How to grow an interior design business
Recently I had four different encounters where friends asked to 'pick my brain' about different aspects of how to grow and improve their businesses. I have found myself sharing ideas with them across three main themes, which I want to share with you below.
1. PRE-SELL YOUR PRODUCTS TO REDUCE YOUR RISK
Many people are scared of starting a business or creating a new product - such as an online course, workshop, a membership site or all sorts of other products as well - as they are worried that they will go to all the effort of creating it only to find that nobody buys.
The best way to make sure you have a market for what you want to sell is to pre-sell it. This stops you from being the only one to think you have had a good idea - and it normally also sparks significant action once you have paying customers as well!
If you've been watching me closely over the past year or so you will have noticed that EVERY new product or course that I put out has a pre-launch period. This is because I never create a new product without pre-selling it first. It means I know there is a market for a product before I create it and it's also a great deal for people in the community as well - as I can offer a special deal during the pre-launch phase that makes it a win-win for everyone.
So if you have a product idea in the back of your head then a great idea to test the market is to pre-sell it first. If nobody buys you'll know it's not worth creating and if people do purchase you'll then have to get your butt in to action to get it created (which, take my word for it, is an excellent antidote to procrastination!!).
2. IT'S NOT TRUE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TIME
Don't use lack of time as the excuse for not starting or improving your business, or for creating a new product (or for doing any of the other things you have been thinking about). You absolutely can find an hour or two in your day if you make this thing a priority.
What you are really saying when you say you don't have time is that at the moment it isn't a priority for you.
Set your priorities. Set your goals. Then look at your weeks and see where you have time mapped in to achieve those goals and priorities.
Don't keep using time as the excuse for not getting things done as it's rarely what the real problem is.
3. START WITH THE VERY FIRST STEP ONLY
The final thing that I have been chatting with my friends about this week is to do with overwhelm. Many of the people I've spoken with have lots of ideas of what they could be doing and all the different directions they want to take things in. But you know what they really need to be doing? Taking action!
But taking action can be scary and overwhelming for big ideas or big projects. So a practical way to overcome this is to work out what the very first step is and then to do that step - and only that step.
So for me, if I'm planning out a new course the very first step of that process is to map out the course outline. What will be the main modules covered in the course? What video lessons will need to be included? Once that very first small step is done I have a framework that I can then start to flesh out in detail, which becomes my next step in the project. Before I know it a full course is created and launched. All by taking things one small step at a time.
So if you have big ideas then start with the very first action step you need to take to get moving with it. Planning, thinking, researching and reading about the idea isn't going to get you anywhere! You have to start taking action!
Courses and Templates for Designers and Architects
DO YOU WANT TO….
Improve your professionalism?
Find more clients?
Bring in more revenue?
Create better systems and processes?
Then check out my business courses and templates for designers and architects.
These courses and templates leave you with work done - not just a long list of things you need to do next. We have a really strong focus on taking action and getting things created that improve your business.
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy
