Sourcing Made Easy

As you are aware, being an Interior Designer means juggling a multitude of things from client meetings, to sourcing, invoicing, proposals, dealing with contractors and the list goes on and on. Streamlining processes are crucial to building and maintaining a successful interior design business and so today I’m going to write about sourcing.

Sourcing can be as simple or as complicated as you like, but to simplify things I’ve got a few great tips and tricks for you below.

1.       Narrow down a list of key vendors. I know many interior designers that only work with their favorite vendors … you know the ones. They are easy to work with, offer great commissions and their shipments come on time and intact. Keep this list in your computer or better yet go to each of their websites and save them to your favorites. This way you can have tabs across the top of your website browser that you can get to easily and quickly. If you need help with a list of key vendors … let me know as this could be a blog post entirely on its own.

2.       Keep an ongoing list of your favorite products. I realize you don’t want all your clients’ homes to look the same but there are a handful of items that even the most successful interior designers’ source for multiple clients. For example, I follow a popular interior designer on the east coast who has a very popular blog and from her portfolio I can tell that she loves tulip tables, X benches, anything leopard print, trays and popular design books.

3.       Organize your favorite products in libraries on Pinterest, Excel or another area of your computer. This way when you have a client looking for a kitchen table you can go to your kitchen table cheat sheet to see if there is a great kitchen table there. I realize these lists will always be changing but it’s a great time saver if you spend a few minutes updating it as needed.

4.       Outsource your sourcing. I realize this is hard for some people but when you find someone great who understands your clients’ style and what you are looking for it can be such a huge benefit to your business. Working with a trusted virtual design assistant can be a huge asset to your business.

Hopefully you’ll find these tips helpful in creating a system for sourcing that will save you time and headaches!

2020 Digital Marketing Trends

According to Forbes Magazine, the amount spent on digital marketing in 2020 is expected to reach $1.3 trillion dollars! I said dollars … not doll hairs. That is a ton of money! So what are the trends that interior designers should consider to get their brands out there?

1.       Video, video and did I mention video? Video is going to continue to be a very popular way to get your brand in front of consumers. People love to watch videos and your audience wants to get to know you and how you work.

2.       Partner with an influencer. Perhaps you are not a fan of video and you’d rather partner with someone who already has a large following. Influencers allow their audience into their daily lives and their audience trust them. Be sure to choose an influencer who can accurately represent your brand in order to reach the target market you desire.

3.       Virtual Reality. You can use virtual reality to give tours of the projects you are working on. The real estate industry has been using this tool for a few years now and it’s going to continue to grow in popularity.

4.       Shoppable Posts. People want to be able to click on something they like and purchase it. Create shoppable blog posts or posts to share on Instagram and Pinterest. This is a great way to create passive income.

5.       Polls and Quizzes. People love interaction. Create a fun style quiz or interior design trend poll and use it as a way to capture email address for your email subscriber list. It’s a great way to grow your email list and engage your target market.

6.       Voice Search. The popularity of Alexa has created an opportunity to use long-tail keywords that are worded more like phrases in SEO. So instead of the key words coastal design in California, the long-tail keywords would be Where are the best coastal design interior design firms in California?

These are all great marketing ideas to implement into your business to keep your brand fresh and desirable. Have fun with it and attract more clients along the way.

Getting Along with Contractors

Working with contractors seems to be a major pain point for some interior designers. Contractors and interior designers can have very different work strategies that can cause issues on a project. I’ve visited with a lot of contractors and interior designers over the years and this issue continues to come up.  So I started thinking … what are some best practices when dealing with contractors?

1.       Start off on the right foot. With any relationship, it’s best to lay all your cards on the table from the beginning. When you meet with a contractor, you both need to discuss your goals and expectations for the project. If you want the contractor to be considerate of your time, then you should be considerate of theirs as well. Stay open-minded and flexible … we all know these projects rarely proceed without a hitch.

