I often hear what differentiates entrepreneurs and successful business owners from everyone else is that they refuse to quit. I don’t often hear what to do during the tough times.
The month I launched my business I had three solid leads in the first three weeks, two of which converted into clients. I thought I was well on my way to building a profitable interior design business. In the six months that followed I had zero actionable leads. Zero. I knew I had to change if I wanted my business to change. Read on for how to be resilient and grow when business isn’t booming.
Do what you do best
My background is marketing strategy, so I focused on building a strong brand foundation. The two most important elements of a brand strategy are defining a brand purpose and brand promise. A brand purpose is what drives you, and a brand promise is the unique promise you make to customers that differentiates you from competitors. Defining these two elements allows me to set goals and feel comfortable making decisions that align with my values.
I also leveraged an appreciation for clearly defined and documented processes. Taking time to establish business process when things were slow facilitated my ability to run smooth and swift once business started to pick back up.
Learn
From my advertising agency days I was accustomed to learning quickly and becoming an expert on new clients. At my last company we moved jobs every two years, so I learned to get comfortable with the discomfort of being at the bottom of a learning curve.
During those slow months I quickly learned new skills like developing a website, applying SEO, taking interior photography, and learning design programs like the Mydoma 3D Visualizer and SketchUp. Perhaps the most helpful resource I’ve found is LuAnn Nigara’s podcast, “A Well-edsigned Business.” The podcast delves into insights from industry leaders on how to improve and run a successful interior design business. The podcast motivated and gave me the confidence to grow my design business.
Network
Starting an interior design business can be lonely. You’re working from home and unless you have a steady flow of clients, you spend a lot of time by yourself. To get past this I joined the Houston chapter of the Interior Design Society (IDS), sought out design mentors, and reached out to local contractors to develop partnerships. I also attended my first High Point Market (HPMKT) this fall. While at HPMKT I participated in the Insider’s Tour for first-time market attendees. It provided an opportunity to meet and build relationships with other new designers, and chat about each other’s challenges and successes. I’m thankful for the community I’ve found in the design industry this year.
Test, test, and test again
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Test new approaches to see what works for you. I’m testing running ads on Yelp, Instagram, Houzz, and Google. Once I have more data I will report back which platforms were the most effective for me to generate quality leads.
Arguably, the best time to grow is when business is slow. Take action and grow when business isn’t booming by strengthening your foundation, learning new skills, networking, and testing different approaches.
DuLany Design is a residential interior design studio in The Woodlands, TX. We create calm, natural, functional spaces that bring peace to your place.
Interested in working with us? Fill out a design inquiry to learn more about our interior design services. We look forward to working with you.