Project Management – The Black Hole of Interior Design

As you may (or may not) know, a black hole is a region of space-time where gravity devours everything, including light and energy. For an interior designer, project management is just such an area of destructive gravity.

The list of tasks that come under the heading of “Project Management” for an interior designer, whether for a basic remodel to an all-inclusive re-imagining of the entire living space of a home is nothing if not an Earth-bound black hole. Managing these aspects of the job requires an experienced designer who is intimately familiar with all aspects of a design project.

-OR-

You can invest a relatively modest amount of dollars in one of the latest digital tools available to save designers time, energy, and money. (Huh, who’d a thunk it?)

Time to Reject That Gravitational Pull

We would not normally share so many business-building tips in a single post. However, we believe this area is important enough to give you at least a glimpse of the design-centric project management systems recently featured by the folks at BusinessOfHome.com.

• Studio Designer – Now over 30 years old and ranging in price from $54 to $72 per month, “this well-established platform has a user base of 14,000 designers [and] facilitates the creation of proposals, quote requests, time billing, invoicing, and accounting [specifically] for the interior design industry. Part of what designers like about Studio Designer is its client-facing portal, where projects can be viewed anytime, and payments can be made via credit or debit card and bank transfers.”

• Houzz Pro – This popular home remodeling platform, “offers [interior design professionals] an array of tools from its well-known product clipper to email marketing and lead generation functions, integration with QuickBooks, and an augmented reality feature that allows designers and their clients to virtually experience their proposed vision onsite in 3D. The platform also comes with built-in lead generation from Houzz.” can get pricey, with packages ranging from $65 to $400 per month.

• Mydoma Studio – Created by an interior designer and her app developer husband for her own use, they realized they had solved many of the pain points experienced by others. And so, “the pair launched Mydoma Studio as a wider offering. The resulting platform provides tools for project and client management, purchase orders and invoicing, vendor and team collaboration, time tracking, mood boards, and product sourcing, [plus] templates for a basic interior design contract or an initial client questionnaire, as well as webinars and events.” Monthly costs range from $49 to $99 for the platform.

• Design Manager – This aptly named app offers more than basic project management functions. “Design Manager has additional applications for firms that hold inventory in multiple locations, stock products, or operate a showroom or storefront. Those retail-minded features have made the platform a go-to for designers … who rely on the platform’s tools to accept payments for merchandise and track inventory and employee commissions as they balance design work with bustling retail operations.” The platform goes for $65 per month.

• Design Files – Wow, what a great tagline: “Design, manage, get paid and grow.” The platform makes a serious effort to live up to this by being “similar to other design-specific project management tools [but] its features include a room planner, product clipper, time tracking, and QuickBooks integration. Design Files stands out by offering a unique plan tailored for e-designers, [including an option] to integrate their design packages onto their website and easily process payment[s] upfront.” E-design packages begin at $49 a month per user, while a full-service plan starts at $69 a month per user.

(Dang, does anyone have one of these made for easier living?)

What Have You Got to Lose?

For us, it’s simple. An interior designer has pretty much nothing to lose by trying any of these reasonably priced project management platforms. Well, except for the stress and headaches you will likely lose!

Plus, Ted remains available to help as well, with business consulting to the trade and as a potential guide for the use of digital project management platforms for designers and furniture dealers. If you’d like to chat with him about your design business needs, simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Automate Your Workflow to Save Time, Energy, and Money

Welcome to the Department of Redundancy Department, where a small business owner repeats the same administrative tasks daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. From turning the lights on to start your day to turning them off at day’s end – and everything in between – it’s trying to be the boss. This is especially true if you’re a hands-on and/or a micro-manager type of boss.

This begs the question of whether you should automate your workflow to reduce all that redundancy.

Automated Task Management

Thanks to the folks at BusinessOfHome.com, we’ve discovered an exciting way to slough off those mundane, time- and energy-sucking administrative business tasks that can make you wonder why you ever started your own business. This magical task management tool is called Airtable and it's shaking things up in the industry.

