Page 9 – Claire Jefford

Designer By Your Side Service

Designer By Your Side is a service that is growing in popularity in our industry. It’s a service I have been offering since I started my business over 10 years ago.

3 Factors to Consider First

Before I delve into what exactly Designer By Your Side looks like, I want to emphasize three key things you MUST consider before establishing your menu of services.

1. What are your business goals? Do not follow the pack when creating your list of services. Be faithful to your goals and build your services around achieving them.

2. What is your personal situation? Certain services may be more or less appropriate depending on your personal situation. Perhaps your design business is only a part-time gig or you have young or elderly family members to care for. This may mean full custom design projects are a bit more challenging to handle at the moment, but smaller time block services are ideal.

3. You Do You! Do not worry about what other people are doing or what they might think about how you run your business. It’s not your job to convince others why the path you want to take is a good idea. You don’t need approval from anyone to run your business as you see fit. Provide design and decorating services that excite YOU and make no excuses!

If you haven’t already got your hands on my FREE Services and Pricing guide, with 12 pages, get it now to determine the best list of services to offer that will help you achieve your business goals.

Download the Services & Rates guide here

What is Designer By Your Side service?

It can go by several names. I have heard it referred to as ‘Designer On Call’ or ‘Designer On Demand’. When I first started out I called this type of service ‘As and When You Need Me’.

I prefer Designer by Your Side as it doesn’t imply that I will be there at the drop of a hat.

For this type of service I work side-by-side with my clients, guiding them through the process of their renovation or interior decorating project. I have set this service up as a minimum of 20 hours.

You could do less, but I suggest you do not go below 10 hours for this type of service. If you are going to offer anything less than 10 hours, you should defer to Designer for a Day Services.

My policy of requiring payment upfront holds true for this service. Before I begin my working relationship with my client, I will have invoiced them for the 20 hours and already received payment.

You could start with 50%, just be sure to have at least partial payment up front prior to initiating any interior design services.

Like all my services a signed contract is a must. I always review my contracts in person with my clients and request a retainer at the same time.

Learn more about what’s included here

I have an easily editable and comprehensive contract template specifically for my Designer By Your Side service.

Included is a wonderful marketing tool that you can use to explain in detail this service and answer many of the most common FAQs.

It’s a fantastic way to sell them on the advantages and benefits of hiring you for this service.

Pros & Cons

Great for New Designers

This is a great service for those starting out. So, if you are new to the business, I’m especially talking to you here!

In the beginning, it can be hard to land the huge custom design jobs with decent sized budgets, so this is a wonderful alternative.

Get Your Foot in the Door

Point #1 leads nicely into this next pro – it’s a great way to get your foot in the door. You start by helping out a client with a smaller project, gain their trust and show your value, and often it can lead to getting signed up for a future bigger project.

I know this to be true in my own experience but have heard similar stories from several designers during a recent WIDWIL (What I Did and What I Learned). This is a live show in my private Facebook Group called Interior Design Business Strategies.

Don’t be too quick to say no to these small jobs, as you just never know where it could lead! You may lose out on a potentially larger project if you do.

Experience is Everything

Another important Pro is the experience you will gain. By working on more of these ‘Designer By Your Side’ projects you will quickly gain valuable experience. Lots of different projects mean lots of diverse experiences. All of which will put you in good stead for when you begin to tackle Full-Service projects.

Flexibility and Less Responsibility

In addition to experience, Designer By Your Side offers an incredible amount of flexibility. Depending on your personal situation, which I touched on earlier, you may not be able to commit to 6 months or a year for a major renovation project. However, a 20-hour project assisting a homeowner work through the process of renovating their kitchen might be a perfect fit for your schedule.

Build Your Reviews

Don’t think you can’t ask for reviews where you’ve worked on projects with clients for Designer by Your Side Services? You absolutely can and you SHOULD!

Reviews are everything. I’ll even ask for a testimonial for ‘working design sessions’ because I always aim to ROCK the Initial Consultation. No matter what a client hires us for, my goal is to always bring the MOST value to their project.

We charge well for our initial consultation meetings and never hold back in sharing our ideas and bests advice. I recommend you do the same, it will feel great and can pay off in dividends over time in different ways.

Profitability

The last Pro is huge. Are you listening? Check it out! Designer By Your Side can be an awesome moneymaker for your business.

