Should Interior Designers Work Without Contracts?

This is a very important conversation about the necessity for you to use contracts and retainers in your interior design business.

I’ve seen many newbies start work without contracts and retainers based on their good faith belief that the unsigned “clients” will pay.

And I’ve also worked with seasoned designers who got burned by not following processes for “onboarding” clients.

When is a contract plus a retainer important?

ALWAYS and they are especially important in these cases:

1. If you work with friends or family:  You must use a contract.  Doing this will ensure that both parties don’t end up feeling that the other person is taking advantage of them.
2. When the client rushes you to start or is too busy to do the paperwork:   Stop, and make them sign the contract before you begin the paperwork.  
3. Anytime you want to maintain control of your time and finances:  You always want to maintain control over your projects or you may end up giving away your profits.
4. Ensure you get paid for your intellectual property:  Meaning your design skills. Once a prospect has your ideas, they might end up purchasing themselves to save money. Remember, Your ideas and resources are your primary assets.
5. Before you ever walk through a project:  You know the client will invariably ask your opinion and you don’t want to give your design skills away for free.
6. Before you start designing in your head:  You’re all excited about a fabulous, high dollar and visible project and you don’t want to mentally start working on until you get a contract.
7. When the prospect seems so nice and easy going:   You can’t imagine anything going wrong but you need to protect yourself.
8. When you want to protect yourself from someone taking advantage:  We are generous in nature, remember you are running a business!
9. You are hungry for work:   You want to get your foot in the door and are willing to do anything.
10. When you want to protect yourself from liability.
11. When you like people and want to trust them: I’ve learned from years of experience that you don’t really know them until you are in a “legally protected” working relationship. Everyone is nice at the beginning. It is like dating.
12. When you want to be viewed as professional and business like:  You want to be seen as in control of your projects.  Having a contract will show your clients you are a seasoned professional and know how to run your business.

I’ve skipped the contract than once, and I honestly should have known better after the first time.

We’re all susceptible because we are giving and accommodating as mostly women in a service profession.

Now … when will you work without a contract or retainer? All together … NEVER!!!