How To Market Your Interior Design Blog

Hello and Happy Wednesday from Elite Design Assistants! 

So last week we talked about How To Start Your Interior Design Blog. And now I want to help you get it out into the world! Here are a few steps for marketing your blog. 

1. Social Media: I encourage marketing your blogs on any social media platforms you are currently on. You’ll want to choose a photo from the blog post to use as your post photo, or something from your portfolio. Special graphics are also an option (see below). We suggest sharing on at least facebook and instagram, but bonus points if you add them to Pinterest ;)

2. Visuals: You can now take that photo you chose and add the title of your blog post. This is something simple that you can whip up in Canva! If you don’t know what canva is, definitely check it out. It can be an extremely helpful and user-friendly business tool that can help you to create beautiful graphics for your social media/blog posts.

3. Share your link: In your social media profiles, it’s best to add a link to your social media bio every time you share it! That way, potential clients can easily access the content without having to go to your website first.

4. Timing: People are on the computer more often on Wednesdays so this has become the best day to release them. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what day you want to post. Posting any day of the week is better than not at all. Side note: Pre-scheduling your posts in advance will take the worry off your plate. Most site builders will allow you to schedule them so that they go out automatically, just like you use a scheduler to post on social media.

5. Email Subscriber List: If you have an email list for your business, you can send out your blog post to them whenever you post one. You can copy it directly into the email and send it out like that like I do, or you can send them an email letting them know it was published and they are welcome to check it out. If you do it this way, you might want to add an incentive for them to read it or provide a teaser so that they are more likely to go to the site. I prefer to add it directly in the email so that they don’t have to follow any extra steps and can just read it right then and there.

6. Call to action: I encourage you to add some sort of call to action at the end of the email, encouraging them to sign up for your new freebie, book a consultation or phone call with you, or simply respond to the email so that they can ask you any questions they may have about the blog or your services. 

Need help writing, scheduling, or marketing your blog posts? Contact us today. 

XO, Danae

How To Start Your Interior Design Blog

Hello and Happy Wednesday from Elite Design Assistants! 

A few weeks ago we talked about the importance of having an interior design blog! So today I wanted to do a follow up and talk about how to start one.

Here are a few things to do to get started. 

1. Frequency: Decide how many times per month you would like to post. We suggest once a week, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with starting slow. Even once or twice per month is a great place to start and you can add on as you feel comfortable, or not!

2. Topics: What do you want to talk about? This is a great time to sit down and write down why you became a designer and what you’re passionate about. What do you love talking with your clients about? What are your favorite services? If you could get paid to write about anything, what would it be? Make a list that you can access when you’re ready to start writing.

3. Images: You’ll want to incorporate images into your blog posts. You can use your own portfolio photos or renderings if you have them, or you can use stock photos from a site like Unsplash or Pexels. 

4. Location: If you have a website, you can host the blog there. There are also special blogging sites that are designed only for blogs so that’s an option too, but if you already have a website, it’s probably easier to just add a page to that! 

5. Time: Now it’s time to set some time out of your schedule to write! I like to set out at least an hour per week to make sure I have time to find a topic, write, and get it scheduled to be sent out to you on Wednesdays.

6. Name: Now that you know all the details, it’s time to name your blog. If you don’t know what you want to name it yet, that’s ok! You can just call it “blog” on your website and if you want to brand it later with a special blog name, you can do that.

Next week’s blog will be about how to market your interior design blog once you have it up and running. See you next week!

Do you want to write a blog but don’t have time in your own schedule to handle all the details?

Contact us today! 

XO, Danae

10 Tips to Attracting More Clients

Our world is changing and as we work from home, we are trying to figure out new ways to navigate business. People still want to live in beautiful spaces, they still want to purchase new items for their homes and they still want to live their best lives. It’s times like these that force us to pivot and create new innovative ways to continue to push our business forward. Below are some ways I’ve seen other interior designers continue to stay in front of clients and continue to offer services that will keep their businesses thriving in our current climate.

1. Nurture that email list! Spend some quality time creating some really heartfelt and genuine emails to send to your contact list. Create emails that let your subscribers know that you understand what they are going through, you are here for them if they need anything and outline the ways you can still help them. Start an email series right now that will help them during these times.

2. Offer virtual consultations. Let clients know how they can still work with you during these times. You may be surprised how many people just need a consultation right now. They are spending more time in their homes than ever and they are sick of looking at it. It’s time for a refresh!

3. Create shoppable concept boards and renders. Share your favorite products and make money using affiliate links. People who shop your style may be more inclined to work with you.

4. Share your portfolio. Start inspiring people with your work and share what makes you happy about what you share.

5. Update and share. Now is the time to get caught up on housekeeping issues like updating your portfolio, creating content, organizing your processes and share what you’ve learned. People connect to you and your story … use this time to share your story and how you are growing and changing during quarantine. What silver linings have you found in this pandemic?

