Goal-Setting Tips – How to Set Realistic Business Goals

After the debacle that was 2020, setting goals for your business has likely been difficult in the extreme. Now, as we move through mid-spring 2021, it might be a good idea to pause and consider the things we’ve done for our businesses so far this year. After all, according to the latest statistics, fewer than 10% of people keep their resolutions each new year; with 45% failing to reach new goals by the end of January and some 80% giving up by the time March rolls around. This leads us to wonder which goal-setting tips might work for setting realistic business goals.

Have you given up on the business goals you set for this year? You're not alone!

Far too many business owners set either vague or unrealistic goals for themselves, their teams, and their business, making them difficult to achieve. Setting a vaguely worded goal like  “I want to sign more clients this year,” is too ambiguous to capture the imagination, energy, and focus of your team.

If you make your business goals more focused and specific, such as “We will close 50% of all our client projects this year,” it will be far more productive. It’s clearly worded and concise – and it’s also measurable. A goal that cannot be measured will rarely, if ever, be met.

Well-defined goals get met, Ill-defined goals do not.

And so, with all of that in mind, we offer a few things to consider about the goals you’ve set for your business, your team – or yourself:

• Are the goals you set this year narrowly defined and specific?

• Are the goals you set this year attainable and realistic?

• Are the goals you set this year tailored to the talents and skillsets of your team members? (Or yourself?)

• Are the goals you set this year an actual benefit to your business – and your team?

Goals that are ill-defined or patently unrealistic do no one any good, least of all you. You see, poor goal-setting reflects just as poorly on you as a leader and frustrates your team because they’re unreachable. You will be perceived as either impractical or ill-equipped for the job. Both of these impressions will undermine your authority and make it difficult for others to perceive you as an effective leader.

If you're experiencing high turnover or indifference in your team, this may be the reason.

Incremental Goal-Setting Tips

The best goal-setting tip we can offer is to put together a progressive list of goals for your team to aim for, such as, “I will close 50% of all of my clients this quarter, 55% in the next quarter, and 60% in the next quarter …”, and so on. This will keep every member of your team focused on growth and personal improvement and, once again, their performance toward their goals is measurable.

And so, we say again, the numbers must be realistic and, as we also say again, specific goals such as these will be much more valuable to you, your business, and your team than some vague notion of “getting better.” If you truly want your team and your business to “Get Better,” help them set goals they can actually achieve – with goal-setting for success as your goal for this year, the next, and beyond.

Ted remains available to work with you on a case-by-case basis, offering more goal-setting tips and business consulting that is targeted to your needs and, well… your business goals.

With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury furnishings and interior design industries, he has pretty much seen it all. So, if you're ready to work with a professional business consultant who can help you grow your business with reachable goals… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Business Website Checklist – Your Most Valuable Business Branding Tool

In a recent post, we remarked the lack of local designers and furnishing outlets returned in a Google search. As a result, we wondered if this was the result of a lack of branding by these businesses. And so, we now feel the need to consider the best tool for branding your business: your website. The website checklist below could be the key to more effective branding for your business.

As your online showroom, your business website will generally be the first impression potential clients will have of your interior design for the furnishing business. A well-designed, attractive website has inestimable value for businesses that offer such personal services. And, since the interior design and luxury furnishings are almost exclusively local businesses, adding a local flavor to the content you share will add a sense of comfort for visitors.

With all of that said, let’s get to the good stuff; our checklist of what your website needs to be effective.

Your Website Checklist

The list below outlines the basic elements that you need to have in place for your business website to reflect your brand.

• Page content – A business website should display a minimum of three pages: Home, About, Services/Products. Each should describe in detail your purpose, as well as the benefits of doing business with you. Beyond these three critical pages, you should also have a Contact Us page and a Blog for sharing fresh and timely content.

  • Home page – This is the most important page on your website. With 60% to 80% of visitors landing here first and since first impressions are so important, the copy you create for this page will be critical to your success. This is a great place to share your vision and mission, as well as your purpose.

  • About page – What makes you special? What are your qualifications? Do you have specialized training? Why are you so committed to the path you’ve chosen to pursue? How have you helped others and how can you help the reader? Answering all of these questions will go a long way toward generating interest from your target audience.

  • Services/Products page – Benefits, benefits, benefits… will be the key to selling your services or products. In other words, while sharing features and details are fine, you must also answer the age-old question of all consumers… “What’s in it for me?”

  • Portfolio page – Images of projects you’ve completed, along with testimonials from satisfied clients are as important as any other content on your website. Maybe more so. While quality images are requisite, rest assured you do not need to invest in a high-end digital camera. Most smartphones today have amazing cameras built-in and these should be more than adequate for taking and sharing great photos of the work you’ve done. They’re also easy to upload to just about any WordPress website.

