By Gail Doby, ASID Interior design colleges do their very best to teach you how to design and to do the technical parts of the business.  Please do not think I am knocking them at all.  Their time is limited in their curriculum, and it is impossible to teach you everything you need to know…

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What would it take to double your business?  It might take less than you think.  Two-thirds of the designers who participated in this year’s Interior Design Fee & Salary Survey said they needed to convert more prospects into clients.  The question is, do you need a higher rate of conversions or do you need more…

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If you are like most designers, you have a passion for your work, and yet you don’t see your business or yourself as a “brand.” It is actually a good idea to think of your design work and your business as a “brand.” Why? Because a brand needs to evoke emotions and ultimately, emotions trigger…

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Industry indicators show a definite upswing in interior design business activity this year.  But the word on the street gives a picture that is more mixed.  Some designers are very busy, while others still struggle to land more than minor projects and consultations.  Earlier this year, in our Interior Design Fee & Salary Survey, we…

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I have to admit, I’m a bit of a Seth Godin fanatic. What I love about this post is his view about defining the your market.  It’s all about changing the game.  One of the most important ways of doing this is by naming your services or your products.  Come up with something catchy and…

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Remove Stress

By Gail Doby, ASID There are over 60,000 interior designers in the US, and of those designers, every single one has stress from the following: 1. Working too much 2. Cash flow concerns 3. Struggling to get business or enough business 4. Managing the paperwork 5. Setting up systems and processes that work What do…

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By Drue Lawlor, FASID Director of Coaching at DSU Many of you include Houzz in your marketing efforts, but have you created a profile that will “connect” with your “ideal clients” and outranks your competition? The tagline for Houzz is ‘The New Way to Design Your Home’ and many have seemingly embraced that statement as…

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How Scary is Your Cash Flow?

I’ve heard from a few designers lately that their cash flow is very low right now. Why is that? There are many reasons: There was some time in the past that your marketing was happening inconsistently. You may not see the immediate effect of not marketing consistently – it always shows up months later. You’re…

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