Have you got a flair for interior design, but don’t know where to start when it comes to setting up your own firm? Many people make a lot of money and enjoy offering interior design and decoration services to offices, stores and homes. However, it’s not always easy to begin selling your services, and gain attention for your brand. Knowing these top tips will make the transition much easier. Here are all the things you need to know about starting an interior decorating firm.
Determine Your Services
One of the most important things you need to do is identify your niche, and make sure you are marketing yourself correctly. For example, are you going to offer things such as mood boards, colour palettes, paint swatching, 3D renderings, and shopping lists? Will you just offer digital rendering services, or will you be involved with vendors and contractors? Knowing these things are important so you can come up with your business model.
Cultivate Your Personal Style
What style are you amazing at creating? Identify this, and then make sure you know the ins and outs of your personal design style. You should also figure out what kind of space you want to design – are you great at making offices, or do you prefer to design home spaces? This will help you to know who you need to market to. You might even only want to design one type of room, for example, kitchens or bathrooms. Knowing all of this will help you find the clients who will truly benefit from your service.
Build Your Portfolio
You will need a portfolio at the beginning of your career, however it’s okay if it’s not huge and expansive just yet. However, it’s a good idea to give potential customers an idea of your style, so they know whether or not you are right for them. If you’re just starting out, you can include some things in your portfolio so you can promote yourself in the right way. For example, you can include images from your own home, 3D renderings of your style, or mood boards. This will help people to better understand your design style.
Promote Your Business
People won’t know how to use your services if they don’t know about them. However, there are many things you can do to put your business out there – starting a blog, keeping up with social media, business cards and paid ads can also help with promoting your new company.
Secure Your Finances
Your business finances are just as important as you promoting your company. Starting a business on shaky financial ground can lead to bankruptcy. There are many things you can do to strengthen your financial security. For example, using accounting software to keep on top of your finances can be a really clever way to keep on top of your money while keeping costs low. You should also consider investing in some form of business insurance to protect yourself. For example, professional indemnity insurance will protect you in case something goes wrong and you damage a home when you’re designing. Visiting credit insurance brokers can allow you to protect yourself from customers who are unable to pay. Insurance could really make your company’s finances much more secure.