How To Spend $0 On Branding And Still Get Interior Design Clients
If you’re dreaming about starting your own interior design business, or maybe you’re already in the process of doing so, you might be stuck on some of your business branding decisions. Fonts, logos, colors, website design, the brand name itself - there are truly so many choices you need to make! But try not to get completely stuck on this…
Yes, business branding is extremely important. It’s your chance to showcase your own voice, personality, and professionalism. It’s an opportunity to really set yourself apart from other designers who aren’t as serious about their businesses. However, you do not need to spend a ton of time or invest a lot of money into your branding when you first launch your own interior design business.
Read on to see how much money I spent on my business branding and learn my recommendations for how to get your first interior design client and how to make money as an interior designer.
How Much Money To Spend On Branding
I’ve seen people in this design community recommend investing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on professional business branding services. Now, if you’ve got the extra money to spend, I say go for it! But the reality is that most people who are just starting their own interior design businesses do not have extra income to spare on professional services just yet. That’s the whole point - you haven’t booked any interior design projects, so you don’t have money to reinvest back into your business. And in my experience, this is completely fine!
Now, you might be worried about how you’ll get your first interior design client if you don’t have professional branding. Be careful here - professional looking branding is completely different from professionally done branding. I’m here to tell you that you can absolutely create a FREE logo, choose your own brand name and colors, and design an eye-catching website without the help of a graphic designer. I did all of this for $0 when I first started my interior design business, and I still landed clients with no problem.
I designed my own logo in Canva in around 20 minutes. I chose my business name to be my last name. I kept it simple. Yes, these are big decisions, but your future clients truly won’t care about these details. They don’t care if you designed your own logo or if you dropped $10K on an expert designer - as long as your overall brand appears to be clean and professional.
→ 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 Get Your First Interior Design Client
When I first started my interior design business in 2020 and I was looking for clients, I quickly realized that potential clients did not care at all about what colors and fonts I had chosen for my brand. What mattered most was being organized, prepared, and confident in my own design skills. This holds true today - clients don’t care about the small details in your website layout or your brand name.
What they do care about is your design portfolio! Does your work speak to them? Does it align with their personal style? And even more importantly, do they like YOU as a designer? Did you vibe together on the discovery call? Do they feel like they can trust you to deliver quality work? Those are truly the details that will help you get your first interior design client.
Of course, professionally-designed business branding does make you even more unique. It is something I recommend investing in a couple of years down the road as you eventually book more projects and have the income to spare on this type of service. I personally invested in a new logo and website design about a year and a half into owning my business. The time was right for me to invest and upgrade my personal branding style. But the key takeaway here is that you don’t have to spend any money outsourcing these tasks when you are first starting out! You can absolutely get clients for your interior design business based on your quality of work.
Your business systems and professional demeanor are your biggest assets when meeting with potential clients. So if you’re still trying to get your first interior design client and you’d like more support, check out my monthly coaching membership where you’ll receive expert 1:1 coaching from me, access to tons of amazing templates that I use in my own business, and the support of a growing community of women who are starting their own interior design businesses alongside you.
How To Make Money As An Interior Designer
No matter how you choose to get started with your business branding, we all have the same end goal - getting clients and making a profit. So my point here is not to let these small branding decisions hold you back from just getting started. Once you take action and finally launch your brand, you can book your first client and start building the momentum it takes to earn a full-time living working part-time hours as an interior designer.
If this seems like a distant dream for you right now, you might be looking for some more guidance and support to help you achieve your goal of becoming a professional interior designer. I’ve coached hundreds of women over the last few years and have helped them start their own interior design businesses from home.
With the right support, you can start earning 6-figures while working part-time doing exactly what you love - designing beautiful spaces for people! Check out my exclusive coaching program for interior designers, Design Business Secrets+. Not only will you receive 1:1 priority coaching from me, but I also provide you with expert lessons on critical topics for your business (attracting and onboarding clients, pricing your design services, forming strategic partnerships in the industry, and so much more), tons of ready-to-use templates for your business systems and social media, and behind-the-scenes looks at my own 6-figure business!
Head over to Design Business Secrets+ today to claim your spot and take the next step toward your dream life!