When starting a new business you may have plenty of excitement and enthusiasm. But it’s not surprising to also make some mistakes that may slow your success. Recognizing those mistakes and learning how to make necessary changes to pivot or avoid them altogether sets you up for success right from the beginning.
Here is a list of 7 common mistakes and how to avoid them:
1. Not charging enough for your services
Because they love the creative part of design, designers may forget that they are in business. And a key purpose of that business is to be profitable. You can’t be profitable if you don’t know what your expenses are. Often designers are so in love with what they do that they may forget that they offer a valuable service. Don’t undersell your value. Designers have the expertise and experience (that increases every year!) that clients are seeking to be able to offer solutions to their design needs. If you need a reminder of the value you offer then make a list of all of the services you offer – the expertise you can provide. What is your Unique Value Proposition? That should be a statement that clearly communicates the unique benefits and value your company offers. Review the list of what you offer and your Unique Value Proposition often to remind yourself of what you are worth. Then charge accordingly.
2. Trying to serve everyone
One of the most important things you can do is to identify your ideal clients by describing them in great detail. You can have more than one ideal client profile but not everyone is your client! Even if you can serve a wide variety of clients, you won’t market to all of them in the same way. How can you focus your marketing if you don’t know who your ideal clients are?
3. Treating your business as a hobby rather than a business
If you treat your business like a hobby, you will be paid like it’s a hobby. You may be a very creative and talented designer, but if you do not treat your business as a business you will soon be closing your doors. Start with a clear business plan – a comprehensive document outlining a company’s goals, strategies, and financial projections. It provides a detailed description of the business. With a business plan you have laid out your vision to build an interior design business and outlined how you will reach those goals. You will be setting yourself up for success.
4. Poor project management skills
Develop written processes and procedures to develop a professional approach to your business. Among other things these should include how to onboard clients, how to onboard members of your team, and what is involved from the time a client signs the contract to completion of the project. Your projects will run much more smoothly, professionally and successfully when you have processes and procedures in place for all areas of managing those projects. Then be sure to update and adjust these as needed
5. Poor communication skills
Usually when there are problems on a job either with clients, vendors, or contractors, it comes down to miscommunication. That might be either what you said or what they heard – or both. Excellent listening skills are important for interior designers, but it is also important to clarify that what you communicate is what the receiver understands. Take the time to not only communicate but to be sure the other party understood what you said. Also regular communication is important. Set a schedule, be sure the clients and others involved in the project know that schedule, and stick to it. Even when everything is on schedule, weekly confirmation of this is important.
6. Lack of effective marketing
Marketing is actually easier once you have completed your ideal client profiles. From those profiles you know their interests as well as the events and activities in which they are involved. Use those profiles to focus your marketing. Then use your creativity to develop ways you can reach out to your ideal clients. Include networking with others who have the same ideal clients as well as identifying “connectors” – those people who are great at connecting people. Build relationships with these people. Also consider other ways to network. If you are a golfer or tennis player, that might be how you meet some of your ideal clients. Or if you share other interests with them, that provides additional ways to meet them. Get creative and make marketing fun – and focus on the Return on Investment (ROI). Think of those new projects that will be coming your way if you are continually marketing!
7. Ignoring Branding
What is your brand? Companies don’t sell products — they sell a brand. They sell experiences, feelings and culture. How can your ideal clients identify you if there is nothing that sets you apart? What are the experiences you want your clients to have when they hire you?
The above list includes some of the mistakes that interior designers often make when starting their businesses. But there may be a number of you who have been in business for a while and yet can still identify with at least some of these challenges. No matter what stage you are at in your business, know that those designers who are successful in business know the value of expanding their knowledge. Always be open to the inspiration offered by lifelong learning.