• SEO – Search engine optimization is, and will forever be, a critical element to a successful launch and there are a few very important steps to consider:

  • Word count – While Google won’t necessarily ignore a page with little content, they will not consider it very important if you can’t publish at least 300 words. This is true of your pages and blog posts. Basically, if you can’t offer 300 words on a subject, what you have to say must not be very important.

  • Meta data – Your page titles, Meta descriptions, and tags should all be tailored to the content you publish. All should be descriptive and compelling to attract both the search engines and your target audience. Titles should be 60-70 characters, while descriptions should not exceed 155 characters. Otherwise, it will end in ellipses in the search results which may leave prospects wondering if you’re worth a click and visit.

  • Image alt tags – Hidden in the code behind the images you publish, image alt tags are hints of the image content to the search engines. They can typically be added in the same menu you use to edit and/or publish your images.

• Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (Courtesy of DreamHost.com)

  • A privacy policy is required by law if you’re collecting any kind of personal data, including email addresses. This policy spells out exactly how any information (emails, contact information, and more) will be used.

  • Terms of Service (TOS) statements are not legally mandatory in most cases, but they can still be valuable. Your TOS states the ground rules for visitors who want to use your site.

• Set Your Site to Back Up Regularly

  • If your website crashes or is hacked, or if you install a plugin that causes a problem, having your files backed up regularly and automatically is a lifesaver.

  • There are many ways to approach this task, but one surefire way to keep things running smoothly is by using managed hosting for your website. That way, your provider can take care of restoring backups and automatically archiving them for you.

• Set up a Comprehensive Site Map

  • Sitemaps play a vital role in how search engines “crawl” and index your pages. While a sitemap won’t directly improve your rankings, it can help to ensure that your site is indexed properly.

  • If you use WordPress, there are plugins available to help you generate and manage sitemaps. Google also has an established process for submitting your sitemap directly.

• Add Analytics Tracking to Your Site

  • Once your website is up and running, you’ll need a way to measure how well it performs. That’s why it pays to set up an analytics tracking solution before even launching your site.

• Connect Your Social Media Accounts

  • Promoting your site on social media can be vital to reaching your target audience. Providing icons so your visitors can easily find your social media pages is one of the best ways to do that.

• Check for Responsiveness on Mobile Platforms

  • Whether you’re writing a blog post or operating a Shopify store, it’s vital that your site looks good and performs well on devices of all sizes. One easy way to check your website’s mobile responsiveness is with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test tool.

Now that your head is spinning and real panic has set in at the length and complexity of this website checklist, it must be said that these are just the beginning of what needs to be done to ensure successful branding from your website. (Hope we didn’t give you nightmares with that bit of knowledge!)

If you don’t feel you have the tech-savvy to do all of this yourself, we have no problem recommending the marketing support team we use to design and maintain our website, Virtual Business Partners. This Chicago-based group of online marketing pros has been supporting TD Fall for years and we’re extremely happy with Doreen and her team. They can even support you with administrative work, freeing you to spend more time acquiring and servicing clients.

Further, Ted remains available to work with you on an individual basis, consulting on how you might increase local brand awareness as part of your marketing strategy.

With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury furnishings and interior design industries, he has pretty much seen it all. So, if you're ready to work with a professional business consultant who can help you become one of those agile entrepreneurs our changing world demands, feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Effective Online Branding for Designers and Furnishing Dealers

We recently had an experience that made us ask the question: what is online branding and how can it help in local searches?

After performing a local Google search for interior designers and luxury furnishings stores, we were somewhat surprised to receive 1.96 million and 4.3 million results, respectively. Surprised because we find it somewhat unlikely that a metropolitan area of fewer than 1.3 million like Salt Lake City could support those numbers. (Duh!)

What truly shocked us was that so few local firms were listed on page one of the results: just 5 of 18 for designers and 6 of 18 for retail outlets. (Your own local search would likely show varying results but we find it hard to believe they would be significantly different.)

The point is that seeing results like these forced us to consider whether the lack of locally owned firms in the search results (SERPs) might be a branding problem. After all, our queries offered everything from locater services to online sellers like “Overstock”. These were decidedly NOT what we were searching for.

And so, we decided we might be able to offer an answer to our opening question, what is online branding?

What Is Online Branding?

When it comes to online marketing, differentiating yourself from your competition may be your greatest challenge. If it’s true that the average homeowner knows little about the differences between fine furnishings and the furniture offered at the typical retail outlet, it becomes especially difficult to convince them of the value to be had in high-quality furnishings.