In less than 10 months we have provided this service to three different clients and through hours worked alone, we have billed over $30k. That is not including any sale of products!

So don’t write this service off completely if you’ve been doubtful that there is money to be made. I wouldn’t be sharing all of this with you if I didn’t think it could help increase the bottom line in your business.

With all that said you might be wondering if there are any Cons? Yes, there are. So here we go…

Limited Control

The biggest Con for many interior designers will be that they don’t have full control over the project. If you prefer being in the driver’s seat for the duration of a project, then you will likely struggle with this type of service where clients tend to be more hands-on.

Piecemeal is Real

Because clients are more involved, they may also like to shop and source for items on their own. So rather than you creating a vision and showing them a full design presentation, the design may come together in pieces.

I appreciate this is not ideal and can be frustrating, which is why I’m highlighting it here for you as a Con to the Designer by Your Side service.

Not Getting to the Finish Line

This type of service may also mean that you will not always take a project to the finish line. Therefore not having the option to get those professional photos of the completed space at the end.

HOWEVER, I would like to make a little side note here to say that in my own business I have worked on many projects in this capacity and have got photos for my portfolio.

While I may not have always been the one ordering materials and all furnishings, nor managing the trades, I worked very closely with my clients and was able to get some fantastic photos when the projects were complete.

The images below and others throughout this blog post are all examples of projects where we were hired for our Designer by Your Side service.

Do you currently offer this service or one similar? If you don’t, would you consider it? Love hearing input from others so please comment below.

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More design contracts for your business:

Benjamin Moore – Soft Chamois

Soft Chamois OC-13 by Benjamin Moore

What a lovely, warm neutral. Benjamin Moore’s Soft Chamois has a beautiful lightness to it, a wonderful colour for traditional and modern rooms.

In today’s colour review video of Soft Chamois I share:

The undertone of my featured colour
Colour comparisons in order to easily see the different colour tones
Best white paint colours for the trim and ceilings
Beautiful colour combinations to inspire you for your decorating project

If you would like all the information I discuss in the video plus additional colours to pair with Soft Chamois, I have the perfect companion. Take a look at my Perfect Colour Palette. A must-have for any colour enthusiast or design professional.

As a Certified True Colour Expert and an award-winning interior design professional, I’ve worked with many homeowners on various residential design projects. I want to give you the confidence to make educated decisions about your own paint choices. Let’s do this!

Soft Chamois Colour Review

Undertone: Greige

This off-white colour may appear more beige or more gray in colour depending on the lighting and what other decorative elements you pair with it in your interior decorating project. Looking at the colour comparisons below will help give you a better idea of where Soft Chamois fits.

Colour Comparisons

Classic Gray OC-23 & Ballet White OC-9

Classic Gray is another fantastic neutral that I have used in a previous client’s project. This is an extremely popular soft gray that looks amazing in so many spaces. Because of its’ popularity, I have already reviewed this colour. You can find the review here. Another great option to consider if you’re thinking of a beautiful neutral for your next painting project.

Best Whites To Pair With Soft Chamois

Snowfall White OC-118 by Benjamin Moore

Simply White OC-117 by Benjamin Moore

Chantilly Lace OC-65 by Benjamin Moore

I tend to have around 10 white paint colours that are my best whites for trim and ceilings. You don’t need all of the thousands of whites available to you to get the right one and you definitely don’t need to mix two different whites or use only a certain percentage of paint colour to get the right one for you.

White trim and ceiling paint colour comparison

I can assure you that the best colour for your project already exists, you just need to know 5 Steps on how to choose the right paint colour the first time.

Soft Chamois pairs beautifully with each of these whites, offering three subtly different looks.

Fabulous Colour Combinations

I went for a very natural palette today that reminds me of the beach and different shades of natural stones. But of course, you can pair Soft Chamois with bolder and contrasting colours as well.

Soft Chamois with Wind’s Breath, Gray Owl, Edgecomb Gray & Pashmina

To see 10 amazing complementary colours to Soft Chamois check out my Perfect Colour Palette.

These digital downloads give you inspiration for putting a palette together of fabrics, tiles, flooring, and other decorative elements that will work wonderfully with Soft Chamois.

