Invoicing clients for your interior design projects doesn't have to be a headache. But it is an integral part of running a successful design business and is a topic I get the most questions about.

In this article, I’m sharing the ins and outs of invoicing for your flat fee interior design projects so you can make the process more organized, efficient, and professional.

Whether you're collecting fees for consultations, design services, furniture purchases, or out-of-scope requests, these specific tips will ensure you can spend your time designing, NOT chasing down past-due payments like a debt collector.

And, this goes without saying, but just in case …

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Interior design is both an art form and a professional business endeavor. It requires a combination of creativity, technical skills, and effective project management. As an interior designer, maximizing efficiency within your design process is crucial to delivering exceptional results and providing your clients with an enjoyable experience.

In this blog post, I’ll share a few ways interior designers can make their design process more efficient, enabling them to work smarter, improve their client experience, AND, for those who bill flat fee, increase their profitability. Woop woop. 

We’ll start from the very beginning, before the whole thing goes off the rails, then move through onboarding, concept phase, designing, and presenting. Here we go!

Dear Dakota,

How can I build a consistent flow of clients for my interior design business?

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Running an interior design business means juggling clients, projects, and endless admin tasks—which can be time-consuming and overwhelming. Luckily, there are software solutions to help streamline these processes so you can focus more on designing beautiful spaces.

Two of the top client management tools for interior designers are HoneyBook and Dubsado. In our 1:1 services, we implement both, depending on the client’s needs. But which one is the right fit for your business?

In this post, we’ll compare HoneyBook and Dubsado, breaking down their key features, pricing, and ease of use so you can decide which platform suits your design business best.

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For interior designers, having passive income streams can be a great way to generate revenue. In a passive income scenario, you can literally earn money while you sleep. BUT LET ME MAKE THIS VERY CLEAR. Generating passive income does NOT mean no effort. Typically, a great deal of effort is required initially to create and set up. The key is in the timing, click here to read more!

Have you ever been in a position where you knew you should decline a potential interior design project but weren't sure how to do it? Maybe you didn't have capacity, the project wasn't in your wheelhouse, the budget was too small, or your personalities clashed.

Or, maybe your instincts were telling you to RUN and you couldn't quite put your finger on what was off.

As a business owner in ANY industry, saying no and turning away business can be scary. However, I've found it's often MORE costly and damaging to your reputation in the long run when you say YES to projects that aren't a good fit. 

In this article, I'll share a few tips for turning down potential clients (and some simple ways to prevent bad-fit clients from making it past step one in your inquiry process).

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The last time I opened up my waitlist, I had the pleasure of speaking with  several designers who were interested in working together. Something a lot of clients and potential clients share with me is that they've already tried a variety of things, and many of them haven’t been effective.

Or, they invested in a program for interior designers, only to realize after a year and $10k, it wasn't helpful, and they were learning more from my blog posts. 

Here's the thing:

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When determining how to price your residential interior design services, it’s important to understand the various pricing structures out there so you can choose the one that will work best for YOU.

In addition, there are other factors to consider like your location, your marketing, your experience level, whether you are sourcing retail vs. trade furnishings, your clients, your scopes, your client experience, your team, and so on.

While every designer I’ve worked with since 2017 prices a little bit differently, I’ve definitely seen consistent ranges among the most popular methods, as well as what I believe to be the pros and cons of each. 

*As a side note: my expertise lies in residential interior design businesses, not commercial, so keep that in mind as you read this post if you’re a commercial designer.

Six Pricing Models for Residential Interior Designers …

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