Dec
21
Posted under
interior busnis
Working with design professionals on their businesses, it seems too many are operating off of random piles, post-it notes, and a chaotic office. Organization saves precious time, creates greater confidence in your business, and allows you to always know exactly your success position. There are simple, proven techniques for getting and staying on top of the paper tiger.
Mastering Client Files
Each file folder should be clearly marked with the clients name, address, and phone contact, email also. To make it truly easy use project management folders, available at any office supply resource. These provide a chart that you can log your client visits and progress on the face of the folder. Keep all job receipts, samples, product tear sheets, and client notes in the file folder. When a job is complete, move the folder to inactive but follow up regularly!
Organizing Business Receipts
Non-client related receipts, such as those for marketing, office supplies, auto expense, insurance, employee meals and more must be filed monthly if not weekly. Simply you can use either an accordion file folder, or if (as mine do) you have far too many, then use 6×9 manila envelopes in a file drawer and label each clearly with the category of expense and the year. You can then easily deliver these to your bookkeeper or accountant in time for tax preparation and financials annually as well as quarterly.
Conquering Purchase Orders
While if you are truly on top of your game, you will do all of this electronically, it is very difficult to avoid paper from vendors! So print out a copy of each order, keep it in a three-ring binder with dividers by month, staple all relevant paperwork to each order. This makes it easy to track and follow up. Be sure to record the name and date of anyone you have spoken with regarding the order on the original P.O. In addition for quick reference you can keep a log book of all orders including the date, the PO number, the vendor, the goods ordered, expected due date, and date received. Old fashioned, but it works, yes you can do this in an excel spread sheet also! For ultimate ease, I make my own PO numbers, they are sequential, but I include the client’s initials before every number.
Tracking Your Time
Yes, most of us work at least on a partial or full hourly basis whether consulting, creating, designing, coaching or project management. You’ll make more money with a daily log than a once a week or once a month mental download. Create either an excel spread sheet in your laptop or PDA or on a green columnar pad and keep it in your car. Assign values to the time being spent (down the left side), is it consulting, resourcing, design, space planning, installation, project management? Assign project names across the top and then record dates and hours. The increment you work in is up to you, some do 15 minutes, others 30 minutes or full hour. Invoice biweekly or monthly.
Regular Invoicing Keeps Cash Flowing
Too often you don’t invoice until you need cash, forgetting that there is always a lag between the time you request the payment and when you’ll get it, often a delay of 30, 60 and even 90 days despite the terms you stated of pay on receipt. So, first invoice often. That means a minimum of biweekly and monthly. In addition, for your services, work off a retainer. You can provide retainers for as few as 5 hours or for a percentage o f the project estimate. This commits the client to the project and allows you money upfront. At the expenditure of each retainer, you send an invoice marked paid with detail of its use and then include the next retainer. This will keep you on track instead of behind. You are a business owner, not a bank!
Using the easy to implement system here will tame your paper nightmares, keep you organized and on track for bringing in the dollars. Passion for work is paramount, but useless if you aren’t profiting!
Dec
14
Posted under
interior busnis
Yesterday I gave my first teleseminar. Other than me giving out the wrong phone number to my attendees, I think it went really well. I gave lots of good information and even had a chance to talk about my new upcoming telesummit which is going to be absolutely fabulous!
So I felt really good about helping designers build a better business for their firms and today I went on Twitter to find someone sending a link to a blog post that designers are taking any kind of job right now to survive.
I felt very sad to see that and, although I know times are not as good as everyone would like, I so strongly believe that interior designers need to really start to think differently about their business models.
As I said in the seminar last night, I am a business consultant for the interior design sector and even I had to start to incorporate new marketing techniques like Social Media into my marketing plans. But I do not discount my fees because we are in hard times.
At the risk of really sounding quite pompous (and I apologize in advance because I am not), but my fees are as valuable in good or bad economies. In fact, I should RAISE my fees in a bad economy (which, of course, I do not)
So I have some advise for interior designers to help reinvent their business strategies:
(1) You are not selling design. Design is a product just like when I was selling beautiful product from Donghia and Larsen. It’s beautiful as I am sure your design work is, but there is a lot from which to choose out there. Offer VALUE. People will pay for what they perceive as value. How much is a Starbucks coffee? Do they apologize for the price? NO they RAISE it!
(2) Sell you entire design company. The value it will bring to a client. The experience your client will have working with you. Your business philosophy, the way you work, how your staff works to keep the project flawless.
(3) Use creative marketing ideas like blogging, Twitter, Linkedin…but learn how to use them strategically if you don’t already know otherwise it will just suck up your time….BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST
(4) DEFINE YOUR TARGET MARKET – once you do..dig deeper NOT wider.
(5) Network in a TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT. But until you name that target, you will not be able to network, will you?
You have much more value to a target market than you do if you cast your net to try to catch anything. How many resources are you wasting by TRYING to get a client. Wouldn’t it be so much better to have clients know who YOU are? Until you define that target market you are one of a thousand interior design firms.
I know that might hurt to read that, but if I said I was a consultant, what does that tell you? What value do I bring to the table? I am one in a million out of work people (as someone once told me when I told them I was a consultant). This person asked me to dig deeper and find my value to future clients and I am asking interior designers to think the same way!
Dec
02
Posted under
interior busnis
Interior design, business brand and your fashion statement – what do they all have in common? The answer to that question is simple, You! You have a unique style. You have a unique coloring. You have a unique fashion statement. I believe as we slow down and reflect we realize we need to stop following the crowd and dare to be individual. How do you determine your style and especially how do you reflect that in your surroundings, in your business life and your fashion statement? This is a very big subject, but let’s take a glimpse at some possible ways to determine your unique style.
Your interior design is your own interior expression. Dare to be individual. Dare to use unique items that you love and that attracts attention because they are special and speak of you. Where did you get that? Think out of the box, just like you do with your fashion statements. There is only one you on this planet and where you live, work and play should look like you, even when you are not there. Your items should tell a story about you, what you like, what your hobbies are, what colors you love and much more. Do not just put ordinary furnishings or accessories, because you are not ordinary! Find extraordinary just like you.
Makeup colors can be wonderful for color schemes. This may not be what everybody wants for their color scheme, but these colors just may be perfect for some. There are some beautiful makeup colors, so why not convert them to soft dusty peach walls, smokey powder room walls or whatever you love. Brown, black or gray as an accent color can be dramatic in your scheme. White wood frames and trim (like your teeth) are a wonderful accent to make the colors really stand out Perhaps you can use shiny fabrics like your lip gloss for accent throw pillows or metallic glimmer paints on your walls. The possibilities are endless, have fun thinking about your interior color scheme in a new way.
Closets are treasure troves of great things you like to surround yourself with. Are you into shiny fabrics or dull. Do you like solids or prints? What are your shoe colors? Do you like white or creams? Pick 3-5 of your very favorite colors, that you not just like to wear, but love and make you look great. These are definite possibilities for your color scheme.
Your business brand can again reflect your color scheme, your style, likes and dislikes. From your business cards, office space, and even the car you drive to work or appointments. It can all go fantastically together and make a personal unique statement.
Everything that you put into your design should have meaning and tell a story, a story about you. This makes finding the items a little harder, but slow down, be patient and find treasures you love. Do not just fill your spaces with just anything. Make sure it matters, excites and brings joy to you.
Do your surroundings say “you”? Start now and make it all count for something about you. I suggest quality and attention to detail for the best designs. You can have fun making you home, work, brand and fashion statements “as one”!
