Interior designers have struggled to get business, much less make money in 2009.  The recession has affected every single person including the ultra wealthy.  Granted they have more money to begin with, but their sense of security and affluence has affected their willingness to spend money.

What do you do as an interior designer to get business in spite of the economy?  Work smarter, learn shortcuts and hone your skills.

When I went to design school several years ago, I had one class in business and that didn’t scratch the surface of what I needed to know to run my business.  Thank goodness I had a degree in Finance and then some terrific training in sales and marketing by a Fortune 500 company.

I have to tell you that I’m still learning from some amazing coaches even in the last month.  They’ve taught great shortcuts to do more in less time.  I’m sharing many of those great tips and tools on my next Monthly Mentor class on December 16.  I’ll be showing how to create a quick dashboard for your business, focus and achieve clarity, plan for 2010 so you’re able to start on January 4th with determination and resolve to have the best year you’ve ever had.

I can’t wait to teach this class because I know you’ll find that your results are easier to achieve than ever.  The biggest problem I see with many designer’s businesses is a lack of planning and follow-through.  And, sometimes it is just not knowing what will give the greatest leverage in your business.

You know the old story about sharpening the ax to cut down the tree.  If your blade is dull, it will take more time and effort.

What are some of the keys you need to be successful in your business?

• Know your ideal client profile – you need such a clear picture of your ideal client that you can actually visualize their face and imagine having coffee with them.
• Define your niche – the tighter it is, the easier it will be to sharpen your marketing message – are you known by what you achieve for your clients?
• Understand the lifetime value of your clients – when you do, you’ll have a clear measure of how many you need – $25,000 or $100,000 or even $250,000?
• Set a budget based on higher profit – how many clients do you need per year?  If your average client is worth $25,000 in gross sales, what is the profit for that client?  Is it $2,500 or $5,000? How much do you want to make in profit?
• Schedule your marketing and do it every single day – first thing.
• Improve your skills in closing business – learn how to give clients what they really want and business will be much easier – you’ll get more referrals more easily.
• Focus and simplify what you’re doing – we all suffer from overload in this business, and much of it doesn’t produce revenue.  Your highest priority in your business is producing revenue.
• Leverage your activities by systematizing business processes and using tools that increase your productivity like Studio Webware or Minutes Matter Solutions, Inc. Studio product
• Play to your strengths and outsource or delegate everything else – if you’re doing accounting and filing, you’re taking money out of your pocket.  Hire someone to do the things that you aren’t great at doing.
• Action – plan and take consistent and deliberate steps toward clear goals.

It’s easy to over-complicate our businesses and our lives.  If we focus on the core drivers of our business, it will be much easier and lots more fun.

Don’t miss the 2010 Profit Planning Session tomorrow, December 16th at Noon Eastern
(11:00 am Central/10:00 am Mountian/9:00 am Pacific).
Click here to sign up now!

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