Interior Design Business
Tips & Tricks

 
Will 2022 Be a Trick or a Treat for Your Business? 2022 business business ideas decorating design entrepreneur financials interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living path to business success pattern planning ahead return on interiors roi system rooms small business smart space tips trends woman-owned business women in business year-end planning

As we head toward All Hallow's Eve, I like to avoid any scary moments by double-checking my business strategy for the coming months. We've had a rollercoaster of a ride in 2021, so I want to be sure that 2022 will include far more treats than tricks. Here are 4 things I will have in place to...

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3 Ways to WOW Your Clients at the Holidays business client retention clients color decor decorating design entrepreneur holiday gifts holiday giving to clients holidays home house how to give gifts to your clients ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living making clients happy pattern return on interiors roi system rooms selecting gifts for clients small business smart space tips trends

The holidays can be magical - and stressful. I like to get ahead of the craziness by planning my client gifts early so my team and I aren't scrambling at the last minute. That's no fun for anyone and it takes the magic out of the season, for sure! So what do you have planned for your clients?...

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Are You Ready for Any Lean Times Ahead? be prepared budgeting business color decor decorating design entrepreneur finances financial planning financial preparation goals home house ideas interior design interior design business interior designer interior designers kathleen dipaolo lean times living pattern return on interiors roi system rooms save your money saving money small business smart space tips trends

Talking about financials and money can be scary for some people‍. And thinking about any economic downturns can be frightening to just about every business owner. But that doesn't mean we should put our heads in the sand. Solid financial planning can keep us from riding the rollercoaster of...

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How Long Are These Supply Delays Going to Last? business business tips color decor decorating design entrepreneur furniture home house how to run your business ideas interior design interior design business interior designer kathleen dipaolo living pattern return on interiors roi system rooms shipping issues small business smart smart ideas space supply chain the business of design tips trends

That question is the one EVERYONE wants an answer to! Our clients are driving us crazy with questions about their furnishings, and we're stuck in the middle. Even our vendors don't have all the answers. Things change daily with shipping containers, plant closures, truck shortages and more. So...

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How to Keep that Superstar Employee Happy business color decor decorating design employee benefits employee retention employees entrepreneur home house ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo keeping employees happy living pattern return on interiors roi system rooms small business smart space tips trends

It's a VERY tight job market out there right now. You probably already know that if you've been trying to hire help. And when it's almost impossible to get new employees, you DEFINITELY do not want to lose the ones you have. Especially if you are lucky enough to have a fabulous employee. Here's...

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5 Tips for Wooing the Builder You Always Wanted to Work With architect builders business color decor decorating design entrepreneur formingpartnerships home house how to win over partners ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living partnerships pattern return on interiors roi system rooms small business smart space tips trends wooing partners

There are so many fabulous architects and builders out there to work with - but, let's admit, some are better than others. There are always those superstar builders that are doing amazing homes and I've been lucky enough to work with some of them. But how do you get to know them if your business...

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3 Financial Decisions to Make Before the 4th Quarter 4th quarter business color decor decorating design entrepreneur financial planning financial planning for small businesses fourth quarter home house ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living pattern return on interiors roi system rooms small business smart space tips trends

There is so much attention focused on the other quarters of a financial year, that we forget how important the end of a 3rd quarter is. This is the point at which you still have time to adjust your path and meet your goals before the year ends. And it isn't too early to plan for the next year,...

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3 Reasons to Plan for 2022 Right Now! 2022 planning business business ideas color creating a marketing plan decor decorating design entrepreneur home house ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living marketing strategy pattern plan for business planning for a rainy day rainy day fund return on interiors roi system rooms small business smart space tips trends

This year has flown by AND it has dragged its feet. Who knew this was what 2021 was going to be, right?! So why in the world would I want you to go ahead and plan for 2022? Because of what 2020 and 2021 turned out to be, of course!! We had no clue what we and our businesses would be hit with over...

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Should You Shop with Your Clients? business client support color decor decorating design entrepreneur home house ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living pattern procurement product procurement return on interiors roi system rooms shopping for products shopping with clients small business smart space tips trends working with clients

Procurement has always been both a great thing for interior designers... and the bane of our existence. It's even worse now with supply delays, shipping issues, and impossible-to-find products. So, of course, it's again raised the question about whether or not designers should shop with their...

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3 Tips for Juggling Your Vacation and Your Clients business ceos taking vacation color decor decorating design entrepreneur home house ideas interior design interior designer jugglinng your clients kathleen dipaolo living pattern return on interiors roi system rooms small business smart space taking your vacation tips trends vacation working with clients

We're heading into Labor Day week, the last hurrah for summer vacations. It has been a crazy year for interior designers and we need every bit of time off that we can get. But how do you juggle your clients AND your vacation?! How do you keep those clients happy and keep those projects moving, so...

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4 Ways to Deal with Issues Between Client Couples business client care client therapy color couples therapy customer service decor decorating design entrepreneur home house how to understand your clients ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living managing your clients pattern return on interiors roi system rooms small business small businesstherapy smart space therapy tips trends

There is nothing more awkward than sitting with a couple while they throw verbal darts at each other. And designing a home can bring stressors that cause issues between clients - which of course is made even worse if there are already problems in their relationship. UGH. But having to be a family...

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Your Client Wants to Change the Budget - Now What? budget business changing budget changing the budget client care color customer service decor decorating design entrepreneur home house ideas interior design interior designer kathleen dipaolo living money talk pattern return on interiors roi system rooms scope of project small business smart space tips trends

Here's a scenario that's becoming way too common today - your client gets tired of waiting for product or the contractor so they decide they want to change things up. They may want to expand the scope of what they originally wanted, or they decide they don't want to continue with parts of the...

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