8 Things You Can Do Right Now to Strengthen Your Business
Learn online tools, keep in touch, and invest in marketing now to sustain your firm during this uncertain time
We spoke with several home design and renovation pros about practical ways they plan to strengthen and sustain their businesses in these challenging times. Read on to see what they shared, then please offer your own tips for the Houzz Pro community in the Comments.
Consider work outside your normal size and geographic area
Some home design pros are facing the threat of a recession for the first time since opening their businesses. But others survived the global financial crisis of 2007-09 and learned lessons from it they can now share.
“I launched my design business a year before the 2008 recession,” Fischer says. “One takeaway I had was to take all projects that were a good fit for me, regardless of their smaller size. I’ve found that even small projects can and will typically lead to more work if you want it.”
Architect Alan Ohashi of ODS Architecture in California, says this about the last downturn: “Our attitude was that we had to become recession-proof. To do that, we figured out how to project our presence over a wider geographic area than we were [in] at the time, especially to areas where there were clients with projects.”
And while it must be done sensitively at this time, marketing will remain important if this global pandemic leads to a true recession, as is being widely projected. “We doubled the size of our office through the Great Recession,” architect Jimmy Crisp of Crisp Architects in Millbrook, New York, says. “It was a whole set of things, including marketing and being in touch with people who are good contacts for architects, and eventually through Houzz. Marketing is critical.”
Some home design pros are facing the threat of a recession for the first time since opening their businesses. But others survived the global financial crisis of 2007-09 and learned lessons from it they can now share.
“I launched my design business a year before the 2008 recession,” Fischer says. “One takeaway I had was to take all projects that were a good fit for me, regardless of their smaller size. I’ve found that even small projects can and will typically lead to more work if you want it.”
Architect Alan Ohashi of ODS Architecture in California, says this about the last downturn: “Our attitude was that we had to become recession-proof. To do that, we figured out how to project our presence over a wider geographic area than we were [in] at the time, especially to areas where there were clients with projects.”
And while it must be done sensitively at this time, marketing will remain important if this global pandemic leads to a true recession, as is being widely projected. “We doubled the size of our office through the Great Recession,” architect Jimmy Crisp of Crisp Architects in Millbrook, New York, says. “It was a whole set of things, including marketing and being in touch with people who are good contacts for architects, and eventually through Houzz. Marketing is critical.”
Invest in marketing now
You may have been fortunate in the past to get projects through word of mouth – a fantastic way to build a reputation – and that channel may well continue. But to guard against the very real possibility that clients could be hesitant to get started on projects, you’ll want to broaden your reach. “Invest in marketing ads toward your demographic,” Susan Wintersteen of Savvy Interiors in California says. “Don’t assume they’ll find you.”
Ohashi agrees. “Become a known entity by paying for web exposure in areas you would like to work in, especially if not local to you,” he says. Talk to your account manager about targeting new geographic areas you’d like to reach.
Jenni Leasia of Jenni Leasia Interior Design in Oregon, happened to be in the middle of three large projects when the Great Recession hit and therefore didn’t really feel the pain until a year or two later. “This time around, due to some very unfortunate timing, it was as if the business just collapsed under the weight of everything going on in the space of a few weeks,” she says. “I’ve been scrambling to figure out how to reduce our cash flow and keep my employees.
“In this environment, it’s easy to want to crawl into a cave and hope that you can wait it out,” Leasia says. “But you have to force yourself to get out there. It is Marketing 101: reaching out to existing clients, and everyone in the business you have a relationship with, plus friends and family. Let people know you would love to work with them. Ask them to remember you when they hear of someone thinking about a project. Or simply stay in front of them with updates about your business.”
You may have been fortunate in the past to get projects through word of mouth – a fantastic way to build a reputation – and that channel may well continue. But to guard against the very real possibility that clients could be hesitant to get started on projects, you’ll want to broaden your reach. “Invest in marketing ads toward your demographic,” Susan Wintersteen of Savvy Interiors in California says. “Don’t assume they’ll find you.”
