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FOR NEW DESIGNERS JUST STARTING OR LAUNCHING THEIR BUSINESS!
→ Review the full details of this program here
Dreaming of launching a successful interior design business, but overwhelmed by information overload, conflicting advice, state legislations, and the fear of making a mistake you might regret?
Skip the stress, save the time it takes to do this on your own, and avoid the mistakes we’ve helped many of our 1:1 clients fix. It all starts with building a solid foundation for your design business. One that supports you, sets you up for success, and gives you confidence as you grow your company and work with clients.
That’s why we created Design Business Foundations — the ultimate framework for building a streamlined, professional design business like a pro, from day one. I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from working with designers making their first hundred thousand to those making multiple millions a year, then reverse-engineered those insights to create the exact roadmap you need to build a solid foundation for your future, wildly successful business.
We like to think of Design Business Foundations as being equivalent to having a business consultant for interior designers and an interior design college professor in your back pocket, at a fraction of the cost of hiring a 1:1 consultant or taking a college course.
Feel confident, organized, and supported while you build the interior design business of your dreams.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
A step-by-step curriculum covering your legal, financial, marketing, vendor, and partnership foundations
Six weeks of guided support and weekly office hours
New Designer Toolkit, templates, and bonus resources
Each week, we focus on one core element of your business and break down what to do, why it matters, and how to implement it. Plus, you’ll get my studio-level insights that most designers only learn after years of experience.
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR
Design Business Foundations is for brand-new interior designers who are just starting or actively launching their business and want to do it right from day one.
This program is a fit if you:
Want to build your business professionally with a solid foundation
Feel overwhelmed by conflicting advice and online noise
Want clear guidance on the operational sides of your business
Care about avoiding mistakes that cost time, money, and confidence later
Want structure, accountability, and expert support while you get set up
WHO THIS PROGRAM IS NOT FOR
This program is not a fit if you:
Are already running an established interior design business
Are looking for advanced pricing strategies, process design, or 1:1 consulting
Want done-for-you services or someone to build your business for you
Don’t want a legitimate, professional business, and are okay to be a “hobbyist”
Note: This program does not include 1:1 assistance with setting your prices or preparing scopes of work and proposals.
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Establishing your legal foundation
Choosing a name you won’t have to change in three years
How to protect your company and personal assets
What to include in your agreements (design contracts NOT included)
And more
Setting up a solid financial foundation
How to bill clients when you’re first starting
What to include in your payment terms
A sample scope of work
How to know when it’s time to change your business structure
And more
Choosing the right software
The mistake many designers make when choosing software
The bare minimum programs you need for designing
The most popular software among our 1:1 clients
And more
Setting up a professional marketing foundation
Exactly what to include on your website so you don’t look brand new
The thing many designers get wrong when marketing their services
How to up your chances of clients finding you online
Identifying your referral network
And more
Building your vendor list (to-the-trade accounts)
The ins and outs of working with vendors, showrooms, retailers, and buying groups
The path most designers take when sourcing products for clients (and what I definitely DO NOT recommend)
How to know what price to share with clients
When you will and won’t need a receiving warehouse
How to bill for white glove delivery
Sales tax basics
How I recommend billing
Common markups
Types of accounts you can have
And more
Establishing local partnerships
Working with trades (and how to handle it when your client wants to work with their own)
The ins-and-outs of workrooms
How to bill for your workroom
Sending work orders
And more
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Six Weeks of Private Email Support from Our In-House Tenured Design School Professor + Certified Interior Designer
Ask questions as you work through each topic
Make progress and stay on track
Have a sounding board as you build your business foundation
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In addition to the curriculum, weekly lessons, and six weeks of Office Hours support, you’ll receive:
Pro tips for building your business based on what has brought our 6- and 7-figure clients success
Interior Design Glossary with industry-specific terms
One-Year Membership to The DTS Files ($150 value)
Printable Getting Started Checklist
Business Plan Template for Interior Designers with my suggestions baked in
United States Interior Design–Specific Attorney List
Vendor List Template with over 140 to-the-trade vendors
Industry Introduction Outreach Email Templates (great to send to contractors and architects)
Interior Designer’s Guide to Field Measuring (never ask to go back to someone’s house to get more measurements)
Sample Chart of Accounts Guide for your bookkeeping software ($200+ value)
15% savings in The Design Library on select products
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CAN’T I JUST GOOGLE ALL THIS?
Sure. How much time do you have?
The bigger issue is what happens when you find conflicting information or follow the wrong advice, then have to spend even more time and money fixing it later. You also have to be careful about where that information is coming from. Much of what’s online isn’t written by someone who has actually set up and run a successful interior design business or worked alongside attorneys, accountants, and consultants to clean up the fallout from businesses that weren’t set up properly from day one.
