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ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES
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ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY
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EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
| ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES I ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY | EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Welcome to The DTS Files for Interior Designers
Business analysis, advice, CLIENT INSIGHTS and field notes for interior designers
The DTS Files is a library of expert insights for interior designers who want to work in a more streamlined, efficient way. Articles are based on real-world consulting experience, strategies I've personally implemented in design businesses across the US and Canada, and a perspective most business educators can't offer: I've been on both sides of the table, as a business consultant and as a luxury design client. Read more below.
A Breakdown of the Most Widely Respected Interior Design Certifications
While I can teach you everything I know about the business side of design: like structuring and pricing your services, developing and implementing effective software and systems, hiring and delegating to a team, marketing to attract dream clients (and repel the red flag ones), and setting boundaries to build a business you love, I am not a trained interior designer.
If you are looking to expand your knowledge within certain project types, or you want to validate the high level of expertise you already possess, pursuing a recognized interior design industry certification may be something to consider.
Below is a listing of the most well-established and widely respected certifications for interior designers written by my in-house tenured interior design professor and certified interior designer, so you can decide whether pursuing any would be helpful to your professional development.
The #1 Inquiry Mistake to Avoid
I see a lot of designers who put this question on their contact form…and I think it’s a bad idea. You miss out on SO MUCH GOOD INFO and the ability to instantly determine whether a client will be a good fit. Not to mention you’re just clogging up your contact form when the goal is to make it as easy as possible for someone to submit an inquiry.
The question to ask on the phone (not in your contact form):
A Glimpse into Interior Design Licensing Legislation | Does Your State Require a License to Practice Interior Design?
You may have heard issues related to interior designer licensing or certification (read more about interior design certifications here), and it can all be a bit confusing. Additionally, licensing legislation for various occupations (including interior design) happens at the state level so the picture is slightly different in every state (plus the Canadian provinces). And, things are changing all the time with new interior design legislation being proposed (and sometimes repealed) every year. And, in some respects, this issue of interior design regulation is much different for those who work on commercial building projects than it is for those who work on residential projects.
In this post, we offer an overview of the current state of interior design legislation. To verify the legislative picture where you live and work, it is always best to check the professional licensing and registration website for interior design in your state. To do that …
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
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.
Mistakes I’ve Made Running My Own Business
Owning a business can feel a bit like an experiment at times. Packaging things up, testing them, refining them, and testing them again. It’s only by going through this process that you can actually know what works and doesn’t for you and your clients.
With Dakota Design Company being my second business (my first was a wedding and event planning company that I ran from 2007 to 2014 in Arizona and Illinois), I’ve certainly experienced my share of failures, but I’ve always learned from them (even if I needed to grieve and beat myself up for a bit first).
There are always lessons to be learned in failure. Something that I think resonates with my clients is that I am a done-for-you service provider, just like they are.
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
Do This One Thing Before You Automate Your Interior Design Business
If your goal for the year is to automate as much as possible in your interior design business, you have to know this one thing before you invest in technology, consultants, strategists, or done-for-you services.
When You Should Expire Your Interior Design Proposals
If you've ever sent out an interior design proposal to a potential client (you might call it a contract, LOA, scope and service agreement, etc.) and then waited on pins and needles for their response…this tip is for you.
Expire your proposals.
Most of our designers expire proposals within two weeks MAX. Some expire them within seven days.
Why Interior Designers Should NOT Order Building Supplies
Unless you’re a general contractor or a cabinet supplier, your interior design firm SHOULD NOT be ordering building supplies.
This is one area where I occasionally see interior designers taking on responsibilities that cause extra headaches and coordination. Not to mention that ordering building supplies doesn’t yield sufficient profit from markup to offset the hassle.
Designers should refrain from placing orders for materials that would be considered building supplies.
HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR READERS:
Looking for help with pricing?
PRICING PLAYBOOK for INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Start with The Complete Guide to Pricing Your Design Services
Learn the most common pricing models used by interior designers, where each works best, and how to spot the signs that your current pricing structure needs to change.
NEED BUSINESS SUPPORT ASAP?
SHOP TEMPLATES
Need the documents behind a streamlined process?
The Design Library includes the client-facing investment guides, proposal templates, welcome guides, SOPs, questionnaires, contracts, and business tools we use and recommend for interior design firms.
SHOP WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS
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. The Workroom houses our focused trainings for interior designers on pricing, construction, service structure, business operations, and other areas we teach inside design firms
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