Ohashi agrees. “Become a known entity by paying for web exposure in areas you would like to work in, especially if not local to you,” he says. Talk to your account manager about targeting new geographic areas you’d like to reach.
Jenni Leasia of Jenni Leasia Interior Design in Oregon, happened to be in the middle of three large projects when the Great Recession hit and therefore didn’t really feel the pain until a year or two later. “This time around, due to some very unfortunate timing, it was as if the business just collapsed under the weight of everything going on in the space of a few weeks,” she says. “I’ve been scrambling to figure out how to reduce our cash flow and keep my employees.
“In this environment, it’s easy to want to crawl into a cave and hope that you can wait it out,” Leasia says. “But you have to force yourself to get out there. It is Marketing 101: reaching out to existing clients, and everyone in the business you have a relationship with, plus friends and family. Let people know you would love to work with them. Ask them to remember you when they hear of someone thinking about a project. Or simply stay in front of them with updates about your business.”
Be transparent about what’s going on with your business
While a marketing message pushing for clients to sign on for luxury projects could come off as a little insensitive right now, another way to stay in touch would be to share what’s going on with your business. Be honest. We’re all going through a lot at the moment, and authenticity is valued, especially at a time like this. People want to find ways to help, and many people want to support small and local businesses.
Leasia sent out an email last week sharing where things stood for her business. “As the crisis unfolded, I was trying to figure out how to reduce my overheads and keep my wonderful team employed,” the email read. “I decided to let my landlord know I was going to have to give notice and make our current remote setup permanent. I shared my situation with some clients and they wrote back saying they can’t stop thinking about the future of JLD: ‘Do you want to put your sign back out in front of our house? This may sound crazy, but we get incredible amounts of foot traffic and many, many comments on the house.’ Next, I heard from my landlord, ‘We love having you and your team here. Let’s agree that we will work something out, it doesn’t have to be formal. It can be very open-ended. We are friends … we just need to talk.’ ”
This kind of messaging is appropriate right now. “Of course you have to be sensitive to the climate and to the right message for your firm,” Leasia says. “We are a high-end residential firm, but it is completely tone-deaf to be asking for big, fancy new projects right now. There are more important things for all of us to be thinking about. My focus is on staying front of mind. Things will turn around, and I want our connections to be stronger than ever when they do.”
While a marketing message pushing for clients to sign on for luxury projects could come off as a little insensitive right now, another way to stay in touch would be to share what’s going on with your business. Be honest. We’re all going through a lot at the moment, and authenticity is valued, especially at a time like this. People want to find ways to help, and many people want to support small and local businesses.
Leasia sent out an email last week sharing where things stood for her business. “As the crisis unfolded, I was trying to figure out how to reduce my overheads and keep my wonderful team employed,” the email read. “I decided to let my landlord know I was going to have to give notice and make our current remote setup permanent. I shared my situation with some clients and they wrote back saying they can’t stop thinking about the future of JLD: ‘Do you want to put your sign back out in front of our house? This may sound crazy, but we get incredible amounts of foot traffic and many, many comments on the house.’ Next, I heard from my landlord, ‘We love having you and your team here. Let’s agree that we will work something out, it doesn’t have to be formal. It can be very open-ended. We are friends … we just need to talk.’ ”
This kind of messaging is appropriate right now. “Of course you have to be sensitive to the climate and to the right message for your firm,” Leasia says. “We are a high-end residential firm, but it is completely tone-deaf to be asking for big, fancy new projects right now. There are more important things for all of us to be thinking about. My focus is on staying front of mind. Things will turn around, and I want our connections to be stronger than ever when they do.”
Find ways to be helpful
It’s understandably a time of anxiety. One positive way to channel that anxious energy is to redirect it toward helping others – whether they’re your local healthcare providers, homeowners looking to renovate, or your fellow home renovators and design pros.