6. Share your e-design services. Share how people can work with you during this time, outline this process and make sure your target market is aware that you are still working with others. Perhaps you have a remote only service and perhaps you have a remote hybrid service. However you are working with clients at this time, share it!

7. Create interest. Write a blog post about why now is a great time to update your home, or how interior design can affect your mood or about the psychology of color. Write intriguing posts relevant to the times to get people interested in your brand.

8. Continue to educate yourself. Now is a great time to start listening to an interior design podcast or to get continuing education through interior design platforms. Many of them are offering free video conferences and webinars at this time. Use what you learn to attract more clients.

9. Create videos. People have time to watch stuff now so create some fun videos about refreshing a space, your process, choosing the right rug or something else that you know your target market will love.

10. Be real. You will attract the clients you are looking for just by being yourself. Stick with a positive message, share a sneak peek into your quarantine life and use humor if that’s your thing. Sometimes we are afraid to be ourselves but it’s only when we are ourselves do we find growth.

Our world will forever be changed so we have to adapt and grow. We will be stronger and our industry will thrive.

Stay safe & well!

XX, Danae

Services you may not know that we offer...

Hello and Happy Wednesday from Elite Design Assistants! 

I don’t want to brag or anything, but we have some of the BEST design assistants out there.

I’ve had a lot of requests lately for services like blog writing and social media….but did you know we offer services that are more in the realm of actual design work? 

I know you’re busy and sometimes all the client work on your plate can be overwhelming. That is why my team offers the following services so that we can help you as much as possible!

1. 3D Renderings: These are HUGE in our industry right now, as they are a beyond amazing way to show your client exactly what they will get, before any furniture or accessories are ordered!

2. Drafting: CAD floorplans, detail drawings, etc. 

3. Mood Boards: We’ll take this step over so you can focus on other things that you love in your business

4. Floor plan services: Space planning for your clients or creating CAD drawings, like I mentioned above. 

5. Sourcing: the process of finding, compiling and recommending finishes, fixtures and furniture. My team will help you find the perfect piece for your project. 

To view examples of some of these services, check out the Portfolio section of our website!
My team and I really want to make your life easier when it comes to your business. When you focus on things you love and let us take care of the rest, your business will flow better and you have more time to focus on bringing in new clients and giving them the best experience possible!

Ready to get help on some of these tasks? Contact us today!

XO, Danae

The importance of having a blog in your interior design business

Hi, folks and happy Wednesday!

Do you have a blog for your interior design business? Yeah, yeah...I know! You don’t and you may not want to. I’m not typically a believer in doing things for your business that you don’t love….BUT, a blog is an important part of most businesses, especially for interior designers.

We’re gonna talk a bit today about why it’s important to have a blog and how you can get started creating one today.

A Blog….

1. Positions you as the design expert. Blogs are a great way to show that you know what you’re doing, showing your credibility with each post. 

2. .Are binge-worthy pieces of content. This means that someone could start with reading one post and they find it so valuable that they read your other posts. Before they know it, they’ll be signing up for your freebies and then eventually hiring you. 

3. Connect with your audience. Blogs are a great way to show your personality.

4. More traffic to your website. You can promote your blog post on social media, bringing them to your site to read. The more time they spend on your site the more likely they are to hire you.

5. Content that keeps on giving. You write it once and then it’s out there getting you new clients every week! No more work required after the initial writing session. 

We’ve noticed that blogging is one of the least-liked tasks for designers in their business. You’re already wearing so many hats, and blogging is not at the top of the list. Next week’s topic will be about how to start an interior design blog, so stay tuned for that! 

We love helping interior designers create a blogging presence online so that you can spend your time focusing on your clients and bringing in more business. Interested in chatting with one of our design assistants about this? Contact us today!

Client Processes for Interior Designers

I’ve heard from many of you that are getting very busy, which is very exciting but can also be very overwhelming so I thought I’d give you some ideas on things you should consider to help you get and stay organized!

First of all, take some time to write down everything you need to do in the coming days, weeks and months. Then crumple up that list and throw it in the trash. I’m so sorry! I’m totally kidding. Please dig that list back out of the trash and from here on out I promise I’ll be serious. J

Block out some time and let’s get to work!

Guidelines

Do you have an operations manual? Have you written down or typed out your business process from start to finish? Creating processes help you stay organized, prevent important details from being overlooked and are very beneficial when delegating tasks.

Write down your business processes and create a manual or guideline that you can use as a reference for all clients you work with and assistants you hire. Include processes for working with clients, marketing, hiring, purchasing, bookkeeping and anything else that is a major part of your business that you feel needs a detailed guide.

I have found that interior designers organize their businesses a little bit differently. Some of them are paper, binder, folder people and others are computer, software, techy people. Do what works best for you!

Today I’m going to write more about client processes and what you should consider having in place, if you don’t already.

