You’ve found your calling—now you need to put it into action. With yourinterior design business ready to go, you’re looking for ways to really get it off the ground.
Keep reading to learn how to kickstart your interior design business.
Purpose and Motivation
Know what your firm’s goals are. Think about what it is you specifically want to bring to the market, and how it relates to a central theme of your business. Will you focus on residential spaces or commercial? You could provide general interior design services, or you could zero in on a niche market.
Take a moment of self-reflection to decide if there are any specialties your business will cover. Perhaps you have an eco-friendly practice or focus on hospitality. Deciding on a niche for your firm will define it and provide a clear vision for accomplishment. This allows for greater success than marketing to anyone and everyone and aimlessly filling any job that comes up.
Incorporate your firm’s goals into your style and passion—this will help you present your best work. Creating a niche will attract people who know you can do this, and this means you can work with others in similar fields to build your network and cultivate relationships.
Knowing what motivates you will enhance your unique skills and allow you to develop a market need that you’ll be able to successfully fill. Knowing what you want out of this interior design business will allow you to do your best job.
Compliance and Finances in Order
Determine what licenses you need, if any, and make sure your qualifications are up to date. Research the different groups and related boards to ensure you’re in line with current practices and standards.
Your interior design business won’t get very far without a business plan. Map out your expenses, your budget, and profit margin to know what start-up cash you’ll need. Think about how much your business needs to thrive, not just the minimum amount to survive. Establishrates and a budget that give you the ability to profit.
Know what to charge based on services you provide that also meet the bottom line—you can always start with a standard rate and increase it with experience and location. Consider meeting with a bank to help with financing, and look into interior design accounting software to manage your business.
Marketing and Networking
It’ll be hard to get your business off the ground if you don’t market it.A number of different venues are available,from social media to industry events and related associations. Investigate and register for upcoming design and home shows. Attending these events will further your education regarding how the industry is moving and keep you on top of current trends. Inquire about guest speaking and panel events,which would give you a chance to talk about what you do.
Network with anyone and everyone: vendors, architects, professional associations, contractors. Developing working relationships with these professionals, in addition to clients, will improve your brand awareness and help strengthen your position as someone who’s good to work with. Joining groups and associations will not only help with compliance and further education, it’ll also get your name out in the industry.
Be available on a variety of platforms, and consistently update them to showcase your latest workand style. Interior design is a highly visual industry, meaning consistent posting will keep readers hungry for more. Share how-to articles, offer design tips, hold contests—anything that get your followers interested. It can be time consuming to consistently post material to Instagram, Pinterest, your website, etc., but overall, social media is a cheap and readily available option for marketing today.