“There are a million moving parts to any design project. From presentations to procurement to payment, there is plenty of room for tasks to slip through the cracks. We asked designers to share their favorite tools for keeping all their ducks in a row.”

“Airtable is a programmable database that manages both projects and customer relationships. The platform allows designers to track client information – potential clients, active clients, and even the profitability of each client – as well as purchases for individual projects.”

Can you imagine?

“For Philadelphia-based designer Lucy O’Brien, Airtable is the ‘brain behind her firm, with an administrative hub for internal documents as well as client-facing workspaces for each project, with separate tabs for each room, construction documents, and paint schedules. ‘This platform has the clarity of Excel spreadsheets but enables you to upload pictures, documents, links and so much more into the cells,’ says O’Brien.

“’ That feature was one of the main reasons I finally stuck with Airtable – so many of the other systems I tried did not give the overall organization and document storage I wanted in a visual way that felt clean and organized.’”

Simplify Your Workday

According to the Airtable website: “From sending notifications to orchestrating cross-functional work, Airtable automations are a powerful rules engine that can help you and your team stay connected.”

From the simplest to the most complex, the platform offers simplified steps to help you manage workflow seamlessly and efficiently:

• Quickly and easily create Airtable automations using a simple, drag-and-drop builder.

• See how automations can help save you time by eliminating redundant tasks and streamlining your work.

• Connect automations to your most important tools to create a seamless, cohesive workflow.

And, amazingly, “A free plan is available to start but increases to $45 per month for the most sophisticated plan, which offers perks like storage of 100 gigabytes of attachments.”

Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade and as a potential guide for the use of AI business support platforms for designers and furniture dealers. If you’d like to chat with him about your design business needs, simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Your Future – How to Know What’s Next for Your Business

In all probability, the sun will rise tomorrow; just as it will also set, and night will replace day. We believe in the certainty of this taking place based on experience, history, the current state of affairs, and sciencey stuff that is beyond us yet in which we have faith. So, there is a fairly inevitable part of your future but, there are many areas where we believe we can never know what’s next.

For example, what the heck will your teenage daughter or son be doing with their friends after the Big Game Saturday night? What color and fabric will her prom dress be? When will he (if ever) start taking his curfew seriously?

Teenagers aside, predicting the future is not only difficult, but it can also be dangerous. For example, while certain luxury furnishings may have a great track record for dealer sales, trends change, shapes become overdone or obsolete, and colors of the year will shift, well – yearly. And yet… And yet… a good buyer is an informed buyer, using experience, history, trends, and market research to avoid over- and under-buying product that is likely to be in demand next season.

What Will Tomorrow Bring?

“Challenging the belief that the future is unknowable,” futurist Rebecca Costa believes in a “series of [what she identifies as] ‘knowables’ that can be possessed about most any given situation based on history, current circumstances, and myriad other algorithms that allow for reasonably accurate predictive outcomes.” (FurnitureToday.com)

“To help companies systemize their efforts to confront complex change, she outlined six steps: identifying the challenge or need; categorizing opportunities into market-driven (incremental) change or ‘moonshots’ (higher risk, higher reward) opportunities; developing separate processes for each of those two categories; realigning talent around personality predispositions; evangelizing from the top-down; and systematizing and institutionalizing [what she describes as] a ‘predaptive’ culture.”

“The most notable change from more traditional business practices is the development of separate processes for market-driven opportunities and so-called moonshots, and the corresponding alignment of talent accordingly.”

“Costa outlined two personality types common to professional organizations which she termed ‘racers’ and ‘climbers’. Racers are expert multi-taskers, highly verbal, high energy, performance-oriented, and are easily frustrated by process and protocol. Conversely, climbers are persistent, analytical, evidence-driven, process-driven, and prefer written communication.”

“Companies that use a single process for market-driven and moonshot initiatives often have these types of individuals working together, which often frustrates each and stifles development. Costa’s advice is to separate the processes and the individuals with racers focused on market-driven developments and climbers focusing on moonshots.”

Keeping It Simple

If that doesn’t make your head spin...