2.       The squeaky wheel gets the grease. When you are discussing the goals and expectations ask the contractor how they best like to communicate. Some of them need you to stay on top of them, and others hate constant communication. A lot of times you can get a lot done by being ‘top of mind’ and other times an irritated contractor could decide to put your project on the back burner, however, in most cases, I did find that a charming persistence helped move the project along.

3.       Show appreciation. If the contractors you work with feel appreciated, they are most likely to work well with you on your projects. Occasionally drop off their favorite cookies or bring them their favorite coffee. Small appreciative gestures can go a long way.

4.       Ask how you can make their life easier. I’m not saying you should kiss butt, however, life is so much easier when people get along. Maybe there is a minor change you can make in the way you work with a contractor that can make a world of difference, but you won’t know if you don’t ask. Each contractor goes about his/her job differently and let’s face it … we always want to be on the good side of the contractors.

5.       Learn to manage personalities. I’m going to make an educated guess and assume that if you are a great designer you are great at managing your clients. Managing contractors is the same thing. There is a stigma among contractors that interior designers expect them to be miracle workers or that contractors don’t take interior designers seriously. Many contractors feel that interior designers set unrealistic expectations for their clients. If you know something can be done and a contractor is giving you grief over it by all means stick to your guns … the contractor is being paid to do a job. If a contractor is really dragging his/her feet then talk to them about it, come up with some kind of solution … again, the contractor is being paid to do a job.

6.       Create a team-like atmosphere. Contractors don’t like to feel like they are working for an interior designer. The contractor and the designer are working for the client, therefore the contractor and interior designer are a team and if there is a team-like atmosphere where both of you bring something valuable to the table that can go a long way!

At the end of the day, what I’ve learned is certain personality types work well with others and occasionally you can run into a personality type that doesn’t work well with anyone. If you are working with a contractor that is an absolute nightmare then by all means … find another contractor. As long as there is a mutual respect and appreciation you never know what your team can achieve! Or perhaps, contractors and interior designers are like cats and dogs … however, I have seen a lot of cute photos of cats and dogs getting along. 😊

2020 Business Bucket List

Wow, I finally got back to blogging after the holidays! I didn’t realize how much I needed a break until I took one. Doesn’t it feel great to occasionally do nothing? Don’t get me wrong, I am a very motivated and a slightly Type A kind of person but as busy I tend to keep myself it does feel good on occasion to just let it all go. In fact, I realized that this year I need to delegate more. I need to give myself more breaks so that at the end of the year I don’t feel like I need several weeks off to regroup.

When my virtual assistant and I had our most recent meeting to discuss goals and how I wanted the business to grow this year I decided it was the perfect time to start handing more things over to her and boy did it feel great.

Before our meeting, I sat down and wrote a list of all the thing I love to do, all the things that must be done and all the things that I’d love to hand off. For 2020, I’m focusing more on taking risks, no regrets and living large. It was time to review the business bucket list so to speak and it felt great. The older I get the more willing I am to just go for the gold.

Have you had time to sit down and decide what you want your 2020 to look like? I realize we are three weeks into the new year, yet I imagine if you are busy like me wrapping up the end of the year responsibilities, February 1 feels more like the start to the new year.

If you haven’t already, schedule some time in your calendar before the end of the month and create your list of goals for 2020 … or your 2020 Business Bucket List. Post your bucket list where you can see it and be ready to cross things off as you accomplish them. Bucket lists are fun and rewarding, so dream big. Life is an adventure and your business is part of that life. Want to see a sample 2020 Business Bucket List?

1. Start an email subscriber list

2. Create a list of rock star vendors

3. Attend KBIS

4. Hire a virtual design assistant

5. Have an article published in an interior design magazine

6. Do an interior design segment on a local news channel

7. Pitch a new design show to HGTV

Let’s all be more adventurous this year and accomplish dreams we never thought possible! Feel free to share your bucket list with me. Sometimes accountability is key!

XX, Danae

2020 ... Let's Light It Up!

Can you believe that 2019 is almost over? This year has flown by and although I’ve had a lot of fun and growth in my business, I am really looking forward to 2020!

2020 is going to be an exciting new year in the interior design industry. If you are looking forward to growing your business here are some great idea to consider for the new year!

1.       Email subscriber list. When it comes to social media, the number one fastest growing way to get more clients has become the email subscriber lists. There are so many people competing for real estate on social media platforms that it has become increasingly difficult to be seen. So why not market to the people who want to hear from you? Why not market to your exact target market? Even a small email subscriber list can generate you more business than trying to market to the masses on social media.

2.       Local workshops. People love being educated, which is why courses are become extremely lucrative. Courses take a lot of time and energy to develop, market and maintain and although they work great for some designers if you prefer to generate local business then create a workshop for your target market. Local workshops are a great way to get in front of a lot of potential clients and be able to tell them about yourself and teach them something they can do in their own home.

3.       Video. Everyone wants to see you, get to know you and watch you. Yes, we’ve become a society of voyeurs and reality tv is influencing the way people conduct business. Create videos about before and after projects, shopping for décor, working with contractors, working with the clients … whatever you are comfortable with, start sharing videos.

4.       Thinking of you cards. I know a lot of people send holiday cards to their past clients, if you aren’t doing this you should consider it. It’s a great way to drum up more business from them. They see your card and think … I need to hire them to do my kitchen, or whatever it is. If you don’t send holiday cards you might consider a thinking of you type card that you send a year or two after you’ve worked with them. Staying in front of people is how you get them to hire you again and some say repeat clients are the best clients.

5.       New packages. Look back on the last few years of your business, is there a service or package that was far more popular than others? Are there a few services you offer that clients no longer ask for? Refresh your offers to reflect what your clients are asking for today. Also consider offering new services that align with your new goals for the year. Perhaps you want to include e-design, redesign or staging into your business for the new year.

Whatever you decide to do for 2020 you need to be thinking of it now. Write down your goals, update your website and social media and get ready for the best year ever … it’s only 21 days away!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! I wish you the most amazing end to 2019 and the most exciting beginning to 2020!

XX, Danae

Create Your Own Subscription Box

Subscription boxes are fun and they are popping up everywhere! People love a surprise in the mail every now and then so how can interior designers cash in on this popular sales technique?

Create an interior design subscription box that your clients or prospects can order. Use this box as your marketing as well, this is especially a great way for e-designers to promote their services as they can be used by anyone anywhere!

So how do you start a subscription box service?

First think of a great idea. Who are your customers? Who is your competition? What is your niche? What is your brand? If your niche is farmhouse than do a monthly curated box of farmhouse style accents. If your style is coastal then come up with a coastal box. You can curate a box for any style. Need ideas for what to put in the box?

1.       Candles

2.       Place mats

3.       Pictures

4.       Small vases

5.       Kitchen hand towels

6.       Cloth napkins

7.       Coasters

8.        Old books

9.       Small décor items

10.   Decorative fillers like pine cones, sea shells, rocks … whatever relates to your style

11.   Marketing materials – your business card, maybe a monthly How To guide – How To Style a Coffee Table, How to Style a Master Bed, etc. Also include coupons for your services.

Figure out your price point. How much do you think your target market is willing to spend per box per month? Home décor boxes typically run anywhere from $29.99 to $59.99 per month.

Build a prototype. Once you’ve come up with ideas to put in the box and your price point, it’s time to build a prototype. Most boxes offer 4-6 items per box. You’ll need to come up with vendors, a box, marketing materials, the items in the box, etc. A lot of businesses build a prototype, market it, start getting orders and then build the rest of their business.  

Marketing. You’ll need to create a website for your new business or add this site to your existing interior design site. Once the site is up, start marketing on social media.

