Starting an interior design business can be overwhelming, with so many factors to consider and so much to do. Sure, you have the passion, you’ve learned your craft, and you’ve done your research, but how do you bring in new interior design clients when you don’t yet have a portfolio and are just getting started?

We asked interior designers who subscribe to The Weekly Install® to share what worked (and what didn’t) when it came to booking those first few clients. We compiled their insights, added a few of our own, and have some helpful tips for interior designers who are just launching or looking to grow their businesses.

Special thank you to all the interior designers who responded to the survey and gave us permission to share their insights.

The Best Place For New Interior Designers to Get Clients

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If you’re spending hours writing custom proposals, struggling to price your services, or getting ghosted after you send them—something isn’t working. A streamlined scope of work and proposal process can save you TONS of time, increase your close rate, and eliminate frustrating back-and-forth with clients.

In this article, I’m sharing the nine biggest mistakes interior designers make when preparing their proposals—and how to fix them. You’ll learn:

• The one thing you should never include in your proposal (hint: it’s costing you time and credibility).

• Why sending a contract too late in the process is hurting your close rate—and what to do instead.

• How to structure your proposal so clients are excited to sign (without asking for endless revisions).

• A simple tweak to your process that helps you send proposals in a day or less—without stress.

If you want to stop over-customizing, over-explaining, and overthinking your proposals—and instead create a seamless, professional process that leads to faster client sign-ons, join The DTS Files today to unlock my advice and read the full post.

Dear Dakota,

What should I do when a client doesn’t provide timely feedback on their interior design presentation?

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The thing I love most about my work is helping interior designers run better businesses. The conversations I have with design business owners who are out there making their clients’ homes look and function better FEED MY SOUL. It’s a privilege to be able to ask my community to share their experiences and tips with other designers - these insights are what make each business owner smarter and stronger.

One challenge many interior designers face is managing styling with accessories on install day. To some, styling is a dream; to others, it’s a not-so-profitable soul-sucking part of their job. Of course, there is no one right answer, but since I know most consumers hire an interior designer to help them make their rooms look “cohesive,” it’s a critical topic to discuss.

So, we surveyed The Weekly Install® designers to find out how they handle styling and accessorizing on installation day and received 31 responses (not a huge data pool, BUT, I’m also adding my comments and insights based on 100+ 1:1 clients and the 200+ designers we’ve helped in the Designed to Scale® Method.)

Let’s dive into the different ways interior designers manage their styling and accessories process.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Dear Dakota,

How can I encourage clients to be fully present and free from distractions for our check-in sessions and review meetings?

For example, I have one client who brings their young children to our meetings and another who continues to take work calls and answer emails and text messages during meetings. The clients are pulled in several directions in trying to review their designs and tend to their children / answer emails, etc., and meetings inevitably run longer than scheduled, causing additional frustration. It also results in a fair amount of "I don't remember seeing that" from the client because they are not fully present when drawings and materials are being presented the first time.

I try to be as patient as possible because I know we all have significant demands on our time, but my time isn't infinite and it is incredibly difficult to move the needle in any direction during these meetings. I've gone so far as to offer meeting times after work hours and on weekends to ensure someone else can be home to watch the kids or the endless phone calls can stop. How do I get my clients to prioritize our time together? 

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Running an interior design business can often feel like feast or famine. You’re either crazy busy or panicked because you have no upcoming projects in your pipeline. 

So, if you feel like your workload or revenue is inconsistent, it’s likely because you stopped marketing when you were busy.The key is to engage in ongoing marketing efforts to continually fill your pipeline so you don’t experience extended periods of the famine part of this cycle. This is true in the lean times and the busy ones!

YES, I know. Sometimes, it feels like you cannot possibly add one.more.thing to your day. But guess what might be around the corner if you dismiss marketing altogether? Yup, that famine thing. To build a continual stream of new leads, it’s critical to market your business regularly.

Keep reading for my top five marketing strategies for interior designers to generate more new business in the upcoming year. Here goes.