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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

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

How to Get Interior Design Clients to Stop Calling You All.The.Time

A designer submitted a question that represents the frustration a lot of business owners contend with — how to free yourself from time-consuming and distracting (and sometimes incessant) phone calls during your workday, yet still be responsive and supportive to clients throughout the design process. Please note: this is NOT about getting potential clients to stop calling you (although, I have personal opinions on not giving anyone access to you until they’ve been screened…different post for a different day; this post is how to get paid clients to stop calling you all the time if that’s now how you prefer to communicate.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

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

Dear Dakota: How Should I Present Furniture Pricing on An Invoice?

ear Dakota,

I do flat fee billing and am a huge advocate of “the fewer invoices the better.”

The question is: how do I invoice? 

I love the invoice capability of my product management software but it lists each item by price. I can’t decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I love the idea of high-low design and sometimes it takes one expensive piece to make the space.  I always panic when I list prices individually in case the client will see the expensive item and give pushback (even though the total is coming in on budget.) They will see the price of an individual item and think it’s too much to pay for whatever item it may be.

I’m curious how others are invoicing. Are they sending a general invoice with only final pricing, or are they itemizing each item listed with an individual price?

What have you seen work the best?

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

Dear Dakota | How Interior Designers Can Handle the “Discount” Conversation

Dear Dakota,

I presented the final design to my client along with the invoices for their rooms and they balked that there was no discount. I don't offer discounts or market anything about discounts. What do I do, and how do I prevent this from ever happening again?

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

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DEAR DAKOTA, SYSTEMS & OPS, PRICING Katie McFarlan DEAR DAKOTA, SYSTEMS & OPS, PRICING Katie McFarlan

Dear Dakota | The Best Form of Additional Income for Interior Designers

Dear Dakota,

Outside of direct services, what is the best form of additional income for interior designers? What avenue is the most profitable and worth pursuing for a company with three employees? Furniture sales? Passive income downloads? Courses? Affiliate income?

Join The DTS Files to see the advice I gave this designer.

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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.

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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.

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

SHOP WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS

Learn from my team (comprised of industry experts and educators) and me 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!

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 trainings for your busy schedule.

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

JOIN 16,000 DESIGNERS EVERY FRIDAY

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

COMPLIMENTARY QUIZ FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Feeling stretched thin in your design business?

You’re busy—but is your business actually working for you? If you’re constantly putting out fires and second-guessing what to focus on next, this 2-minute quiz will show you exactly where to start.