Further, paying for the services of what they may perceive as a glorified shopping service can make working with interior designers seem wasteful, at best. This means that you not only have to educate consumers about the value of design services and luxury furnishings in general but that you offer something that your competitors don’t.

This is where effective online branding can be so valuable.

Building Local Brand Awareness

First, it’s not our goal to offer a branding tutorial in this post. Rather, we’d like to present you with the two most important factors for building brand awareness: reputation management and messaging.

• Reputation management – This is where you establish yourself as an expert in your niche, and as a local influencer, whether as an interior designer or furnishing outlet. The content on your business website will be important here but, even more important will be your blog and social media posts. By sharing high-value information at no charge, you show yourself as a real professional who is not just “in it for the money”.

• Messaging – Creating a consistent message about yourself and your business is a great way to set yourself apart from your competition. Since it’s impossible to be all things to all people, clearly outlining what you offer has huge value. It’s equally important to be clear about whom you offer it to – the types of clients you would most love to work with (beyond those who are simply willing to pay you!).

Building brand awareness should be one of the top priorities of your marketing strategy. It’s a critical step not just in appealing to your target audience, but as a way to create interest, generate leads, and convert those leads into meetings, bids, and sales. In fact, considering the competitive nature of the design and furnishing industries, there may well be nothing more important than focusing on effective online branding.

Ted remains available to work with you on an individual basis, consulting on how you might increase local brand awareness as part of your marketing strategy.

With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury furnishings and interior design industries, he has pretty much seen it all. So, if you're ready to work with a professional business consultant who can help you become one of those agile entrepreneurs our changing world demands, feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Whether to Engage or Reengage Clients, that is the Question

On the one hand, there are innumerable online marketing experts who will tell you that you must engage prospects to convert them into clients. On the other, you have a significant number of experts claiming that you should reengage clients from the past because the return on investment (ROI) is greater from repeat business.

Both are viable approaches to marketing and it makes sense to pay attention to both; client acquisition and retention. But, reengaging a previous interior design client can be problematic. After all, a remodeling project is not exactly a once-a-week purchase for a homeowner. The same can be true for furnishing retailers; a high-end living or dining room set can last a lifetime. How often will your customers come back for more?

Yet, based on the latest research, designers and dealers will do themselves a favor if they can devise ways to retain or reengage existing and past clients. Why?

• New clients are 7x more expensive to acquire than keeping or reengaging existing or past clients.

• Probability of converting an existing customer is between 60% & 70%.

• Probability of converting a new client is just 5% to 20%.

• Repeat clients spend an average of 33% more than new clients.

• Repeat clients are 60% to 70% more likely to buy an up-sell.

Finally, a general rule of thumb in business is that 80% of your future profits are most likely to come from 20% of your existing customers. These are just a few of the reasons that re-engaging and working to establish customer loyalty is critical to the growth of your business.

Re-engaging Past Design & Furnishing Clients

As mentioned above, people who invest in luxury furnishings expect them to last for generations. In addition, when an interior designer is contracted to complete a home improvement project, their clients don’t expect to need them again in a few weeks’ time. These are serious challenges for both when trying to reengage with clients.

The key to success here is to first, know your client base; and second, you must get to know individual clients as intimately as possible. Homes have more than one room to reimagine or furnish and, while it may seem obvious in the abstract, offering a “next steps” approach can offer a significant ROI.

For example, once you’ve finished a kitchen makeover, what’s to prevent you from asking your design client how they feel about their dining room, living room, or master suite?

Or, if you deal in luxury furniture, why should you avoid making a pitch to upgrade other rooms in your customer’s home once you’ve delivered that beautiful new bedroom set? How many more rooms might you furnish in the average home – half-a-dozen?

And don’t forget (please don’t forget), there are tens of thousands of people who've been forced to work from home in the past year or so. How many of your previous clients have you been in touch with to see if they need help putting together a comfortable, workable home office?

Your answer should be – all of them!

How Can We Help?

Of course, there is no way we could possibly outline every circumstance in which you could reengage with past clients. That’s not the point of this post. What we are trying to do is encourage you to think about how you might take a past relationship to new levels, while also not forgetting to engage with new prospects.

It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. And, that someone is usually going to be you!

Ted remains available to work with you on an individual basis, consulting on how you might best engage or reengage with your design and furnishings clients.

With more than 25 years of experience in the luxury furnishings and interior design industries, he has pretty much seen it all. So, if you're ready to work with a professional consultant who can help you become one of those agile entrepreneurs our changing world demands, feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Luxury Furnishing Lead Times (Can we say current lead times suck?!?)

