Introducing Metrique Solutions: A NEW Financial Software for Interior Designers to Help Increase Profits

I know you are busy building your empire so I’m here to keep you educated on what’s new and beneficial in the interior design industry! Today, I am sharing information on the new financial software for service-based businesses called Metrique Solutions.

Metrique was developed by someone you may already know - Michele Williams, an interior design business coach who is also a strategist, profitability consultant, podcaster, author, and speaker. Michele combined her background in financial software development, business ownership, and coaching & consulting to create the perfect financial software for service-based businesses.

So what does Metrique Solutions do?

Metrique integrates with all of your most loved financial tools and puts all your money data in one easy to understand dashboard.

Metrique will build your confidence at it:

• Provides interactive visuals of your business's financial performance.

• Makes creating a budget so much easier.

• Knows if you stray from your budget.

• Tells you which stats you should be watching.

• Simplifies your income statements.

• Highlights your most important financial trends.

• Includes built-in security for all users.

Metrique will help you build your business because it:

• Uses data from other platforms.

• Tracks conservative / aggressive budgets automatically.

• Compares your current financial year with prior year.

• Gives you a revenue breakdown graph.

• Tracks your employee billable time.

• Works with American and Canadian currencies.

FEATURES & BENEFITS – Understanding what Metrique can do.

• It isn’t a billing software or a project management tool. It is the motherboard of the empire you are building!

• It works with both American and Canadian currency.

• It will upload your data from other platforms.

• It will compare current financial year with prior financial year.

• You will know right away if you stray from your budget.

• It will track employee billable time.

“As a business advisor to entrepreneurs with mixed or ‘complicated’ relationships with money I knew there had to be a simpler, more aesthetically pleasing way to analyze and truly understand financial data,” Michele Williams CEO & Founder of Metrique Solutions shares.

‘What you don’t know won’t hurt you’ doesn’t apply to business growth and many of Michele’s clients were suffering from this lack of knowledge and ensuing lack of confidence.

“Metrique Solutions started as a spreadsheet that I gave to my private coaching clients. It was incredibly helpful at increasing profits, not just revenue, in their businesses – but I wanted it to be even easier to use, prettier to look at and simple to understand. Today, Metrique is a full-fledged software program that can be used by any service-based entrepreneur who wants to grow, scale and create a legacy business,” Michele explained.

If you are interested in learning more about Metrique, please click my affiliate link here. https://www.metriquesolutions.com/?via=danae

xx, Danae

---

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

In an effort to offer the best services and products possible, we are interested to know what you want! How can we help you? Please take a few moments to complete this survey so we can help you grow and scale your business even more in the New Year.

The Best Organizational Tools for Interior Designers

---

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

In an effort to offer the best services and products possible, we are interested to know what you want! How can we help you? Please take a few moments to complete this survey so we can help you grow and scale your business even more in the New Year.

Gifts to Get Your Design Clients: Elite Design Assistants Guide for Client Gift-Giving

Throughout the design project journey, we forge relationships with our clients by sharing the very personal process of creating their home. And because an interior design project often spans several months or years, you are a fixture in each other's lives throughout the passing of the seasons. So whether you want to offer a thoughtful gesture to celebrate the winter holidays or a token of appreciation at the end of the project, a small gift can go a long way in acknowledging your clients and strengthening those relationships.

Gifts to clients should not be outrageously expensive, but you should budget for them in your company's financial planning. Even if the project has come to an end, it's worth this small final investment, because it will impact how clients remember you and speak about your firm. It also just feels good to give. Here are some ideas of gifts you can get your design clients.

COFFEE TABLE BOOKS

A fabulous go-to gift which is aesthetically pleasing and can be personalized to their interests.

DRINK THERMOSES

A practical choice for your coffee or tea drinking clients who are always on the go.

FLORAL ARRANGEMENT

A gorgeous touch to liven up your client’s space, whether they’re already moved into their new home or not.

PLANTS IN A BEAUTIFUL POT

If your clients are some of those people who can never have too many plants, it’s an easy win.

SERVING TRAYS WITH GOURMET FOOD ITEMS

Gift them a nice decorative wooden board and with a selection of delicacies to try, like a cheeseboard.

BOTTLES + BARWARE

Find out their drink of choice to pop open and celebrate, and consider adding accessories like a set of coasters.

FANCY SOAP

Nothing ruins a fantastic bathroom design like a tacky soap bottle, so treat them to a pretty dispenser and great-smelling hand soap.

CANDLE SETS

Timeless and warm, surprise them with a large candle in a lovely container, a set of holders, or accessories like a snuffer and wick trimmer.

PREMIUM SLIPPERS

A cozy detail that makes walking around their new home feel a bit extra luxurious.

SOMETHING FOR THEIR PET

If they are obsessed with their pet, they might get the most joy out of receiving a beautiful engraved collar or set of food and water bowls.

GOODS FROM LOCAL ARTISANS

Support local makers by gifting handmade ceramics or a nice hand towel set.

And finally, a few more tips on the do's and don'ts of giving gifts to clients.

DO

• Accompany the gift with your logo on a brief handwritten note signed by your team.

• Consider allergies or dietary preferences when sending edible or drinkable gifts.

• If you can’t or don’t want to purchase a gift for your client, it’s still much better to send a beautiful card on their birthday or holiday than nothing at all.

• Include your vendors on your card mailing list, particularly smaller businesses you work with.

DON’T

• You don’t have to give the same gift to all your clients; each one should be somewhat proportional to the scale of that project.

• Don’t assume which holidays your clients celebrate, and make sure you find out before specifying the occasion.

• Don't give something that makes it seem like your project was delivered incomplete, like another sofa cushion.

Happy gift-giving! xx, Danae

---

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

In an effort to offer the best services and products possible, we are interested to know what you want! How can we help you? Please take a few moments to complete this survey so we can help you grow and scale your business even more in the New Year.

Trend Forecasting: Most Popular Interior Design Trends Forecasted for 2023

Can you believe how fast 2022 has flown by? The interior design industry is already forecasting trends for 2023 and you know what that means… the end of the year is near!

Someone with either a crystal ball or ESP has spoken …here are the most popular design trends of the future.

Nature

As nature continues to be connected to wellness, 2023 will be full of organic and cozy materials. Think cotton, clay, velvet, wool, ceramic, and wood.

Instagram-able Walls

Yes, you read that correctly. A wall in homes that are so amazing they are Instagram-worthy! These perfect statement walls will be for video calls, Instagram and whatever social media comes in the future.

Arches

Arches are not only a renaissance architectural feature they are softer and will be returning to furniture, decor elements, and doorways.

Digital Realism

Think cyberpunk, neon lights, and geometric shapes. Many people are living in the Metaverse and they love it so much they want their real-life décor to mimic what they see in cyberspace.

Funghi Décor

This iconic 70s revival is known for its whimsical effects applied in shapes and prints.

Instagram-able Lounges – Hospitality

Businesses want to be seen on social media, too. They will go for more eye-catching interiors worth sharing!

Lavender

Lavender is predicted to be the star color for 2023!

Luxury Monochromatic

Used in kitchens and bathrooms along with golden accents.

Private Spaces

Now that we do EVERYTHING at home now, people desire more private spaces for work, school, fitness, etc.

Reinvented Heritage

A design trend that will merge classic decors with fashion design.

Have you seen any other trends for 2023?

xx, Danae

Shop the Look for the Best Works Bags for Interior Designers!

It’s time to go purse and bag shopping! We have compiled some of the best bags and purses we know of for busy interior designers like yourself to take to client visits, work site visits, and even to the grocery store.

Click the SHOP NOW button below to buy your favorite bag!

Happy Shopping!

xx, Danae

Creating Vision Boards for Life and Business

As interior designers, we are no strangers to composing material boards or mood boards. The unique combination of images and textures we create tells a story about our vision for the project ahead. As we progress, they can serve as a reference point to return to, helping us stay consistent with our concept and keep us on track to achieve it. So why not do the same with your business or personal life?

A vision board is an inspirational board created with photos, images, clippings, phrases and words that represent the ideal lifestyle you want to reach or the goals you want to achieve. There’s no perfect formula to making a vision board, because it’s completely personal to you.

The most hands-on approach is a physical vision board, which you can make with a classic cork board or wire wall grid, among many other options. But you can also create a digital board made with an app such as Canva, and make it your desktop and phone background. Attach photos you’ve taken yourself, cut out magazines, or find images or quotes online. You may already have an existing collection of aspirational images on Pinterest to get you started.

Life Vision Board

Creating a vision board is an excellent exercise in its own right. Think of places you want to go, inspirational people whose energy you would like to channel, phrases that encourage or resonate with you, milestones on the horizon, objects that have meaning to you, or even fashion photos that inspire you. You can include images that evoke your values in relation to family and friends, spirituality, hobbies, projects or health. Anything that represents the life you want to lead in the future: near or a little more distant.

Business Vision Board

As with your life vision board, ask yourself what values or keywords represent your company, as well as the kind of work environment you’d like to cultivate with your team. Is there a number that represents a goal you have for this year, like a number of projects you’d like to complete? What image would represent your expansion goals? You may also like to work in your corporate fonts and colors in a creative way. Creating a vision board can actually be a great opportunity for team-building, as well, as you put your heads together to add insights.

While it’s important to be grateful for what we have and give ourselves credit for how far we’ve already come, having a vision board will help you to focus on where you want to go and how you want to continue growing. So the most important thing is that your vision board is somewhere you’ll see it often, such as at home first thing in the morning, or in plain view from your office desk.

Just as with all goal-setting, it’s best to choose attainable targets for yourself. Aim high, but if you overload your board with impossible objectives, it will only serve to discourage you rather than fulfill its purpose. Looking at your vision board should make you feel good and contribute to a more positive outlook. So don’t wait till the New Year to reflect on your goals. It's just a matter of dedicating a little time and creativity; nothing you're not willing to do to achieve your dreams, right?

xx, Danae

Make Life Easier With Menu & Grocery List Planning

One day you spend three hours in the kitchen only to see your creation disappear in ten minutes. Another day you open the fridge and find it empty and end up grabbing fast food. Another day you go shopping for ingredients for a recipe and when you get home you realize you already had many of the ingredients, plus yesterday's leftovers. If this sounds all too familiar, the good news is that the solution is easier than it sounds.

For some reason, planning ahead can seem like a daunting chore, but when it comes down to it, isn't the hassle of not planning worse? Investing just a little time at the beginning of each week will save you time and money, and help you eat healthier and live more relaxed. If you're up for giving it a try, read on.

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT

• What day of the week you are going to plan the menu and do the shopping.

• How much time you have to cook.

• The days you will eat out or take lunch to work.

• If you have kids who eat lunch at school, check the menu for that week to avoid repeating dinners.

• Whether you will plan breakfasts and snacks, or focus on lunches and dinners.

CREATE YOUR MENU LIBRARY

Mindful menu planning also ensures a more balanced diet. Although nutritional guidelines are constantly evolving, you can follow the principles of a source you trust to include plenty of protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. One such model is known as the "Harvard Plate," which maps out healthy proportions and examples of vegetables, proteins, grains, fruits and oils. With this starting point, you can begin to build a collection of well-rounded meal menus. An example would be fish with wild rice and green beans, cooked with olive oil, and fruit salad for dessert.

You can store your menu ideas in digital format, write them on cards, or hang a poster in your pantry. You may want to organize your menu by categories, such as meat, fish or vegetables. Magazines, food blogs and Pinterest are good places to start for inspiration. Over time, you'll add more options, and this will take the work out of thinking about meal planning and grocery shopping each week.

PLAN YOUR WEEKLY MENU

Before you sit down to choose the meal menus for the week, take inventory of your fridge, freezer and pantry to see what needs to get used up to avoid waste. Now, what recipes do you have that could incorporate those ingredients? Can you include several recipes that are different but share common ingredients? Write down the remaining ingredients you'll need to complete the week's recipes, either in a note app like Google Keep on your phone or on paper. Then, there are countless templates on Canva you can edit and print off to display your weekly menu. See what format works for you, print out a dozen copies and grab one to jot down your menus each week. Another option is to laminate a copy and use it as a reusable dry-erase board and hang it on your fridge.

GET COOKING

To save time during the week you can prepare several dishes in advance or cook some foods and have them ready in the fridge just to heat and eat. You can allocate a couple of hours on a day that suits you and advance dishes for the week. This is known as batch cooking, and it can be a lifesaver when you get home late and the last thing you want to do is stand in front of the stove.

The best way to save time in the long run is to prepare the main dishes that you can store in the fridge or freezer. Or, you can just make a large batch of rice or pasta, or whatever base you’ll be using in different recipes throughout the upcoming week. Dishes that break down rapidly, like certain salads, you can chop up the same day you eat them, but thanks to your thoughtful planning, you’ll have all the ingredients on hand and ready to go!

Especially at first, you might find that you have leftovers that you don’t want to throw out, or things will come up that will throw your plan off-kilter. Don’t let this put you off the idea of meal planning, because with a bit of practice, you’ll start to get a better idea of portions and flexibility. And remember, you'll probably still waste less food than if you didn't plan your groceries.

FINAL TIPS

• Save your old menus and write the date on them. This way you can repeat the plans and quickly find seasonally appropriate menus in the future!

• If you have never done it before, it may take you longer to do this planning, but you’ll see that once you’ve done it a couple of times, it will become a built-in habit and make your meal prep a breeze!

xx, Danae

Passive Income Ideas for Interior Designers

Whether you feel like you've hit a financial ceiling, want to scale your business, or are simply interested in making more money, the prospect of passive income is an exciting one. Fortunately, interior design is a profession that offers numerous strategies for generating passive income.

The idea is to establish revenue streams that flow in the background with minimal effort on your part. It's important to remember that there is an initial investment of time to get it up and running and, depending on the strategy, there may be more or less maintenance. But if you set it up correctly from the beginning, you will find it to be quite rewarding.

Here are some effective passive income ideas that you can consider introducing into your business.

Digital Downloads

Selling digital downloads is one of the most popular ways to create passive income. Although it requires a significant time investment, it requires little to no monetary investment. You can create downloadable products such as gallery wall templates, e-books, guides, or pre-made mood boards. Try to opt for content that will stay fresh and relevant in the long term to maximize your earnings.

Courses

Whether you decide to sell a course on your own website or on another platform like Udemy, you will find customers or budding designers who want to know your design tips and tricks. Create a high-quality product with thoughtful content of value and attractive, cohesive graphic aids. If you sell your course on a third-party platform, you may benefit from more traffic. If you sell it on your own website, you’ll have total control over the price you charge.

Affiliate Marketing

The good news is that most major brands have an affiliate program with which you receive a commission for each sale that comes through your recommendation, such as through a link from your blog. This is a passive income opportunity with high earning potential and no need to get involved in the actual sales. The main challenge may be to work on the SEO of your site so that more customers find you in the first place.

Sponsorships

If you already have a large social media following, vendors may offer you their products so that you can market them or simply speak well of them (in exchange for a commission or one-time payment). They may even ask you to become a brand ambassador. Such an agreement may include specific kinds of posts or content, so it’s important that what you’re promoting is in line with your brand.

Online Shops

When it comes to e-commerce as passive income, you generally resell products rather than selling your own. It can take some time to get this set up on your website. Alternatively, you can use an affiliate program like SideDoor or Shopify to add items to your online shop and earn a substantial commission. In either case, you’ll need to advertise and leverage social media to attract customers.

Membership Sites

A membership site offers valuable information for a monthly or annual fee. As an interior designer, you must decide whether your expertise is better targeted to other designers or to consumers. As with digital downloads and courses, you’re sharing your knowledge in an accessible way. It’s one of the more time-consuming methods, which requires excellent marketing and customer service. But once it’s up and running, it can be a highly lucrative source of passive income.

Printable Art

Apart from being an interior designer, do you dabble in drawing or painting? Downloadable, printable art is a prevalent feature in decoration and is purchased by interior designers and consumers alike. Sell your work on Etsy, Shopify, or in your own shop in order to make multiple profits on a piece you created just once.

Hopefully, one or more of these passive income strategies have caught your attention and gotten you excited to start earning more! Looking for more help to get started?

In my eBook, Creating Passive & Multiple Income Streams For Interior Designers, I show you how other interior designers earn passive income in all of the above ways and more. You’ll find in-depth examples, case studies, important considerations, resources, and the steps to take to get these revenue streams going yourself.

xx, Danae

12 Ways To Celebrate National Women's Health and Fitness Day!

Something so vital deserves a day to celebrate and refocus attention on women’s health and fitness. National Women’s Health and Fitness Day is an initiative organized by the Health Information Resource Center. Each year, on the last Wednesday in September, more than 500 groups participate by hosting events across the country in venues ranging from health clubs to schools to community centers. Topics addressed include breast and cervical cancer, family planning and pregnancy, heart disease, and many more.

There is an old Zen saying that goes, "You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day, unless you are too busy. Then you should sit for an hour." This idea could easily be applied to any exercise or wellness practice. It's time to make your health a non-negotiable priority. In addition to participating in an official event, here are 12 more ways you can celebrate National Women's Health and Wellness Day:

1. Schedule a medical check-up. When was the last time you went for a routine checkup? Even if you're feeling well, it's recommended to visit your doctor at least once a year.

2. Go for a mammogram. The goal is prevention, so learn how to check yourself, and especially women aged 40 and older or with a family history of breast cancer should talk to their doctor to schedule an appointment.

3. Buy a fitness tracker. Make it easier to be aware of your activity by wearing a smartwatch or activity tracker, which lets you see how much you’re moving from day to day.

4. Get your partner or family up and moving. Play a game that requires physical activity as a way to bring your loved ones together and get some exercise in without it feeling like a chore!

5. Get outside and go for a walk or bike ride. Getting some fresh air and having a change of scenery can do wonders for both our physical and mental health.

6. Dance to your favorite song. Let yourself be spontaneous and channel those bursts of energy and good vibes.

7. Grab a friend. Some people find it helpful and motivating to have an accountability partner and enjoy their company while you both benefit from doing some sport or activity.

8. Take care of your mental health. Often more neglected than physical health, but equally important, check in with yourself and consider seeking professional support, even if you don't feel you "need" it.

9. Reevaluate your diet. Step back and have a look at whether your daily diet is generally nutritionally well-balanced, and consider meal planning.

10. Get enough sleep. An undervalued part of health and too often sacrificed, there's a reason doctors insist on 7-9 hours of shuteye per night.

11. Share what you’re doing on social media. If you already enjoy sharing what you’re up to online, why not raise awareness and inspire others to get back in touch with their own health?

12. Make a commitment. Like all holidays that aim to bring attention to a cause, the goal is to organize your routine in a sustainable way so you can take care of yourself and enjoy a greater quality of life throughout the whole year!

With all the crazy demands of everyday life, health and fitness often get pushed to the back burner. But this day serves as a reminder that you deserve to dedicate time to your well-being, and it’s also going to allow you to put your best self forward for your loved ones, career, and other priorities. And while maintaining a healthy lifestyle is vital for both men and women, this day recognizes the unique health needs especially for women.

xx, Danae

It's International Coffee Day!

As one of the most popular beverages in the world, chances are that you consume it too. According to a study conducted by the National Coffee Association, 7 out of 10 Americans drink coffee every week. Coffee is fuel, it's comfort, and it's even a pretext for conversation or the perfect first date. So pour yourself a cup to sip as you read on about the significance of the celebration of International Coffee Day.

Although coffee has been celebrated nationally for decades in countries such as the United States, Nepal and Indonesia, the first official International Coffee Day date was instituted by the International Coffee Organization in 2015 in Milan, Italy. The idea is to pay tribute to this popular beverage, and also to promote fair trade coffee while raising awareness of the dire situation of coffee producers.

Most coffee travels a long way from small-scale farmers in the "Bean Belt" countries and through the hands of buyers, various middlemen, roasters and distributors, before reaching the shelves of your local store. From the cup of coffee you buy at your neighborhood coffee shop, the average farmer receives only 1% of the profits. With such minimal profits, there isn’t enough to reinvest in labor, land, or equipment, and parents often take their children out of school to work on the plantations in order to survive.

On the other hand, coffee production often brings with it environmental problems from deforestation to high use of water and energy resources and water pollution, all on a large scale. However, certified organic coffee is grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers. To support ethical standards of coffee production, opting for organic coffee that comes from a supply chain where everyone is paid fairly is an action you can take.

In the health field, there has been plenty of praise and criticism written about coffee, but every day scientists discover more and more benefits when consumed in moderation. Did you know that coffee contains more antioxidants than broccoli? The Harvard School of Public Health found that people who drink coffee are less likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and even depression. Just remember to consume it in moderation, as the FDA recommends staying under 400 mg of caffeine, which is equivalent to about 4 cups of coffee.

So how can you celebrate International Coffee Day? Here are some ideas for you.

1. Get free or discounted coffee from one of the many cafés or shops that participate in International Coffee Day.

2. Gift yourself or a loved one a new coffee mug.

3. Look for Fair Trade and organic seals on the package before buying or ask the barista about the origin of the coffee.

4. Try a new brewing method.

5. Sign up for a coffee subscription to sample different varieties.

6. Learn how to order coffee in another language.

7. Try food or drink recipes that include coffee as an ingredient. My favorite is anything chocolate as coffee is known to enhance the flavor of chocolate.

8. Ask someone out to celebrate the day with you.

Drink up and enjoy this wonderful day!

xx, Danae