6 Crucial Steps to Successfully Start an Interior Design Business

An interior designer is a person who possesses the skills, creativity, and knowledge required to design fully functional and beautiful spaces. So, if you’re an interior designer eager to start your own interior design business, then you’ve found the right article on the internet. 

Starting your own interior design business from scratch can be tricky, and we’re here to give you the final push you need in order to get the ball rolling. We’ve covered everything from writing your comprehensive interior design business plan to marketing your new business venture and securing your first clients. 

Check out our 6-step checklist on how to start your interior design business, follow the steps below, and your new interior design studio will be up and running in no time.

Prepare Your Business Plan 

The first step to starting your interior design business is to prepare a comprehensive business plan for your undertaking. You see, a business idea is just that, an idea. Still, if you write down that idea and turn it into a sound business plan, it will show precisely how you intend to take that vision and turn it into a profitable business venture. 

In addition, not only a comprehensive business plan is a crucial tool for you to utilize as a roadmap when your interior design business is starting, but it’s also necessary if you plan to look for funding, as all banks or private investors will want formal documentation before they put your money into your business. 

If it’s your first time composing a business plan, you can download a small business printable business plan template and fill it out step by step. It should include everything from a basic overview of your company to legal structure, market analysis, a rundown of the services you’ll offer, and a comprehensive financial plan with at least two years of financial projections.

Determine the Services You’ll Offer

After composing your business plan, you first need to determine the types of services your interior design business will offer. As a designer, you should ensure that you won’t take on more than what you handle. For instance, if you only want to design baths and kitchens, you must make it clear from the initial get-go. 

To do that, create a list of particular deliverables connected to the services your business will offer which might include paint palettes, mood boards, shopping lists, 3D renderings, notes, and more.

Go For a Catchy Company Name and Register It 

This is where the real fun begins. After preparing your business plan and determining the services you’ll offer, you’ll also need to create a unique name for your new business. The name needs to be incredibly catchy, and it certainly needs to reflect your future work. Sit down with your closest friends or family, have a good brainstorming session, and write down your ideas for a name. Here are some things and pointers to keep in mind while brainstorming:   

• Don’t make your company’s name complicated; 
• Never select words that are hard to pronounce; 
• Including your name in your company’s name is not a problem;
• Consider using words that have to do with interior design; 
• Ensure that nobody else is using your name. 

After choosing your interior design business’s name, you must register it with your state. In addition, obtain all the needed licenses by law to begin your interior design business, so you don’t encounter any troubles later on.

Construct Your Professional Portfolio

When you initially begin your interior design company, you might not have a portfolio yet, and that’s perfectly okay. In fact, you don’t need to have a huge portfolio in order to kickstart your career as an interior designer. Here’s what you should include in your first portfolio: 

• High-quality pictures of your own home; 
• Different mood boards;
• 3D renderings of designed spaces for previous clients. 

Set Your Rates

Once you get to the stage where you need to set your rates, you’ll definitely need to do some homework. Have you considered how much the other interior designers from your area charge for their work? Do you have any interior designer friends from college or colleagues you can ask?

You need to decide whether you’re going to charge an hourly rate, a percentage of the overall cost of the project, you’ll ask for the cost per square foot, or you’ll have a fixed rate. Right after you decide on how you’ll charge your clients, you need to contact an experienced lawyer and make them write an agreement that you and your clients will sign to seal the deal.

Promote Your New Business

Once you’ve accomplished all of the steps mentioned above, now is the time to create your business’s official website and promote your new interior design venture. Keep in mind that your clients probably won’t randomly find your website with a quick Google search. 

To address that, you need to promote your website and be aggressive about it. Be active on social media platforms and even utilize paid ads if you’re able to. Make some business cards and hand them away and ask your family and friends to spread the word about your new business. Also, make sure to attend networking events and tradeshows and join interior design associations in your area.

Final Words

While the steps mentioned above can take you where you want to go, you need to remember that your business can succeed only after you put in more than you got. You need to work hard 24/7. The bottom line here is that if you’re willing to do your best, you’ll soon achieve more than you have ever dreamed of. Nevertheless, none of that matters unless you get started so take that first step and start already. Now that you know the secrets to interior design success, there’s nothing stopping you.