Create binders or folders either hard copy, on your computer or in your favorite software program for each client. Now create a To-Do list and schedule for each client. Color code each client and merge the schedule into one master calendar so you have a clearer picture of what needs to be done. But before any of this can be done perhaps you need to take a look at your client processes.

Communication:

Do you have an outline for how communication is handled with clients? Do you have email templates ready to save you time since you most often are sending some of the same emails, whether it’s a response to an inquiry or a welcome email, next steps email, update email or invoice email.

Consultations:

Do you have guidelines on how quickly you need to respond to inquiries and set up consultations? Do you have certain days/times blocked off for consultations only? Do you have a client qualifying process you go through before booking a consultation with an inquiry?

Proposals:

Once you’ve qualified a candidate, had a consultation and are ready to create a proposal, do you have proposal templates on hand? Do you use a formula for figuring out a project timeline and budget? How long do your clients have before they need to respond to your proposal?

Working with Tradespeople/Vendors:

Do you have a list of your go-to contractors, tradespeople and vendors? Do you have a process for connecting with them and lining them up for projects and/or placing orders? How do you schedule installations? Communication and follow up is key and guidelines on these processes are going to eliminate time, headaches and costly errors in the future.

Site Visits:

These processes may have changed due to COVID-19 whether it be the frequency of visits or the manner in which they are conducted. Be sure you have a clear idea of how to schedule and coordinate these as well as how many of these you need for each project. Do you block out time on certain days for site visits?

Reveal Day:

Do you have a checklist and processes for the completion of the entire project? Do you also do styling or take photographs? How do you then present your client with the final invoice?

Running an interior design business is no easy feat! There are multiple moving pieces and a lot of things to coordinate, order, install and consider when working on one project let alone several at one time. Writing down every process and procedure may seem like an overwhelming task but spending a little time now will save you loads of time, money and headaches in the future.

Hopefully, this has given you some things to consider! If you are really struggling with your processes I do know there are courses on this very subject that you can take to really help you get your entire business organized and running in a more efficient manner! Or, I know people who hire an assistant to help get their processes in order as well.

Have a great week! Danae

5 places to show up so your ideal client can find you online

Did you catch our blog post a few weeks ago about the 3 things you can do right now to connect with your ideal client online? This is the second in that series, and we’re going to show you 5 places you can show up, share your services, and talk to your ideal client online.

Using social media is a great way to get the word about your business out there! It gives you the opportunity to showcase your talents and skills, share valuable and helpful information, and develop your brand online. 

Here are 5 separate social media platforms you can utilize in your business today!

1. Facebook: On Facebook, you will find photos, videos, and other forms of free content. You can also find specialized facebook groups. Posts can be much longer on this platform than they can on others. 

2. Instagram:  You have endless opportunities for marketing on this platform. You can share photos, videos, trainings, and other forms of free content. You can also communicate with your potential clients in direct messages. 

3. Twitter: This is a great place to share short-form content. Nothing too long or complicated! Short and sweet. 

4. Pinterest: Pinterest is not a social media platform, but it’s a great place to share freebies and other fun visually stimulating and valuable content.

5. Google My Business: This is also not a social media platform. It’s really a place where your potential clients can read reviews, check your portfolio and other things like that. 

Now, I know you’re probably feeling pretty overwhelmed with this list! But don’t worry, you don’t have to implement all of these at once. Just start with one or two, and as you build up your free content, you can start sending out content to the other platforms as well.

Need help creating content and getting it out to the world via social media? Contact us today. 

Now offering Edesign Services!

Now that we are all quarantined from the outside world and spending more time than ever in our homes, we all want to be in a beautiful space. E-design will become more popular than ever as interior designers find creative ways to continue to work with clients and clients desire to make their quarantine spaces more attractive. Let’s be honest, spending time in a beautifully designed space is much better for the soul especially during times like these.

Marketing your e-design service should be an easy sell at the moment. Sign up for my weekly e-mail at www.elitedesignassistants.com and I’ll send you a FREE client/prospect email you can send to your current clients, prospects and email subscriber list regarding your e-design service.

Need more information on e-design for your own business? Here you go!

How does e-design work? (This is a very high-level overview of the process.)

1.       Offer your clients/prospects an intro call and/or zoom meeting to see what their needs are and review your e-design packages. Be sure to explain that in e-design everything is done remotely, so it will not include on-site visits, installation, construction, etc.

2.       Once they choose to work with you, email them your LOA (you may need to adjust this for e-design services) and once it’s received email them a modified version of the questionnaire you normally would in your business. Ask them to include inspiration photos as well as pictures and measurements of the space they want you to design.

3.       Let the designing begin. You can create concept boards, 3d renders and a shopping list for your clients. The shopping list can include links to your affiliate sites for self-ordering or you can offer trade options that you’ll place orders for them as you normally would.

