Linda Merrill - How to Start a Home-Based Interior Design Business

how to start a home-based

Interior Design Business, sixth edition

Many experienced designers wish theyd had a blueprint when they first started their businesses. It would have kept them from making many mistakes and made the early years so much easier. Design schools teach the history and theory of design, but rarely how to run a business. This book was written to give you that advantage. In it youll find all kinds of information on the business and how it works. Youll have access to elusive formulas and charts that new designers often have difficulty finding. In short, this book will give you the confidence and the knowledge to start a successful interior design business. So get comfortable, sharpen your pencils, and lets get started on making your dream of starting a home-based interior design business a reality!

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Copyright 1997, 2000, 2003 by Suzanne DeWalt. Revised text copyright 2006, 2009 by Morris Book Publishing, LLC. Revised text copyright 2015 by Taylor Trade Publishing.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Merrill, Linda, 1962

How to start a home-based interior design business / revised by Linda Merrill. Sixth Edition.

pages cm. (Home-based business series)

Summary: Have you ever dreamed of starting your own home-based interior design business? Have you been hesitant to put your business plans into action? This book contains all the necessary tools and success strategies you need to launch and grow your business. An experienced designer shares her experiences and advice on every aspect of setting up and running a thriving home-based interior design business. Learn how to develop a business plan, estimate your start-up costs, price your services, and stay profitable once youre in business. Read all about getting clients and referrals, outshining the competition, bidding competitively, establishing your daily schedule, organizing your business, getting paid and much more. The book is packed with worksheets, including products and services charts, a sample balance worksheet, a profit-and-loss worksheet, a cash-flow projections worksheet, a weekly accounting ledger, a vendor sale sheet, and a bid sheet. Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4930-0768-4 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-63076-112-7 (electronic) 1. Interior decoration firmsUnited StatesManagement. 2. Home-based businessesUnited StatesManagement. 3. Interior decorationPractice. I. Title.

NK2116.2.D48 2015

747.068dc23

2015000027

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Linda Merrill is an award-winning interior designer with an expertise in the fields of interior design, media communications, and marketing. A lifelong passion for creating beautifuland livablespaces combined with a savvy business mind has brought her design work and writing to a national and international audience. Since 2002, Linda has offered her interior design and decorating services throughout New England and virtually worldwide. Linda is a sought-after writer and voice in the field of interior design and not only publishes her own popular blog, Surroundings, but is a contributing writer to other media outlets. She is also founder and moderator of the popular podcast The Skirted Roundtable. Her website is www.LindaMerrill.com.

Does your heart skip a beat when colors blend together perfectly? Does the concept of combining patterns excite you? Will you derive as much satisfaction from spending someone elses money and filling their home with beautiful and functional things as you would for yourself? If you answered yes to these questions, you may have the beginnings of what it takes to become a great interior design professional.

Of course, there is more to interior design than designing throw pillows and rearranging furniture. The business aspect cannot be ignored. You can be the most gifted, talented, and creative person in the world, but if you dont run your business wisely, you will not make it in this competitive field. This book provides the information that will help you set up and run a successful home-based interior design business. Youll have formulas and charts at your fingertips, providing you with the relevant information youll need to get started in this fun and profitable business.

A start-up design business is a natural home-based business. Most of the sales take place in the customers home because of the need to match color swatches to existing furniture or measure the windows for draperies. It is rare that a customer will ever have the need to come to your office. Of course, there are exceptions. As your business expands you may want to consider adding builders or commercial accounts to your list of clientele, and some may require that you have an office. (More about this later.)

The other good news about the design business is that there is always a demand for the services we provide. People will always buy new homes or remodel their old ones. In addition to that, the fact that this business can be started anywhere adds to the appeal. The design companies that market themselves as product-driven companies have an even greater advantage. For example, when a person moves into a new home, he or she may not be able to afford a designer (or is possibly nervous about losing control) but will definitely need new window coverings and maybe carpet, or perhaps have a sofa that needs to be reupholstered. There are ample opportunities to market our services to be the most appealing to specific types of clients, from those looking for whole-home remodels and decorations to more targeted purchases such as windows or floors. These various marketing techniques will be covered in the advertising chapter.

The design field is multifaceted. There are many types of occupations, each doing a very different and specific job. Your first step will be to determine where you want your area of focus, or expertise, to be. First, lets discuss the differences between a decorator and a designer. This question actually causes more arguments in the field than any other and the answer varies greatly depending on who is answering the question. It is important to note that for the purposes of this book, we are mainly referring to residential design and decor and not commercial projects, though there is some crossover. In very broad terms, a decorators focus is primarily on the surface materials of a space and a designers focus is both surface materials as well as the functional use of a house and all the services that support the functional use. It varies state by state, but certain education, accreditation, licensing, and registrations (known as Title Acts or Legislation ) may be required in order to call oneself an interior designer or even market your services as design services. Its important to know what your specific regions requirements are.