Designer Business Building Tip – How to Work Smarter, Not Harder

A recent article from the folks at Houzz for Pros caught our eye as particularly relevant in this time of increasing challenges and transition for entrepreneurs and small business owners. While we hate the phrase, it’s obviously true that we all either are or will be facing a “new normal” in the luxury furnishings and design industries. With these things in mind, we recommend taking a look at the said article, 5 Ways Pros Work Smarter, Not Harder.

 As author Bryan Anthony confidently declares in the sub-heading, “Design and remodeling pros offer tips for working more efficiently, delegating tasks, and relieving stress.”

Cope with Stress by Working Smarter

Among these insights the most valuable tips appear to be:

Know When to Delegate Client Work to Other Pros – Designer Barbara Milner of South Hill Interiors in Toronto says that when working with clients, delegating work can be a great strategy for working smarter, as long as you choose the right moments.

“Delegation is a wonderful thing and it can save you lots of time, but it really all comes down to the client and their needs,” Milner says. “Over the years I have established a network of showroom representatives and professional contractors that I trust to work with my clients without me having to be there.” Empowering clients in a direct relationship with other trusted pros saves Milner time she can then spend on the design work she does best, rather than accompanying the client to meetings with other pros. But her ability to delegate really depends on a client’s comfort level.

Share Daily Updates [with all team members and subs] – Kitchen and bath remodeler Jared Lewis of Lewis Design-Build-Remodel in Scotts Valley, California, says keeping everyone up to date and on the same page is one of the best ways to work smarter, not harder. Therefore, he shares a daily job log for every project.

“I send a daily job log to the contractors, subcontractors, and the clients,” Lewis says. “It reviews what was done the day before and what’s expected to be done for the day. Letting everyone involved know the current status of a project can relieve a lot of stress and miscommunication.”

Schedule Stress Relief – To be your best, you have to feel your best, and the remodeling and design professionals interviewed for this article all highlighted the importance of relieving stress in a consistent and scheduled manner.

“I recently purchased a new turntable to go along with my large collection of records collected over the years,” Milner says. “I listen to music every night as a way to unwind and reflect upon my day. There’s something about the tactile nature of taking a record out of its sleeve and putting it on the turntable that melts away my stress.”

For Lewis, a weekly golf game helps keep him and his business running smoothly. “If I don’t get a round of golf in every week, it’s going to show up in my work. I will be more tense and agitated. That’s not good for me, my employees, or my clients,” he says.

Bula says exercise helps get her through her workweek with lower stress. “Yoga is my go-to exercise,” she says. “I try to get in a few sessions every week. That and a nightly glass of wine usually does the trick.”

Two More Work Smarter Tips for Designers

Now, despite nearly a quarter-century in the industry, we would never claim to have all the answers and business building tips interior designers are habitually searching for, and with good reason. Yet, because of our experience and history, we believe the “pros” in the article missed a couple of high-value tips.

We offer two of the most valuable working smarter below:

Hang on to your most dependable subs – Finding dependable sub-contractors may be the greatest challenge faced by interior designers, especially if they are practicing social distancing (and plan to do so indefinitely). If you have developed relationships with a few subs who mesh with your needs, do not let them get away. Further, you can’t afford to let their pricing get in the way of working with them. Yes, some sub-contractors can get a little greedy with their rates once they believe they’ve gotten their hooks into you. But then, many designers work the same way; bumping up their rates for repeat clients is pretty much standard practice in the industry.

The best way to handle subs who seems to be pricing their services too high is to perform a cost/benefit analysis. If you can’t absorb the increase, you can try to pass it along to your client when you bid on their project. As a last resort in a case like this – or it could be the first resort for some – take some time to recall how difficult, time-consuming, and energy-draining it was to find the perfect sub-contractor in the first place.

If you're not ready to endure that kind of torture again, whether it be missing deadlines, misunderstanding the parameters of their projects, or a myriad of other things that can go wrong, then it’s time to “Stick with the one that brung ya’,” and find any and every way to keep them on your team.

Line up, and stick with, the right supplier(s) – There is a great deal more to working with suppliers than simply being able to choose from among a great lineup of furnishings. You surely know the drill by now, we’re sure. (And don’t call me Shirley). You search and search until you find yourself a wonderful line of luxury furnishings, fabrics, rugs, and wallcoverings from supplier X, only to discover they keep virtually nothing in stock and have lead times that make it virtually impossible for you to work with them.

For a sharp designer who’s looking to work smarter, not harder, you will discover that customer service, expertise, diversity of designs, and product quality is easily as important as selection and turnaround times – which, by the way, are becoming much shorter than ever before.

These are the qualities we believe in at TD Fall Luxury Furnishings. These are also the qualities that have helped us decide to work with Kravet, the leader in the industry. And, when we say, “the leader”, we aren’t just talking about innovative designs. This century-old company has no intention of showing its age, employing cutting edge technology and a commitment to serving their customers, unlike any furnishings manufacturer we’ve found. To learn more about our business philosophy, and how it meshes so well with Kravet’s, contact TD Fall today.

Have you figured out a few new tricks to work more efficiently and with fewer headaches or lost sleep, ways to work smarter, not harder? Share them below and help out other designers who read this blog.

Ted remains available for individual business consulting support, and more ways to work smarter, not harder, to interior designers and furnishing store owners. Get in touch with TD Fall today.