From our perspective as mere forecasters and experienced business prognosticators based on current trends and experience (We certainly do not claim to be futurists), we will try to simplify a predictive model that works for us:

• Be objective and uncompromising as you evaluate your business.

• Pay attention to local market forces as well as trends you see in the trade.

• Be conservative in your vision of the future of the market and your place in it.

• Take things to their logical, inevitable conclusion.

• Prepare yourself for anything.

And never forget – interior design is a local business!

Ted remains available for his impressions of issues like these and for business consulting to the trade. All you have to do is… Contact TD Fall today.

AI in Interior Design – From the Common to the Uncommon

Artificial intelligence in interior design has become a fact of life. In other words, AI applications are a common tool for designing and creating virtual and augmented reality experiences for clients, allowing them to visualize their space before any physical work is done.

Less common is the use of AI among designers to tackle the day-to-day minutiae of running their business. Despite the broad use of such applications among the business community at large, it is uncommon for designers and dealers to employ AI-based solutions for more mundane tasks that devour so much time and effort from a business owner.

From payroll to client follow-up and even from client acquisition to forecasting to help plan for the future, artificial intelligence administration applications enable a designer to spend more time working with clients, and even more time to… design beautiful spaces.

How AI can Help Small Business Owners

A September article at FurnitureToday.com states, “The furniture industry has gotten on board with A.I. and its content-creating subset, generative A.I.”

Further, they declare, “Whether retailers are deploying virtual reality technology to show how home furnishings will look within a room, adding chatbots to their online customer service applications, using A.I. for business forecasting and data analysis, or using it to write copy for press releases or product descriptions on their websites, interest has been growing.”

And, clever people that they are, they inquired of the free-to-use AI-generated chatbot ChatGPT itself to explain to them what the future of AI will look like for the furniture and design industries:

• Advanced AR/VR experiences: Future applications could include more immersive AR/VR experiences, allowing customers to virtually rearrange furniture in their spaces or explore entire room designs.

• AI-powered design assistance: Retailers could offer A.I. tools that help customers design their spaces by suggesting furniture layouts, color schemes, and complementary items.

• Sentiment analysis: A.I. could analyze customer reviews and feedback to gauge sentiment and identify areas for product improvement or customer service enhancement.

• Smart showrooms: Physical stores could incorporate A.I. to create smart showrooms, where A.I.-powered devices interact with customers, provide information, and even simulate different lighting conditions.

• Sustainability and material sourcing: AI could be used to trace the origin of materials, assess their sustainability, and provide customers with detailed information about the environmental impact of products.

• Emotional A.I.: A.I. could be used to understand customers’ emotional responses to different designs, helping retailers create emotionally resonant marketing and product strategies.

• Predictive maintenance for furniture: A.I. could be used to predict when furniture items might need maintenance or replacement based on usage patterns and material degradation.

• Collaborative design platforms: AI-driven platforms could facilitate collaboration between customers, designers, and retailers, enabling real-time design modifications and adjustments.

• Automated personal shopping assistants: A.I.-powered virtual assistants could help customers navigate through the purchasing process, offering personalized recommendations and facilitating the buying journey.

• Interactive in-store experiences: Physical stores could use A.I. to create interactive displays and experiences that engage and educate customers about furniture features, materials, and design options.

Does anyone else think that list is a little intimidating?

Using AI is Inevitable

Granted, We may have seen a few too many sci-fi movies but, asking an AI-generated app what the future looks like for AI-generated apps sounds a bit creepy to us. Seems like they’re just asking the darned bot to take control of things from them. (Have these folks never seen 2001 A Space Odyssey?)

Seriously, the burdens that can be lifted from a business owner’s shoulders are almost too numerous to count. And, it’s only going to grow: “Few segments [of the economy and business] are growing at the rate of the artificial intelligence market. What was estimated to be a $140 billion industry in 2022 is expected to grow to nearly $2 trillion by 2030, according to Next Move Strategy Consulting.”

(After reading this, you may want to watch something like “White Christmas” before bed tonight so you can avoid dreams of various artificial intelligences attacking you.)

Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade and as a potential guide for the use of AI in design as well as for furniture dealers. (Unfortunately, he has yet to learn dream therapy.) But, if you’d like to chat with him about your design business nightmares, simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Common Custom Furniture Mistakes Part2

As we shared in a previous post, ordering custom furniture for a client (or any custom furnishings) can lead to issues for interior designers and furnishing dealers. Having clarified the difference between “personalized” and custom furnishings, Part Two in this series will focus on choosing the right vendor and ensuring that function is as important as form in your choices.

Choose the Right Custom Furniture Vendor

It goes without saying that TD Fall is the right vendor for your custom furnishing needs because we only work with the finest lines and furniture builders. We’ve done the research and found some of the most creative craftsmen and luxury furnishing companies available.

“It doesn’t matter how much it costs or how gorgeous the sketches [are], custom furniture will always fall short if it’s not in the hands of a qualified, reliable vendor.” (ArchitecturalDigest.com)

Of course, this does not mean that one manufacturer will always be the perfect choice for every situation or for every interior design client. Whether you choose a custom build from the frame to the finished product like we might suggest from Michael Trent Coates and MTC Studio Designs to beautiful handcrafted furniture from Leathercraft or perhaps from the Donghia Furniture line of the Kravett family of brands, we have you covered.

Do Not Mistake Form For Function

Just as a cool-looking sofa that sits like concrete won’t cut it, a gorgeous, unique-looking desk lamp that does not light a custom-designed home office properly is basically an expensive paperweight. In other words, the function is as important as the form of any custom furnishings you may recommend to a client.

“It’s quite easy to get carried away with a particular design, simply focusing on the ‘look’ of an item,” says Brooklyn-based designer Isy Runsewe. “Designing anything custom without considering its intended use and context can result in a piece that just doesn't help the space function as desired, let alone as needed.”

To strike the right balance of beauty and brains, Runsewe encourages pros to ask vendors for photo and video updates to track a piece’s progress. “You may think it drives some vendors mad, but many understand,” she shares. “They also want to be sure they’ve created something the clients will truly love.”

As you reimagine any space for your clients, always be sure that the “latest iteration still serves its proposed function.”

And, for help avoiding either of these custom furniture mistakes, feel free to… Contact TD Fall today.

Interior Design Trends – Do They Even Matter?

This is the time of year when we are not only told what the Color of the Year will be in 2024; we are also deluged by so-called experts regaling us with what is supposedly trending in every category of our existence. Interior design trends are no different, of course. Yet, while we are cognizant of the fact that we must share some of these with you, we can’t help but wonder just how important such generalizations can be.

You see, a generalization is simply “The formulation of general concepts from specific instances by abstracting common properties.” (Power Thesaurus) Or, in other words, it is the broadening of specifics to abstractions or concepts.

And so, if you accept the declaration of a trend, you must then turn around and reduce it to something specific to apply it. That is, you must articulate a definitive use of the overall trend to meet each of your individual clients’ needs.

That’s a lot of work when you think about it. Especially when you consider color trends for example, as paint manufacturers declare various shades of blue, or green, or gray, or something else to be the next Big Thing.

Statistically, generalizations and trends matter – until you encounter a specific need or purpose for them. Then, they become nothing but a guide for your approach to a particular situation, or for an individual (i.e., a client)

And yet, we share articles and posts about interior design trends and other popular directions in luxury furnishings on the regular. And no, that does not make us hypocrites. Rather, we think it’s important to know what consumers and homeowners are being told about the latest trends in home design and furnishings so that we may guide you and you may guide them in their choices.

With all of that in mind…

Home Design Trends Happening Now

Again, interested homeowners regularly search for trendy solutions to their home design needs. For many, Houzz.com is a priority in their quest. Since it’s important to know what consumers are being told, we’d like to share a few of those things with you.

In the article linked above, author Mitchell Parker offers seven trends, of which three affect us directly: trending colors, tones, and styles.

As always, there are conflicts evident in not only trending colors but also in the shading and tones that seem to be popular. While you can never go wrong with neutral, earthy colors, combining them with vibrant tones can create contrasts that may lead to conflict and/or discomfort. You should be especially careful when following these trends.

