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Welcome to The DTS Files for Interior Designers

The DTS Files is a premium content hub for interior designers who want to grow their businesses with expert-backed strategies, real-world consulting insights, and proven frameworks.

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ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES

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MEMBERS-ONLY ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY

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PRIVATE LIBRARY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS

| ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES I MEMBERS-ONLY ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY | PRIVATE LIBRARY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan

Client Experience Tech Tip: How to Have Fewer In-Person Meetings

As much as we want to stop it, we are getting busier and busier. Our attention spans are getting shorter. Our need for instant gratification is growing by the minute (thanks Amazon Prime, Reels and Tiktok videos, smartphones, etc.). 

People’s expectations are changing and they value convenience and ease. COVID forced a lot of this on businesses, and many companies grew because of offering online services, curbside pickup, and alternate delivery methods. ← so much so that they are now changing their business models entirely. 

So what does this mean for your interior design business? 

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan

Client Experience Tech Tip: How to Keep Potential Clients ON Your Website

The client experience is so much more than cards and gifts. (LuAnn Nigara and I talked about this here when I was first on her podcast). Your client experience starts the second someone lands on your website. They are experiencing your company and what it's like to work with you, whether you are there with them or not. 

So how do you make sure they start off on the right foot?

Make sure your website isn't turning people off or sending people away.

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan

Client Experience Tech Tip: How to Look Better on Zoom

An oldie but goodie! Although it may have come from necessity, Zoom meetings are sticking around for good.

For us, being a remote team who works with clients completely virtually, Zoom has been a great tool for our kick-off meetings, tech calls, and team meetings.

For our designers, we see them incorporating virtual meetings into their process to create efficiency and streamline the decision making process. It’s also a huge part of the process for our designers that provide a virtual or e-design service. 

There’s just something so much more personal about meeting face to face, rather than just a phone call. 

So, if you want to look better during Zoom meetings, they have a filter for that. 

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan

Client Experience Tech Tip: How to Elevate Your Instagram Client Experience

The first impression says a lot about your company and whether a prospective client will inquire about working together.

This week’s tech tip is all about elevating your client experience from the first time a potential client sees your stunning portfolio on Instagram.

Say “byeeee” to sending traffic (and dollars) to LinkTree and “hello” to sending traffic to YOUR website.

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, TECH TIPS Katie McFarlan

Client Experience Tech Tip: How to Get Notifications for Google Forms

Are you using Google Forms in your interior design business? We love using Google Forms, especially as a part of the onboarding and offboarding phases. It’s a great way to send out your onboarding questionnaire and feedback form and allows your clients to submit their information online (rather than having to print out a form or work through a clunky word document).

In this client experience tech tip, I’ll walk you through the most common questions we receive from our clients about using Google Forms, including:

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TECH TIPS, SYSTEMS & OPS Katie McFarlan TECH TIPS, SYSTEMS & OPS Katie McFarlan

Biz Operations Tech Tip: Organize Your Ordering Process

This week’s tech tip is all about organizing your ordering and tracking process to save you SO. MUCH. TIME.

Set up an orders@yourbusinessname.com email address and use that email to apply for all your vendor accounts. This way, all your order update emails go to that inbox AND once you hand over the ordering to a team member, they’ll have full access to that inbox and won’t need to log into your inbox to get order information. 

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ACCESS A PRIVATE LIBRARY OF EXPERT ADVICE for INTERIOR DESIGNERS

My strategies have shaped the way thousands of interior designers and luxury service providers do business.

Inside The DTS Files, you’re getting the original insights straight from the source. Tested, refined, and backed by my experience working with 100+ design firms.

And because this is a members-only space, I can go deeper than ever before, sharing the real strategies that help designers build profitable, sustainable businesses with confidence.

HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR MEMBERS:

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PRICING PLAYBOOK for INTERIOR DESIGNERS

The Complete Guide to Pricing Your Design Services

Grab my pricing playbook, The Complete Guide to Pricing your Interior Design Services, to learn:

  • the six most common pricing models for designers

  • who each one is best for, and

  • how to know if your pricing model is broken

NEED BUSINESS SUPPORT ASAP?

SHOP TEMPLATES

Plug-and-play templates, questionnaires, processes, and guides for interior designers who want to stop reinventing the wheel with every new project.

The Design Library helps you streamline client communication, set clear expectations, and protect your time—so you can spend less time in your inbox and more time designing. Inside, you’ll find:

✔ Professionally written client emails and marketing guides for every step of the process.
✔ SOPs to standardize service delivery and create a seamless, high-end experience.
✔ Contract templates with sample scopes to protect you, your team, and your clients.

What took me years to refine can be in your inbox in minutes.

Katie McFarlan Dakota Design Company Premium Client Process templates for Interior Designers

*for interior designers only, not interior design business coaches, consultants, mentors, strategists.

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SHOP WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS

Learn from me and my team (comprised of industry experts and educators) all the things they don’t teach in design school. And we know because two of the women on my team went to interior design school and are professors!

After consulting with and doing hands-on implementation for over 100 interior design business owners, I’ve seen what works (and doesn’t) across every business model imaginable. We are familiar with various software types, team structures of 1 to 20, and the challenges that are coming, whether you’re on your way to your first $100,000 or already making multiple millions.

On-demand and live step-by-step trainings for your busy schedule.

Katie McFarlan Dakota Design Company Premium Client Process templates for Interior Designers

*for interior designers only, not interior design business coaches, consultants, mentors, or strategists.

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COMPLIMENTARY QUIZ FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS

You don’t need to overhaul everything. You just need to fix the right thing.

This 2-minute quiz will help you identify what’s holding you back and how to fix it.

JOIN 16,000 DESIGNERS EVERY FRIDAY

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Proven strategies and tools to streamline and elevate your interior design business.