Having a competitive advantage is key, no matter what size market you work in! Standing apart from the crowd is the perfect way to entice new clients, and to give you staying power with former and current clients. So how do you stand out? It's more than just a funky logo or a three-word tag line....

There are parts of our jobs as designers that are boring, I'll admit it. And you may think that sitting down to write job descriptions would be one of them, and that might make you decide it isn't that important. But this is one thing on your to-do list that can make a BIG impact on your...

It's crazy that we're already into April and the second quarter of the business year! It may seem too soon to review anything in your business at this point, but I think this is one of the BEST times to stop and look at how your year is going so far. WHY? Because you have 9 months to change...

Last week, I talked about how hard it can be to balance EVERYTHING you have to do as the owner of your interior design business. And you have to be able to switch quickly from a right-brained creative to a left-brained executive. Not easy! It can be completely overwhelming - especially when we...

How many things are on YOUR to-to list??! If you're like me, the list looks like a giant scroll at this point! We rarely have time to get things done for today and for the future, so looking back at anything goes on the very very back burner. Well I'm going to convince you that assessments and...

It is never pleasant to have to deliver bad news to a client, or to tell them something went wrong, or (and this is tough for so many) to ask them to pay you when they're late. Those are HARD conversations that no one wants to have. But if you're in business, you're going to have to face those...

Knowledge is a powerful thing. When you give your clients all the information they need, they feel more in control. And they build trust with you. All of which means your project will run more smoothly and efficiently. The key is to be sure your clients understand what a design project entails,...

Interior design budgets can be such a headache! They're tough to create (especially in today's supply chain nightmare) and they can be even tougher to explain to your client. UGH! And sometimes you want that particular project so much that you're willing to skip over a serious budget talk so you...

One of the crazy parts of the interior design business (and there's a LOT of crazy - ha!) is that we can have such an up-and-down cycle of business. Sometimes it really does feel like feast or famine. But I've found a way off that stressful rollercoaster ride by using my client pipeline! I have a...

There is a bit of showmanship in being an interior designer. We have to have the ability to ensure our clients see the vision of their beautiful home. And we need to have the talent to unveil a stunning backdrop for their lives with their completed interiors. There are a...

Money is scary, even to business people. It is consistently listed as a topic that people hate to talk about, even more than death, religion, or politics! But putting your head in the sand and ignoring the "money talk" is no way to run a business. And in fact, that way of handling it is...

One of the things you learn quickly in the interior design business is that a good part of your job has NOTHING to do with design. You need a good grounding in sales as much as anything else. And the best salespeople all have confidence! Without confidence, it's hard to convince a potential...