“While your business might be ‘independent,’ it helps to have a support system to lean on…and to commiserate and celebrate with.” Those words were written to designers by Diane Falvey, editor-in-chief of Furniture Lighting & Décor magazine.

She was writing about the value of joining other designers in attending various home furnishings markets. The largest and oldest is the one held in the spring and fall at High Point, NC.

“Decorating Den Interiors brings design professionals from 25 states to High Point Market.”  That was the headline in Home News Now: Retail Intelligence for the Home Furnishings Industry.

Its article went on to report that “five of the company’s designers will serve on special panel discussions. Barbara Elliott and her sister Jennifer Ward-Woods, of Stone Mountain, Ga., along with Lynne Lawson and Laura Outland, of Columbia, Md., will be discussing “Designing for Different Generations” at Universal Furniture’s Learning Center. The company’s Designer of the Year, Krista Shugars, will be on a panel addressing “Luxury is an Attitude: Building Insane Revenue with Everyday Clients” in the Gabby Showroom.”

“We have been bringing our design professionals to High Point showrooms and factory tours for more than 20 years,” said David Haseley, sr. vice president of merchandising and marketing. “In the last 12 years, we have brought nearly 100 each year.”

“This year, we visited 21 showrooms of suppliers that participate in our LIVV Home Collection,” Haseley added. “We organize into several groups with each having its own schedule. In addition to seeing new products, our market days also build wonderful camaraderie, which is a major part of our brand.”

The states represented by DDI designers are Arizona, Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Your DDI Support Posse

                “I suggest you find that group or even one friend you can bounce ideas off of, share your concerns with and get excited with when everything goes right,” Editor Falvey wrote. “Preferably that person or group understands the business as well as you do. We can all learn from each other at whatever stage we’re at. Having a posse can make all the difference when it comes to flourishing in your business.”

A designer who is part of Decorating Den Interiors has that posse already formed. It is a posse that provides a full range of support:

• Professional Training that is comprehensive and ongoing
• Business Management Systems with proprietary technology
• Direct Access to some 150 brand name manufacturers and suppliers with true wholesale pricing
• Marketing that is personalized, systematized and turnkey, under a national branding umbrella
• Mentoring and Camaraderie with monthly Zoom calls, regional meetings and an international conference with our own vendor market.
• Design Recognition and publishing opportunities with our own Dream Room Makeover judging by interior design journalists

If you’re dreaming of having your own interior design business but are feeling somewhat overwhelmed, consider our business model. It has enabled individuals all over North America to make their dream a reality. Visit https://decoratingden.com/interior-design-business/  to learn more.