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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.

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, SYSTEMS & OPS Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, SYSTEMS & OPS Katie McFarlan

If You’re An Interior Designer And You Struggle With Not Having Enough Time, Here's What To Do

If you’re anything like me, there’s a lot that needs to get done in your day for you to keep the odds stacked in your favor. Kids, pets, partners, homes, health, friends, family, school, travel…the list goes on and on, and I haven’t even mentioned work.

But here’s the truth (and a reminder I write in my journal just about daily):

I have time for the things that are important to me. 

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, SYSTEMS & OPS, MARKETING Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, SYSTEMS & OPS, MARKETING Katie McFarlan

Feeling Out of Control in Your Business? You Have a Lot More Control Than You Think.

When you’re hit with the unexpected, it’s natural to spiral downward and feel out of control and hopeless. 

As a former wedding planner, I had to plan for the unexpected and also have a plan FOR handling the unexpected. Often the unexpected things I planned for (wine spilling on the bride’s dress, someone not rsvp’ing and then showing up anyway, fake eyelashes falling off, etc.) were never the things that actually happened (like how could I have planned for the wild goose that knocked over the chuppah, or the kitchen fire, or the cake table being invaded by ants, or the bridesmaid’s chiffon dress getting TAPED together and shredded before the ceremony ← PS: my brides never knew any of these things happened).

If I’ve learned one thing in life and business, mindset is everything.

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SYSTEMS & OPS Katie McFarlan SYSTEMS & OPS Katie McFarlan

Recession Strategies for your Design Business | Design Biz Survival Guide Podcast Episode

I'm so excited and honored to be featured on Design Biz Survival Guide where I talked about strategies for your design business during a recession.

In this episode, I share my top three tips to protect your creative business from times of economic uncertainty. My conversation with Rick Campos dives deep into ways to control your expenses, diversify your streams of revenue, and market smarter at a time when messaging is everything.⁣

I’d love for you to take a listen to the episode below to hear my recession strategies for your design business.⁣

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, SYSTEMS & OPS, PERSONAL, MARKETING Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, SYSTEMS & OPS, PERSONAL, MARKETING Katie McFarlan

Top 10 Blog Posts of 2022 for Interior Designers

In 2022, my team and I wrote 43 blog posts for interior designers (this one makes it 44). Today, I’m sharing the top ten blog posts for interior designers based on analytics (not thoughts and feelings), plus the two blog posts I enjoyed writing the most. 


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

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, PERSONAL Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, PERSONAL Katie McFarlan

Luxury Hosting & Client Experience: What Every Interior Designer Should Know

Growing up in the catering industry and later running my own wedding and event planning company, I learned that hosting is an art—one that’s just as much about experience as it is about execution. Every detail, from the way guests are greeted to how smoothly an event flows, influences how people feel.

And the same is true for your interior design client experience.

Just like a perfectly executed event, a well-run design process makes clients feel taken care of, guided, and confident in their decision to hire you. It’s not just about the finished space—it’s about the journey.

In this post, I’m sharing my unexpected hosting insights that translate seamlessly into your design business—how small shifts in communication, preparation, and presentation can elevate your process, set you apart from competitors, and ensure clients walk away raving about their experience.

Because whether you’re welcoming guests into your home or onboarding a new client, luxury isn’t about extravagance—it’s about how you make people feel.

Join The DTS Files to read the full post.

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CLIENT EXPERIENCE, MARKETING Katie McFarlan CLIENT EXPERIENCE, MARKETING Katie McFarlan

Why Interior Designers Who Follow Up Book More Clients (Without Feeling Salesy)

Most interior designers worry that following up too much will make them seem desperate. But what if I told you that not following up is the reason you’re losing potential clients?

Your prospects are busy, and in a sea of designers, the one who follows up professionally and strategically is the one who gets hired. So, how many times should you follow up? What should you say? And what’s the one email that turns indecisive prospects into paying clients?

I’m breaking it all down inside this article.

Join The DTS Files to unlock my insights and advice.

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SYSTEMS & OPS, MARKETING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan SYSTEMS & OPS, MARKETING, CLIENT EXPERIENCE Katie McFarlan

Fifteen Ways to Grow Your Interior Design Business Without Instagram

This post was so popular, some other online folks shared it almost word for word, w/o permission. Get the original article here.

If you’ve been posting on Instagram with little success generating new business, OR you’re finding that being on Instagram is taking a toll on your mental health, it might be time to consider some new ways to market and grow your interior design business. 

Don’t get me wrong. I have clients with a solid marketing strategy for Instagram who book clients from the platform, generate revenue, and expand their reach. 

But, I often find that when our interior design clients rely SOLELY on Instagram as their key “marketing strategy” (and you know I adore you, but Instagram is a social platform, not a marketing strategy), they often experience a great deal of frustration. Not to mention, many don’t stop to consider whether their ideal clients are even on Instagram at all (many aren’t!).

So, if you’re an interior designer and your clients aren’t on Instagram, OR you’re tired of the algorithm, don’t want to do reels (which is what the platform has been prioritizing for almost four years), or go into a dark headspace anytime you’re on the app, then this article is for you.

Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.

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HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR READERS:

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Looking for help with pricing?

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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.

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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

Katie McFarlan Dakota Design Company Premium Client Process templates for Interior Designers
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JOIN 19,000+ DESIGNERS EVERY FRIDAY

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Proven strategies and tools to streamline and elevate your interior design business.