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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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DEAR DAKOTA, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan DEAR DAKOTA, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan

Dear Dakota: How to Compete with Builders That Offer Interior Design Services

We received a great question from an interior designer. 

“When a potential client is working with a builder or GC, how can I compete for that project if the GC offers design services through their company?”

Many larger home-building companies DO employ an interior designer so they can provide design services directly to their home-building clients. Whether it’s for a new build or a remodel, having access to an in-house designer through the builder CAN be a great convenience for clients. 

But typically, the in-house designer's services extend only to items that are part of the build: flooring, paint, light fixtures, cabinets, hardware, plumbing fixtures, etc. By employing an in-house designer, a builder can ensure timely selections and procurement for the items that need to be installed during the build. However, in some rarer cases, these in-house designers may also offer services to assist homeowners in selecting furniture, window treatments, wall coverings, and decorative accessories—the items added to the home after construction is complete. 

In either case, but particularly the latter one, it may be difficult for an independent interior designer to compete for that client’s business. But, it just may be the case that a home-building or home-remodeling client can get a wider and more complete range of design services if they hire their own interior designer rather than work with the GC’s in-house designer. And, an independent interior designer may be better positioned to provide greater scrutiny, oversight, and personal attention to the client’s project than one aligned with the builder. 

But how can an interior designer communicate those benefits to the client?

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan
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The CX Edit | The Client Experience Starts With Processes

The client experience is something we all think about. How to elevate it so clients feel genuinely cared for without driving ourselves crazy trying to please everyone.

The answer? It’s in your processes.

That’s exactly what I talked about with LuAnn Nigara on A Well-Designed Business, and I’m so honored that this episode was just named one of her Best!

Listen Now

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PRICING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan PRICING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan

Why Every Interior Designer Needs to Set Minimums (and How to Figure Out Yours)

If you’ve ever looked back at your year and realized every “small project” caused the most stress and made the least profit, this one’s for you.

I’m sharing how the most successful designers we’ve worked with have protected their time and profit by setting clear project minimums and how you can, too. 

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan

The CX Edit | Help Clients Find You as an Interior Designer

When you Google your business name, does it come up first? If you Google “interior designer in [your city and state]” does your business come up on page one, page two, or maybe it doesn’t?

Run that test to see what comes up in search when you Google your business. If you’re not showing up, then it’s time to help clients find you online, which is what I’ll show you how to do in this video.

I'm seeing a lot of buzz about how you have to show up in ChatGPT/AI tool searches, and that's for sure a thing, but is your interior design even showing up on Google?

We've worked with clients who had ZERO location information on their website, in their SEO, in their IG profile, etc. So if a potential client Googled “best interior designers in [city, state],” their business didn't show up. I even had one client who didn’t show up on Google when I searched “her name + name of her company + her city, state”. <- Not good!

Now, is Google the best referral source?

No, those are generally top-of-funnel leads, which means these people are at the very beginning stages of their search. However, it's still important to show up in search and ensure your website and IG clearly state the areas you serve so people know they're in the right place.

Plus, if a builder, architect, or realtor is looking to find a designer to refer their clients to, that is a KEY place they'll search.

🎥 Watch the Video to Learn How to Fix This In Ten Minutes

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PRICING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan PRICING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan

How to Pay Yourself as an Interior Designer

We recently polled our DTS Files members and asked them to vote on the blog topics they wanted us to cover this month. The clear winner?

How to pay yourself as an interior designer.

This is a question we get all the time, and for good reason. Many designers aren’t paying themselves regularly, or they wait to see what’s “left over” at the end of the month (or year 😭) before cutting themselves a check. Not ideal.

If you want to show up as a real business owner (and feel confident doing it), paying yourself consistently and knowing how much to pay yourself is a big part of getting the back end of your business set up correctly.

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PRICING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan PRICING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan

How to Stay Confident When Your Interior Design Clients Are Wealthier Than You Are

I’ve been working with interior designers for 8+ years, and before that, I owned a successful wedding and event planning business. 

Over the years, I’ve had many conversations with designers who’ve told me things like, “I’d never be able to afford myself,” or “I could never spend that much on a custom sofa,” or “I wish I could spend $X on a renovation like my clients do.” 

This resonates with me. As a former wedding planner, I was most often hired by the parents of the bride or groom. My clients (the parents who were hiring me) were significantly older and had far greater financial means than I did. (I was in my 20s and 30s and when I had my first company).

That gap can trigger feelings of inadequacy, or even imposter syndrome, where you experience self-doubt and low self-esteem despite your achievements and expertise. It’s easy to feel you can’t live up to your clients' expectations. And it’s a trap that’s easy to fall into.

So what happens when YOU’RE the service provider (the expert), and your client is older, wealthier, more successful, or is more accustomed to high-end, luxury experiences?

I’ll tell you: YOUR MONEY STORY COMES OUT.

Join me inside The DTS Files to find out how to level the playing field when your clients have more wealth, success, or experience with luxury services than you do. Get my insights based on my work with hundreds of interior design businesses, from those on their way to their first $100,000/year to those scaling past $4,000,000+/year in revenue.

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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.

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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
SHOP THE DESIGN LIBRARY

*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
learn in the workroom

*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.

GET YOUR RESULTS IN TWO MINUTES

JOIN 16,000 DESIGNERS EVERY FRIDAY

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