“Don’t give away your services, but give away advice in your communities,” says Wintersteen. “Create ways to problem-solve for them now, so they feel connected to you in six months and remember how you helped.”
Crisp has written about redesigning for 15 years – first for a local newspaper, then through his own blog posts, and now again through a local newspaper that republishes his blog posts. Topics have been “anything that was a helpful article that a homeowner might appreciate,” he says. “It’s great PR and helpful to the community, and it furthers our business.”
Leasia predicts that current conditions will lead to downward pressure on pricing. “My advice is do what you need to get business … but if you don’t make money, you aren’t saving your business. Interior design tends to be a ‘passion’ career. It is certainly my passion. But we need to remember that the work we do adds tremendous value to people’s lives. Be realistic but don’t short-sell yourself.”
It’s understandably a time of anxiety. One positive way to channel that anxious energy is to redirect it toward helping others – whether they’re your local healthcare providers, homeowners looking to renovate, or your fellow home renovators and design pros.
“Don’t give away your services, but give away advice in your communities,” says Wintersteen. “Create ways to problem-solve for them now, so they feel connected to you in six months and remember how you helped.”
Crisp has written about redesigning for 15 years – first for a local newspaper, then through his own blog posts, and now again through a local newspaper that republishes his blog posts. Topics have been “anything that was a helpful article that a homeowner might appreciate,” he says. “It’s great PR and helpful to the community, and it furthers our business.”
Leasia predicts that current conditions will lead to downward pressure on pricing. “My advice is do what you need to get business … but if you don’t make money, you aren’t saving your business. Interior design tends to be a ‘passion’ career. It is certainly my passion. But we need to remember that the work we do adds tremendous value to people’s lives. Be realistic but don’t short-sell yourself.”
Clean up internal processes and projects
If your business pipeline is shrinking, one way to stay calm and productive is to focus on the internal processes and projects you never have time for when it’s busy. “I’m going to dive into refining our process and communication flow internally and externally from first contact to project archive, and all the threads in-between,” Leasia says. “I’m an efficiency nut and I love improving in these areas.”
Other pros are taking a similar approach. “We’ve just updated all our computer operating systems and collaboration software tools,” Ohashi says. “We just ordered a new server to handle future needs, but have not had it installed yet. While the staff are working at home, this might be the perfect time to install the new server, given we might have to shut everything down. Important to keep up and take advantage of the downtime.”
You can also use this time to prepare for speeding up the pace of your business when demand does bounce back. “As we return, we’ll probably be looking to hire multiple positions to ensure we can accommodate all of our clients,” says Michelle Lauren, a bathroom designer with Change Your Bathroom in Atlanta.
Crisp relies on a network of freelancers when his business gets busy. If you have the time now, you can build this network, so you have good people in mind when business booms again.
If your business pipeline is shrinking, one way to stay calm and productive is to focus on the internal processes and projects you never have time for when it’s busy. “I’m going to dive into refining our process and communication flow internally and externally from first contact to project archive, and all the threads in-between,” Leasia says. “I’m an efficiency nut and I love improving in these areas.”
Other pros are taking a similar approach. “We’ve just updated all our computer operating systems and collaboration software tools,” Ohashi says. “We just ordered a new server to handle future needs, but have not had it installed yet. While the staff are working at home, this might be the perfect time to install the new server, given we might have to shut everything down. Important to keep up and take advantage of the downtime.”
You can also use this time to prepare for speeding up the pace of your business when demand does bounce back. “As we return, we’ll probably be looking to hire multiple positions to ensure we can accommodate all of our clients,” says Michelle Lauren, a bathroom designer with Change Your Bathroom in Atlanta.
Crisp relies on a network of freelancers when his business gets busy. If you have the time now, you can build this network, so you have good people in mind when business booms again.
