There’s no defined road map to being an entrepreneur, but there’s still so much to learn when starting an interior design business, where creative variables abound. From developing brand identity and managing growth to strategic outsourcing and hiring the right staff (or knowing when to part ways with the wrong employees), the path to growing a successful firm can often be one riddled with trial by error. Yet, as Shaun Smith, founder of Shaun Smith Home, explains, “A clear vision from the start is so important,” though a lot can be learned by example. We asked a group of seasoned design pros for their top tips on everything from accounting to client strategy when taking the leap of faith in going out on your own.
On creating a vision
“A strong vision is essential, but it should always be evolving. As business owners we must be a step ahead of where we are now—always thinking about what’s next, what we can do better, who else is needed on the team, and what more we can offer clients. Ask yourself these questions often and map out your answers frequently. It’s a process.” —Christine Gachot, cofounder, Gachot Studios
“The first thing you have to do when starting a design firm is to really define what your goals and motivation are for doing so. A clear vision from the start is so important and the goals that will define your business and brand should be long-term ones. You (hopefully) are not starting a business that will only last two or three years, so set aims way beyond that for yourself. I have always lived by the ‘If you reach a goal, it’s time to set two more’ mentality.” —Shaun Smith, founder, Shaun Smith Home
“Research is critical to the success of every new endeavor. We constantly craft residences in cities around the country, and the first step in our process is to understand every facet that we can about the landscape before us. What are the key demographics that define this neighborhood, and how can we match our design concept to their lifestyles? Which local artists are emerging with great work, and how can we get to know them? What is everyone’s favorite cocktail bar, and do they have a table available for tonight? By not only understanding but also interacting with the areas immediately surrounding our work, we are able to create an authentic sense of place that sets our work apart, and most importantly, connects closely with our clients who actually inhabit these spaces.” —Andrew Bowen, partner and head of staging, ASH
On accounting
“I appreciate that we are in a creative field, but it’s still a business. I often share that our first hires included an accountant and a business manager. Being responsible for the livelihoods of 45 people is something I take very seriously. If hiring an in-house team is out of reach at the outset, consider a freelance professional to help establish your business model and train you on useful software. It’s challenging to manage the business while also cultivating new client relationships and designing projects, so acknowledging your limitations and seeking out assistance is smart. I let the professionals take care of what they’re good at!” —Gachot
“First things first are a business license and tax ID within your state: This one is obvious. I started day one with design management software, a professional invoicing structure, and an outside accounting firm in place. My templates were set-up, consistent, and branded. I held on a bit too long managing my own sales tax reporting and P&L statements. In hindsight, I wish I had passed off those responsibilities much sooner. In fact, I should have incorporated those tasks into my day-one outside accounting services. You don’t realize how much it means to have consistent reporting from the beginning until you find yourself tracing back years later, patching together growth patterns tracked in several different systems.” —Drew McGukin, founder, Drew McGukin Interiors
“Billing in the design industry is still something I struggle with. It’s one of the few professions that there simply isn’t a standard formula. The biggest thing is to know your worth and don’t waiver on that. As designers, our brains rarely shut down and that is valuable to the client in the work we provide them. Transparency in billing upfront is key. Early on I would place orders without payment in good faith because I wanted to just get things moving. I learned that is not the way to conduct a successful business. You end up robbing Peter to pay Paul, and [this] creates chaos when it comes to orders. Be upfront with your clients. You are not a bank; you are a small business that is providing a service, and products that should be paid for in a timely manner.” —Smith
“Everything should be billed and paid in full. For custom orders with long lead times, we may request a 50% deposit, and payment in full prior to delivery.” —Alex Papachristidis, founder, Alex Papachristidis Interiors
On branding your interior design business
“I did not officially announce my company as live until I had a firm, final logo design and collateral materials (business cards, notepads, presentation folders, etc.). It was very important that I was ‘dressed for success.’ Today, the website means something different. Your Instagram feed is your new website and your actual website is your new portal…. I had a ‘Coming Soon’ splash page with Drew McGukin Interiors logo for my entire first year. I was adamant about only showing professional imagery. I needed time to produce the work.” —McGukin
“Branding gives people an understanding of who you are and what you have to offer. It’s an opportunity to express your approach to design and give potential clients a feel for how you’ll collaborate. Whether it’s written messaging, digital collateral, or printed materials, it should all be consistent in tone. If you lack communications skills or graphic design expertise, consider hiring someone to help develop your brand guidelines.” —Gachot
On managing growth
“When managing growth in my business, for me the key is to assess, adjust, and adapt as quickly as possible. If you ignore it, chaos ensues. The key that has kept me (for the most part) from firing employees, but has also helped when hiring, is setting expectations from the beginning. You have to make each team member accountable. This has taken me a lot of practice, but when I delegate something to someone, I give them a completion date, and remind them I am letting it go and won’t check on it until it’s completed on that date. Of course, mistakes are made; however, it’s part of letting go and growing your business.” —Smith
“Our philosophy is that each person should feel ownership of the projects that they are working on and not feel as if they are being dictated to. Here at Cullman & Kravis we work as teams, and each team member is heavily involved in the evolution of the project, from scheming to preparation of proposals to placing and following up on orders.” —Ellie Cullman, cofounder, Cullman & Kravis
On client strategy and relations
