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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
Dear Dakota | My Vendor Went Out Of Business, But I’ve Already Paid For My Client’s Furnishings! HELP!
Dear Dakota,
My vendor just went out of business, and I’ve already paid them for my client’s furnishings. I cannot get ahold of anyone and am freaking out. What should I do?
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Dear Dakota | How Interior Designers Can Calculate A Flat Rate for Freight, Receiving and White Glove Delivery Fees
Dear Dakota,
Our clients feel nickel and dimed paying for freight, receiving, storage, and white glove delivery. I want to consolidate these costs and collect them when invoicing for the product. How do I calculate what this number should be?
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Dear Dakota: Should I Offer Holiday Decorating Services?
Dear Dakota,
With the holiday season approaching, should I consider offering holiday decorating as a seasonal service?
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Dear Dakota | How To Stop Giving Away All My Ideas At Interior Design Consultations?
Dear Dakota,
How do I not give away all my ideas, solutions, and advice during a free consultation walk-through for a potential project?
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Dear Dakota | How To Handle a Toxic Relationship With a Contractor
Dear Dakota,
I have been working with a builder for almost 3 years. He is continually changing his process and his projects are a time suck. He is not accountable for his own process and I found out last week he threw me under the bus to cover his own ass. I'm finally at a crossroad and wondering if I need to stop working with him. However, his business is a consistent cash flow. One of his "project managers" hates working with designers. He will purposely not call anyone on my team for tile walks, paint walks, etc. because he doesn't want to deal with us telling him things are installed incorrectly. I have spent hours and hours of my time with his clients and honestly feel bad for them. I know they have no idea what's going on behind the scenes and I feel totally stuck. HELP!
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Dear Dakota | How Should Interior Designers Handle Post Installation Furniture Damages?
Dear Dakota,
What’s the best practice for handling requests from clients about furniture that shows wear and tear or gets damaged after a period of time from regular use after they’ve moved in and the project is finished? Seems our clients expect that everything we source should be durable, and if it’s not, we should address the issues no matter how long it’s been.
On the one hand, I understand the frustration that some pieces aren’t as durable, but on the other hand, the less durable pieces are often the ones that were sourced with budget in mind (per client's request) - so they are not custom pieces, and not manufactured with high-quality finishes. So it is not surprising that these issues come up.
Our contract states we are not responsible for quality defects, but clients still view us as being on the hook since we chose these items for them. However, we want to preserve the relationship so we often submit the claims to our vendors. Some will gladly send replacements, but others won't. I want our clients to have a good experience and love everything we choose for them - so I try to make sure even the budget items last - but there has to be a better way to move forward - I can't be on the hook forever.
I don't know how to tell my clients they can't expect me to be there forever to help replace items without paying me for the time.
I'd love to hear your insights.
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Dear Dakota: Should I Charge a Different Flat Fee for Interior Design Projects My Junior Designer Completes?
Dear Dakota,
Should I charge clients a different flat fee for projects my junior designer completes versus ones I complete?
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Dear Dakota | How To Get Rid Of Tough Interior Design Clients
Dear Dakota,
How do you deal with difficult clients and know when it's worth it to keep going or get rid of them when things feel really tough?
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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 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.
*for interior designers only, not interior design business coaches, consultants, mentors, or strategists.
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.
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