4.       Send your clients the package (concept board, render, shopping list) along with instructions on how to order products and install the design.

5.       Once they’ve implemented your design, ask them to provide after photos so you can use them in your before/after portfolio for e-design. I know a lot of e-designers struggle with getting the after photos so maybe offer some sort of incentive to get those. 😊

6.       Send them a thank you and let them know you’re happy to help them again in another space.

Pricing – Just like in regular design, pricing is very different for all e-designers. Many of them offer a variety of packages. Some ideas of pricing and options I’ve seen are as follows:

1.       Full design per room includes concept board, floor plan, paint palette, shopping list, render, written instructions for installation and a 60 day follow up. Priced anywhere from $700 - $1,000.

2.       Design per room includes everything above EXCEPT render. Priced anywhere from $500 - $650.

3.       Refresh per room – this would be refreshing what they have and styling it, you could still offer a small shopping list of items. Priced anywhere from $300 - $450.

4.       You can also offer online consultations, furniture layouts or shoppable boards for specific styles.

There are definitely options for you during this time to still do what you love. There are a lot of resources now on e-design. You can try the Facebook Group called edesign Tribe as a great place to start. Many groups are doing special live training on e-design during this time.

As always, please let me know what you need as I’m happy to help!

XX, Danae

3 Things you didn't know you could hire Elite Design Assistants for...

We’ve had a few requests lately for tasks that are not typical interior designer tasks, so we wanted to share them here for you so that you know all the possibilities for things you can outsource. Now, now... we know….you’re super woman! But you don’t have to do it all. We want you to have more time to focus on the things that matter...your clients and your design work!

One great thing about working with us is that when you contact us, you’ll be paired with the perfect design assistant for you and YOUR needs. Just consider us Design Assistant matchmakers!

If you’ve ever considered hiring an Elite Design Assistant to take care of any of your design tasks, you probably haven’t thought of these 3 things….

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): for your website. Squarespace, wordpress, etc. The purpose of SEO is to increase the quantity and quality of inbound traffic to your website. It is beneficial to both the consumer and business because it connects searchers with content that is most relevant to them. Now, In English, it will bring more ideal clients to your website. 

2. Systems set up:  Helping you to get all your systems set up so that you can operate your interior design business in the best and most efficient way possible. This could be anything and everything from client contracts to installation and project maintenance.

3. Vendor management: including the site, SideDoor. This could involve a variety of things like tracking shipments, custom furniture builds, item & sample deliveries. We will function as your middle man. 

As a designer and small business owner, we know that you are wearing pretty much every hat. Accountant, stylist, writer, website designer, head of marketing, rendering artist…..

But that doesn’t have to be the case. We are here to help!

Have a request for a specific task in your business that you’re not sure we offer? Just email us at
danae@elitedesignassistants.com or call us at 515.309.2838.

Does email marketing actually work to find interior design clients?

This is a common question in many fields today. Does email marketing actually bring in clients? According to optinmonster.com, “59% of respondents say marketing emails influence their purchase decisions and 80% of business professionals believe that email marketing increases customer retention.” 

Many think this isn’t possible with how much social media has grown over the years. If the contents of the email are interesting to the recipient, it is indeed a great marketing tactic. But if you can’t hold the attention of your reader, then you won’t be able to make sales.

Here are a few tips for creating emails that your email subscribers will enjoy!

1. Consistency: Show up in their inbox at least once per week. If your schedule only allows for twice a month, start there and work your way up. Do your best to keep things consistent so that your audience knows when to expect to hear from you!

2. Establish yourself as the expert: The best way to do this is to send your ideal client the info that they need. Share actionable steps or tips for reaching whatever their goal is. What are the things they need the most help with? What are the most frequently asked questions that your clients ask you about.

3. Give value: Give as much value as you can in each email. Share your greatest tips & tricks so that they can take actionable steps in their home NOW. 

4. Ask for the sale: Give them an opportunity to buy from you. Decide what you want your clients to do next and then make it easy for them. For example, you could write your email about the best way to hang curtains. Then offer up a freebie or low level offer like, “my 5 favorite sources for curtains” and mention it at the end of the email. Another example would be to send them an email about the 5 Steps to a remodel that runs on time and without problems, then mention that they can book a consultation with you at the end to help review their renovation plan. 

Email marketing can be overwhelming. If you’re not sure what emails to send to your clients, we have a full library of email templates we’ve created for you. Just edit the content as you see fit and send to your subscribers. 

You can find the templates in our shop!

The 5 most popular outsourced tasks that an elite design assistant can handle for you

Running an interior design business is no walk in the park. You wear so many hats and end up juggling all of the work...including those pesky tasks you hate!

As a busy designer, you should be focusing on creating content, networking and building relationships, and planning new growth strategies.