Ship your boxes! Ship your items to your customers and listen to their feedback. You want to build the best box for them and the great thing about a subscription boxes is that it’s a new box every month, so you have the opportunity to switch up the box as needed.

I realize this is a high-level overview of starting a subscription box business. if you’d like more information please see the article at Cratejoy in the link below.

https://www.cratejoy.com/sell/guides/how-to-start-a-subscription-box/

Cratejoy is sort of like the Etsy of the subscription box world. You can sell your subscription boxes on Cratejoy for more marketing exposure.

Just remember - do your market research. There are several home décor boxes out there already. See which ones are the most popular and why? Is there a hole in the market? Is there something else people are asking for and aren’t receiving?

Have fun with your box. Building a subscription box service could be a really fun venture!

 XX, Danae

Create an Online Dropshipping Store

Dropshipping has become a very popular way for people to run online stores. It enables you to create a site and sell products without having inventory or even paying for the products until they are sold. Interior designers are creating their own online stores using dropshipping.

How to start a dropshipping business:

1.       Find a supplier. You will need to find dropshipping suppliers to work with. Oberlo is a marketplace that allows you to find products that you can sell online with dropshipping and according to them the home décor industry will be a $664 billion dollar industry by 2020.

Other dropshippers to consider for home décor: Eastwind Wholesale Gift Distribution, Koehler Home Décor, Park Designs, Wholesale Interiors, Sage Brook Home, Aspire Home Accents, Classic Touch Décor, Designs Direct, LLC, Home Spice.

2.       Build your store. You can use Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly, GoDaddy or BigCommece. If you decide to use Oberlo (mentioned above) they work hand in hand with Shopify.

3.       Market your website. Create a marketing plan and post your website on social media, your blog, email subscriber list and anywhere else you can to gain exposure.

When looking at marketing your dropshipping business some trends for 2020 to consider are:

*Mobile sales are significantly increasing which means people are using their phones more than ever to purchase products. Make sure your site is mobile friendly!

*Business owners are optimizing their website’s home pages and turning them into product pages. Sell the products front and center instead of having a Shop tab.

*Video descriptions of products are going to start showing up more and more on websites.

*Another random note that may or may not help with creative brainstorming when trying to figure out what to sell on your site – subscription boxes and personalized products are on the rise. Consumers love personalizing items and millennials love subscription boxes. Stay tuned in December for a post about creating subscription boxes for the interior design industry.

A dropshipping store can be as lucrative as you like if you do the marketing, social media and get the word out there. It’s a huge undertaking and if you don’t have the time … well you know where to go. :)

Earn Passive Income with an Online Store

Many interior designers make just as much money, if not more, on the commission off the products they are selling to their clients than they are on their design fees. There are only so many hours in a week to be able to create designs so a great way to grow your business is by selling products.

You can earn a great passive income by creating an online shop where your clients and target market can shop goods that are curated by you.

Curious how to get started?

1.       Set up trade accounts. I’m guessing most of you have several trade accounts set up already so research which vendors allow ecommerce sales. These are the vendors you can work with in your online shop.

2.       Create an inventory plan. Every vendor will be different in what they require for order minimums and re-order minimums. Start small and grow from there meaning start with small inventory number but a larger range of products.

3.       Create your site. There are a lot of ecommerce site templates you can purchase to make this part easy. Popular ecommerce site builders for small business are Squarespace, Shopify, Weebly and GoDaddy. You will need to calculate shipping costs so have your weights and dimensions on hand. Once your inventory and shipping are loaded connect your site to your preferred payment processor and you are ready to roll.

4.       Add content. Consider SEO when typing in descriptions for your items and use professional looking photography.

5.       Market your site. Showcase your site on social media, your blog, in a video, to your email subscriber list and anywhere else you get exposure.

