The time is right to start an interior design business!
Employment of interior designers by homeowners is projected to grow by 19% by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Due to the major reduction in furniture stores from the past recession and a dramatic focus on “in-home shopping”, due to the increased use of the internet for home furnishings…there is an explosion in demand for in home service with decorating support to “pull it all together” in customers’ homes. This growing interest in interior design and awareness of its benefits will increase demand for designers.
Relative to the increase in use of designers for renovations and home building…. As contractors realize the need for “turn-key” decorating & “in-home” furnishing capabilities of designers, builders are demanding more designers in their business to support the “competitive edge” and “finishing” part of their business. This has spurred another escalating demand for Interior Designers.
Entrepreneur Magazine reports that “Small business and franchising are very bright.”
“Remodeling is expected to be up over 5% above pre-recession figures,” according to Remodeling Magazine.
“2017 will be a very good year in furniture,” as reported by Furniture Today Magazine.
“New home construction grew 17.8%,” writes Fortune Magazine.
“Existing home sales grew 7% over 2015,” writes USA Today.
These are all prime indicators that 2017 should be a great year to consider starting an interior design business if you have the talent and passion for creating beautiful interiors.
Is it time for you to capitalize on the right time to start an interior design business?
The challenge, though, is having the confidence, know-how and support for taking the critical first step to starting your own business. You might have the appropriate education, and even experience in home furnishings, yet need encouragement and additional knowledge to start to take your future into your own hands. Perhaps you lack the necessary wide range of wholesale vendors to maximize your bottom line and maximize client satisfaction. Makeovers usually require a combination of window treatments, floorcoverings, wallcoverings, lighting, furniture and accessories. Maybe primarily you have natural creative talent, appropriate life experience, a passion for interior design, and lack that degree. Yet, you’ve always dreamed of interior design as your career.
So, in either case, what can you do?
An option to consider
The self-employed full-service design alternative
For those who prefer independence, flexibility, and a broader range of business opportunity, rather than operating in a limited niche, the option is to become a full-service interior design professional operating their own business.
There are four keys to becoming a full-service interior decorating business:
- Training—skill training, sales training, product training, and business management training.
- Merchandising—having access to products at wholesale cost, promotional programs, and product support.
- Marketing—the benefit of an established brand, strategies and materials for your own local advertising and public relations for developing your client base.
- Business Support—assistance with business planning, coaching, mentoring from seasoned decorators, a customer relationship management (CRM) system, and other support through technology.
The power of an interior decorating franchise
Franchising is a very popular method of accelerating your ability to get into a business or rapidly expanding an existing business thru proven methods of client development, pre-established supplier networks and built-in business management and training… with the benefit of having partners who know the advantages of a proven system with proven resources.
Yes, there is a franchise for interior decorators and designers!
