The Interior Design Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Profitability

The Interior Design Business Handbook: A Complete Guide to Profitability

Discover how you can run the practical side of your practice more profitably. This comprehensive guide to managing an interior design business gives you an arsenal of proven procedures and practical tools and techniques perfected over the course of some thirty years. New to this edition are sections on establishing an electronic office, the pros and cons of working alone and creating partnerships, hiring and working with off-site employees, and more. It also includes more than fifty sample forms and letters, such as an existing conditions survey and a letter of transmittal, that can easily be adapted to your own uses. It is imperative that interior design firms maintain a solid business structure to permit them to work in a profitable way. Although the creative part of your business and administration often seem to require different talents, this book can help you realize how one can complement the other. All successful businesses must constantly redesign themselves to fit the market of the day. For over a decade, The Interior Design Business Handbook has helped firm owners manage their operations successfully. Now in its Third Edition, this book’s accessible, practical guidance has been brought up to date to address the latest trends and challenges in the field. This Third Edition outlines every component of managing a firm, from choosing a location and administering daily operations to putting it up for sale. Included are innovative ideas for attracting and keeping clients, building a team of staff and consultants, mastering financial management, working with outside sources and contractors, and, most importantly, achieving professional growth. Techniques and practices used by leading firms have been meticulously researched and detailed here, such as tips for equipping your office to be Internet-friendly and strategies for establishing service value in today’s economy. Supplemented with more than 50 sample forms and letters–including a prospective client report form, a design service outline, an existing conditions survey, and many more–this book is an essential reference for seasoned interior designers and those starting their own firms. A full range of business techniques and strategies for running an interior design practice The Interior Design Business Handbook presents cutting-edge procedures, tools, and techniques for managing a successful interior design business. Filled with essential information presented in an easy-to-use format, this comprehensive reference is an invaluable component of any design firm’s daily operations. Extensive revisions in this Third Edition provide the most up-to-date information and administrative strategies for thriving in today’s market. Featured topics include: Technology and its use in the creative practice - The pros and cons of working alone - Creating partnerships with other professionals - Presenting the value of design - Considering the many avenues of income available to design professionals Every technique presented here for handling the challenges of your business has been incorporated by design firms across the country and proven effective. The Interior Design Business Handbook, Third Edition is an essential tool for existing firms looking to streamline their operations as well as new firms working to ensure a successful long-term future. MARY V. KNACKSTEDT, FASID, FIIDA, is founder and President of Knackstedt, Inc. of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and New York. She is an interior designer, furniture designer, consultant, and speaker. She frequently does keynotes, as well as continuing education courses and business courses for professional organizations and universities, including Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. As a consultant, Ms. Knackstedt has helped develop many new businesses and helped to restore failing businesses. She continues to consult designers individually and in groups throughout the country.