Wind’s Breath OC-24 by Benjamin Moore

Gray Owl OC-52 by Benjamin Moore

Gray Owl is another popular gray that I have reviewed. Read here and see if this slightly richer gray might be the colour for you.

Edgecomb Gray HC-173 by Benjamin Moore

My clients and I have a real thing for gorgeous, rich neutrals. Both Edgecomb Gray and Pashmina are colours I have previously done reviews on.

Pashmina AF-100 by Benjamin Moore

Convenience At Your Fingertips

All of the colour combinations shown above are included in my Perfect Colour Palette for Soft Chamois.

Soft Chamois is also included in my Benjamin Moore Whites and Neutrals Collection. A curated collection of 10 of the most popular neutrals from Benjamin Moore.

My Perfect Colour Palette library is expanding and I now have 50 paint colours to select from. Click here to see all of them.

All 20 of my Benjamin Moore paint guides are conveniently found in my Benjamin Moore Ultimate Collection.

Remember, it only takes one mistake to take your home decorating project from divine to disaster. Don’t let the paint be what stresses you out!

Room image by Benjamin Moore Colour Viewer

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Simply Answer the Question

How do you answer the following question: ‘Can you give me a trade referral?’

Do you simply provide a helpful answer or do you immediately go on the defense thinking this person is trying to bypass you to get something for free?

This similar style of question comes up periodically in my FREE private Facebook group, Interior Design Business Strategies.

It could be asked by an acquaintance, a close friend, or perhaps even a past client who is doing some minor decorating in their home.

In this specific instance, a woman reached out to an interior designer and was looking for a seamstress to make her some new window treatments. She had the fabric, knew what style she was after, and had all the measurements.

Would you have helped this person out and simply answered their question to offer a helpful resource?

It can be a touchy subject in our industry, after all, finding reputable trades isn’t easy and this is a bonus of working with an interior design professional.

In today’s video, I share a wonderful response to this question from my good friend, podcaster extraordinaire, and top businesswoman, LuAnn Nigara.

Watch the video to hear some great advice on how to respond professionally to this type of question.

Answer the question, nothing more.

We all appreciate getting a quick, direct, and sincere answer from an expert or professional. You should keep that in mind when replying to situations where the roles are reversed.

Do not go into this by lecturing the person on why they need to hire you to carry out this job, instead simply answer their question and help them out if you can.

Understand the reason for the question

As design and decorating professionals we should never jump to conclusions. Try to find out why the question is being asked in the first place and get more information about what it is exactly that they need.

Maybe they feel their small project is not worth your time. Others might feel that not every decision around home décor requires hiring a designer, but they still value your opinion. There are so many scenarios it’s worth taking a moment to find out.

You never know where it might lead

Helping someone out by simply answering the question posed to you may have the potential to lead to more…then again, maybe it doesn’t. What’s the harm in offering some helpful advice? They came to you because they view you as an expert, that’s gotta count for something!

Imagine how many potential clients never even reach out to you because they aren’t looking for a full custom design service with project management. For some designers, their business model is full-service design only, so I totally appreciate that’s not a concern for them.

But we know there are others who enjoy smaller projects versus the ones that take months and sometimes years to complete. These smaller jobs can often lead to larger projects in the future and are why I offer Designer by Your Side services.

If you don’t share your trades’ information, I totally get that! But it doesn’t mean you can’t offer some helpful insight into where they can look to find someone who might assist them.

For example, if someone was looking for a painter and mine only worked for me and other designers, then I would suggest they go to a local paint store like Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. These companies often have a wall with business cards of local painters.

I would also let them know that I have loads of colour review posts that are loaded with a ton of helpful painting advice.

I could also send them a link to my Free downloads about choosing paint colours.

Now I’ve not only given them an option of where to find a painter, but I’ve also provided some extremely helpful resources to help them solve their problem and potentially gained a new subscriber to my email list! It’s a win-win!

Simply answering a question with some helpful advice could have the potential to lead to a future project and working relationship. And even if it doesn’t, it just feels good to be kind and forthcoming with your expertise when you can.

Next time a friend or acquaintance asks for the name of a trade resource, what will your response be? Comment below and share your thoughts on this topic.

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Farrow & Ball Railings

Railings No.31 by Farrow & Ball

A soft black by Farrow & Ball, Railings is more blue than black and offers a stunning richness to any room.

If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.

