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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.
Set Boundaries Your Interior Design Clients Will Love
Feeling Overwhelmed? These 6 Boundaries Will Transform Your Interior Design Business.
Struggling with clients who text at all hours, expect instant responses, or push for endless revisions? You’re not alone. One of the biggest reasons interior designers feel overworked and stretched too thin isn’t because they have too many clients—it’s because they haven’t set clear, enforceable boundaries.
When done correctly, boundaries create a smoother client experience, increase efficiency, and actually make clients respect you more.
In this post, I’m sharing:
The 6 key boundaries interior designers should set ASAP
Why enforcing boundaries actually improves your client relationships
How to transition existing clients to your new policies (without the awkwardness)
Ready to streamline your client experience and create a business that runs smoothly? Join The DTS Files to unlock the full article.
How to Show Up like an Expert With Your Interior Design Clients
When you show up like an expert with clients in your interior design business, a few things happen:
Your clients will pay more for your services
You reduce questions and set clear boundaries
Your clients will trust you and won’t try to take over the project
It can sometimes feel overwhelming to have to do all the work behind the scenes and then also “show up as an expert to clients.”
However, if you build the following simple steps into your process, your system should do the work for you to establish your expertise with clients, all while giving you more confidence and your clients a better experience.
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
The Biggest Client Onboarding Mistakes Interior Designers Should Avoid
Are You Making These Costly Onboarding Mistakes? Here’s How to Fix Them.
If your client onboarding process feels clunky, inconsistent, or overwhelming, you’re not alone. Many interior designers know their onboarding isn’t as polished as it should be—but they don’t realize how much it’s actually costing them in client confidence, referrals, and repeat business.
A seamless, professional onboarding process doesn’t just make things easier—it sets the tone for the entire project.
But most interior designers make at least one of these 9 common mistakes—and it’s holding their business back.
In this post, I’ll share:
The biggest onboarding red flags that can lead to unhappy clients
Why a slow or disorganized start can kill trust before the project even begins
How to set up an effortless, repeatable onboarding system that works for every project
Want a polished, high-end client onboarding experience without starting from scratch? Join The DTS Files to access the full post—and learn how our Client Experience Templates can transform your process in minutes.
How to Make it Easy for Interior Design Clients to Work with You
Are You Confusing Potential Clients? Here’s How to Fix It.
If potential clients don’t immediately understand how to work with you, they’ll move on—fast.
Your client experience touchpoints shape how confident clients feel about hiring you, referring you, and trusting your design process. But if those touchpoints aren’t clear, strategic, and seamless, you might be losing leads before they even reach out.
In this article, I’m breaking down:
Why most interior designers unintentionally create confusion
The key phases of your client journey that need refining
How to turn your inquiry, onboarding, and offboarding processes into an effortless, referral-worthy experience
Want a fully streamlined client experience without building everything from scratch? Join The DTS Files below to unlock the full post—and see how our Client Experience Templates can help you set all of this up in minutes.
Best Gifts to Give Interior Design Clients (and what to stop giving)
NEWSFLASH: Your Client Doesn’t Want Gifts With Your Logo on Them
Back in the day, when I had my wedding planning business, I LOVED sending handwritten cards and gifts to my clients. As someone who always has a stack of blank thank you cards on my desk, it was an easy step to add to my process.
There’s always a big discussion with my clients about what the best gifts are to give AND when exactly to give them. In this article, I’m sharing both.
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
What If I Don’t Have Time to Train Someone To Help My Interior Design Business
You Need Help—But You Have Zero Time to Hire or Train. Here’s the Solution.
You know you can’t keep running your interior design business alone. The client load, the admin work, the back-and-forth—it’s all too much. But the thought of hiring, onboarding, and training someone? That feels just as overwhelming.
The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone.
In this article, I’m sharing:
The biggest mistake designers make when hiring (and how to avoid it)
Real stories of two interior designers who resisted hiring—until they saw the ROI
How to bring on the right person without spending hours on training
If you want to get the right help in place without wasting time, join The DTS Files to unlock my advice.
How to Set Up a Client Waitlist for Your Interior Design Business
Nervous to Move to a Waitlist? Here’s How to Do It Without Losing Clients.
Worried that putting potential clients on a waiting list will send them straight to a competitor? You’re not alone. Many designers hesitate to implement a waitlist, fearing it will slow business down—but in reality, a well-managed waitlist increases demand, prevents burnout, and keeps your schedule full.
The key? You need a strategic waitlist process that keeps potential clients engaged while they wait without extra effort on your part.
In this article, I’m sharing how I’ve helped 6 & 7 figure interior designers with:
How to know when it’s time to move to a waitlist
What to say to potential clients so they’re excited to wait for you
Implementing the must-have email sequence that keeps clients engaged before their project starts
If you’re ready to implement a high-converting waitlist without losing leads, join The DTS Files to unlock the full post.
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.
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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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