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10 Tips for the New Interior Design Business Owner by Denise McGaha of M Designs

Posted by Blake Cockett . Published on 04 July 2011, No Comments Received

As we begin our 10th year in business, I have had the opportunity to reflect on what brought us to where we are today and what I have learned. Having gone from just one employee, (me), to six, I have had to grow and then shrink and then grow again…..that darn recession. I often felt alone trudging through the design world making mistakes, and learning from them. I thought it would be great to offer a few tips for those of you starting out in your own business. Some of these are related to business and some to design, but in order to be successful, you need both!! Trust me, I know!

1. Embrace fear – don’t be afraid to be daring in design or in your business practices. Being different is what makes you successful. If you mold your firm after another, you will be a follower. Instead, find your voice in design style and in your personality to create your unique footprint and style. Take that fear of being new and different and turn it into a money making firm.

2. Increase your sources – through travel, expand your sources outside of the local market in addition to having local sources. I found that when I looked further than Dallas, my projects began to have more life, more vivre and were awarded many more looks than before. Besides, anyone can drive around town and shop local sources – even your clients. Bring them what they can’t get here. Also, travel to the Paris markets, New York, Atlanta – or better yet, start surfing the internet and reading other blogs for sources and inspiration.

3. Get a business coach – I waited far too long to do this. At the urging of my husband, I finally did it and it’s been the best thing for my life. This person will bring a different perspective, be a sounding board and a definite investment that will pay off. Get one – NOW. You can’t afford not to.

4. Join your local chapter of…….anything. Be it ASID, a charity, the museum, networking group, etc. If you don’t get out and meet people, you won’t be able to tell people who you are and what you do. Increase your network and you will find success.

5. Create relationships with your vendors – when you are in a crunch for a design presentation and you need something you just can’t find, there is nothing better than sending a quick note to your three sources to help. I sent a note out last week that I was looking for a particular tile for a project after something had been discontinued and within 30 minutes I had 10 new options in my inbox. Sweet!

6. Grow your staff with people not like you – while it is important to create a corporate culture and create processes and ways of doing business, I have found that when I employ other designers and office staff who aren’t like me, I have the best results. I need someone who looks at problems differently and has a different creative view. While I have to resist the urge to make them conform to the “M” way of doing things, sometimes individuality creates the best results in the office.

7. Have lots of room – I have found that when my designers have lots of room to work and present their projects they are the most successful. When creating your office space, plan for more storage and filing than you think you will ever need. Having room to store samples and fabrics makes us a much more efficient firm.

8. Make interns and Craig’s List your friend – when you have those tasks that don’t require a full-time position, put ads in Craig’s List for blogging help, SEO help, drafting, etc. and you will be surprised what you find! Don’t hire a full time employee when you can work with an expert as the needs arise. Great help when you are feeling overwhelmed and sometimes you don’t even meet them.

9. Get a great accounting software program – as you may or may not know, we spend more time in this business generating proposals, invoices and paying bills than ever doing design….or at least it feels that way. I recently converted to Studio IT and with its great online component and the ability to rent the software, I have access 24/7 to all of my accounting data. I have other friends who are big fans of QuickBooks. What ever you choose, make sure you or your bookkeeper are pros at using it. You can’t run a business without it.

10. Take a break – choose one day a month to work on visioning for your company. I recently began this practice and re-engaging with my goals each month has helped me achieve so many more this year! Envision success and you have won half the battle.

I believe in success for all of us and I wish you the best in your design business endeavors!!

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