers. 

HELP!

Have you heard?  We’re in a recession.  Oh, please, where have they been for the past eighteen months?  We’ve all known that news since early this year.  How many loans, bail-outs and prop-ups do we need to see the truth?  We, like almost everyone else, could use a little help as well.  Trust me; it won’t come from the government.  Not that I don’t believe the president-elect won’t make good on his promise to get us going again, it’s jus that most of us are way too small to get the attention we need.  So, where to turn?  Within, of course.  There are so many things we can do before the end of the year to help ourselves.  And, we can plan now for the upcoming eighteen to twenty-four months.  Ready?  Let’s begin.  For most of us it will be impossible to cut staff.  We are the staff and most don’t have much overhead in that area.  We can, however, cut expenses.  Look at all areas.  I just worked with AT&T to reduce my phone expenses by about $ 80.00 per month.  We are looking at electric and gas and how that is used.  These are little things but as they say, take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.  I don’t mean to ignore the larger picture but look at what is referred to as the low hanging fruit.  That is, the easier things to change.  Once you start you will be surprised at how much you can cut.  Then move on to maintaining your valuable clientele.  We have always sent cards, notes and things like that to our clients.  Just keeps us in their minds from time to time.  As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we also hold seminars from time to time to let people know what we do.  It also points out to them how much more involved a design project is if they are thinking about doing it themselves.  Easy things to do and if you are working out of your home go around to a few of the restaurants or bars and ask about back rooms they would let you use for little or not money if you plan to bring in 50 or 60 people for your seminar.  Maybe a real estate agent has the room for your group.  What a great tie-in.  Make sure wherever you go enhances your brand and is comfortable for your group.  Get them excited about the projects they might want to do and then get them asking you all the questions.  You will become, in their eyes, the expert in the field you know you are and that will enhance your bottom line.  I promise.