Many clients come to us because they’re feeling overwhelmed with all that they need to accomplish in a given day while balancing all of their clients. So we wanted to make you a list of the tasks that you may be doing in your business that we could take off your plate!

These are the 5 most common things that designers hire us for:

1. Administrative tasks. This could be a variety of things but mainly procurement like placing orders, tracking shipments and dealing with vendor.

2. 3D Renderings

3. CAD drafting

4. Sourcing. This is a very common task that designers decide to outsource. Finding the perfect furniture piece, fabric, etc.

5. Blog writing/social media management

The great thing about Elite Design Assistants is that our assistants are actually designers or have design experience themselves, making it easier for them to complete even the most intimate designer tasks like sourcing and writing blog posts.

We match virtual design assistants with designers based on a variety of skillsets, talents, personality and software knowledge. So if you need an assistant to create 3d renders and you aren't choosy on the software, we got you. If you need someone to create 3d renders specifically in Chief Architect or 2020 or Revit or SketchUp or another program, we got you.

If you need administrative help specifically in Ivy or MyDoma or Studio Designer or other, we got you. Let us know what you need and we will find the virtual design assistant to match your specific needs.

If you have a task that’s really weighing you down, respond to this email and we’ll get you setup with your personal design assistant. We’re here to help!

Have a Happy New Year!

3 things you can do right now to connect with your ideal client online

I’m sure you’ve heard it before! You have to connect with your ideal client through your marketing if you want to not only call in clients but to have those clients be the best fit for you and the services you offer.

Because who wants to work with clients who just don’t feel quite aligned?! Nobody….

Clients are more likely to purchase from you if you are talking specifically to them in your marketing and tailoring things to their needs. 

The problem is, it’s hard to know what to do to actually form that necessary connection. So we decided to leave you our top 3 tips for doing just that!

1. Know who they are and talk directly to them in every post. This will require sitting down and deciding exactly who this person is. Give them a name, a profession, an income, interests, a favorite wine, a style preference, etc. Go as deep as you can and really get specific with their hobbies, interests, and anything else you can think of.

2. Solve a problem for them. Pick a couple pain points that your ideal client has and show them a project where you solved a similar problem. This is a great way to position yourself as the expert.

3. Be you. Do you have anything in common with this client? People are more likely to hire people that they know, like and trust. And sharing more of who you are allows them to do that! Maybe you both like to drink wine and you share your top favorite kind or do a quick and easy boomerang of you drinking a glass at the completion of a project.

Remember to dive deep into who your ideal client is. If you’re talking to everybody in your marketing, you are actually talking to nobody. 

Bonus tip: Don’t be afraid to create polarizing content. This will eliminate those clients that are not a good fit and invite in the ones who are. 

Happy Holidays from everyone at EDA!

Need help creating content that will connect you with your ideal client? Reply to this email to inquire about our services. 

Services you can start offering in your interior design business in 2021

It's always wise to offer multiple ways that your clients can work with you. The best way to do this is to create a value ladder, with services in all different price points. I suggest choosing at least one service in each price point, low, mid, and high. 

Not only does this widen your reach on who you can work with but when someone buys a lower ticket offer, they are then more likely to purchase a higher-ticket offer from you when the time comes. They'll know, like, and trust you after their first buy and they will have no hesitation about moving forward with more work with you.

Here are a few ideas for low, mid, and high ticket offers that you can create now and start selling in 2021!

Paint Color Palette (low): This is a popular one! You can do pre-made palettes that your clients can purchase or you can offer color consultations that are priced a little higher and are customized for their particular space. Either way, this is a great first offer that shows your client that you are the interior design expert that they need in their lives.

Ask a designer (mid) : Another popular term for this is "designer on call". This term means that the client is taking more of a DIY approach but you will be guiding them along the way. This typically does not include deliverables of any kind beyond design advice and/or confirming that the client is on the right path.  This can work a couple different ways. Some designers choose to let clients buy a set # of hours for a specific price that they can use over a period of time and some designers require their clients to purchase weekly or monthly packages.

Turn-key and/or custom curation (high): This is a service that the majority of interior designers offer in their business and is usually placed at the top of the value ladder. This would involve working on an entire room or home, product curation/design and project management. This is a great way to make a profit on custom designer items and bring more money into your design business. 

Whatever services you decide to offer, make sure that they are aligned with what your ideal client is looking for and market it in places where they are hanging out online!

Need help to create a value-ladder for your business? We can help. Contact us today to get paired with the perfect elite design assistant for your needs. 

Virtual Render Tours

Hand rendering is one of the most amazing skills in the interior design industry. Since I can’t draw, I’m super envious of those who can. A beautifully framed hand render can make a great client gift after the end of a project but for the time it takes someone to hand render … it’s become a lost art.