What’s the number one factor you consider when choosing a luxury furnishing supplier right now? While it used to unquestionably be quality, feel, and/or looks, the emphasis has shifted to availability for many, if not most, designers and retailers. In other words, luxury furnishing lead times have become a singular priority for a majority today.

As explained in a January article at BusinessOfHome.com: “It’s no secret that lead times are stretching ever longer as COVID drags on – and that many clients are getting impatient. The delays have cut across categories, from bespoke upholstery to tile and kitchen appliances; even many of the quick-ship retailers [and wholesalers] can no longer deliver on tight timelines.

“Shutdowns of the manufacturing floor with the onset of COVID instigated an initial round of delays, which were compounded by a slow return to production as companies navigated new safety protocols. More than one year later, many major manufacturers still aren’t staffed at full pre-pandemic capacity, which makes it much harder to catch up on the backlog.

“And every time an employee tests positive for COVID, many more workers with whom they came into contact are sent home to quarantine, which only exacerbates the delays. Add soaring freight costs and a scarcity of raw materials (plus a shortage of containers to ship them in) and it quickly becomes clear that this is a mess with no easy answers or antidotes.”

It goes without saying that lead times have always been an issue in the luxury furnishings industry. Whether products were produced on the other side of the globe or were made by hand in an artisanal house locally, delays of weeks became the norm. Today though, lead times for all types of furniture, not just for the category of luxury furnishings, have exploded into months.

Where to Go for Reasonable Delivery Lead Times

What does all of this mean for you and your interior design or furnishings business?

While it may be “Kewl!” to work with the newest or trendiest line, a small house that creates unique designs, there are times when you are far better off working with the Big Boys (or Girls) instead. Stated simply, the larger brands and manufacturers have the infrastructure to cope more effectively with world-changing events.

For example, Kravet is known as the industry leader for a variety of reasons, most of which have little to do with them being more than a century old and being the Biggest of the Big Boys.

Beyond those, they truly have their house in order and possess the logistical know-how and experience to provide you with outstanding service while others struggle (and frequently fail) to deliver products in a timely fashion.

Right now, Kravet is only running a few weeks behind their normal production. In fact, their QuickShip frames, which normally would ship in two weeks, are shipping in 15 working days. All other frames, which normally ship in eight weeks, are currently shipping in 10-12. There are some caveats and disruptions but the customer is always kept informed!

Of course, the fact that all Kravet SMART frames and fabrics, which are the foundation of the QuickShip program, are guaranteed produced right here, in the USA, is a sheer genius when it comes to quicker than average lead times.

Get in Touch with TD Fall Today

In short, if you're searching for reasonable luxury furnishing lead times, TD Fall and the Kravet family of brands we represent just may be the answer you’ve been looking for.

Ted remains available to work with you on an individual basis, consulting on how your business can best respond to the shifting demands of the marketplace, and the needs of your design and furnishings clients. Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Quality Interior Design Requires Balance – As Does the Interior Designer

One of the most important principles of a quality interior design project is balance. And yet, we see too many interior designers who lack that same balance, personally and professionally. That is, struggling to overcome a poor work/life balance.

Yes… Yes… Yes… We know every business coach and/or life coach on the internet spews virtual reams of blog posts and pages about the subject of finding a balance between work and life. We also know it can be tiresome to see the same subject being touted incessantly. But please, hang with us for a moment and let us tell you how we see this subject. We think you will appreciate our take.

You see, for us, the question arises, how does a designer’s life balance affect design project balance?

Put differently, is it possible for an interior designer who is struggling to find equilibrium between their work and their life to create balance in their projects consistently? Unfortunately, we find ourselves forced to say, “No”; consistency of one’s work is bound to suffer from living an imbalanced life.

An Imbalanced Life Leads to Unbalanced Designs

The question of which comes first, imbalance in life or work mimics the chicken/egg question. Do problems at home lead to stress levels at work, or is it the many challenges faced at work that contributes to stress and unhappiness at home? Needless to say, the experts have multiple answers for you, and they should be heeded.

Our approach is more practical. We want to explore how an imbalance in life impacts your ability to create a balanced environment for your clients.

Imagine for a moment that you wear a pair of (non-metaphorical) “rose-colored glasses” all day. What will this do to the way you perceive everything around you? More importantly for an interior designer, how will these lenses impact your ability to choose colors for your clients? When everything you see is tinted red, can you make good choices for them?

Similarly, what would happen if you were forced to wear sanitary rubber gloves 24/7, 365? This would make it impossible to appreciate the textures or “touch” of the fabrics you're trying to choose for your clients.

