23 Tips From Successful Pros on How to Run an Interior Design Business

“Our philosophy is that each person should feel ownership of the projects that they are working on and not feel as if they are being dictated to. Here at Cullman & Kravis we work as teams, and each team member is heavily involved in the evolution of the project, from scheming to preparation of proposals to placing and following up on orders.” —Ellie Cullman, cofounder, Cullman & Kravis

On client strategy and relations

“Be responsive. I rarely let an email sit for more than five hours if I can help it—unless it comes in late at night. I think that sense of urgency is a key to my success, really. People ask me that all the time and I just say, ‘Answer the telephone.’ Not that people call anymore, but back in the day you could always get me on the phone. I wasn’t afraid of it. That’s the key: responsiveness. We live increasingly in an unresponsive culture. Decorating is such an intricate stack of dominos and if one thing falls, it can affect everything, and so many questions come up as you are in process. Being prompt and methodical about getting questions answered correctly is key to successful jobs and happy clients.” —Miles Redd, cofounder, Redd Kaihoi

“It is important to make sure that you prepare the necessary paperwork for your clients. Once a client decides on a purchase, we prepare a very detailed proposal for them with information in regards to the vendor, style, color, and so on. A proposal should also request a deposit. The deposit would be based on what the vendor requires to put the order in process or the timing of when you will need to pay the vendor.” —Cullman

“There is almost no such thing as over-preparing. Before every important interaction, big or small, we always make sure to gather the necessary troops to ensure collective understanding and alignment before communicating and acting externally. For example, we recently provided a new client with a personalized gift to adorn their new home. While in the end they received a spirit bottle, two glasses, and a handwritten note, what occurred before was a brief internal meeting about how we should thank them for their business, an action plan for reaching out to their close contacts to confirm their drink of choice, important remarks and anecdotes to include for the note, and detailed marching orders for how this would be procured and exactly how it should be arranged. With a relatively large team, this kind of backend organization is imperative to ensure the best possible client experience.” —Bowen

“We value the relationships we have with our clients. We’re collaborating with them on their vision and we never lose sight of that. We’re as much a residential design studio as we are a hospitality design studio, and both come with a commitment to impeccable customer service. I’m very much into old-school displays of appreciation—always sending a thank you note, a holiday card, or a thoughtful gift on special occasions. I’m this way with the team, our vendors, the media, and friends of the studio. Genuine kindness is in my DNA and it shows through in how I do business. We believe in celebrating our community.” —Gachot

On outsourcing operations

“There’s no sense in reinventing the wheel. So many people have done this before. I have found other designers to be a bit opaque in terms of sharing how things get done, but that’s not true across the board. Find people who have a different target market and learn from their experience. I also looked for businesses that were in the same space, but maybe a year ahead of me in terms of growth. Keep yourself open to learning from other industries…. Cast a wide net, be curious, and adapt to what works for your market and your clients.” —Stevie McFadden, founder, Flourish Spaces