10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started My Interior Design Business
There are lots of things I wish I knew when I was figuring out how to start an interior design business. When I started my interior design business I spent money on shit I didn't need. I changed my services what seemed like every two minutes and felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to chase every bit of knowledge that could set my business off into stratosphere. There's no shortcuts to success, but if you can start off lean and focus on the important shit, you'll still be in business a year (because your first year is one of the hardest) from now on your way to being a successful interior designer.
How To Start An Interior Design Business
1. Just get started. You can do this. But you got to stop thinking all the time and focus on your own lane. I wrote about this here... Be the Hamster or the Hustler.
2. You need a website and a domain. You're going to be wanting a home base online that people can come to, where you can start banking some SEO juice and gain a following. Buy a domain, install Wordpress and use a free theme.
3. You don't need a portfolio, but you need to start one. I didn't have any residential work because I had just come from the land of commercial interiors. I took pictures of my home and shared them. I also shared all of my designs I made with my Minutes Matter software. Create and share those Olioboards that you can make for free. Now you're building a portfolio.
4. Screw the business cards. If you're going the eDesign way and don't plan on going out to tradeshows or events until you start getting some work in the door, skip the business cards and other stationery. I found direct mail to be expensive and a waste of time.
5. Work from home. More than ever interior designers are working from home and it's totes cool. You don't need to spend money on renting a space. Have client meetings at their home or find a local coffee shop. (Hint: You probably need a business license even if you're working from home though, so check with your city.)
6. You need a contract or a letter of agreement. When you get your first client, you still need to write out a contract. I can't tell you how many problems this will solve when you get to working on a project and project creep rears its ugly head. Check out this book on Amazon: Business and Legal Forms for Interior Designers
7. A blog is a must, but only if you commit to doing it regularly. If you're gonna blog on Wednesday the 4th and then three months later you blog again, well then you need to fucking forget it. That will do more damage than not having a blog in the first place. People will wonder if you are a flake and untrustworthy. I'm telling you it's one of the best (and practically free) things you can do to invest in your business, but it's worth jack if you don't keep up with it. Stumped on what to blog about? I've got you covered with this blogging calendar.
Once you start using a blogging calendar for your decorating blog, you will start to fall back in love with blogging. Or least not curse the day you started your blog anymore. Most interior designers start blogging with all sorts of good intentions. Like they want to post all sorts of cute projects. Then sometimes they feel like posting cute stuff to buy.So, you start all ambitious and shit. Like you're going to blog every day like a mo fo.
Then you find out blogging every day leaves no time for your business.
Or maybe you found you were starting to run out of things to say.
I have something to solve your problems. This really works. And for the amount of time you put into the front end, it will be well worth your time when you need it throughout the year.
It's a Blogging Calendar...
Some fancy peeps call it an Editorial Calendar.
Create a Spreadsheet or Document and list out the 12 months of the year.
For each of the twelve months mark down 4 spots under it. Each of those four spots representing a week (and yes I know there are some months that "have" five weeks, but you can then adjust to do a two part series when that happens).
Let's start at January. I thought of a general topic of a "Clean Slate". It's a new year, people feel like starting over, yada yada.
Then think of one topic to cover each week. I would do one post on "Closet Organization". If you're a blogging fool, you could do a post on Monday about Closet Systems, on Tuesday about How to Best Organize Clothes, on Wednesday a post about whatever and so on. All related to your "Closet Organization". Or split those each up into on topic per week
January: Clean SlateWeek 1: Closet Organization
Week 2: Kitchen Organization
Week 3: Kid's Room Storage
Week 4: Home Office Organization
Then move on to next month. You'll want to block out about an hour or so to do this.
Benefits to a Blogging Calendar
- No more scrambling for something to write about.
- Entice your readers with previews of what's coming up next. (Which you couldn't do if you are just flying by the seat of your pants)
- Schedule posts that then saves you time.
Point three is the most awesome sauce part of it for me. When you have all the ideas laid out, then pick a couple days and dedicate them to writing blog posts. Then look at your calendar and schedule what days those babies are going out.
- Updates to your blog lets potential clients see that you are still in business.
Now you can focus on all of those other things you do every day for your business but knowing that your website is constantly being updated because you put in the effort and time on the front end.
8. A newsletter is uber important. Like really. But go get a Mailchimp account, because that's free up to 2,000 subscribers. Why you should build an email list.
9. No guru knows it all. And they are a liar if they claim to. You can take all sorts of courses and read all sorts of books, but until you get real intimate with your business, no one can really be super helpful to you. This post might really help you. If you feel though like you could use someone to bounce ideas off of, I'm here for you.
10. What interior design services should you offer? Well, if you answered everything you're gonna end up bitter and tired. Read my post on what you should offer. You can do this, and I believe in you. You're awesome and you do have something unique and special to share. Don't doubt yourself (at least not more than 2% of the time) when you are first starting to figure out how to start an interior design business. Take your time and make sure the business decisions you make feel right in your gut.
When I first started my online interior design business I was trying to figure out just what I could offer my clients. Then I realized offering too many things is not a good thing either. But I find it is always good to make a list of possible services, see which ones make your heart flutter and will make you happy to do them for your clients. Those are the ones that will be the sweet spot between you and your interior design business. Here is a list of some interior design services ideas you could offer your e-decorating clients...
- Paint Colors
- Space Plan
- Renderings
- Mood Boards
- Shopping Lists
- Window Treatment Ideas
- Shopping Lists
- To Do Lists
Just make sure that these deliverables are key to solving your client's problems.