We could go on with examples like these, but we think the point’s been made. Which begs the question: If your life is seen as a metaphorical balance beam, and if you keep falling off, how can you possibly expect to balance a home design?

Work/Life Balance Comes from Within You

Caring for your clients is admirable, not to mention a necessary trait for an interior designer. Yet, if you forget to care for yourself as well, your ability to follow through for them will be negatively impacted. When you focus too much on your work, you can lose touch with the people you love and become burned out. The fatigue and poor health that follows is almost inevitable.

According to an article at MayoClinic.org, finding that elusive balance between life and work begins with setting limits.

“If you don't set limits, work can leave you with no time for the relationships and activities you enjoy… As long as you're working, juggling the demands of career and personal life will probably be an ongoing challenge. But by setting limits and looking after yourself, you can achieve the work-life balance that's best for you.”

While time management is one of the keys to this, learning to say “No” when you need to is even more important. “When you quit accepting tasks [or unreasonable client requests] out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you'll have more time for activities that are meaningful to you.” (emphasis added)

In addition, you will need to figure out how to detach yourself from work and take some “Me time”. This should include anything from simply relaxing to enjoying time with family and friends. Yes, you may have to learn to delegate some tasks to others but, once you do, you’ll likely be amazed by the sense of freedom you experience.

Help to Balance Design Work and Designer Life

Finally, the folks at Mayo recommend finding professional help if you need it. This could certainly refer to a mental health professional, but help may also be found from working with a business consultant. After all, sharing and learning from someone who’s “been there and done that” will often offer more practical solutions that lead to immediate results.

Our founder, Ted Fall, has managed to balance the demands of work and life admirably, even during the ongoing pandemic. We have all appreciated this quality in him. We are also confident he can be the business consultant you need to help balance your life and work so you can continue to offer quality interior design that reflects that balance.

Ted has the experience and knowledge to help. Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Design-Centric Business Advice Should Often be Taken with a Grain of Salt

We regularly follow and often appreciate the information and design-centric business advice shared at the “voice of authority” website BusinessOfHome.com. However, we were stunned by an “advice” piece from November last year. Not only were we stunned by the question asked by a designer, but we also found the answer to be both overthought and overwrought.

First, the question: “I’ve never been the type to talk politics with my clients… until this election cycle, that is, when their lawn signs were unavoidable… [Now] one of my biggest jobs is about to be for a client with beliefs (and social media comments) I’ve discovered I simply can’t abide…”

“They also recently returned the signed contract with no qualms about making a deposit – always a good sign! – but I’m increasingly leaning toward walking away rather than seething quietly about what I know to be their personal views. Am I crazy to say, ‘never mind’ to a huge opportunity?” – [signed] Politically Incompatible

Herein lies our dilemma. Instead of simply saying “Yes! Don’t be stupid. Absolutely yes!” respected designer business coach Sean Low decided to pen more than 700 words in response to this completely irrational declaration and question!

Here’s a Grain of Salt That is Uncommonly Large

There is a time-honored saying in the world of sales and marketing that goes something like this… “The last reason you should promote a product is that you like it. The only reason to do so is that it has value to your client.”

Of course, the opposite is also true, that the last reason you should not promote a product is that you don’t like it. The same must be said for clients and potential clients. While liking them might make the job more enjoyable, not liking them is the absolute last reason for not working with them.

Yet, despite the obvious truth of these points, and instead of stopping with the only necessary comment, “To be sure, your question is not really a business question.,” he chose to continue.

“Your part is to do the work so that you can have your voice. Use the fruits of your voice however you choose, but do not give up your voice. The work is the work, and unless you think it a way to garner a market for those who share your beliefs above all others, let it stay there. If you choose this path, appreciate that you are marketing your creative business first and foremost, not taking a political stand.”

Some “Business” Questions Are Too Ridiculous to be Answered Seriously

Rather than treating such an irrational and unreasonable request for advice with the disdain it deserved, he actually went even further:

“The slippery slope is where you are casting your side-eye. That choice is yours, of course, but I would caution being pedantic. We are all an amalgamation of good and evil and – short of abject hate – their bedfellows throughout life. What someone believes is for them, and your judgment of their unworthiness comes at a price. It is why I keep my business focus on the quality of the patronage, not the patron, and push as far as I can not to judge beyond the ability to create great work. Yes, there is a line for all of us – I would simply suggest that, in this instance, you push further than you might otherwise be comfortable doing.” (emphasis added)

In short, the question of whether an interior designer should set aside their political beliefs for a highly profitable project working with likable clients should never arise. There is simply no reason to refuse such a contract. Even contemplating such an irrational idea can be said to be immature and self-indulgent.

