If there’s one thing I know about interior designers it’s that you adore the creative aspects of business and mostly loathe the business parts of the business. So when you think about hiring why is your first instinct to hire another designer? You can be more successful when you fill in the gaps in your business with complementary strengths rather than duplicating a role that you already excel at.
Something I see again and again is a business that has several designers and a bookkeeper but no admin, no marketing, no operations and no CEO. These companies are doing really well at designing for clients but there are holes that need to be plugged everywhere else.
For instance, a great design without a great client experience is still not a success. It’s satisfying the needs of just a single aspect of your business. Great businesses understand that all departments need to be working harmoniously toward the same goal. As an interior designer, you’re a service-based business. The goal is not just great design, it’s also an outstanding client experience.
questions to ask yourself before you hire
1. WHAT AM I GOOD AT?
Design, I know. You might think that’s a weird question but before you move on, think about anything else you do really well in your business. Marketing, social media, communicating with clients, operations? It all matters and before you hire you want to be clear on what your own strengths are. You will likely have to hang on to a few of your many hats until you’ve made several hires. Wouldn’t you rather focus on the handful of things you love and farm out the rest of the work?
2. WHAT AM I NOT GOOD AT?
What do you absolutely hate in your business? I speak to a lot of designers and the back-end of business is almost universally loathed. This incudes bookkeeping, client emails, order tracking, etc. Start by writing down the parts of your business you’d be happy to farm out to someone else.
3. IS THIS PART-TIME, FULL-TIME OR CONTRACT WORK?
It’s a huge mistake to not consider this before hiring. When we feel overwhelmed we make decisions based on the moment. You might think the phone will never stop ringing (and maybe it won’t) but you need to consider the variables in the future.
4. AM I READY TO ONBOARD SOMEONE NEW INTO MY BUSINESS?
If you don’t plan ahead you can end up causing more stress for yourself and potentially your clients. Just imagine bringing in another designer because you’re so overwhelmed with clients that you feel you have no choice. If you don’t have a way to onboard this new hire you’ll be adding more work to your already full plate. When someone new comes onboard you should have all the documentation ready so that training is effortless.
5. WHO’S ALREADY ON PAYROLL?
If you have a bookkeeper, a VA managing social media or a tech person who provides hourly help take note of those. Don’t hire someone who will duplicate a role that’s already being done well.
CREATE PROCESSES TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS. READ THIS POST
READY TO HIRE? HERE’S THE BEST ORDER.
1. ADMINISTRATOR OR CLIENT EXPERIENCE MANAGER
You might think an administrator is just answering your phone and setting up appointments. If that’s the case it would seem unnecessary to hire someone for that role, even on a part-time basis. They are so much more than this though and if you have the right person in place, this person is a game changer in your business.
Think of this as someone who will excel at client relationships. He/she will touch every project and have an understanding of the entire process. A great administrator will be able to anticipate the needs of you as well as your clients. This is your right-hand man. The one who coordinates, oversees, anticipates and manages.
I always recommend that this is your first hire. If you can afford to hire full-time, do it but even part-time, this person will become invaluable to you.
2. BOOKKEEPER
I know a lot of you already have one in place. If you don’t, I would make this your 2nd hire. A bookkeeper will most often be completely virtual. If you do a lot of purchasing for your clients this will require a bit more time. Regardless, a bookkeeper can manage your accounts for very few hours each month. If you’re currently managing your own books but dread this portion of your business, hire it out.
3. VIRTUAL DESIGN ASSISTANT
Even designers who are obsessed with their creative work often aren’t in love with the technical aspects of it. If that’s you or you don’t have great technical skills, a VDA is your new bestie. There are virtual design assistants who specialize in 3D renders, elevations etc. There are some that focus on sourcing and getting your furniture organized. Others are more general and can hop in wherever they’re needed. You aren’t hiring an employee when you hire a VDA. They work for themselves and will be on a monthly retainer. The number of hours varies by person but I recommend hiring a VDA before considering a full-time designer.
5. OPERATIONS AND SYSTEMS
If you really want to kickstart your business you’ll need to bring on someone who can plan for the future. This will include creating all your SOP’s (standard operating procedures) as well as creating the systems and processes that will allow you to grow.
This also doesn’t need to be a permanent addition to your team. I work with clients by helping them understand which processes and systems they’re missing. Sometimes they keep me around on retainer and sometimes they go dig into the work on their own. The beauty of an Operations Consultant is that they can change the direction of your business in a short time.
6. Junior Designer
Ok, now you’re ready for your 1st design hire. Start with someone who is a junior designer and show them the ropes. Now you can start to fully focus on the client and the project management. You can be more visible and move into becoming the real face of your business. Your junior designer can work on creating documentation while you’re on site.
I hope this was helpful. If you want to discuss how I can help with your operations, book a discovery call here.