Design Biz Survival Guide Design Biz Survival Guide

Interior designers have a lot of documents to keep track of, from emails, invoices, shopping receipts, pictures, and more. A lot of the time, they are saved in multiple locations on a computer and phone or in physical folders. Files are lost, which adds stress to our lives, whether we realize it or not.

Today we welcome Alex Brzozowski of Be Organizing, a digital organizing service designed to help businesses go paperless by organizing their digital files. In this episode, Alex shares how her legal career influenced her decision to launch her specialized business model and how her team helps businesses of all sizes become more organized and efficient. If you’re sharing digital files with your team, vendors, and clients, you need consistent and comprehensive file organization. We’ve got you covered!

Listen to learn how to go paperless and organize your digital files!
Show Highlights:

Alex’s history of working in law firms where all documents were digital & streamlined
Examples of what digital organizing is
Alex’s top tips for digital organization
Alex’s process for working with interior designers
How to organize your documents for tax purposes
Alex’s advice on organizing photos

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We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Design Biz Survival Guide is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot!
Supporting Resources:

beorganizing.com 


Follow Be Organizing on Instagram

Sponsor Links:

pirch.com 
designmanager.com

If you frequently work on job sites where there is a general contractor, a floor guy, a plumber, and more, there can be communication errors and other variables that slow down the project. As the interior designer, you already have a lot of say over the project. Why not make the process more streamlined and become a licensed contractor yourself?

Today we welcome Candy Barton, principal designer of Barton + Barton Interiors based in Del Mar, CA. In this episode, Candy shares her passion for the construction side of design and her decision to become a licensed general contractor in the state of California. Candy shares the qualification process, things to consider, and the benefits of providing licensed project management and GC services to their clients. We also talk about the business and legal implications associated with adding this new layer of service and responsibility to her design business.

Listen in to learn more about becoming a licensed contractor.
Show Highlights:

Why having a general contractor’s license is beneficial
The importance of having a mentor
What to know before taking the general contractor test

Subscribe and Review
We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Design Biz Survival Guide is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot!
Supporting Resources:

bartonandbarton.co


Follow Barton + Barton on Instagram

Sponsor Links:

pirch.com
designmanager.com

Today we welcome Katie McFarlan of Dakota Design Co., an operations consulting and support service business for interior designers and event planners. In this episode, Katie shares her top three tips to protect your creative business from times of economic uncertainty. Our conversation dives deep into ways to control your expenses, diversify your streams of revenue, and market smarter at a time when messaging is everything.

Listen to this episode for recession strategies for your design business.
Show Highlights:

The number one challenge Katie helps interior designers with
Tips to help designers protect themselves from the recession
How to know your numbers and control your expenses
Tips for diversifying your revenue streams
Why you should never stop marketing
Katie’s secret to survival

Subscribe and Review
We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Design Biz Survival Guide is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot!
Supporting Resources:

dakotadesigncompany.com 


Follow Dakota Design Company on Instagram

Sponsor Links:

pirch.com 
designmanager.com

Today, we welcome Kate Lester, owner of KL Interiors and Kate Lester Home in southern California, to the podcast.

In this episode, Kate keeps it super real and shares her design journey and the many realizations she had along the way. From the moment she committed to a career in design, she also committed to creating a profitable and effective business model. Kate shares her top tips for setting a budget and expectations with clients, defining and owning your business model, and the impact that your processes and procedures have on the client experience and your ability to sell with confidence. 

Show Highlights:

Kate’s top tips on handling the business side of design
Why you should use software specifically created for designers
The importance of standing by your business model
Know how much your services cost and charge accordingly
The importance of team meetings and setting expectations
Kate’s secret to design and what has kept her going
What Kate wishes she knew when she first started that she knows now

Subscribe and Review

We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Design Biz Survival Guide is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot!

Supporting Resources:

Follow Kate on Instagram

katelesterinteriors.com

katelesterhome.com

Today we welcome John McClain, Creative Director and CEO of John McClain Interior Design, based in Los Angeles, CA, and Orlando, FL.

In this episode, John shares the pivotal moment in his design career that prompted him to implement formal processes and an extensive client agreement into his business model to protect his profits and his sanity. John also shares how that experience helped him develop an office environment of trust, independence, and growth, which has enabled him to pursue other creative endeavors like his new book titled “The Designer Within” – a professional guide to a well-styled home. 
Show Highlights:

Who is John McClain, and how has history and experience influenced his career?
The importance of systems and processes so the team can thrive and the client feels confident.
Why John’s team values overcommunicating with the client and each other.
The moment when John realized who his ideal client was.
How John practices “diligent delegating.”
The common sense approach that John offers in his teaching style.
Giving yourself permission to succeed, fail, or adapt to a new method.

Subscribe and Review
We’d appreciate you subscribing to this podcast and leaving an Apple Podcasts review. Reviews help others discover and learn what Design Biz Survival Guide is all about. It only takes a second and helps us out a lot!
Supporting Resources:

johnmcclaindesign.com
thedesignerwithin.co
Follow John on Instagram

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Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com.

Today we welcome Ashley Clark to the podcast - owner and principal designer of SKOUT Interior Design. In this episode Ashley shares how when “life happened” in 2020 for her, she leaned on the dedication of her team and the strength of her business model to allow her to focus her attention on family. Ashley also shares how the experience redefined her perspective on work life balance, setting client expectations, and honoring that every project is an opportunity to create something truly extraordinary.