Top 5 Personality Traits You Need To Run A Successful Interior Design Business
If you’ve been thinking of starting your own interior design business, you’re probably imagining all of the amazing spaces you will get to design, the dream clients you’ll get to work with, and the 6-figure income you’ll eventually be earning. You can’t wait to see the look of joy on your client’s face when you reveal their new home and transform their life. You are just so excited to launch your business so you can get designing and have all of the creative freedom –
But, I’m here to tell you that running a successful interior design business takes a lot of work. In my experience, it’s 80% business and 20% designing.
That might not be exactly what you want to hear, but it’s true. And the good news is, you can learn the extremely important traits needed to create the life you dream of.
I’m here to share the top 5 personality traits you need to run a successful interior design business.
Personality Traits of a Successful Interior Designer
Determination
As a business owner, you are no longer an employee of a company. There’s nobody else to give you directions or a list of tasks to complete each day. You are the boss and the final decision maker, which means you need determination to keep yourself going.
If you don’t have the drive to take action every single day (especially when you are first starting your business), you won’t have enough momentum to book new clients and start earning money. Determination to make a profit, and not just design as a hobby, will give you the boost you need to run a successful interior design business.
Entrepreneurship
Running a business is not all rainbows and butterflies. You will need to wear many different hats and do a lot of tasks that are not as much fun as actually designing. For example, marketing is a crucial aspect of growing your business - you need to be willing to pitch your services and try to book new clients to actually make a profit.
→ If you want to learn the 3 easiest (and FREE) ways to start marketing your business as a newbie, check out this blog post.
Organization
Accounting, taxes, and bookkeeping are all extremely important legal aspects of running a successful interior design business that need to be done correctly. If you’re not already an organized person, you’ll need to prioritize this trait before launching your own business.
In addition to the financial aspects of running a business, you’ll need to organize the details of your projects in a contract. Even as a very beginner, I recommend using a simple contract (for paid and unpaid work) to not only protect yourself legally in a dispute, but to establish yourself as a professional in your client’s eyes.
→ If you have no idea where to start with interior design contracts, or just want a simple, ready-to-use contract template, check out this blog post.
Personability
A very important trait of an interior designer is personability - or the quality of being friendly and getting along with others. A lot of your work is spent communicating with your clients throughout the design process. Sometimes you'll need to spend 1-on-1 time with your client in their home. It’s very intimate and personal, so don’t be afraid to just be yourself and let your personality shine through.
Your clients will feel a connection with you early on in the consultation phase and they’ll want to work with you if you are personable, kind, and friendly.
Strong Communication
Lastly, all entrepreneurs need to have strong communication skills to be successful. Specifically with running an interior design business, strong communication will set you apart during the consultation phase, throughout the design process, and even when dealing with an unhappy client.
One of the most crucial areas of your business when you need to be a strong communicator is during the sales process - you need to be able to clearly explain how you can solve someone’s problem or help them achieve a certain goal through your services.
→ If the sales process sounds completely scary to you, or you just need a little bit more guidance on how to book new clients, I’ve got you covered inside my group for interior designers, Design Business Secrets+. Check it out today if you need help streamlining your sales process and booking those dream clients!
Why It’s Worth The Effort To Run An Interior Design Business
When you’re able to use all of these skills together to run a business, it is extremely rewarding. Personally, my work-life balance is one of my top priorities and reasons for putting in all of the hard work of being an entrepreneur.
It’s so freeing to know that I am in charge of my own future and have the luxury of flexibility. I built my business around the lifestyle that I desire - which includes lots of free time to spend with family and friends, traveling, or on a hobby.
That’s why I am so passionate about teaching others how to start and run their own interior design businesses - because even though it’s 80% business and 20% design, the end result of freedom to live your life on your own terms is so worth it.
→ If you haven’t officially launched your own interior design business yet, check out this post for the top 5 reasons you should get started.
How To Run a Successful Interior Design Business
I’m only able to live out my dream life because I’ve built such a consistent, predictable business system - from the first conversation with a potential client to the final reveal of a space. My proven system for the design process is what allows me to attract my dream clients and produce incredible results for them. This leads to happy clients, referrals, and booking projects with large budgets (I’m talking up to $200K per project).
If you’re wondering what I mean by “system”, it’s basically a blueprint that I follow for every single design project. It’s a structured, organized process that I’ve developed to help me stay on track each step of the way - so I’m not winging it or reinventing the wheel with each new client. My system gives me so much confidence because I know it sets me up as a professional and I can follow a blueprint every single time.
When I first started in my design business, I was the exact opposite. Even though I had all 5 traits explained above, I had no templates or guides for the nitty-gritty business details. I was building the process as I went along, and it was very stressful trying to manage new clients while still figuring out what worked best for my business. If you’re feeling this way at all, consider checking out my group for interior designers, Design Business Secrets+. Inside this exclusive group of new and aspiring designers, I share all of my best tips and tricks for running a successful interior design business. You’ll get access to premium coaching and expert courses created by me, plus the exact scripts and templates that I use in my own 6-figure design business.
Whether you’re just starting out as a business owner, or you’ve been spinning your wheels for a while and need some guidance, this group is for you. Let me help you build your dream life as an interior designer!
Check out Design Business Secrets+ today to claim your spot and be on your way to earning 6-figures while working part-time hours doing what you love - designing beautiful spaces for people!