5 Reasons To Start Your Own Interior Design Business
Do you have a natural eye-for-design and talent for creating beautiful spaces in your home? Do you dream about becoming a professional interior designer, but don’t want to spend the time or money investing in a 4 year college education? Or maybe you already have a college degree, but you don’t find joy in working for someone else’s company, and you’re dreaming about the freedom of owning your own business.
Well, I have HUGE news for you - you do not need a traditional college degree in interior design to build a profitable residential interior design business. I’m also here to tell you that you don’t need to settle for working at an established business - following someone else’s orders and building their success, not yours.
Take it from me - I’m Emilee, I own a thriving interior design business that I started back in 2020. I have no formal degree and no previous sales experience. I learned everything that I needed to know along the way by taking action instead of wishing I had my dream career. I am so passionate about teaching others how they can do the same thing, even if it seems intimidating.
Read on to hear my top 5 reasons why you should start your own interior design business.
1. Freedom and Flexibility
In my opinion, the biggest advantage of starting your own business is the total freedom and flexibility to make your own decisions. No more dealing with your boss telling you what to work on that day. No more running errands or doing menial tasks for someone else. No more requesting to take PTO if you’re sick or have other important things to get done.
When you run your own business, you are truly in charge. You set the working hours and days for the week. You determine which tasks will get your attention and when. Ultimately, you are free to create your absolute dream career and build the life you want to have! Just imagine never having to hear the phrase, “Hey, can you go do…” from your boss again.
2. The Ability to Work From Home
Another enticing benefit of starting your own business is the ability to work from home. You can wear whatever clothes you want and cozy up while you work from the comfort of your own space! Not to mention, you’ll be saving countless hours in commute time to the office.
I still love going out to meet new clients or work on projects, but the vast majority of the time I’m balancing business tasks with my real life - playing with my cats, working in the garden, or laying out by the pool. You just can’t live that way when you’re stuck at the office all day long.
3. You Control How Much Money You Earn
A major advantage of owning an interior design business is the ability to control how much money you earn. This is truly an invaluable benefit - you can price your own services and choose which types of projects you take on. So instead of making $25 per hour working at a design company, you could earn anywhere from $75-$300 per hour based on the rates you’ve chosen for your services. Instead of earning $4,000 a month in your paycheck, you could be charging $4,000 per project minimum, plus additional markups.
This is a very realistic expectation when you start charging what you’re actually worth as a designer!
In my monthly coaching membership, Design Business Secrets+, I teach my students exactly how to scale their prices so they can take on less clients but earn more money. If this is something you’re interested in learning more about, check out Design Business Secrets+ where you’ll gain instant access to priority feedback from myself and hundreds of other women, my “Perfect Pricing” calculator, and tons of ready-to-use templates for your interior design business.
4. You Control Your Business Trajectory
The beauty of being your own boss is having the ability to create the business you’ve been dreaming of. Truly, the sky's the limit here. If your long-term goal is to hire employees and massively expand your brand, then you need to start your own business to do so!
Once your business is thriving, you have the control and capability to reimagine it along the way. You can bring in new ideas or totally change the course of your business if you want - you’re the boss!
5. Creative Freedom and Ownership of Your Brand
The last major benefit of starting your own interior design business that I’ll share is the pure creative freedom and ownership of your brand. You have the opportunity to mold your business into a perfect reflection of your interests, styles, beliefs, and personality.
Now that I’m working for myself and not another company, I can choose which projects best align with my own personal taste and interests. I only take on projects that bring me joy - and that’s something I was unable to do as an employee working for someone else.
But Wait, Is An Interior Design Business Even Profitable?
You might still be wondering if starting an interior design business is the right option for you. Creating a brand new business in any niche is a risk - but, in my experience, the benefits of owning my own interior design business wildly outweigh the downsides.
I can teach you exactly how to build your business from scratch and how to consistently earn 6-figures while working part-time hours with your dream clients. No college degree necessary.
I’ve taught hundreds of women how to build their dream careers using my proven framework. If you’re ready to take the next step, check out my exclusive coaching program for interior designers, Design Business Secrets+. I’d love to hear from you!