Technology has offered a much more efficient and cost effective way for interior designers to share their vision of a space with their clients. Remember when 2d renders became a big deal and then 3d? Now we’re on to photorealistic renders that often make it difficult to tell if a space is an actual photograph or or a render. As technology continues to improve so does the way in which interior designers deliver their vision to their clients.

Today, more interior designers are doing virtual render tours where their clients can take a virtual tour through a rendered space. I starting writing this article last week as I meant to send it last Wednesday, since I procrastinated Forbes has since come out with an article about virtual only showcase homes. You can read that article here .

Mentioned in the article is the Seasonal Living Interactive Luxury Designer Showcase that is making it’s debut online December 3, 2020. There are no fees to tour the virtual house and you may recognize many of the 11 designers and 15 corporate sponsors supporting the idea of an online-only event. To learn more about this event click here.

To register for the Seasonal Living Interactive Luxury Designer Showcase click here.

COVID has made touring spaces a bit more difficult and so the interior design industry has had to pivot, pivot, pivot! Designers and vendors are now creating virtual rooms where clients can not only tour a space but they can also click on objects for purchase. There are even virtual tours of buildings and spaces that don’t even exist in reality.

Render artists have become so advanced that they are creating entire virtual cities and towns.

If you are interested in learning more about creating virtual render tours for your business, I’ve come across the 3D viewer app by Chief Architect that seems to be the most popular among designers creating virtual tours at this time.

As always, please feel free to let me know if you need anything!

Have a great rest of your week,

Danae

Take Your Design Business to the Next Level

As you know, I’m here to share with you the helpful tips, tricks and information I learn in the interior design industry that will help you succeed in running the most fulfilling and profitable business possible. Today, I want to share with you a business I came across that’s goal is to improve the interior design industry one design firm at a time.

The Interior Design Standard, created by East Coast interior designer Sandra Funk (House of Funk), is making a huge impact on a number of interior designer’s businesses across the country.

Why is this program making such an impact? Because the Interior Design Standard is House of Funk’s business structure. That’s right! The program includes a variety of modules with templates, processes, tools and tech for designers to implement the structure into their own businesses. Within each module are videos explaining the ‘why’ behind Funk’s processes, with her personal experiences and lessons learned weaved in.  

The program is delivered in a friendly digital format. Designers receive lifetime access, live virtual community events and access to the ultimate design community: the Standard Inner Circle. “Our mantra is ‘Rise, Designers, Rise’. By helping one designer at a time, we hope to see the entire design industry improve,” says Funk.

The Standard inner circle members average 11 years in business. "It's incredible to watch this group of entrepreneurs, ranging from brand new to the industry to 40-year veterans, making the choice to intentionally improve their businesses. It is an honor to know each and every one of them," says Funk.

This program is perfect for any designer who needs organized processes, wants to learn more about how a thriving and successful design practice does it and wants to bring the joy and passion back into their business.

Highlights of the Standard include:

-          The design fee calculator - finally a formula that removes the fear of flat fees

-          The design agreement that both clients and designers love

-          The exact process that each interior design project follows, from the first potential client contact to completing photo worthy projects

-          Access to the Standard Inner Circle, a community of designers improving their businesses together via a private Facebook group and community Zoom calls facilitated by Sandra

Enrollment only happens twice per year and the next enrollment period is in May 2021. If you are interested you can sign up for updates at https://houseoffunk.com/trade. I will also send another email about the Standard in May as a reminder in case you are interested in the program.

As always, please feel free to reach out if you have questions!

I hope you have a wonderful day! Danae

Unique Design Niches

Interior designers come in all shapes and sizes and I’m sure many you know, like yourself, may specialize in kitchen and bath or whole home. But what other niches are out there? The most recent niche to emerge is what I call the quarantine niche. Designers are designing homes with more recreational and entertaining space, more separation and sanitation and more comfort for those quarantined at home either alone or with other family members.

I thought it would be fun just to research other design niches that we often don’t think about on a day-to-day basis and this is what I found.

Aviation design – There are interior designers who specialize in private jet design. This type of design is very challenging and extreme as you must be great with working with small spaces and working with all the codes that aircraft interior design entails.

Yacht design – Although you could be working with more space than a private jet, this type of design is still challenging and requires knowledge of naval architecture and marine engineering.

Airstream design – The other day I came across an interior designer on Instagram who specialized in Airstream interior design. Again, another change in our economy was the number of people who purchased RVs this spring and summer. Some of them have great bones but need an interior designer to create the luxurious and comfortable environment the owner wants.

She Shed design – There are people who specialize in She Sheds, Man Caves, Playhouses and all sorts of rooms away from the home type structures. There are so many interesting options when it comes to this type of design.

Limo design – Yes, there are people who design the interiors of limousines! I didn’t realize it until I did the research how crazy and luxurious limos can get. There are some that have narrow pools in them.

What other fun design niches can you come up with?