In this colour review video of Railings by Farrow & Ball, I share:

The undertone of my featured colour
Colour comparisons in order to easily see the different colour tones
Best white paint colours for the trim and ceilings
Beautiful colour combinations to inspire you for your decorating project

After you watch the video if you would like all the information discussed conveniently in one place with a total of 10 gorgeous Farrow & Ball paint colours to use with Railings take a look at my Perfect Colour Palette.

This helpful digital download can be printed off and used as inspiration to create the perfect flow for your next interior design or decorating project.

Railings Colour Review Video

Undertone: blue

This stunning colour is a fantastic alternative to black. Depending on the lighting and other decorative elements you pair with it, Railings can transform rooms into a dramatic interior space.

The colour of your trim and ceilings will also affect how Railings appears in your space. And we must not forget the finish selection – high gloss would make a commanding front door entrance!

As you can see below, it’s when we start to look at comparisons to other colours, that we can get a true idea of Railings’ shade and tone.

Dining Room Walls in Railings by Farrow & Ball

Colour Comparisons

Pitch Black No.256 & Hague Blue No.30

It’s only when we compare colours that we can truly understand the tones and whether they lean more one way or another on the colour spectrum.

When I do Colour Consultations in a client’s home, I am always comparing colours so they too can easily see the differences.

When I hold my large paint boards up to decorative elements such as fabrics, wallpaper, or subway tile and then swap out one board with another board, it becomes much clearer as to which colour will work best.

Above I show you a comparison with Hague Blue of which I’ve done a previous colour review. It’s a fantastic colour and I hope to use it on a project in the near future.

Bedroom Walls in Railings by Farrow & Ball

Best Whites To Pair With Railings

Strong White No. 2001 By Farrow & Ball

All White No.2005 By Farrow & Ball

Wevet No.273 By Farrow & Ball

I mentioned in the video the differences in the 3 whites I chose to pair with Railings for trim and ceilings.

It may have been difficult to see the contrast between the three whites but it’s more obvious below how Wevet has a slight pink /violet undertone and Strong White is what many would call a neutral as opposed to a true white.

All look stunning with Railings but it’s important to be aware of the different looks you would get with each.

I can assure you that the best colour for your project already exists, you just need to know the 5 Steps on how to choose the right paint colour the first time. With this free download, you will also get my Farrow & Ball paint finishes guide!

Bedroom Walls in Railings by Farrow & Ball

Fabulous Colour Combinations

Railings with Peignoir, Manor House Gray & Mole’s Breath

Peignoir No.286 By Farrow & Ball

Manor House Gray No.265 By Farrow & Ball

Mole’s Breath No.276 By Farrow & Ball

Farrow & Ball Paint Collection

If you love Farrow & Ball paint and want more inspiration for your next home decorating project, take a look at our Farrow & Ball Classic Collection.

With ten popular paint colours from F&B, plus ten coordinating colours to choose from for each featured colour, the options for gorgeous paint palettes are limitless!

See all the colours in my collection that are immediately available for download now!

Convenience At Your Fingertips

All of the colour combinations shown above plus more options for you to choose from are included in my Perfect Colour Palette for Railings.

My Perfect Colour Palette library is expanding and I now have over 50 palettes to select from! Click below to see all of them.

Remember, it only takes one mistake to take your home decorating project from divine to disaster. Don’t let the paint be what stresses you out!

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Get Paid Up Front

Oh my goodness, why am I still hearing so much chatter in my Facebook group and on social media about designers having to chase clients for payments?!!

It is my #1 piece of advice: ‘GET PAID UP FRONT.’

This means for all of your services: From your initial consultation and ongoing design services, to the purchasing of products.

Why? Why? Why?

I’m on a bit of a rant once again and in today’s video, asking this hard-hitting question; ‘Why are you not charging ahead of time for your services and for products?’

Before any services are performed or products are ordered, you should be getting paid.

We have built this important step into our streamlined processes and it’s something we inform potential clients of during the Discovery Call.

It’s about building trust and a professional relationship. We require our clients to pay for the initial consultation fee up front as this confirms their booking on our calendar.

Our clients can then see that we have organized processes and this demonstrates that both parties are committed to working together on their design project.

And this process continues, should a client wish to sign up for any one of our services past the initial consultation.

When we review any of our contract agreements, we detail our fee schedule so that everything is clear and easy to understand.

