Interviewed By A 9th Grader

I received a polite email from a 9th grader named Thalente, asking if I could please help with a school project. (I am ALWAYS eager to help someone in highschool who has a good focus on what they want to do with their lives. If you are reading this & are in highschool, or know someone in highschool interested in interior design, email me a student ID to get the Crash Course for 50% off!)

Recently moderated a panel discussing the impacts of interior design for tenants & landlords

Seemed logical to me to use this opportunity to share it with all of you! So here we go, the 10-15 Qs I said yes to that seems to have grown into a bit more than that :)

Q1: What made you choose this business?

A1: A bit of an obsession with problem solving, & wanting to make a real difference in peoples lives & how they view themselves.

Q2: What do you need to start this business?

A2: Tough one to answer. Interior Design has actually so many sub careers & niches (that's why I made the free Interior Design 'DNA' Personality quiz available on my home page.) and each of them will have their own unique requirements. And this answer really takes up more than one module and at least half a dozen lessons in the Crash Course...however...the quickfire answer is - Guts. A portfolio (yes, even if you haven't worked yet or gone to college), basic book-keeping knowledge and excellent communication skills. Also listen to A Well Designed Business Podcast by Luann Nigara.

Q3: What challenges will one face when having this business?

A3: Gosh...so many can come up. It takes time to build up your real portfolio, it takes time to get clients. It takes time to learn how & where to delegate. It takes time to learn which clients to stay away from. It takes time to learn what kind of employees YOU do best with, or how to set up your policy & procedure systems (That is why I shared my company's 30+ page "Bible" in the Tools section as a template called Blueprint. It takes YEARS to build this & learn what works. Use code "COMPLETE50" for 50% off for you readers only!) There will be times where you are flooded with potential jobs, times where it will feel like you may not make payroll. And one of the biggest challenges I faced- employee errors that could cost up to $100k sometimes. (Get human error as part of your liability insurance! There may be another term for it but your broker should understand.)

Q4: How does this business contribute to the community?

A4: It may not always...and some firms or niche focus areas of design will do more for that than others. Mine did by providing safer, right mindset environments for healthcare & recovery centers as well as simply elevating the community environment by creating more beautiful indoor & outdoor spaces. Some firms really focus on environmentally friendly materials etc.

Q5: How many clients do you get per day/week/month/year?

A5: Well, I'm not actively designing now. About two years ago I moved into the software space & have been working on a new company I am launching shortly. And of course here teaching all of you about Interior Design & potential careers in Interior Design. However, when I was active, I mainly did larger commercial projects, and we were a boutique firm. So we handled anywhere from 2-8 projects a year.

Q6: How many people work in one team?

A6: Depended on what stage of my business. In the beginning it was just me, then me and an assistant. Eventually I had six or seven besides myself. (We were one team)

Q7: How long does a typical project take?

A7: No way to answer this - so depends on the type of project & scope of work. Could be a month (highly unusual) and could be 18 months.

Q8: Have there been times where your vision clashed with a clients?

A8: Yes...and no. One of the reasons I went into commercial design, as opposed to residential, is because I don't want to work on projects where clients are very involved. In commercial projects, generally a client wants to be sure you understand the scope, the budget, the timeline. Outside of that, you just produce results. Here and there we had minor design disagreements but generally it boiled down to one client who simply didn't like the color green so we switched the main color. Or clients who felt the choice of what to spend on (in terms of an amenity feature) wasn't the smartest. rarely actual design vision.

Q9: How do you set your prices or fees for projects?

A9: This is such a good question & took me years to figure out. Eventually I figured out a formula that worked & created the Pricing Estimator tool - another of my company templates that I uploaded for you guys to use - use code "GOTLUCKY50" for 50% off. The basics of it is #1 how difficult will this client be #2 how many hours do I think it will take for me and my team #3 doing this project, how many more projects can we handle simultaneously #4 How much do we need to make a month to be profitable - and then make sure it all maths out. If you book up all your time & aren't paying the bills...you're taking projects that suck the life out of you & your team, or are priced too low.

Q10: How long has the interior design business been running?

A10: It's not officially closed currently - in theory I would take on a project if it interested me enough...but it was active for 8+ years - nationally.

Q11: What advice would you give someone who wants to start this business?

A11: ....Take my Crash Course...trust me. I poured all I learned into that to make your lives so much easier & save you so much money. Once you are starting your business - listen to A Well Designed Business Podcast & read all her books.

Q12: Have there been times you felt like quitting?

A12: Constantly. Think very carefully about starting your own firm/business. It is EXTREMELY stressful. But that can be true no matter what industry. If you don't want the pressure - work for another firm, freelance etc (Take the quiz to find out what may be best for YOU)

Q13: How long did it take to get this business recognized by people?

A13: Good question, I don't remember exactly when it shifted...2nd or 3rd year maybe?

Q14: What skills do you need to run this business?

A14: Also whole sections in the Crash Course & hard to give quick answer... 1. Attention to detail (that's why I do the free Train Your Eye exercises on social media so make sure you're following) 2. Communication 3. Organization - or your projects & processes will be a mess. That's why I shared the Bible/Blueprint...mentioned above... 4. Understanding color theory.

Q15: What are the 8 core business functions you have to fill?

A15: 1- Design direction 2- Project management 3- Marketing/sales 4 - Client relationship management 5 - Operation & Admin 6 - Finance & accounting 7- HR & Talent management 8- Tech & systems.

Q16: Do you do all the work or do you outsource certain positions?

A16: There have been times where I would have replied yes to both those scenarios.

Q17: Is it better to form a partnership, sole proprietorship, LLC/LLP etc.?

A17: That has way too many factors that will be personal to each person, country, state and type of firm. That's a question for the accountant - and no one should start this business without a good one.

Q18: Where would you go for seed capital or funding to start your business?

A18: If you're just starting off...no experience...don't do either of those things. Slowly build your portfolio & grow naturally. If you need money to live day to day - do this on the side until it grows. Do no borrow and start a business you wont fully understand for a few years.

Q19: Is it possible to bootstrap this business?

A19: 100% - That is what I did, and everything I teach in the course.

Q20: If you could start over, what advice would you give yourself?

A20: Ooof good Q. Um...Photograph your work more - get professional photographs more. Focus a bit more on marketing content & more specifically - clear marketing on ALL the unique services your firm offers. Some of your clients don't even know everything you do. And....spend way more time researching an iron clad contract - will save you time, money, heartache. Which is also why....I uploaded my company's ACTUAL contract as a template for you guys to use/start with for free-and it's available in the Crash Course only...

Q21: What do you enjoy about being a business owner/entrepreneur?

A21: Autonomy in my schedule. And that it is within my own control to make more money if I choose to - by charging more, growing, changing how I do things etc.

Q22: Can anyone own this type of business?

A22: As long as they are educated...and have the skills mentioned...I don't see why not.

Q23: Do you make more money with this business or job?

A23: That's kind of relative...more compared to what? You can...

Q24: Are there any laws that have made it difficult to do business?

A24: Tax laws that are different, in different states can be tricky with a national firm. It's hard to know how to structure purchasing (PS I also have our purchasing tracker templates in the Tools section - use the same codes for 50% off) and bookkeeping to make sure everything is legal & documented properly.

That's all the questions! Wishing you the best of luck Thalente!! And please let me know how you did on the assignment! I'll be emailing you a code for free access to the Crash Course XOXO

Shira