There are a lot of great articles and videos online that will help you create a gorgeous ecommerce site. However, if you need help you may want to consider hiring a professional with experience creating ecommerce sites for small businesses.

If the above sounds too complicated another option might be to consider using a dropship service where you don’t have to worry about inventory for your online store. I’ll share more information on dropshipping next week!

4 Trending Revenue Streams for Interior Designers

There are several ways to create income as an interior designer other than just offer your typical services and trade products.  Depending on your situation some of them may be more inline with your current business. A few of the most popular ways I see interior designers growing their businesses today are below.

1.       Affiliate income – You can become an affiliate for several vendors selling furniture, home décor, art, fabric, window treatments and everything else your clients are already purchasing. Add your links to social media and start making sales from people who don’t hire you for your services. I know interior designers who have created mood boards with shopping lists and posted them on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, their blog and subscriber email to make more sales.

2.       Courses – Online education is huge and there are people all over the world making millions of dollars selling their online courses. It is a lot of hard work to create a course, market it and manage it but you can create one course and sell it over and over again, even while you sleep.

3.       Online stores – You could create your own store and sell a variety of things such as a book you’ve written, fabrics or artwork you’ve created, refurbished furniture pieces and a variety of other things.

4.       Coaching – Online business coaching is another growing industry and there are many people who benefit from working with a successful interior designer in the industry. Your target market will pay for your mentoring, expertise and knowledge to help them gain success in a quicker fashion than if they were to have to reinvent the wheel themselves.

I’ve personally seen interior designers successfully implement the options above into their businesses. At the end of the day you’ll yield the best results with the options your most passionate about. With any of the above you won’t make money overnight but with some time and dedication you have the potential to make more money than you ever thought possible.

With the new year quickly approaching, what are your goals for your business for 2020? Are you ready to add another revenue stream?

Grow Your Business with a Copywriter

Copy sells and a huge part of marketing is the copy. Your target market is reading about you on your website, social media platforms, subscriber emails and any other vehicle you use to get your message out to the world. Unfortunately, very talented and skilled professionals can be missing out on business solely based on the copy they are using.

Often business owners are amazed at how much a copywriter assists in driving sales. Every piece of your marketing requires copy. Below are just a few things that you need copy for and with great copy they all have the potential to generate sales.

1.       Blog posts

2.       Emails

3.       Website content

4.       Search engine traffic

5.       Marketing pieces/advertisements

6.       Social media posts

7.       Client stories

8.       Video scripts

I understand not everyone is interested or feels they have the budget for a copywriter but consider this; Are you comfortable writing copy? Is writing copy the best use of your time? If you aren’t comfortable writing copy are you willing to put in the time to learn? In the long run, hiring a copywriter can actually save you time, money and increase your sales. It’s all part of the investment back into your business that is necessary to grow.

Your copy is what sets you apart from the rest – let’s say you are an amazing interior designer specializing in residential coastal design in California. And potential clients are looking at your website and social media along with another really good coastal designer in California. The work is similar, maybe your processes are similar, so they are going to go for the better copy. Which copy spoke to them more and which copy drew them in and made them excited about doing business with an interior designer.

Your copy can also be what got you noticed in the first place. You had great copy, so they looked at your work and stayed on website or navigated to your website. Even with individuals who have images to show for their work, the copy is still what people read. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work to just throw a bunch of images out there with zero copy and hope to get sales, people want to read about you and your story.

Please always feel free to email me with questions about working with a copywriter. Or if you want to start small you can always purchase emails from the Shop on my website for only $15 per email. We have several emails but a few of them are:

1.       Is Hiring an Interior Designer Worth It?

2.       5 Easy Steps to Update Your Living Room

3.       How High to Hang Artwork

4.       How to Choose The Right Sized Rug

5.       Thank you for subscribing (this is an email you’d send after someone subscribes to your email)

6.       Email Client Review (this email asks your clients to leave a review and where to leave it)

Remember, copy sells!