Growing your Interior Design Community
Knowing When to Ask for Help and Where to Find it
In the summer of 2020, I won first place in the Interior Design Society’s first-ever Virtual SWATCHED competition and one of my spectacular prizes was a guest spot on the interior design podcast, A Well-Designed Business® with LuAnn Nigara (Listen HERE). During the course of the interview, we discussed the challenges I faced building my virtual design business as a single mother during a pandemic.
While I am no stranger to the interior design industry, before the pandemic hit the US, I knew nothing about starting a business. As a result of losing my job due to Covid, I was forced to learn everything I needed to know about running a business and I had to learn it fast. Through trial and error and many sleepless nights, I realized that there were three main things I needed to get my business started and keep it running like a well-oiled machine: Hard work, self-care, and community.
When I first lost my job and lockdown began, I felt hopeless and anxious. How would I support my daughter and what would happen next? My mother reminded me of some virtual design work I did for a company in the UK during maternity leave and I decided to investigate starting my own virtual design business. In the early stages of start-up, I was clueless as to what needed to be done. I knew I needed to ask for help and as a result of being in lockdown in a tiny efficiency apartment with a toddler, I realized my only option was to look on a virtual level. I joined interior design membership groups and signed up for interior design challenges and competitions. I took online courses and brushed up on skills I hadn’t used in some time and learned new skills and software I always wanted to learn. I met so many amazing people along the way and discovered so many beneficial resources. Each resource led me to another and so on like a beautiful chain of events that was meant to be. In this blog post, I will share some of the ways that I grew my community and give you some tips on growing yours so that your interior design business can flourish.
Social Media
Social Media is such a fantastic resource for interior designers. Facebook groups like Presentation by Design and The Interior Design Business Forum are a few of my favorites and they are full of talented interior designers from all over the world and priceless information.
A quick search of your topic in one of these Facebook groups will bring up posts that hold valuable information from interior designers in all stages of their business. If you cannot find what you are looking for through a search, then you can post your question and expect some insightful responses from seasoned designers from all walks of life.
Many of the interior design Facebook groups have special posts from time to time where you can share your social media links and connect with others in the interior design industry. This is such a remarkable way to build your community by following others in the interior design realm who in turn follow you back. I absolutely love building my following on Instagram and not only do I get spectacular eye candy while scrolling, but there are always helpful tips and encouraging quotes that are sure to inspire.
Coaches/Mentors & Networking Groups
Photo by KOBU Agency on Unsplash
Another way to stay on track in your business and be held accountable is by joining a networking group.
Early on in my business, I joined a very special group called Virtual Networking and Mentoring Group for Virtual Design Assistants and Rendering Artists. This awesome networking group is a part of the Virtual Design Mentor and is mentored by Kelly Fridline. I have gained so much knowledge about how to properly run a VDA business from meeting biweekly with this fabulous group of talented entrepreneurs. Being a member has encouraged me to stay accountable to the boundaries I have set for myself and my business. I am lucky enough to be among some extremely talented women who have been running their own business a lot longer than I have and I have grown so much because of the valuable information I have acquired from hearing their stories and learning from their example.
Now I am sure you are no stranger to this topic; business coaching is HUGE right now and it is for good reason.
Within my first year of business, I had coaching sessions with several mentors/coaches. Yes, coaching can be pricey, and it should be. It is so valuable and there is a reason that coaches charge what they do. Interestingly enough, I actually worked with a parenting coach for 3 months and I would say she ended up being more of a life/business coach for me. At the time I hired her, I was a bit hesitant at first to fork up the money, but I knew I wanted to be the best mommy I could be to my toddler. While working with my coach, we came to the conclusion that it wasn’t my parenting that needed the work per se, it was mainly setting boundaries in my new business to allow for self-care and sanity. I was going for months with very little sleep and very minimal self-care and while hard work is definitely a requirement for running a successful business, it will not work correctly without taking care of yourself first. A coach is someone who will keep you accountable, who helps you set goals and stick to them.
Give a Little, Take a Little
Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash
I found that the more I reached out in my community, the bigger it grew. The more I asked for help, the more I learned and the more I thrived in my life and business. Now on the other side of that coin, I do believe that doing your part to help out where you can, will also help your business and bring more success your way. Do not just be in a Facebook group to gain knowledge and get in on trade secrets. Answer questions when you can and offer to help when you are available. Do your part to help your community flourish.
“Do your part to help your community flourish.”
I saw a post from an interior design professor in one of the groups on Facebook asking for people in our industry to answer some interview questions for her students. At first, that sneaky mindset gremlin popped in my head and whispered, “What could you possibly share that would help interior design students?”. I quickly shut that thought down and answered the post saying I would love to be of assistance. I received the questions and answered them to the best of my ability. Later, the professor emailed me thanking me for my interview and explained that she has a student who is a mom of two and struggling with the thought of starting a business. She went on to say how helpful the information will be for that student, as well as the other students in her class. Shortly after offering to help with the interview for interior design students across the country, I was offered a teaching position at the Istituto Marangoni in the Miami Design District teaching Photoshop to interior design students. I truly believe that as a result of offering to help in my community, even though I had my doubts, I was in turn given the opportunity to teach. Teaching in person has been such an incredible learning experience and has helped to expand my business even further.
OUTSOURCING
Another way to grow your community is by outsourcing. Outsourcing has become even more popular since the onset of the pandemic, especially at a virtual level.
Gone are the days that your design assistant must be sitting nearby in your office. There are several ways you can outsource in your interior design business. To name a few, you can (and should) hire an accountant and/or a bookkeeper, you can hire someone to manage your social media accounts or build and manage your website. You can even hire someone to write your blog posts and take care of your email marketing.
“…delegate the tasks that you can to free up your time and avoid overwhelm.”
A virtual design assistant, like myself, can take design tasks off your hands, such as CAD drawings, 3D renderings, and presentation content, that you may not have the time to complete or maybe you don’t want to complete yourself. Maybe you have experience or are familiar with keeping your own books or using SketchUp to create your 3D visuals, but is that really where your time is best spent? It is so important to hone in on the area of your business where you excel and delegate the tasks that you can to free up your time and avoid overwhelm. Building a team is so important for the growth of your business. Hiring someone to assist will save you time, money, and unnecessary stress.
“We are not weak when we ask for help, but on the contrary, we are stronger for recognizing the need and taking action.”
One of the most important things I learned while building my business was how to ask for help when I needed it and I believe that is how I was able to get my business up and running so quickly and get to the place I am now. We are not weak when we ask for help, but on the contrary, we are stronger for recognizing the need and taking action. Growing your community is so important for your business and surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals in the interior design industry can help you flourish in your business and in your life.
Interior Design: Natura Interiors | 3D Rendering: Theresa G Design
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