Help me understand

I am not trying to make anyone feel bad here, I am simply trying to understand why this is still a regular occurrence with interior design business owners.

Perhaps you are lacking the confidence to have those all-important money conversations with clients? Are you new to the industry? Perhaps you have never experienced chasing a client for outstanding payments and as a result, this hasn’t been an issue for you?

If you want to avoid that horrible feeling in the pit of your stomach as you chase overdue payments, see here how I can help you get more confidence and Claire-ity.

Always remember that you are running a business. You have your own bills and expenses to pay. You should never be out of pocket. Period.

Plus, the GOOD clients appreciate you more for it, I promise!

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Farrow & Ball Drop Cloth

Drop Cloth No. 283 By Farrow & Ball

A gorgeous muted neutral from Farrow & Ball, Drop Cloth is neither too yellow nor too gray.

If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.

In this colour review video of Drop Cloth by Farrow & Ball, I share:

The undertone of my featured colour
Colour comparisons in order to easily see the different colour tones
Best white paint colours for the trim and ceilings
Beautiful colour combinations to inspire you for your decorating project

After you watch the video, if you would like all this information conveniently laid out for you in one place and have even more paint colour combinations to use with Drop Cloth, take a look at my new Perfect Colour Palette.

A must-have for any colour enthusiast or design professional.

Drop Cloth Colour Review Video

Undertones: Yellow/Gray

This subdued gray/beige paint may lean towards one colour more than the other depending on the lighting and what other decorative elements you pair with it in your interior decorating project.

The colour of your trim and ceilings will also affect how Drop Cloth appears in your space, more beige or more gray.

As you can see below, it’s when we start to look at comparisons to other colours, that it becomes very eye-opening.

Colour Comparisons

Elephant’s Breath No.229 & Pavilion Gray No.242

When you look at a colour side by side with similar shades the differences become much more apparent. Elephant’s Breath, another gorgeous neutral by Farrow & Ball, has a pink undertone and Pavilion Gray definitely has a more gray undertone when compared to Drop Cloth.

It’s only when we compare colours that we can truly understand the tones and whether they lean more one way or another on the colour spectrum.

When I do Colour Consultations in a client’s home, I am always comparing colours so they too can easily see the differences.

When I hold my large paint boards up to a decorative element such as fabrics, wallpaper, or subway tile and then swap out one board with another board, it becomes much clearer as to which colour will work best.

Drop Cloth by Farrow & Ball Walls

Best Whites To Pair With Drop Cloth

Pointing No.2003 By Farrow & Ball

James White No.2010 By Farrow & Ball

Shadow White No.282 By Farrow & Ball

I can assure you that the best colour for your project already exists, you just need to know the 5 Steps on how to choose the right paint colour the first time.

Drop Cloth by Farrow & Ball Walls

Fabulous Colour Combinations

Drop Cloth with Card Room Green, Dix Blue & Light Blue

Card Room Green No.79 By Farrow & Ball

Dix Blue No.82 By Farrow & Ball

Light Blue No.22 By Farrow & Ball

Convenience At Your Fingertips

All of the colour combinations shown above plus more options for you to choose from are included in my Perfect Colour Palette for Drop Cloth.

Drop Cloth is one of 10 Farrow & Ball colours you’ll find in our Farrow & Ball Classics Collection.

My Perfect Colour Palette library is expanding and I now have over 50 palettes to select from! Click here to see all of them.

Remember, it only takes one mistake to take your home decorating project from divine to disaster. Don’t let the paint be what stresses you out!

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All room images from Farrow & Ball

Finding the Right Business Coach

No matter how long you’ve been an interior designer or interior decorator, it’s likely that at some point throughout your career you will think about hiring a coach to get your business to the next level.

You’ve probably noticed that there are so many coaches out there now which means taking the time and careful consideration to find the right business coach is more crucial than ever before.

Let me help with some of the overwhelm as I share 4 of the most important things to consider when looking to hire a business coach.

I myself am a business coach, but I may not be the right one for you and that’s ok!

There are lots of important considerations before you make this investment in your interior design business. To see what you need to know before you splash out, watch the video!

What should you be looking for when trying to find the right business coach?

Think about this process in a similar way to how a homeowner would search for the best interior design professional to hire.

