12 Business Tips From Professionals Who’ve Been There
Home pros share advice on successfully navigating the complicated tasks of running a business and working with clients
No matter how many home renovation projects you’ve worked on, the next one will come with new surprises and challenges. To prepare for what’s ahead, it’s helpful to hear from other design and building professionals on how they successfully managed a project, worked with clients and ran a business at the same time. Here, 12 professionals share tips for getting it done.
Managing Clients
4. Shelley Hudson of Hudson Home Interior Design: “On working with clients: Listen to everything, assume nothing, write down everything, do what you promise without fail. On managing a project: Surround yourself with a small team and premium trades. The rest falls into place. On running a business: Don’t take yourself so seriously, and don’t let the client determine the dynamic. The client hired you as an expert. Show him or her your expertise and stand by your opinion and work.”
5. Sara Barney of Bandd Design: “If you are trying to sell a client on an out-of-the-box idea, make that vision as clear as possible with drawings or renderings.”
6. Courtney Thomas of Courtney Thomas Design: “Seek clarity in client preferences. If they have a strong preference for the color blue, ask them what that looks like to them. You may be surprised by what they point out. You need to be on the same page with the design language since what you define as a ‘traditional’ or ‘transitional’ style may not be what they define it to be.”
4. Shelley Hudson of Hudson Home Interior Design: “On working with clients: Listen to everything, assume nothing, write down everything, do what you promise without fail. On managing a project: Surround yourself with a small team and premium trades. The rest falls into place. On running a business: Don’t take yourself so seriously, and don’t let the client determine the dynamic. The client hired you as an expert. Show him or her your expertise and stand by your opinion and work.”
5. Sara Barney of Bandd Design: “If you are trying to sell a client on an out-of-the-box idea, make that vision as clear as possible with drawings or renderings.”
6. Courtney Thomas of Courtney Thomas Design: “Seek clarity in client preferences. If they have a strong preference for the color blue, ask them what that looks like to them. You may be surprised by what they point out. You need to be on the same page with the design language since what you define as a ‘traditional’ or ‘transitional’ style may not be what they define it to be.”
7. Sasha Lanka of Westward Home: “Think long game when it comes to client relations. I’ve now worked with a client on four homes and they have recommended me to many friends. When issues arise, I take care of them quickly and, when it’s reasonable, I cover the costs to make things right. It’s more important to me to make my clients happy and for them to understand that I’m their biggest advocate than to nickel and dime them, because, in my experience, there could always be another project on the horizon.”
8. Dorian Bolick of Red Door Living: “If you feel in your heart that a detail or item is just perfect for a project but the client is on the fence, give the client that little extra push. They hired a professional to do something that they themselves could not do, and by pushing the envelope a bit, they will thank you in the end.”
8. Dorian Bolick of Red Door Living: “If you feel in your heart that a detail or item is just perfect for a project but the client is on the fence, give the client that little extra push. They hired a professional to do something that they themselves could not do, and by pushing the envelope a bit, they will thank you in the end.”
Working With Other Professionals
9. Jenna Rochon of Transition State Design: “For an installation, always anticipate an extra day for finishing touches. We also recommend hiring a local art installer in addition to your furniture installers. Their precision and understanding of mounting hardware always pays off.”
10. Lisbeth Kanestrom of Milima Design: “Take your time to envision the room finished. Have great space planning so every inch of the room has a purpose. Make sure you keep the homeowners’ wishes first on your
to-do list. Having a designer and project manager on the team works well to make sure the process is both efficient and effective. The homeowner is just as much a part of the team. Having happy and excited customers are the key to success.”
11. Summer Thornton of Summer Thornton Design: “A good-quality general contractor is worth his or her weight in gold. Cutting corners with a cheaper option will only result in headaches and costly mistakes.”
12. Jeff Squier of JOMA Construction: “Using a project-management platform that keeps all communication in one place was key for our collaboration with an interior designer. The client could always check to see who had the last word and could compare suggestions. Final selections are made in the platform by us — the remodeler — the interior designer, and the client on a single place so ordering is easy. All communication is still logged in the system if something were to ever come up.”
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9. Jenna Rochon of Transition State Design: “For an installation, always anticipate an extra day for finishing touches. We also recommend hiring a local art installer in addition to your furniture installers. Their precision and understanding of mounting hardware always pays off.”
10. Lisbeth Kanestrom of Milima Design: “Take your time to envision the room finished. Have great space planning so every inch of the room has a purpose. Make sure you keep the homeowners’ wishes first on your
to-do list. Having a designer and project manager on the team works well to make sure the process is both efficient and effective. The homeowner is just as much a part of the team. Having happy and excited customers are the key to success.”
11. Summer Thornton of Summer Thornton Design: “A good-quality general contractor is worth his or her weight in gold. Cutting corners with a cheaper option will only result in headaches and costly mistakes.”
12. Jeff Squier of JOMA Construction: “Using a project-management platform that keeps all communication in one place was key for our collaboration with an interior designer. The client could always check to see who had the last word and could compare suggestions. Final selections are made in the platform by us — the remodeler — the interior designer, and the client on a single place so ordering is easy. All communication is still logged in the system if something were to ever come up.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more articles for home remodeling professionals
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Find out how to join the Trade Program
1. Beth Booth of Spaces Renewed: “Take chances, be design-forward but don’t feel like you need to be trendy just to fit in. Classic design, layout, colors and patterns will always be in. The bigger the chance, the more isolated I like that space to be. Experimenting with a plumbing fixture finish you haven’t used before? Maybe start with a powder room instead of a master suite. Using a bold cabinet color? Start with a laundry room instead of the kitchen.”
2. James Baker of McNeill Baker Design Associates: “Appliance selection is the perfect bellwether to determine if everyone is on the same page for finishes throughout a home. In our marketplace, we send our clients out to shop for appliances first and foremost for new homes and whole-house renovations. Their selection of appliances will typically confirm if they have explained their taste and style for finishes accurately.
“A good example is if someone says they have modest taste and that the kitchen is to be utilitarian and the baths can have simple subway tile — and they return from appliance shopping with $65,000 worth of appliances for the whole house. We then need to revisit what the typical finishes would be throughout the entire house and reset the expectations. In this situation, it’s probably not a standard ceramic 3-by-6-inch tile, but more like a handmade 3-by-6-inch porcelain subway tile.”
3. Carol Hasler of Kitchen Village: “Pick your countertop material before your cabinet paint color. It is much easier to find a paint color to blend or complement your countertop material than vice versa. And, as a designer, don’t ask your subs to sacrifice their evenings or weekends unless you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and do the same.”