Last updated on February 23rd, 2023
Interior designing is a thriving business. But clients generally like to hire experienced home decorators. Still, if you chalk out some clever marketing strategies, your interior design business can also make inroads. You must study all aspects of this business before entering the fray.
Home furnishing businesses cater to home decoration and furnishing needs of clients. There are many types of interior designing services available to the clients as per their specific needs. For example, some of the clients need interior design businesses only for furnishing their homes in style. Others may need just an arrangement of flowers.
The business of interior designing is expanding fast. According to the bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census, the number of interior designers increased by 11.9 percent to 68,067. The number of firms also are up by nearly 6 percent to 12,642.
The U.S interior design industry generates $10 billion in revenue on yearly basis. Thus, there is a vast scope for interior designers to flourish in the market on the back of an ever increasing demand to decorate homes.
But you need to target your potential customers carefully with a marketing plan. First, research your market niche and find out which set of people are likely to call you for home furnishing and other interior designing jobs. Then, target them and drive their attention to your startup with your unique marketing ideas.
Here Are 10 Steps To Launch Your Interior Design Business
01. Know Your Target Clients
Interior designing business covers many sub-sectors such as antique furniture refurnishing, decorating artificial flowers, basement remodelling, ceramic tiles, sales and installation, custom furniture covers, home furnishing, designing stunning home improvement logo and many more.
So, first, know who your clients are. This is directly related to knowing what type of interior business you should start. Once you have determined your niche, research about that small segment. Particularly, know more about different backgrounds of your potential customers.
Find out the market size, specific products, and services that are generally in good demand. Most importantly, know what your customers expect from your interior design AR app services. You must have a clear vision of your ideal client.
02. Get Your Startup A Unique Logo
After deciding your interior designing business niche and having profiled your target clients, create and own a unique logo for your venture. The significance of a logo for building a brand identity is now well documented.
So, if you are in a handmade craft business, one of the best ways to build a brand identity of your Handmade Craft Ideas for Home Décor is to design a logo that will attract the curiosity of the audience. It should be memorable, scalable and versatile.
Your interior design logo should be a memorable design that people can recall quickly. So, before your set out to design your own logo, consider these sample logos.
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As people see a logo repeatedly in advertisements, products or services, and on other marketing materials, they start identifying the company and business. So, have a nice interior design business logo.
Crowdsourcing platforms can deliver you many interior business logo ideas. Designhill is a leading marketplace where you can launch an interior logo design contest to get a winning logo at an affordable price.
You can buy Furniture & Interior Design Logos created by professional logo designers. The logo prices start at $99 only. You will get 50+ designs to choose from. If you do not like the submitted designs, Designhill will give back your entire money under its 100% Money Back Guarantee Scheme.
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We have helped thousands of business owners from all around the world with their graphic design needs such as a logo design, website design, social media posts, banner design and much more.
03. Put Your Business Online
Interior designing business clients do not approach interior designers directly these days. Generally, they will first search for interior design businesses online on search engines like Google, Bing, etc. Then, they compare all the information such as costs and services available on various interior design websites.
Therefore, put your interior design business or home furnishing business on a website. Your website design should have all the information for your clients. But, make your website a tool to turn your visitors into customers.
Put in your website home page some glaring images of the interior designing work you have done in the past. Make sure that the site is easily loadable when users click its link.
The site pages should be quickly navigational. Content in the web pages should engage your visitors. Give all the relevant information about your company, its contact details, privacy policy, terms & conditions and testimonials also.
04. Offer Your Services Free Initially
Do some initial projects free or at a nominal price for clients. This way, you can have a platform to demonstrate your talent and skill.
These satisfied clients will then spread a good word about your business and talent. It will help you get your initial clients. Gradually, you will be able to build your own client list.
So, find out 2-3 clients who will let you work on their interior designing projects. You can even waive your design fee so that they let you work. Just request them to give you full creative control on the project.
Some of them may be tempted by your offer of free decoration of home interiors or home furnishing. You can buy furniture that your clients will be the tempted to buy from you.
05. Market Your Business On Social Channels
Do not underestimate the power of social media in promoting your startup interior decoration business or home furnishing business. Social channels such as Twitter and Facebook are great platforms for your business promotion.
You gather thousands of followers and ‘likes’ for your startup venture. Many of these followers may become your customers when they need home decoration services. Social channels help spread a word for your newly established business.
But, post an engaging and interacting content on your social media pages. You should regularly post quality images along with information regarding your interior designing services.
Try to create some viral videos so that you can bring attention of thousands of potential customers to your business immediately.
06. Create And Show Amazing Photos Of Your Work
Interior designing is a visual medium. This business is all about creating visuals in the form of home furnishing products, home decorating, flowering, and others. If clients are impressed with the visual effect you created, you will get more business due to word of mouth publicity.
So, when you meet clients, make a first impression on them by personally showing photos of the designing work, Also, display these pictures on your website and social pages.
Hire a professional photographer to have great quality photos of your interior design works. Then show these images to the client as a way to display your talent. This is a nice way to get a deal from your clients.
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07. Attend Trade Events In Your Town
Trade events are excellent platforms for giving your business an exposure in the market. Whenever there is a trade show on interior designing business in your town, make sure to register your startup’s presence.
Try to meet the industry experts and get their suggestions for growth of your venture. You may also come in contact with many interior designers of great repute. Make personal contact with them. Their few kind words about your business can help you get some really big clients and deals.
When talking to people and experts, give them your business card. Your business card design must be impressive and all of your contact information such as phone number and your website address should be part of the design.
08. Distribute Flyers
Your startup interior decoration business has little financial means. It cannot afford to spend funds on costly advertisements on TV and newspapers. Therefore, flyers should be your preferred medium to reach people in a cost-effective way. Flyers are one leaf advertisement pieces that you can create at lower prices. Then, just stand in a crowded place and distribute flyers to the passersby.
To catch the attention of people, have one large photo of your interior design business and some text as part of your flyer design. The idea here is to draw people’s attention immediately to chief features of your business.
09. Explore Email Marketing
Email marketing is another cost-effective but highly efficient way to build a solid customer base for your interior design business. First, gather email addresses of people who visit your business website.
Start a newsletter of your own and ask people to subscribe it for free on providing their email addresses. Then send emails to them, highlighting some major features of your interior design services. Many of them will enquire about your company. Some of them may ask for your home decoration services.
However, make sure that you do email marketing in a professional way.Your emails should compel the recipients to take action.
10. Project Yourself As An Authority
Your clients will believe in your business and talent for interior designing more if you can project yourself as an authority in your field.
To do so, start a blog on interior design. Write in an authoritative tone so that people can believe in what you are talking about in your blogs. This helps in building your company’s brand image also.
Your blog design should be unique and memorable. It should have a judicious use of images, text, and negative space. An interior design blog should be an example of good aesthetic sense of the designer as well.
Conclusion
For a fast growth of your interior design startup, market it using some clever strategies. Make sure to create a good visual identity of your business to make a memorable impression on your clients. Create a logo that stands out in its design, build an active social media presence for your business, do free designing work for your clients initially, and use flyers and emails to spread a word for your new venture.