4 Steps for Finding the Right Business Coach

1. Figure out your needs

It will be difficult to find the right coach if you don’t know what you want to achieve by hiring one.

You need to know where you are struggling the most. What areas of your business are causing you the most stress? What tasks do you put off and enjoy the least? The answers to these questions will help you to determine what you need help with most.

Go through your biggest pain points, these could be anything from how to get clients, understanding your processes – if you even have any!! -, to what services should you offer, and then see which coach will meet those needs the best.

2. Do your research

You wouldn’t expect a homeowner to hire the first interior designer they stumbled across. And you should not hire a coach either, without properly vetting them first.

You need to find a coach that resonates with you, someone who inspires you and will help you achieve your goals.

Doing your due diligence and finding a coach who has similar values and runs their business in a way that emulates how you want to run yours, will be a much better fit.

https://clairejefford.com/services-and-pricing/

Here are the main design services that I offer in my business. The FREE download with walk through video will give you an idea if I could be the right coach for you.

3. Find a coach in the industry

While researching you should focus on coaches who are themselves interior designers or decorators or have been at some stage of their career.

You need someone who understands this industry and all of its’ (crazy) nuances. It is a complicated business and my advice is to hire someone who is there in the trenches with you, who will be able to offer you concrete ideas and guidance on how to best navigate through your struggles that you identified in step 1.

Even coaches hire coaches! Yes, I hired Amy Landino to assist me in getting my Coaching business up and running.

Amy is a big YouTuber and she’s all about ‘Going After the Life You Want’. That really resonated with me, plus she had experience in running a private Facebook group which I also wanted to implement in my Coaching business.

Join my FREE FB group of more than 5000 members

Having her insights and experience to guide me was invaluable and well worth the investment. To have someone who is credible that you can have by your side as an accountability partner helps to get you where you want to go and FASTER than if you were doing it all on your own.

4. Investment amount

Hiring a coach is an important investment you will be making in your business. Just how much you are able or willing to invest is something you need to consider when deciding who is the best business coach for you to hire.

Are you looking for ongoing personal coaching or a one- off 1-on-1 video coaching session to get you on the right track?

I call this a ‘Pick My Brain’ video coaching call session.

There’s also a group membership style of coaching to contemplate. This is typically more of an ongoing type of coaching or specified amount of time where you are with other interior designers. It can be more cost effective than one on one coaching with the costs spread out over a longer length of time.

I don’t believe there is ever a time when we can’t be learning, expanding, and building up our business.

Remember, if you are considering hiring a business coach, maybe we are well suited to work together? Learn more here about my one-off, 90-minute zoom coaching calls.

If you want to better understand how I can help, I offer a free 15-minute Discovery Call so that we can see how best to proceed. And while I do offer ongoing coaching, it’s not something I typically advertise.

If you want an accountability partner and longer-term coaching to achieve your business goals, email us to inquire: info@clairejefford.com

Providing extremely valuable and helpful coaching advice is a top priority to me. See what other designers have to say about their experience in working with me as their business coach.

Ready to take your business up a level? Hire me for a coaching session!

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How to Organize Client Folders

Today I am sharing How to Organize Client Folders.

Yes, that’s right, the old-fashioned, hold in your hand, physical folders.

Perhaps you have everything stored digitally and think I’m very old – I mean, ‘old school’. 😉

Well, I am a little ‘old school’. I still love something tangible that I can touch and carry with me. I know many of you feel the same way too.

In addition to physical folders, we use online programs to store and organize different aspects of our interior design client project files. This way, my entire team can easily access everything as needed.

In this video, I show you exactly how I organize a client’s folder and what goes in them.

How to Organize Client Folders

I want to go through my interior design client folders with you and share how we organize them. We have different files within the main file folder and I will explain what I keep in each of those.

To Start:

We start with the main file folder. The ones that we use I’ve had forever. Sadly the original style folders I loved so much are no longer available!

The folder with a sleeve and a pocket has worked beautifully for organizing our interior design project files for years. Within the main folder, I have 4 colour-coded individual pockets that I slot into the sleeve side.

In the pocket side I keep all my samples for that project such as fabric swatches, wallpaper samples, paint chips, etc.

I use coloured Project Pockets similar to these to keep my client documents separate and organized.

Each Colour Project Pocket has a purpose:

Project Pocket #1

The first project pocket contains product specifications.