“While warm neutrals are popular, some designers say they’re hearing a lot of requests for bold, saturated jewel tones,” he writes.

Backing farther away from his own declaration of the popularity of bold colors, Mr. Parker declares the ongoing celebration of timeless style in home design. Claiming that “Old is new again,” he quotes designer Alex Thies of Adelyn Charles Interiors as saying. “We are seeing a lot of even our most modern clients incorporate ‘old’ elements such as brick, handmade clay tiles, rustic wood elements, and arches everywhere. It’s a new eclectic ‘earthy modern’ vibe that we are here for.”

In other words, this particular trend is a departure from “trendy design styles” with an “appreciation for more timeless design choices.” As if resisting trendy home design choices is something new among designers and their clients. (Yeah, right!)

What Does This Mean?

Stated simply, while they can sometimes illuminate, declarations of home design trends merely illustrate that homeowners need a guide for the choices they are going to make. Since this is a pretty good job definition for interior designers and furnishing dealers, you should be aware of them but not let them control the choices you offer your clients.

Ted remains available to offer guidance when it comes to using conflicting home design trends to better serve your clients. With more than a quarter-century of experience in the trade, his business consulting services may be just what you need in these challenging times. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Marketing the Possible – And Doing It

There are so many “tips” available from online marketing experts these days that it’s easy to get overwhelmed. When that happens, when there are simply too many choices, most people simply give up and choose to do nothing. For us, the real key to successfully marketing a business online is – knowing what’s possible, doing that, and doing only that.

In other words, as an entrepreneur, you need to know what you're capable of and limit yourself to those things alone. Granted, it’s tempting to try to be all things to all people but, that rarely works. It also leads to stress, exhaustion, and sleepless nights!

The Art of the Possible

This brings to mind the classic quotation that is normally attributed to Abraham Lincoln about whether you can “please all of the people all of the time.” In fact, the Lincoln quote was quite different (and quite a bit more cynical):

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” – Abraham Lincoln (emphasis added)

For cynical marketers (and far too many politicians), this is a truism that often has them crying themselves to sleep at night. For the rest of us, the gentler interpretation of poet John Lydgate has more appeal:

“You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.” – John Lydgate (emphasis added)

Perhaps we can simplify that even further with this famous (or infamous) movie line:

“A man’s got to know his limitations.” – Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry

Knowing Your Limitations Has Value

What’s the point of all this quoting and deep thinking? Simply this… When you consider an online marketing strategy, you have to start from this basic premise… YOU know what's possible – and your prospects don't.

This is especially true today, when people’s values, needs, and priorities may have changed dramatically.

Consider for a moment these shifting attitudes from the business and personal worlds, in response to the recent health crisis which has had an impact on all of us.

According to Fortune.com, the top concerns of business leaders will be:

• 48% say their top concerns over returning to business as usual are health and safety

• 38% cited financial management and cash flow

• 27% cited concerns about new laws and regulations

• 25% of business leaders say the biggest challenge to working remotely is productivity and motivation

• 24% said connectivity with coworkers

• 19% home-office setup needs

• 48% of business leaders think technology spending at their company will increase [in our new reality]

Whether your business is focused on products or services, or a combination of the two, these changing behaviors and priorities could have a direct effect on your target audience. This will have a profound effect on you and your design or furnishings business.

Where Can You Be Supportive?

For many, it’s a new world out there. For some, the changes are practical while, for others, they are driven by fear. Understanding which of these you are dealing with will go a long way to determining how you can offer the support and services prospective clients may need. And, since they do not know what may be possible, it’s your responsibility to educate and illuminate the possibilities for them.

That is what online marketing has always been, and always will be, about, the art of knowing and marketing the possible!

If you're still unsure of how to share your expert knowledge of the possible through online marketing, Ted offers business consulting to the trade that can help you figure it out. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Is Your Business Website Mobile-Friendly? (It had better be!)

