Professional Documents
Culture Documents
If you’re going the e-design route, you need to make a list of specific
deliverables.
Paint palettes
Mood boards
3D renderings
Shopping lists
Detailed notes
Etc.
These might be slightly different than if you were to offer the full interior
design experience (i.e., dealing with contractors, manufacturers and
suppliers).
That’s not to say you need to only take on clients that share your style, but
when you start an interior design business, you want to be targeting your
ideal clients.
You get where we’re going with this. Find your niche, find your style, and
you’ll attract the right kinds of people.
Once you’ve chosen a business name, you need to register it with your
state or province. Make sure you have all the licenses required by law to
start an interior design business so you don’t run into any trouble later on.
Building and perfecting your website will take a while. Don’t rush things,
and don’t start promoting your website if it’s incomplete. Remember – your
website is a reflection of you as a designer.
5. Build a portfolio
When you first start an interior design business, you might not have a
portfolio yet – but that’s ok. You don’t necessarily need a huge portfolio at
the beginning of your career.
If you have images of spaces you’ve designed for actual clients, even
better! You should definitely include those as well.
Hourly rate
Percentage of overall cost
Fixed rate
Cost per square foot
Once you’ve decided how you want to charge your clients, you need to
write out an agreement and have your clients sign a contract to seal the
deal.
If you want to learn more about how you can market yourself and promote
your services, check out this eBook.
8. Start a blog
Once your website is set up and you’ve started promoting your services,
you should look into starting a blog. Even if you’re not a writer, you’ll get the
hang of it. Write posts about design tips, designs trends – anything related
to design, really.
When you write a post, you need to keep certain things in mind:
Is clutter-free
Has enough storage
Has a desk/surface
Has good lighting
If you have the budget to rent (or even buy) office space, by all means go
for it. But if you’re on a tight budget, you can work from home and meet
your clients at their home or at coffee shops.
Cabinet suppliers
Appliance distributors
General contractors
Countertop suppliers
Textile suppliers
The more people you know and the more connections you have within the
industry, the better.