This includes any relevant product information for the interior design project such as materials or furnishings. Along with those specs are any quotes we have received from fabulous trades we work with regularly, such as our contractor, cabinet maker, drapery workroom, wallpaper installer, etc.

If we do 3D Design Plans for a project or any mood boards, the printed copies will also go within this folder.

Project Pocket #2

Next comes a pocket for any measurements and drawings. This can include the floor plans done on graph paper, original house plans a client may have given us that they have from the builder, any CAD drawings, elevation documents and 3D renderings.

Project Pocket #3

Pocket 3 is for keeping all our client information neatly organized. We add our completed Discovery Call form and New Client Checklist that you can find in my ROCK the Initial Consultation Processes Package to this folder. We also add any important correspondence such as emails that we think are necessary to have easily at hand, as well as a copy of the signed contract.

Example of our colour coded project ‘pocket’ folders

Project Pocket #4

This is the green one so it makes sense to house all of the invoices we’ve issued to the clients in this folder.

Project Pocket #5

Here’s where we change it up a bit. The final of the project pockets is not kept in the main client folder. This last pocket is kept separate as it contains our invoices from vendors, suppliers, and the trades for items or services that we paid for on the client’s behalf for the project.

As this is confidential and not shared with our clients, we always keep this information in our interior design studio.

On the Pocket side I put:

In my current folder, there is a large clear plastic pocket that has a flap so that everything can stay nicely contained. It’s an ideal spot for storing fabric swatches, plus samples of perhaps flooring, tile, and maybe even a countertop piece or two.

Depending on the size of the project this built-in pocket may not be nearly big enough to hold everything you need.

In this case, we use a larger tray or container. You may even need multiples of these, depending on the size of the project and how many different rooms you are doing within a home. For a commercial project, I imagine you would need a larger-sized container.

I also have an acrylic JF Fabrics tray that we sometimes use for samples

There’s nothing I like more than being super organized in my business!

What do you do to stay organized in your interior design business? Do you use only digital storage for each client project or are you more like me, a bit old school with file folders as well?

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Forget Discounts, Focus on Value

Anyone else tired of hearing references to ‘designer discounts’ and people worrying about how to be more ‘transparent’ with clients about the costs of furnishings?

Running a profitable business means making money on the items you sell. Period.

In this industry, why do so many people feel the need to overshare this information with their clients?

Turning the Tables

When you go to your mechanic to have them fix an issue with your car, do you expect them to disclose their costs for parts and ask what percentage of their trade pricing they are passing on to you?

As they explain the anticipated fees for labour and provide you with an estimate for parts to fix your car, do you ask if they mark up those parts and then accuse them of ‘double dipping’?

Once your car is ready for pick up and they hand you the final invoice, do you ask to see the receipts issued to them by their suppliers for parts?

OMG, could you imagine?

I just want my car fixed and have peace of mind knowing that it’s been done right so that my family and I will be safe. End of story!

Please, please please, flip the switch on your mindset to Forget the Discounts and Focus on Value.

This is BLACK AND WHITE. You run a business, you have margins on the items you sell.

Sure, you offer competitive pricing, but more importantly, you offer an incredibly valuable service that involves making HUGE decisions on a homeowner’s BIGGEST investment.

Newsflash!

Your ideal client is not hiring you because of the discount you can get them on a sofa.

I never get reviews from interior design or decorating clients raving about how much they saved on their furniture through my discounts. NEVER!

Client reviews talk about the amazing service we provided and the immense value we brought to their project.

They rave about the final result and how they never imagined that their home could look so well put together!

They tell us how they loved our reliable team of trades who did an outstanding job and the peace of mind they had throughout the project knowing that we were taking care of every detail.

You see where I’m going with this, right? VALUE. VALUE. VALUE!

Here if you need it

If you aren’t sure how to do this effectively, I have a detailed service outline included with each of my contracts that will help you confidently go through with your client the value you bring to the table if they hire you for that service.

In the video, I read the full page from my Custom Design and Project Management Service Outlines on how I address the ‘discount’ discussion right off the bat.

All three of the above contracts are available in my Contract Bundle package. They also come with walk-through videos.

Don’t minimize the value you bring to a project, be confident and be prepared. Have the hard conversations up front and after a while, they aren’t hard because you believe it yourself.