Inside Design Business Foundations, each chapter includes pro tips and industry insights so you understand the what, the why, and the how. These are the same issues my 1:1 clients pay my team, attorneys, and accountants thousands of dollars to help untangle after the fact.
You’ll also have six weeks of access to us during Office Hours, held Fridays from 10 to 3 central time. Simply reply to your weekly lesson email with your question and you’ll receive a response that Friday.
We’ve laid out the steps in the order we recommend completing them so you can follow along, check each item off, and finish with a solid foundation for your company. Everything included is intentional and based on what has worked well for our clients or, just as importantly, what has caused major issues and should be avoided.
Following the Design Business Foundations process means your business will look and feel legitimate from the moment you launch. No more wondering why clients push back on your fees or question your process.
WILL THIS TEACH ME HOW TO DESIGN?
Design Business Foundations does not cover the principles of design, creating floor plans, renderings, or elevations, sourcing FF&E, project management, or designing a client experience.
This program focuses on the operational side of setting up an interior design company. We do share guidance on things like software recommendations so you can set up systems that support your creative work, but this is not a design training.
If you’re interested in workshops or resources that cover design-specific topics, join our email list, The Weekly Install®, for updates.
WHAT’S THE FORMAT?
The Design Business Foundations is delivered instantly in PDF format with all bonuses in their respective format (Google Sheet, Google Doc, template, etc.). This is so you can access all materials and bonus resources immediately and work through them at your own pace.
You’ll also receive a weekly lesson email that walks you through one topic at a time, with added guidance and context. Each weekly email includes the opportunity to ask questions related to that week’s topic and receive support from my team.
Office Hours responses are delivered by email each Friday.
You’ll also receive a printable two-page Getting Started Checklist so you can physically check tasks off as you complete them.
WHEN DOES IT START?
Enrollment is ongoing and the program is self-paced. You’ll receive immediate access to all materials once you purchase.
Starting the week you enroll, you’ll receive weekly lessons via email for six weeks with the opportunity to ask questions and receive support during our Friday Office Hours.
I LIVE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES. WILL THIS APPLY TO MY BUSINESS?
While the legal and tax requirements differ slightly in every state and country, we have formulated the Design Business Foundations Blueprint to apply to designers outside of the US as well.
HOW DOES THE SUPPORT WORK?
Once you join, you’ll receive support from me and my team during weekly Office Hours.
All you have to do is submit your question via our weekly Office Hours form and we’ll respond within a day or two via email.
All communication is private. Other designers will not see your questions or our replies.
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TERMS OF USE
Design Business Foundations is intended for unlimited use by one person (the Purchaser). The Purchaser cannot resell, duplicate, share, copy, distribute, create derivative works, or offer the documents or related materials to any third party or marketplace without express written consent from Dakota Design Company, LLC. Dakota Design Company, LLC retains title and ownership of all items included in this template. We reserve the right to invoice you for the licenses you have gifted to other businesses, revoke your access to our template(s)/product(s) permanently, and pursue legal action.
By purchasing this program, you agree to our program Terms & Conditions.
DISCLAIMER
The material and information provided by Dakota Design Company, LLC should not be construed as and is not intended to constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. The Purchaser should see the advice of licensed professionals in these areas prior to acting upon any information.
Dakota Design Company, LLC makes no representations concerning the sufficiency, completeness, or accuracy of any information or documents as they relate to the Purchaser’s specific tax, legal, or accounting needs.NOT A DESIGNER?
A commercial license is required if you are not an interior designer and want to use this product with your clients. Please email katie@dakotadesigncompany.com to inquire about pricing and availability.
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Due to the instant and digital nature of this product, there are no refunds.
FAQs
Check out our FAQ page or email us at support@dakotadesigncompany.com.
TESTIMONIALS
“Initially, when I started my business, I was flying the plane as I built it. However, having a corporate background in strategy, I knew this would not be sustainable. At MIT, they say the fastest and best way to get something done is to go to someone who has already done it, so I knew Dakota Design Co. would be an invaluable resource to reassess my business, processes, communication, services, and more.
After due diligence and reviewing several companies, I decided to take the plunge. The only downside is that I didn't do it sooner!
I was thoroughly impressed with the support given to every question I sent in [during] Office Hours, and every response was thoughtfully compiled versus being told to read a blog post or upsold on another product.
Katie and her team have been nothing but helpful, resourceful, and kind throughout this entire experience! I absolutely will be referring their services and products as well as continuing my education with them!”
-Ali, Interior Designer
“The program was great for keeping me on track and taking the guesswork out of where to go next!”
-Teresa, Interior Designer
"Thank you so much for this [Foundations] program. It is a huge gift to learn how to set up a smoothly functioning interior design business that will be able to scale."
-Kelly, Interior Designer
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