New Sourcing Tool Makes Life Easier

Monetizing an interior design business with products is a conversation that is ever evolving in the design industry. Between vendor accounts, affiliate links, buyer clubs and sales tools, at times it can be hard to decide what’s best for you and your business. Using a variety of these options can be very beneficial to your business and today, I’m going to share more information about one sales tool I came across that has become a real game-changer for many independent interior designers.

SideDoor is a sales tool and platform where interior designers can curate shoppable collections of products from their favorite vendors to share with their clients and/or social media followers. This tool gives you the option to create collections and invoices specifically for your clients AND it allows you to create collections in your style and brand to share on your website and social media platforms.

With over 80 popular vendors and average commissions of 33% this sales tool allows you to monetize your business in a much simpler way. So how does this work? Follow the steps below.

1.       Request Access – you can go to www.onsidedoor.com and request to be a part of the program. SideDoor will review your request to see if you’ll be a good fit. Once you are accepted, you will get in on the early access program, which is currently FREE. (Date of this post is 10/20/20)

2.       Curate Collections – After you are accepted, you can start creating collections using products from a vast array of vendors at vendor direct designer net pricing. You can share these collections in client proposals or directly online with your followers.

3.       Share – Once your collections are curated you’ll be able to embed shoppable links on your website, blog and other social media platforms.

4.       Earn Commission – When your clients or followers purchase products from you, you earn the spread between designer net and retail. SideDoor takes care of the rest.

5.       Sit Back – Once your client makes a purchase, SideDoor will fulfill the order, get it to your client and deposit your earned commission.

If you are interested in learning more, you can visit the SideDoor website at www.onsidedoor.com to check out their current vendors, frequently asked questions and apply for access.

For more information on exactly how the sales tool works, you can also sign up for a webinar using the link below. The webinar is Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. EST.

 https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lOMV7remSQ6Yoc3ctkVEKQ

These webinars are available every Wednesday so you could sign up for another time if this Wednesday is not convenient for you.

SideDoor is a simple and easy to use tool but we know you are busy and actively growing your business. Whether you are currently using SideDoor or you decide to sign up now, we are here to help. There are several VDAs on my team who are able to help you manage your SideDoor account to make sure you are using the tool to its full potential.

Have a wonderful day!

XX, Danae

Self-Hosted Project Management

Many interior designers use project management software such as Ivy, Studio Designer, Mydoma, Design Manager or another software. Last week’s blog post focused on the features of these project management systems.

What happens when you don’t find the right fit, or decide to do it yourself either with free programs or programs you already have? There is a group of interior designers that are doing this and are considered self-hosted. They don’t use any of the software options above to stay organized. So how do they do it?

MICROSOFT EXCEL

Most people already have Microsoft Excel and if you are good at it, it can be used to organize projects, orders, expenses, bookkeeping and a variety of other things in your business.

PINTEREST

You can create private boards to share with your client to house your design ideas and product choices for their design. You can also create a private board to create a library of your favorite and popular products and sources.

GOOGLE DRIVE

You can keep photos, stories, designs, drawings, recording, videos and more in your google drive. Your first 15 GB is free with a google account. This is also great for storing notes, spreadsheets, invoices, documents and correspondence with clients.

TRELLO

This free cloud-based platform is great for working with your clients to collaborate on projects. You can create boards, lists and cards to help you stay organized. Many of my virtual design assistants use Trello when collaborating with designers as well.

PAYPAL, VENOMO, WAVE

Create invoices and collect payments. These are free to use but some fees may apply for processing payments.

HELLO SIGN

Use this free service to collect digital signatures for your client contracts. Collecting signatures with this platform just became a lot easier.

MAILCHIMP

Free for up to a certain number of subscribers this service is a great way to get started with your email subscriber list. As you grow you may want to consider using a paid service for your email campaigns. Next week’s post will be on the best options for your email subscriber list and emails.

WEBSITE

Some designers even use private pages on their website to communicate with their clients regarding renders, concept boards, selections, etc.

Self-hosted may take a bit more organization but some people are more comfortable using systems they are already familiar with. There are a variety of ways to be successful in this business. It just depends on what works best for you!

Best Project Software for Interior Designers

I work with a lot of interior designers and they use a variety of project management software including Ivy, Mydoma, Studio Designer, Design Manager and self-hosted.

Which one is best for you? Hopefully the information below will help. Mydoma was the only one I was able to locate new updates for 2020.

Ivy
Ivy’s website states - Our platform is designed to take the pain out of administrative tasks and allow designers to focus on the work they love. You don’t just get access to the Ivy platform, but also to our incredible industry resources, and the most powerful and supportive design community.

I’ve been told that Ivy has a low learning curve and is the user-friendlier version of Studio Designer. Ivy works well with direct integration with QuickBooks online including easily accepting credit cards. Ivy allows you to view project timelines without added data entry because estimated ship dates automatically go on the Project Calendar. Ivy will continue to add functionality to make it a strong candidate for the interior designer’s use.