“Be responsive. I rarely let an email sit for more than five hours if I can help it—unless it comes in late at night. I think that sense of urgency is a key to my success, really. People ask me that all the time and I just say, ‘Answer the telephone.’ Not that people call anymore, but back in the day you could always get me on the phone. I wasn’t afraid of it. That’s the key: responsiveness. We live increasingly in an unresponsive culture. Decorating is such an intricate stack of dominos and if one thing falls, it can affect everything, and so many questions come up as you are in process. Being prompt and methodical about getting questions answered correctly is key to successful jobs and happy clients.” —Miles Redd, cofounder, Redd Kaihoi
“It is important to make sure that you prepare the necessary paperwork for your clients. Once a client decides on a purchase, we prepare a very detailed proposal for them with information in regards to the vendor, style, color, and so on. A proposal should also request a deposit. The deposit would be based on what the vendor requires to put the order in process or the timing of when you will need to pay the vendor.” —Cullman
“There is almost no such thing as over-preparing. Before every important interaction, big or small, we always make sure to gather the necessary troops to ensure collective understanding and alignment before communicating and acting externally. For example, we recently provided a new client with a personalized gift to adorn their new home. While in the end they received a spirit bottle, two glasses, and a handwritten note, what occurred before was a brief internal meeting about how we should thank them for their business, an action plan for reaching out to their close contacts to confirm their drink of choice, important remarks and anecdotes to include for the note, and detailed marching orders for how this would be procured and exactly how it should be arranged. With a relatively large team, this kind of backend organization is imperative to ensure the best possible client experience.” —Bowen
“We value the relationships we have with our clients. We’re collaborating with them on their vision and we never lose sight of that. We’re as much a residential design studio as we are a hospitality design studio, and both come with a commitment to impeccable customer service. I’m very much into old-school displays of appreciation—always sending a thank you note, a holiday card, or a thoughtful gift on special occasions. I’m this way with the team, our vendors, the media, and friends of the studio. Genuine kindness is in my DNA and it shows through in how I do business. We believe in celebrating our community.” —Gachot
On outsourcing operations
“There’s no sense in reinventing the wheel. So many people have done this before. I have found other designers to be a bit opaque in terms of sharing how things get done, but that’s not true across the board. Find people who have a different target market and learn from their experience. I also looked for businesses that were in the same space, but maybe a year ahead of me in terms of growth. Keep yourself open to learning from other industries…. Cast a wide net, be curious, and adapt to what works for your market and your clients.” —Stevie McFadden, founder, Flourish Spaces
“Invest in talent. Know what you don’t know. Skip the mistakes and hire an expert!” —Gachot
On transparency in billing
“I think so many decorators are very vague about how they work; I’m not. I’m incredibly specific, and it’s not particularly complicated, and I’m very transparent. Decorators have gotten into trouble over the years because they’re not [transparent]. It’s easier to be transparent with your markups. You have to keep your clients happy, but you have to keep your vendors happy, too. Being responsive and sympathetic to their needs is important, and you have to walk a tightrope because you’re trying to get the best that you can from the people who are helping you but understand their limitations and get the best you can for your clients.
I tell the client what [products and services] cost, where we’re getting them from, and the markup. There are certain stores that will offer designers 30% or 20% or no discount at all, and I’m very specific about everything and letting everyone know exactly what we are getting. I speak in net prices all the time. When I’m in a shop, all the time people will look at you and just talk in net pricing. Decorators work very hard and they’re entitled to the money they make for what they're doing. It’s certainly not private equity.” —Redd
On starting a business and wrangling growth
“Growing pains are real! As the team grows the studio dynamic changes—sometimes for the better and sometimes not so much. Space, budget, and human resources are all important to consider, but culture is a big factor too. A supportive work environment contributes to the stability of the business, so I try not to rush growth and I say ‘no thank you’ often, even if it affects personal financial profit. I’m not interested in having the team work every weekend or super long hours. I want them to be happy. Community is at our core.” —Gachot
“Part is luck and part is instinct. I am a big believer in finding great people and giving them a long leash and letting them do it. I have tried to do that. Albert Hadley always used to whisper in my ear, ‘Stay small.’ I think there’s so much truth in that. For the most part I have stayed somewhat small. Being direct and being decisive and quickly knowing the answer to solutions helps. I always think of Anna Wintour: She knows she’s incredibly decisive—and so am I, for the most part. It helps in business.” —Redd
On managing staff
“It’s important to find good people that you trust and who care about the brand. I try to recognize, compensate fairly, be inclusive, and stress how much of it is a team effort and how it’s not just me, it’s everyone. To err is human and to forgive is divine…. I try to see where the mistake happens, and it’s usually a breakdown in communication, so I try to have as many channels of communication as possible. It’s really tough in this day and age.” —Redd
“Hiring is a bit of a shot in the dark. If they fit your criteria and have the experience, go for it! You never really know how things will work out until you are in it, but I’m a big believer in trusting your instincts. Firing is my absolute least favorite thing to do and I rarely do it.” —Papachristidis
“As you grow, hold on to what makes your firm special. Designers who are fortunate enough to achieve a certain level of scale understand intimately the limitations of one brain. While it is eventually going to be impossible to personally select every single chair, artwork, or candle, or even join every single concept review call, it is possible to build an expert team of talented and trusted individuals who can all speak the same creative language and share the same values. Get close to them and give them as much of your time as you are able to ensure that they are developing in a way that is aligned with the firm’s mission. That way, as you grow, all of your clients will continue to receive the same (or hopefully, even better!) service for their project than they would have when you first began.” —Bowen
