Stop Giving Away Your Talent, It’s Time to Get Paid For Your Interior Design Advice
Speaking of time,
Time is the one thing we never seem to have enough of, and you can’t ever make more. So based on the laws of supply and demand, your time is extremely valuable. If you’re a creative woman who has a passion for home decor and a knack for decorating, I am willing to bet that you have already been working as a decorator. Chances are you just haven’t picked-up a paycheck. Do you often help your friends shop for their home, or tell your mother-in-law how to rearrange her furniture? Have you ever had someone compliment you on your house and tell you they would love your help with theirs? This is exactly what a decorator does, so why not become one yourself?
Remember, not everyone has a gift for design. In fact most people don’t have an eye for details and they can’t put colors together in pleasing combinations. Others may have the talent but don’t have the time it takes to pull together a beautiful room. I love to shop, and I enjoy the opportunity and responsibility of shopping with other people’s money. If this sounds at all interesting and you have an entrepreneurial drive, being a decorator can be a fantastic home-based business.
You need to understand that your talent has value! What may come easy to you, can seem like an impossible task to others. What most people haven’t grasped yet is that this concept is what embodies a professional, “Making the difficult look easy and making the impossible, look attainable.” People are willing to pay for things they can’t do themselves. In fact, you’ll be helping them more than you can imagine. For this, they will be extremely grateful. Grateful enough to pay you for your time and possibly a percentage of the project. You need to decide what your time is worth and create an invoice to simply collect your paycheck.
How you charge for your time depends on a few important things. First things first, do your research and find out what the going rate is in your area. Don’t forget to find out how long your competition has been in business and what type of design they specialize in? Do they charge hourly or by project? Are you really comparing apples to apples?
Secondly, what type of designer would you like to be? Are you going to be a re-designer, someone who rearranges the furniture your client already has? Would you like to design a plan for someone’s room and let them do all of the leg work, like suggesting paint colors and floor plans? Then you offer consultation based services, and you are simply paid for your advice and your taste. For this, I would recommend charging a slightly higher hourly rate or a flat fee based on the room size, or square footage.
If you plan on actually purchasing the furniture for your client, this would make you a product driven design consultant. You should be charging an hourly fee and a percentage of the products you use in the space. This money can either be a service fee you charge the client, or a designer discount offered by the supplier of the product. There is so much extra work involved in tracking special orders, you must charge for the additional responsibility and liability involved in this type of design. Find out what other designers charge and make yourself competitive.
Next up, how experienced are you? If you’re just starting out in this wonderful world of design, then giving your clients a discount can be a great way to build up a base clientele. When I was first starting out I charged $35 an hour for shopping and consultation and $25 an hour for drafting time. Now, that was back in 1992 and thanks to inflation, things have changed a bit. I can now charge three to five times that, depending on the client. If I’m working with a homeowner I charge at a different rate than if I was coaching a store owner or corporation. I also charge extra for rendering, drafting, site visits, and training. If I were just starting out today, and I was a beginner, I would charge at least $50 an hour for my shopping time. Be sure to let them know that they are receiving an introductory offer and as your popularity grows, so will your fees!
My best advice is for you to think it through carefully and do your homework. There isn’t any one RIGHT way to charge for design time and there’s a fine line between underselling and undervaluing your services, or charging too much and scaring off potential customers. Being a designer can be the best business in the world, if you have a plan, and set your mind to really get paid for your natural talent.
About the Author
Whether you are just starting out in the design world, or have years of experience, Chelsea Coryell can help you create the design business of your dreams. Drawing from over 20 years of experience as a professional designer and sales coach she can help you Renovate Your Revenue today by visiting http://www.designforaliving.com where you can download a free video series now.