After all, a job like this will not be promoting a conflicting viewpoint, which makes the question moot.

In short, the only question that truly matters to a sharp designer is how a job will benefit their business. Personal beliefs that may, or may not, conflict have no place in a business setting. In fact, being able to ignore differing points of view display a degree of maturity about doing business that “Politically Incompatible” does not, and may never, possess. (Much to the detriment of their business.)

Mature, Objective Design-Centric Business Advice from Ted Fall

Doing business in the real world, especially the highly competitive world of interior design requires a mature, objective approach. There is no place for emotional, irrational thinking. This is exactly the type of design-centric business advice Ted has to offer designers and home furnishing sellers. (No salt here!)

Beyond this, Ted has the experience and knowledge to help you establish and reach realistic 2021 business goals. Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Agile Entrepreneurs Are Most Likely to Prosper Post-Pandemic

We understand if you're feeling a bit tired of pandemic-related blog posts. It seems like every recognized “expert” (and those who proclaim themselves to be), are spewing an endless stream of the stuff. And yet… And yet, the subject may be the most popular Google search being made today (see image for 3.1 billion search results). The upshot of all of this unsolicited advice is that being nimble will be a requirement for post-pandemic business success. Or, as the title above suggests: agile entrepreneurs and small business owners are the most likely to prosper moving forward.

The reason for this is clear for those who are also agile thinkers. The average person who’s spent the past 6-10 months working from home more than they ever imagined possible is reconsidering the spaces in which they live.

“Indeed, [the restrictive response to] the pandemic has changed many things, especially how we think about and use our homes. It was a year during which we all leaned on our homes a little bit more, willing it to bend and conform more to work, school, exercise, safety, and rejuvenation.” (Houzz Pro)

This shift in priorities should, perhaps, have been expected as many homebound parents and children found themselves spending more time together than ever before. Whether by government fiat or by choice for safety reasons, a large number of homeowners are reconsidering their design choices made in years past.

After all, feeling “stuck” is not an uncommon phenomenon today. Though usually in reference to their careers or work-life balance, the restrictions on movement and personal interaction placed on virtually all of us have bound them to an environment that was not meant for 24/7 habitation.

Changing Demographics in Design Markets

Further, in one of our recent posts, we shared our belief that “… beyond a change in priorities, you should also expect to see a shift in values; the very principles and standards by which individuals choose to live and do business. Literally, for many, they are responding to a shifting world view that has altered their perception of the nature of life. There is probably nothing that can shift priorities as dramatically for them, and you will need to be empathetic toward their needs at all times and in ways you may not have imagined, pre-pandemic.”

Many, if not most, business owners consider market demographics to be based on simple statistics: things like age, gender, wealth, and location. However, for the agile entrepreneur, the mindset must also be considered.

For example, how has your client base shifted their priorities? Has their home become more or less important to them in response to being “locked down” for months? Are they looking for more comfort or more practicality in their home’s design?

These are just a few of the questions you must not only ask yourself, you must also discover the answers if you hope to prosper in a post-pandemic world.

It goes without saying that we at TD Fall will do all we can to help. And, in fact, Ted is always available to work with you on an individual basis, consulting on how your business can best respond to the shifting needs of your design and furnishings clients.

With more than 25 years' experience in the luxury furnishings and interior design industries, he has pretty much seen it all. So, if you're ready to work with a professional consultant who can help you become one of those agile entrepreneurs our changing world demands, feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Designer Tips for Coping with Oops Moments (Or… How to deal with WTH problems)

“Uh Oh!” “Oops!” “Now what?” For an interior designer, nothing causes more sleepless nights and graying hair than hearing – or saying – these words while in the middle of a remodeling project. While the responsibility for fixing mistakes rests with you, there is help to be found when you're coping with oops moments of your own.

As described in a recent article on the Houzz Pro website, “So many details, processes and people need to align during a renovation that things are bound to be a little bumpy. There are tense moments, unhappy clients, measuring mistakes, delayed shipments, and sudden discoveries behind walls and under floors that inevitably end with ‘Uh-oh’ escaping from someone’s lips.”

“But quick thinking, confidence in one’s experience, and just good old-fashioned gut instinct can help turn these trials and tribulations into positive outcomes and learning experiences.”

Coping with Product Problems – “That’s not what I ordered!”

Color, texture, size, and fit are the most common mistakes when ordering furnishings. Quoting the article again, “Someone mistakenly orders the wrong product or material, or the supplier ships the wrong one. Someone miscalculates a measurement. Or something gets installed the wrong way.” (Yeah, as we all know, blaming that familiar “Someone” can be a real relief.)

