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Designer Advice for Leveling Up Your Business

Have your eye on a new type of project or business proposition? You already have everything you need
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Photo: Overearth via Getty Images

Most of us strive to take our businesses to the next level through new challenges. As our experience develops, we want to continue to encourage more growth, whether it’s through serving a new luxury client, breaking into design-build, or leaping from residential to commercial design (or vice versa). 

When you do land a new dream project, what can you do to make sure it’s successful when you don’t quite have a depth of experience. . . yet? 

I recently sat down with Kate Rasmussen of Wade Weissmann Architecture on my podcast “A Well-Designed Business,” and she talked about this very thing—successfully taking on new projects with a different scope than what you’ve done before. 

Scope it out—accurately

One of the biggest pieces of the puzzle when breaking into something new is the proposal. How do you estimate a timeline and rate when you’re doing something you’ve never done before? 

Getting the estimate right is crucial for both your sanity and profitability. I think back to my conversation with Kimberly Merlitti, who owns KMM Consulting in Washington, D.C.. Merlitti is a strong proponent of building a detailed, accurate estimate before you sign a contract. She emphasized that with time-tracking and data, you can create a clear picture of project costs. Merlitti recommends breaking every project down, piece by piece, room by room, until you have the entire estimate scoped out. This information should come from data you have collected from your previous projects. 

That work and clarity can lead to success when you begin to tackle larger and different types of work as well. Rasmussen’s advice for creating a proposal for a new project involves leaning on what you already know to help determine what you don’t yet. She gave this example: If you know it takes X number of hours to create a 50-page draw set, you can use that information to predict how long a 120-page one might take. 

It may sound tedious to review and capture this data for every project and estimate new proposals in such high detail, but this is exactly what profitable firms do. It is vital for a healthy business to capture data, because it is what will enable you to set benchmarks, goals, and fees. 

The critical takeaway? Our data shows us where we’ve been so we can map out where we want to go.  

Seek advice

What happens when an opportunity is completely new and you lack data to look back on? This is where you can turn to your staff (if you have a bigger firm like Rasmussen) or other professional peers. 

The key in reaching out to colleagues is to ask someone in a different market from your own, which will help avoid the fear that you both may be going after the same local project. If you have your first shot at working with a new luxury builder in your area, but you aren’t sure what your proposal should include or what benchmarks you need in your pricing, call a colleague.  

In the past there was a stereotype that designers were unwilling to share advice, resources, and lessons learned—but those days are over. The industry has come a long way and, if you are not experiencing it yourself, you are not hanging out in the right places. Industry leaders like Veronica Soloman, Cheryl Clenendon, and Claire Jefford all have vibrant Facebook groups where questions, answers, advice, and encouragement buzz around day after day. There are also professional organizations like Interior Design Society (IDS) and the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) where you can ask for help from seasoned colleagues.

When you have an opportunity for a new kind of project, this is exactly the time to reach out and get a bit of education for yourself. 

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Build new communities and relationships

Rasmussen had another piece of advice to pay attention to. She pointed out that, if you are taking on work in new areas, geographically or scope-wise, you can’t just phone it in—you need to be more thorough and attentive than you may have been previously. 

That means being physically present, learning the nuances in the new location and scope, as well as building relationships with the trade partners and vendors that this new type of project requires. 

I’m a big believer in the value of relationships—it’s something I emphasize often. I love having go-to partners and being one in turn. There’s a lot to be said for preserving those long-term relationships. 

Teach yourself new tricks

Breaking into new projects will require you to tap into the mindset that you had when you launched your firm. Recall that spirit of open-mindedness, that hunger to learn, and that willingness to ask for help. 

As you develop your business, continue gathering and recording data. Always be building your network of professional colleagues. Give and ask for help. Have the courage to step out of your box when the opportunity comes—because if you have are strategic and follow these recommendations, you can accomplish whatever you can dream.