If you work as an interior designer, painter, carpenter, or even maintenance worker, you know how much goes into making a house into a home. It can be expensive, extremely time consuming, and there are a ton of people involved in all of the ins and outs of the process. Whether you own your own business or work for someone else, working in home design can require you to work long hours, deal with angry/rude people, and learn new skills all the time. It is definitely not for the faint of heart. Here are 3 tips for working in home design in any capacity.
Get The Word Out
Whether you’re an independent contractor, working for a widely known home design company, or starting your very own home design business, getting the word out about the quality services you provide is very important and can make or break your long term success in the home design industry. Get the word out about your work by encouraging happy clients to tell their friends, make posts on social media tagging you, or writing positive reviews on your website. You may also consider making your website more widely accessible by increasing online visibility through SEO or paid ads.
Charge What You’re Worth
When deciding what to charge people for your home design services, make sure to charge what you’re worth. Calculate how much the materials used will cost and give the client a rough estimate based on that number plus how many hours you think the job will take you. If it ends up taking you longer than expected, do not be afraid to charge more! Never work for free and always know what the work you’re doing is worth and charge clients accordingly.
Take Time Off
If you are in the middle of a big project and have a strict deadline, you may be inclined not to take any days off until the job is complete, or even sacrifice precious sleep in order to finish on time. But in the home design industry it is extremely important to remember to take time off to recharge so that you are at your best and always able to do your best work.
You also want to make sure you are getting enough sleep, and if that means taking a little bit longer to complete a job, so be it. It’s OK to put your mental and physical health first and if a client doesn’t understand this, that’s probably not someone you want to be working with anyway.
Working in home design, just like any other industry, can be difficult and stressful at times, but it can also be super rewarding! Use these tips to help you get the most out of your chosen career.