Welcome back to the first 2024 edition of Dakota Design Company’s Guest Expert Interview series on the blog. We’re thrilled to share expertise from female business owners and leaders in the interior design industry—from interior photographers to social media managers, financial advisors, and branding experts.

Each of our expert guests was selected because they can share their unique insights and perspectives on a range of topics that will help any interior designer take their trade and business to the next level. These experts are Dakota Design Company insiders, and many of them have worked directly with us and our clients in the past. We hope you enjoy this series and that it brings you new insights and confidence as you grow your business!

We asked certified public accountant Caroline Van Wassenhove, Founder and President of CVW Accounting, to share three numbers every interior design business owner should know to ensure success.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

After my restorative and impactful solo business getaway in January, I decided to make it a tradition to get away for a few days every quarter to focus on the business and reset. I just wrapped my second “getaway,” and once again, it was amazing. 

A little backstory before we dive into my takeaways:

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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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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?

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.