Dear Dakota: How to Figure Out What Services to Offer as a New Interior Designer

DEAR DAKOTA

Mar 14

Woman looking at phone How to get interior design clients when you're new by Dakota Design Company

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Dear Dakota,
I just started my interior design business, and I’m struggling to figure out what services to offer. Should I offer full-service design right away, or something else? How do I know what people will want?

When you’re new, the key is to pound pavement. Get experience. LEARN as much as you can.

But, I don’t want you to do this in a crazy long, huge scope project where you lose money and your work suffers. Or, where the homeowner’s project is at risk because you don’t know how to best structure things just yet.

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Dear Dakota How to Figure Out What Services to Offer as a New Interior Designer, For Interior Designers, Dakota Design Co..png

So what’s my advice to new interior designers?

Start small.

Offer bite sized, easy-to-say-yes-to services: paid consultations, blocks of hours, design days, or virtual design services. These have a quick turnaround, a low-risk investment (for both you and the client), and are simple to deliver—making them an easy “yes” for potential clients. (Remember: the goal when you’re new is to take as many projects on as you can to get experience and figure out how you add value and what you love doing most).

Then, with these mini services, you’ll be able to very quickly do these things:

Get testimonials. Get feedback. See what people need. Find out what they value. Make changes. Expand your service. Increase your price. Perfect your process.

Before you know it, you’ll have a service (or a nicely curated menu of them) that clients love and are happy to pay for—because it’s built directly from their needs and delivers tons of value while also aligning with what you like to do most.

And one last bit of advice to you:

For anything beyond a one-time consultation, have a service contract and a detailed scope of work. And never, ever offer “unlimited revisions” or “unlimited communication.” That’s a fast track to burnout.