Dear Dakota,

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

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Dear Dakota,

How do we protect ourselves from a contractor's mistake or hold a contractor accountable for a portion of the cost?

Join The DTS Files to see the advice and insights I shared with this designer.

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.

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I think every service provider and business owner can relate to the struggle of getting client work done while also doing work that grows the company. When your focus is on delivering an elevated client experience and a flawless design to your clients, it can be extremely difficult to find time to put on your Marketing, Accounting, Leadership, or Business Development hat. And often, the client deadlines are imminent, while the business growth deadlines are self imposed. It’s easy to say, “Oh, I’ll focus on those big picture things later; I’m too busy right now getting everything done for the Smith project”. 

But if you fail to work on business development and growth tasks, you’ll likely find yourself in one of two situations (or both…eek!). 

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

Dear Dakota,

I am ordering decor right now for a client's interior design project, and it's all being delivered to me so I can check through it all and make sure i) I like items sourced online and ii) everything is in perfect condition. But my house is starting to fill up with boxes!!

What is the best process for ordering and holding decor, furnishings, etc. for a client? Larger items, I would have delivered directly to the client, and I would check on-site for the condition. But I'm specifically talking about the smaller items like mirrors, hardware, fixtures, etc. 

I am not large enough to pay for a storage facility yet. Is that what I should aspire to retain at some point?

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Landing a large interior design project comes with many benefits, the most obvious of which is a corresponding large fee! A large project may also provide marketing opportunities (new, fabulous project photos for your website, getting published, referral opportunities from higher-end clients, working with reputable builders or seasoned architects, etc.). Many designers feel a large project is also the best opportunity to really flex their creative muscle by having the chance to execute innovative ideas at a grand scale and generally from start to finish.

But large projects can also feel risky. You’ll likely need to turn away other work, you may have an extended timeline that’s difficult to pinpoint, there may be significant unknowns, you may need to rely more heavily on your team, and you may need to pivot many times as you work through all the phases. And then there is that anxiety that comes along with biting off something that feels daunting: Yikes, how will I EVER get this done!?!?!?!?

I know a large project for some may not be a large project for others, so here are a few definitions:

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If you’re like every other interior design business owner out there, you have likely established an income goal for the year. Maybe it’s BIG. Maybe it’s a stretch. Or maybe it’s safe, achievable, something you know you’ll be able to hit because prior year data indicates you will. 

Whatever that number is doesn't really matter. What matters is whether you have the right projects and activities mapped out to achieve those numbers.

If you’re an interior designer trying to break down your financial goals into actionable steps, I’m going to show you how you can reverse engineer those goal numbers to come up with a solid marketing plan for your year. 

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

In 2023, my team and I wrote 89 blog posts for interior designers (this one makes it 90), doubling our total from last year! There is nothing we enjoy more than sharing our insights and helping designers improve their business operations and client experience. Today, I’m sharing the top ten blog posts for interior designers from this year, plus the blog posts I enjoyed writing the most.

Thank YOU for being here and for reading my blog, The Weekly Install, and my Instagram posts. 

So, without further ado, here are the TOP 10 BLOG POSTS FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS from 2023.