It was serendipity at play when Amit Malhotra, a property developer at the time, and Sara Ripamonti, an interior designer, randomly met outside a bar and struck up a conversation. The couple stayed in touch and began a friendship, which eventually developed into a business partnership. ‘We’ve known each other for 10 years now. It’s a good story,’ laughs Malhotra.
Having a varied background of professional experience, including working for the government in the diplomatic service and also as an accountant, Malhotra accrued valuable and diverse business skills, however, it wasn’t until he worked for a small property developer on residential projects that something clicked. ‘I relished the challenge of managing budgets, costing and timelines, and I also loved producing tailor-made residential designs that solved people’s problems. So, I synced my business acumen with my creative passion and started managing small build projects of my own. That’s when I met Sarah, and things fell into place,’ says Malhotra.
In 2015, the couple decided to start their own company, Aflux Designs, providing a one-stop design and build service, delivering immaculate spaces at an affordable cost. ‘It was a combination of chance meetings, great opportunities and starting up our Houzz profile at an early stage that set our business off on the road to success, and we’ve continued to grow ever since,’ says Malhotra.
Here, Malhotra shares his top tips on capturing the right clients and turning these leads into exceptional projects with the help of Houzz Pro.
1. Define your business ethos
For any interior design pro starting out, it’s important to define the core value of your business from the outset to ensure you come across as a credible and professional designer. This business ethos should ripple across everything you do, making it easy for potential clients to identify what your design company is about and if you suit their needs. For Malhotra and Ripamonti, their business ethos was the first thing that they agreed on as it defined their name and brand. ‘Aflux stands for affordable luxury, and that’s always been our ethos,’ says Malhotra. ‘I’ve always wanted to provide a bespoke tailored solution whilst being mindful of tight budgets. I know it sounds very cliché, but we do very much put our client first, and this is vital when pitching for jobs.’
Malhotra believes their company becomes somewhat of a fourth emergency service to their clients, weaving into their everyday life and becoming part of it. ‘My most valuable tip when starting out would be to knuckle down and focus on winning as much work as possible that reflects the type of design or the type of company that you really want to be recognised for. As you build your portfolio, you build your reputation, and your customer reviews flood in. Then, you can grow from there.’
2. Build a dynamic team people will want to work with
A major consideration for anyone hiring an interior design company is their relationship with the designer and whether their brief will be understood. Creating the perfect interior space to suit its owner is a challenging task for any designer, and it’s vital that the client and design team gel to ensure the success of the project. Fortunately for Aflux Designs, their combined skills guarantees their clients receive a personalised service and the best possible experience with builders and third parties. ‘A lot of clients hire us because they like our overall team setup, with me managing the costings, Sarah overseeing the design, and our builder heading up the trades and construction. It’s so important that we get along with our clients and we form a close relationship that goes beyond the job. That way, they don’t see us as just interior designers sending invoices to simply get paid. They see us as part of their life, offering a one-stop shop service that goes beyond design to some extent,’ says Malhotra.
Having clearly defined roles and playing to each other's strengths creates a harmonious dynamic within Aflux’s creative team, ensuring everyone knows what part they play in the growth of the company. For Malhotra and Ripamonti, their honesty about their partnership is refreshing and definitely contributes to their company’s esteemed reputation. ‘Despite my role focusing on company growth, cash-flow, invoicing and all the non-sexy stuff, it’s still important the client sees my face and that I’m present on the project, as I will be their first port of call if there’s a problem with costs or timing. Sarah’s strength is creating beautiful spaces to suit our clients needs, as well as building firm relationships with them. I think in that respect, we form a good partnership.’
3. Create an efficient system to convert leads quickly
How to quickly convert leads into actual clients is the million dollar conundrum that every design company wants to solve. For Aflux Designs, the answer has been the productive partnership between Houzz and Houzz Pro, allowing the team to filter the quality leads, and effectively process their details so they can be contacted instantly. ‘100% we wouldn’t have grown as much as we have without the combination of our profile and the management software to streamline our business processes,’ says Malhotra. ‘Houzz Pro has improved how we communicate with potential clients, keeping a database and a record of who we’ve contacted and what stage the lead is at. As my role involves pitching to clients, I use Houzz Pro estimation tools to create accurate estimates and track approvals, which has saved me a good couple hours a week.’
4. Market with professional photographs
Standing out in the busy interiors crowd can be tricky, however, with professional photography promoting your latest work, prospective clients can get a good idea of your style and quality of finish. A Houzz profile with a solid number of outstanding photographs and five-star reviews will attract the high-standard of clients you are looking for. ‘Your Houzz profile is rather like your shop window, and if it doesn’t look sleek or structured, it’s going to give a bad impression at the beginning, and we all know first impressions are everything,’ says Malhotra, who works with a professional photographer to capture every project as soon as it’s complete, so they can market it straight away and maintain the buzz.
5. Showcase awards and accolades
Receiving recognition within your industry is something every company should be proud of, and it should be communicated to potential clients through your website, social media and Houzz profile, to demonstrate your brilliance and expertise. Aflux Designs have received seven Houzz awards, including Best of Houzz Service and Best of Houzz Design. ‘Having the design awards gives us recognition as interior designers, and ultimately attracts higher-paying clients as well,’ says Malhotra.
6. Shout about great reviews
Living in a world where we rely on reviews to book hotels, restaurants and even buy clothes, any glowing reviews about your own company should be shared on as many platforms as possible, so prospective clients can feel confident you are a reliable and respected firm that’s worth hiring. ‘We get a lot of inquiries on Houzz telling us they love our reviews, and that we are the kind of company they want to work with. In fact, we’ve now grown so much thanks to Houzz’s marketing efforts, that it’s no longer feasible for us to take on one room designs. We now only do full property renovations or builds,’ says Malhotra.
7. Ride financial waves calmly
For Aflux Design, and many other companies, the past few years have heavily impacted their bottom line, with Brexit delaying suppliers and slashing the workforce, while the pandemic slowed people’s ability and appetite to invest in their properties. And who knows what other financial crisis is around the corner, however, by tackling the issue with positivity and setting firm goals, Malhotra believes most companies can ride the wave and come out the other side. ