Seriously Happy Biz Tips
My best advice for growing your interior design business
3 Marketing Lessons I Wish I Learned Earlier as an Interior Design Business Owner
Oh the lessons I’ve learned. 1) I wish I understood that marketing implementation is not the same as marketing strategy. Oh, if only I’d grasped this sooner—it would’ve saved me so much frustration. My assistants were wonderful people and eager employees, but without me steering the ship with a proper marketing map, they were left posting blindly, chasing trends, and…
Does Your Aesthetic POV Matter? Expert Advice from an Interior Design Business Coach
I Thought I Was a Design Chameleon… Till I Got a 2-Star Yelp Review. 🥺 When I first started as a designer I thought I could design anything for anyone. In fact, I thought being a design chameleon was a strength, allowing me to cater to every client’s needs. Over time I learned that this…
How To Define Your Interior Design Services
Creating Clear Services Makes Sales So Much Easier! As an interior designer, one of your most important business decisions is how you’ll define your interior design services. Maybe it’s a bit of all three. Whatever you choose, base your services on your strengths and passions, and most importantly, make sure those service descriptions are clear,…
Pick A Lane: What’s Your Interior Design Luxury Level?
Why I Help Regular People Get Happy At Home. When I started my interior design business, I had a big decision to make: would I focus on the luxury market and cater to the top 1%, or would I serve the mid-market, designing for “real” people living in regular homes? All my mentors encouraged me…
The Hidden Cost of a Large Interior Design Territory
Avoid Burnout and Build a Thriving Design Business by Targeting the Right Geographic Market. Like a lot of designers, when I started my interior design business in Seattle, I thought having a broad service area would attract more clients. I willingly traveled as far east as Sammamish and Issaquah, west to the islands, up north…
Be Yourself! It’s the Best Business Strategy for Interior Designers
Embrace Your True Personality To Attract Your Ideal Clients and Boost Your Brand. When I first launched my interior design business, I was obsessed with appearing “professional.” I knew my success hinged on how others perceived me, and I worked hard to cultivate an image that fit the traditional mold. I dressed in the classic…
13 Questions to Ask Before You Work With A New Contractor or Sub
Building a trusted list of contractors, vendors, and other resources is an essential part of establishing your interior design business. The challenge is vetting folks to figure out if you want to work with them before trying them out on a new project. No one likes experimenting on their clients. 😬 Your first project with…
Divorce ended my marriage but launched a remarkable career
My design career started with a divorce. Maybe yours did, too? Once upon a time, I lived in a cute townhome in Seattle with my (now ex) hubby. Newly married, we blissfully picked out paint colors and made the most of our hand-me-down furniture. A few years later, cue the plot twist – our marriage…
Yes, you need professional interior design photography, and here’s a way to save money!
If you’re an interior designer you know how expensive it can be to get good professional interior design photography. Depending on what you charge and the size of the project, the photography can cost as much as, or even more than, the profits from your project. 😳 What if there were a way to save…
How to protect your clients from decision fatigue
Decision fatigue doesn’t just affect your clients during that meeting where you asked them to make too many decisions. It also affects the success of all your following meetings, and hits your bottom line by making your projects less profitable. 😳 When your clients feel overwhelmed, even if they make choices, they are likely to…
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