Although it may be user friendly, it does take two programs to do what Studio Designer can do in one. Studio Designer is more customizable; however, Ivy is still very popular among interior designers.  

Key features:

Product Sourcing

Proposals & Invoicing

Room Boards

Project Tracker

Time & Expense Tracker

Online Payments

Reports

Mobile App

QuickBooks Online Sync

Pricing: Free $0/month

Starter $59/month

Essential $49/month when billed annually – Current Special Offer

Ultimate $199/month when billed annually

Try it: They offer a free demo at www.ivy.co. Ivy is owned by Houzz.  

Design Manager

Design Manager is an all in one software for project management, purchase order tracking, accounting, reports, inventory. Since Design Manager isn’t super user friendly it is often used by established design firms. Their website claims 70% of interior designers prefer Design Manager over QuickBooks.

Design Manager is the leading project management and accounting software for interior designers. Created in 1984 to respond to the requests of local interior design firms, it expanded into a nationwide software company and became one of the first providers of cloud-based design software. Because design firms have specific needs that cannot be answered by conventional software, it is our mission to provide a product that is dedicated to serving the design community. We deliver software that saves time, money, and frustration, while eliminating countless hours of paperwork.

Key Features:

Project management

Time billing

Enter spec info fees, markups and discounts

Client documents with payment links

Purchase orders

Order tracking

Receipts

Accounting

Reports

Inventory

Pricing:

DM Cloud $39.99/month

Pro Cloud $54.99/month

Save 10% by paying annually

Current offer: Save 50% off first 3 months.

Try it: They offer a free trial at https://designmanager.com/

Mydoma

Mydoma is great organizational tool for your interior design projects.  Many designers love the systems and process and creating automations so that your business runs easier and Mydoma helps with this.  The Mydoma platform helps with the onboarding process, a place to keep project info (ex: space info, before images, measurements, inspiration images), and a place to collaborate with your clients.  Using Mydoma you are creating an online design studio/project binder to collaborate with your clients.  You can have new clients sign contract, fill out onboarding questionnaire, and send initial payment all within the program.  Great if you do e-design or smaller design packages.

This software is limited if you run a full-service interior design firm.  And the accounting is in QuickBooks, so it requires double entry for products.  

Key features:

Orders, invoices & online payments

Design packages

Product sourcing

Time tracking

Client portal

Designers Toolkit

Pricing: $59 per month for Solo

$79 per month for Team (8 users)

$12 per month for Agency

Try it: Free 30-day trial. www.mydomastudio.com

Brand New Features 2020

• Ability to set categories to vendors - Suppliers or Service Provider

• Better organization & management of services

• Comprehensive proposals redesign

• The addition of “Grouped” products

• Ability to create purchase orders & work orders on the same window

• Creation of invoices on a proposal level

• Comprehensive reporting

For more information on Mydoma Studio 3.0 - Tulip

Studio Designer

Studio Designer claims to be the leading application for interior design professionals. It provides project management and accounting systems for its users. In 2016, it created a Vendor Portal and Client Portal. In 2019, version 2.0 is a new streamline look and efficiencies.

It is a very robust and extensive program for every operation a design firm could face.  This is a one-stop-shop for all your interior designer application needs.  Because of this Studio Designer can feel overwhelming for a novice designer.  It is an accounting program and project management program wrapped up in one.  You can manage your entire business from this program.  Accounting, Expediting, Ordering, Timelines, Reminders, Logistics, Inventory and so much more. 

This program is very technical, and you may need an accountant that specializes in the program.

Key features:

Project management

Studio capture

Time billing

Client portal

Integrated accounting

Reporting

Pricing: Basic - $35/month

Professional - $45/month

Try it: Studio Designer does not offer a free trial, but they do offer pro-rated refunds, if you wanted to try it for a few days for a few bucks.  www.studiodesigner.com/

Self-hosted

I know more and more interior designers that are going to a self-hosted type of program. They use landing pages on their websites to organize and communicate with clients, Pinterest boards for sourcing and communicating with clients, spreadsheets for orders, order tracking, expenses, budgets and processes to stay organized and on top of their businesses. This isn’t for everyone but if you are looking for a cost-effective way you may be interested in checking out a self-hosted system. Next week, I’ll be writing about how the self-hosted system works and why it might be beneficial to you!

Sourcing Tips & Tricks

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. She has her go-to sources and can easily source these items.

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 them as needed.

4. Trust your gut and move on! When you create the design for a client you know what you want and what you’re looking for. Choose a few options for each piece and move on. You could spend hours getting lost down the rabbit hole of products available. If you know you spend way too much time sourcing for your clients, decide ideally how much time you should be spending, set a timer and get to it. Again, pick a few great options and move on!

5.       Outsource your sourcing. I realize this is hard for some people but when you find someone great who understands your 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!