What Do You Need in Your Toolbox?

By Gail Doby, ASID
CVO & Co-Founder, Gail Doby Coaching & Consulting & Design Success University

Unless interior design for you is only a part-time hobby, you are not just an interior designer; you are in the interior design business. To be successful in your business, you need the right tools. As any craftsperson knows, without the right tools you have to work much harder to get a result that is not as good. Having the right tools is just another way of working smarter rather than harder.

Based on my own experience and that of many other successful designers I’ve spoken with over the years, here is my list of the basic tools every interior design should have in their toolbox:

• Marketing and PR strategies and outlets (including website, blog, social media). Without clients you have no business. You need to have the means to reach your ideal clients and tell them why they should hire you.
• Serving skills. As professionals we utilize our design skills, but as business people we are in a service business. To win clients once you’ve got them to contact you, you need to demonstrate to them that you provide a high level of attentive and personalized service.
• Billing strategies. This one can take some trial and error to get right. Your fees and how you bill must fit the needs of your clients. If not, they become a detriment to your attracting the clients you want.
• Referrals. Don’t hesitate to ask satisfied clients for a referral. It is the best tool you can get to acquire new business and grow your brand.
• Design software. This includes space planning and rendering software, image editing software, and mobile apps for taking measurements, notating photos and sharing images with clients or team members.
• Business software. This includes accounting software, time and resource management software (including billing and purchasing), and project management software (preferably one that all team members can share).
• Business management documents. Why re-invent the wheel each time you have a new project, client or employee? Develop standard boilerplate documents for contracts, invoices, thank you notes, letter of hire, employee policies, project checklists, and other communications that you use repeatedly.
• Connections with providers, vendors, contractors and friendly competitors. If you are a solopreneur, you can’t do everything on your own. You need help from many different people to complete a successful project. Develop a contact list of quality, reliable personnel and maintain contact periodically, even if you don’t have a need of their services at the time. They’ll come through for you when you do need them, and they can be great sources of referrals, too.

These are just the basic tools. You will want to add others as your business grows and you define your niche and ideal client more precisely. As with any tool, these require maintenance. Take some time each year to review the tools you have and update or replace them as needed. With proper care, they will serve you well all year long.