The advice for coping that’s shared in the article is fine, as far as it goes: stay calm, double check orders and deliveries for accuracy, and roll with the punches (so to speak). Though good advice, these things are pretty much self-evident.

More important is the vital pre-project step of preparing your client, and yourself, for the possibility of something going wrong. As explained in a previous post, peace of mind will be yours if you expect the unexpected, and prepare your clients for the same early on, just in case.

Coping with Remodeling Surprises – “How did that get there – and why?”

Surprises are the last thing a designer wants to find in the middle of a remodel. Unfortunately, “All the planning in the world won’t always prepare you for what might await behind walls and below floors. Especially with older homes, those on the renovation team often hold a collected breath when they’re opening up a structure. Problems with broken plumbing or damaged structures can catapult a client’s budget into the stratosphere and put the renovation in jeopardy.”

First, remember that early conversation with your clients about the possibility of unexpected problems? Since issues like these could be a game-changer for the project, include this in that talk. In other words, if some demolition is going to be needed, surprises like wood rot, bad plumbing, or worn electric wiring could add significantly to costs. They need to be ready for this possibility (as do you).

Stay calm and keep them focused on the beautiful results while reminding them you mentioned things like this might come up. This will go a long way to getting over the almost inevitable hurdles of previously unknown structural problems.

Coping with Tough Choices – “Uh oh! Who’s gonna’ tell them about this?”

As outlined above, and as the saying by Robert Burns goes, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. So, who tells the client you’ve found mice behind their walls? (Just kidding.) The point is, there will be times when things “go awry” that are simply no one’s fault. Sometimes, stuff happens.

“Nobody wants to be the one to delay a project, create more work, or increase costs. But sometimes you’ve got to make the hard decision so your client will be happy in the long run. Your client might view a mistake now as one that’s not worth fixing, but it’s important to emphasize that even a minor frustration with material, color, or product could compound over the years into something that’s a constant daily frustration.”

A sharp interior designer knows that even the smallest problem can become a major, nagging issue when lived with every day. That designer will step up and either make the choice to alter the plan or will honestly expose the issue and argue for resolving it immediately before it can become a long-term problem.

As “The Boss” the responsibility for making the tough choices rests with you alone. As does the obligation for conducting those potentially difficult conversations. Preparing your clients for the possibility of unforeseen problems will be helpful, as will taking steps like sharing daily updates, sticking with proven subs, and working with suppliers you know you can trust. In fact, we explain the importance of these things in our post on working smarter, not harder.

As always, Ted is available for individual business consulting support, with additional tips for coping with oops moments, and ways to work smarter, not harder in the face of uncertainty. Whether you're an interior designer or furnishing store owner, Ted has the experience and knowledge to help you adapt and reach your 2021 business goals. Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Goal Setting for Business in 2021 Is a Must! (Wait, wut? You're kidding me here.)

After the year we’ve just been through, there are plenty of people out there who think goal setting for business in 2021 is little more than a joke. And for them, it ain’t funny.

OK, sure; we can understand that sort of thinking. But, we can’t accept or endorse it. That’s just not how we think or operate at TD Fall. In fact, early on in this health crisis, Ted decided we would stay open for business and continue to service our clients while setting up a safe and workable environment.

While we can’t say we’ve grown and prospered during this remarkably challenging year, Ted’s goals were modest and, for the most part, we’ve met them. Of course, like it is for you, the new challenge we’re facing is: How to plan for 2021?

• What will the New Year look like for our clients, suppliers, and us?

• What will a successful year look like next year?

• How can any business plan for an uncertain future?

Answering these questions and more will determine the direction and sustainability of your business next year, and perhaps, for years to come.

Is Setting Business Goals for 2021 a Waste of Time?

To paraphrase an inciteful article at Entrepreneur.com, we all know what we can’t do. We know what we aren’t being allowed to do to keep our businesses up and running. That leaves all of us needing to focus on what we can do to keep our businesses viable.

The most important Can-do Item on your To-do List should be embracing the empowering concept of developing a strategic direction for your business. Doing this will “provide purpose for your business and help you set realistic goals to accomplish in the coming year.”

As the author of the article, Entrepreneur Leadership Network VIP John Boitnott goes on to explain:

“The can-do strategy will start with a list of what is possible. Here are some possible examples:

·         You can transition to doing business online.

·         Research new markets for potential expansion and diversification.

·         Still engage with customers personally to deepen your relationship.

·         Create a different yet still exceptional experience for your customers.

·         Revisit your marketing strategy.

Once you define what you can do — even if it requires an adjustment in the business environment — you can then build quantitative goals and a set of tactics for achieving them.”