If the key to real estate sales truly is location, location, location, then the key to online marketing is access, access, access. So, our online marketing tip for today is – your business website must be accessible to everyone – including the increasingly large numbers of those who use mobile devices to research and shop. In other words, make sure your business website is mobile friendly.

In addition to this critical factor, Google began using “mobile friendliness” as a ranking factor for all websites in 2015. Known as Mobilegeddon in the world of SEO, the search engine giant made it clear to us that being mobile-friendly was now very important for future website rankings in the search results (SERPs).

Since then, Google has increased the importance of mobile-friendliness with an “update to mobile search results that increases the effect of the ranking signal to help our users find even more pages that are relevant and mobile-friendly.”

While this is obviously important for business-to-consumer marketing, it begs the question of value for B2B businesses. The simple answer is that you should be mobile-friendly to all potential clients and customers.

Mobile Search Exceeds Desktop Search

So, beyond the importance Google places on this characteristic, why should you care?

Again, the answer is simple because, as of October 2016, mobile traffic officially surpassed desktop traffic on the internet. (AugustAsh.com)

While this may not be the case for you, or others you know, that is irrelevant to ensuring your business website is mobile-friendly.

According to the business data website Statista.com, mobile commerce and shopping have grown by almost staggering numbers, just three of which are compelling for your online marketing strategy:

• 82% of online users in the US used a mobile device for online shopping

• 35% of online users in the US are mobile-only online shoppers

• 57% of online shoppers in the US say they will not recommend a business that offers a poor mobile experience

For B2C businesses, being mobile-friendly can be even more important, because:

• 88% of US consumers research products online to buy in-store

• 63% of US shoppers perform online product research and price comparisons while in-store

While many of you may think the need to be available through mobile devices applies exclusively to retailers, this is definitely not the case.

Just think about your own experience with using your smartphone or tablet to research a business online. Sure, much of that time is spent “shopping” for consumer goods but you’ve also spent time checking out the websites of competitors, suppliers, your own social media, and engaging with visitors to your website.

If you're using your own mobile devices more than ever before, so are your clients and prospects.

There is a very easy way to find out if your website is mobile-friendly, just click here: Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test.

Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade, including online marketing tips and the mobile friendliness of your website. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.

You ARE a Happy Business Owner (Whether you know it or not!)

Did you know that, as a business owner, you're happier than your employees? That’s right, the latest research indicates that despite the trials and tribulations of starting and running your own business, “entrepreneurs are happier and healthier than employees”. OK, so what?

Well, we love to work with happy entrepreneurs; creative people who find joy in the work they do because they’ve discovered a variety of ways to help and support clients who need them. And, according to more from Inc.com, “Despite the uncertainties of starting up, entrepreneurs on the whole actually report higher mental well-being than those comfortably ensconced in a steady job.

That said, however, we’ve also found that entrepreneurs who are forced into unfamiliar areas of running their business are far less happy. Just a few examples of these might be strategic marketing, lead generation, and writing a blog.

In fact, experience tells us that, once a new business reaches a certain level of success, these areas can become overwhelming and can suck the energy and joy from running your own business. In other words, if your expertise lies in designing and realizing spaces for living more comfortably or filling those spaces with luxury furnishings, it’s highly unlikely you’ll have the time (or inclination) to learn the fine points of say, online marketing.

That’s why we’ve been sharing a few business practices that we, and Ted, believe can help to smooth things out for you!

Ted Fall’s #1 Practice for Small Business Owners

It’s not at all unusual for a highly focused, energetic entrepreneur to suddenly feel overcome and defeated by the demands of promoting their business. Even those who recognize and accept that they can’t be everything to everyone will often try to do it all themselves. (Remember, you also can’t be all things to yourself!!!)

And so, we’re forced to ask, as a business owner, do you feel like…

• Your endless to-do list is getting the best of you, robbing the joy out of a business you once loved.

• You are drowning in projects you know you should do, but can’t find time for.

• You need help but don’t want to try one more mediocre design apprentice, only to be disappointed.

• You’re tired of the revolving door of support, where you’re the only one who can really run your business.

First and foremost, Ted’s advice is this: stick to what you love and do best. If you hire good people to support you while focusing on client acquisition and satisfaction, your revenue and profits will take care of themselves.

We would never claim that we could do what you do better than you, but we can confidently declare that we can support you by doing the things you either can’t or do not want to do. The things that are critical to your long-term growth and success – and which will enable you to focus on the things you do best – servicing clients, designing gorgeous spaces, offering the best home furnishings money can buy, and increasing profitability.

Learn More from Ted Fall Consulting

Virtually every interior designer and luxury furnishing dealer will experience frustration from the demands of running their business. This is normal. However, that does not mean you can’t find the support you need that will enable you to focus on the reason you started your firm – helping your clients live better, more comfortable lives.

If you’re struggling with the daily demands of building or running your business, Ted can help. Simply… Contact TD Fall today for professional business consulting to the trade.

Business Practices – Dealer and Designer Priorities to Make Life Easier

Among all the possible business practices to choose from, what is your Number One: either your greatest headache or your greatest joy?

It should go without saying that for interior designers and luxury furnishing dealers, helping their clients reimagine and realize a space brings them the most satisfaction. Yet, there are so many other aspects to running a business that make doing so possible. That is, the business practices and procedures specific to your needs that cannot be ignored by any business owner to be successful.

To illustrate just a few of these, our Hero and Mentor Ted offers a short list of things to consider:

• Hiring/recruiting the right talent for the right position and fit

• Systematizing and Creating manuals for each part of the business

• Creating strong relationships with reps and vendors

• Software for workflow

• Rates and how much to charge as well as how to justify it

Oh yeah, these look like fun! And remember, this is Ted’s shortlist!

Practice Building Value in Your Goods and Services

For as long as people have exchanged goods and services, whether by barter or coin, a basic truism has existed: Price is what you pay while value is what you receive.

Whether it happens regularly or just occasionally, if you have clients questioning your interior design rates or furniture pricing, you’ve failed to convey the value of what you have to offer. Now, while it’s true that some folks simply enjoy negotiating the cost of everything, overwhelmingly the above is true. In other words, it is up to you to convince them of the value they will receive from doing business with you.

To make the sale, the value must exceed the price, or they simply won’t buy. Stated even more simply, you must address their Number One concern by answering the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Frankly, if you can make a client or prospect understand the value of your reputation and the quality of the work you do, as well as the quality durability, and style of the furnishings you are recommending, you should receive little or no resistance to the cost of a project.

Designers Who Stress Value to Justify Their Rates

We found further insight into this question in an article at BusinessOfHome.com. Titled “4 ways to respond to a client questioning your rates”, and written by BOH contributor Marina Felix, two of the four designers she spoke with stressed their value specifically, while the other two did so implicitly.

For example, “If a potential client is trying to haggle, they probably can’t afford my rates or the additional furniture, décor, and contracting, either, and that is a preview of a rough client relationship. I also want to work with clients [who] don’t just love my work, but also see my value and respect what I bring to the table. That means paying my rates. The price is the price. Period.” - Amber Guyton, Blessed Little Bungalow, Atlanta

She also emphasized her willingness to say "No" to a potentially difficult client: “Once you have the experience and confidence to stand your ground, you’re OK telling those potential clients no, asking them to consider executing their design in phases to meet their budget or just wishing them well [and moving on].”

The same is true for Melinda Trembly of Rincon Road Design Studio in Carpinteria, CA, who shared her thoughts thusly: “I typically run into two types of clients: those that value what I bring to the table and trust me to be the expert – those [who] are happy to pay for high-level services and product – and those [who] second-guess themselves at every decision. They don’t trust themselves enough to trust me, which inevitably runs into extra time and costs. Those are the clients who tend to come to me with unrealistic expectations, including pricing.”

Learn More from Ted Fall

Virtually every interior designer, as well as luxury furnishing dealers, will experience questions about the cost of a remodel, furniture, floor coverings, and wall coverings. If you’re struggling to answer such questions or with building the value intrinsic to your work, Ted can help.

Simply… Contact TD Fall today for professional business consulting to the trade.