Tie up any business loose ends you can
Wintersteen recently offered a fireside chat for designers and other pros on what to do for your business now. Among her suggestions: “Get proposal [planning] approvals ASAP. Even if [the clients] postpone, you can still have a contract and fulfil later in the year. With interest rates low, apply for a business loan. Also, call [estate agent] friends for networking. If people move with lower rates, they may still need paint and flooring upgrades.”
And, of course, now is a time to trim overheads as much as you can. Obviously you want to preserve jobs for your employees, but you have to do what you can to preserve your business. “Even if they don’t need to [be implemented] now, be prepared for a slowdown and use this time to make a plan,” Leasia suggests.
Wintersteen recently offered a fireside chat for designers and other pros on what to do for your business now. Among her suggestions: “Get proposal [planning] approvals ASAP. Even if [the clients] postpone, you can still have a contract and fulfil later in the year. With interest rates low, apply for a business loan. Also, call [estate agent] friends for networking. If people move with lower rates, they may still need paint and flooring upgrades.”
And, of course, now is a time to trim overheads as much as you can. Obviously you want to preserve jobs for your employees, but you have to do what you can to preserve your business. “Even if they don’t need to [be implemented] now, be prepared for a slowdown and use this time to make a plan,” Leasia suggests.
Boost your technology and other skills
If you haven’t already been using technology to communicate with your clients and stay in touch with your staff, now is a great time to learn new tools. Video conferencing applications, such as Zoom, Skype and FaceTime, will help you keep in touch, while online design tools can help you share ideas.
“We begin every project by sharing a Houzz Ideabook with the client to get high-level inspiration photos from them, usually before we even meet,” Leasia says.
If you find yourself in a lull, invest in yourself. “Find mentors in your community and learn more,” Wintersteen says. On the flipside, if you’re a seasoned pro, consider ways you might help the less-experienced grow and maintain their businesses during this time.
What other advice can you offer your fellow pros on strengthening their businesses at this time? Please share your wisdom in the Comments.
Smart ways to use Ideabooks for communicating with clients.
Tell us…
How you are handling this tricky time? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section.
If you haven’t already been using technology to communicate with your clients and stay in touch with your staff, now is a great time to learn new tools. Video conferencing applications, such as Zoom, Skype and FaceTime, will help you keep in touch, while online design tools can help you share ideas.
“We begin every project by sharing a Houzz Ideabook with the client to get high-level inspiration photos from them, usually before we even meet,” Leasia says.
If you find yourself in a lull, invest in yourself. “Find mentors in your community and learn more,” Wintersteen says. On the flipside, if you’re a seasoned pro, consider ways you might help the less-experienced grow and maintain their businesses during this time.
What other advice can you offer your fellow pros on strengthening their businesses at this time? Please share your wisdom in the Comments.
Smart ways to use Ideabooks for communicating with clients.
Tell us…
How you are handling this tricky time? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section.
Sponsored
It’s important now more than ever to keep your clients apprised of project status. As of publication time, the UK government has ordered anyone not doing essential work to stay at home. Some construction projects are proceeding, but advice is changing daily, so keep an eye on official briefings.
Your clients may not be aware of the latest rules in your area, so one helpful way you can ease their worries is to stay abreast of the rules and be in frequent touch.
“Keep your clients in the loop. They are probably as concerned about the status and future of their project as you are about the future of your business,” designer Nate Fischer of Nate Fischer Interiors in California, says. “Send them texts, keep the emails going and reassure them that you will take care of them. Things may slow down and plans change, but let them know, at the end of the day, their home is going to look amazing.”
General contractor Ren Chandler of Dyna Contracting in Seattle is being proactive about keeping in touch. “We’re just making sure to communicate to our clients that we’re operating as best we can in these times, and we’re also letting them know what our contingency plans are should we be faced with a complete shutdown,” he said last week. “We’re also communicating to them about our site cleaning and disinfecting plans and how we’re monitoring people coming to and from the sites.”
How to communicate with clients during the coronavirus outbreak.