How to Get Going with Goal Setting

Let’s say you're trying to make a comeback and reopen your furnishings store. Or, perhaps you’ve been struggling to meet your client’s interior design needs, despite the restrictions imposed on businesses. Where do you go from here?

The best advice we could find about goal setting for business in the New Year begins with start the work early (like in September or October). Well, since that idea is out the proverbial window, we need something more helpful yet motivating.

With a hearty “Thank you” to the folks at BizJournals.com, we agree that the following list of goal setting steps is more than merely important heading into 2021: they’re critical.

Embrace reality – As the overused saying goes, “It is what it is”, and if you deny the reality of where you are right now, you may not recover, much less prosper in 2021.

“Based on unprecedented times and an uncertain economy, it is difficult to predict the future, so organizations should embrace reality and develop a plan based on existing conditions. To help determine the current state of affairs, business leaders should conduct a thorough analysis of the company to help devise a long-term plan for 2021.

One well-known technique used by many organizations is a SWOT analysis, which is an acronym for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to a business. The findings from a SWOT analysis can potentially identify areas that need additional funding in 2021 and others that might have to be changed or eliminated to maximize resources and success.”

Set conservative projections – You’re also going to need to set modest goals for next year. After all, there is only one thing you can count on for 2021: uncertainty.

“Currently, many economic forecasts indicate a modest growth rate in 2021. That said, businesses should set optimistic projections; however, with many unknowns lurking, they should be prepared with a modest, more conservative, plan.

Erring on the side of caution when setting business objectives is wise, while also including stretch goals to motivate and encourage employees. For example, companies that identified new opportunities as a result of changing business operations should be able to capitalize and expand upon those areas, leading to increased productivity and profitability.”

Incorporate adaptability – Though counter-intuitive, uncertainty and change can indeed provide opportunities for those who can quickly adapt and shift direction in a crisis. That’s a quality we should all develop moving forward. Agility will be a huge plus in 2021!

“Every crisis provides leaders with a chance to examine how it was handled and what to incorporate in the future. Agile leadership has been the key to survival and recovery for many organizations during the pandemic.

Companies that could quickly pivot their operations experienced a lesser impact than others. Therefore, it is imperative for companies to factor adaptability into their 2021 plans. Flexible goals, processes, and strategies can help stabilize a business if the economic crisis worsens before it improves.”

Take care of your people – You can’t do it all yourself. Your team supports you and your goals, so you simply must make them a priority next year. Design and implement policies that protect the health and safety of everyone in your company, then be generous, forgiving, and supportive of them and their needs.

“A core element of every business plan should be a people strategy. Now more than ever, employers should prioritize taking care of their people; from physical and mental health to quality of life and work-life balance.

In addition, maintaining a strong [company-focused] culture is always paramount, but it is especially crucial with many employees working in a remote environment. There is a wide range of employee-related perks and options that can be incorporated into the 2021 plan, including an employee wellness program.”

Embrace these ideas and programs and reinforce their value to your team – and yourself.

Plan for unusual scenarios – Yes, it seems impossible to visualize and plan for the unexpected. That’s where being agile and imaginative will save you. If you can learn to expect the unexpected and embrace the challenge they present, you’ll discover your Super-Power – the ability to remain calm, functional, and effective in the face of crises.

“While most business plans include typical financially related ‘what if’ scenarios, leaders should consider expanding it to include unusual ones. Based on the dramatic real-world events of late, scenario planning that addresses specific situations that may arise in the next 12 to 18 months might include: the widespread resurgence of COVID-19; additional tools and equipment for remote workers; employees affected by school closures; decrease in demand; [and more]. A long-term strategy that includes various scenarios will help businesses better navigate the hurdles if or when they occur.”

Agility, adaptability, and grace under pressure will be the most important leadership characteristics you can have for 2021. As you work to rebuild or restyle your business, those qualities will enable you to discover a strength and determination to succeed you didn’t know you had within. So, go ahead, impose your will on the world. Stand tall in the face of doubt and insecurity. Step into your power and discard uncertainty, having faith in your ability to succeed where others struggle.

As you persevere and strive to meet the goals you’ve set for your business in the New Year, keep in mind the wise words of revered football coach Vince Lombardi…

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge,
but rather, a lack of will.”

If you will it… You will have it.

And remember, Ted is available for individual business consulting support, with goal setting for business tips, and ways to work smarter, not harder in the face of uncertainty. Whether you're an interior designer or furnishing store owner, Ted has the experience and knowledge to help you adapt and reach your 2021 business goals. Get in touch with TD Fall today.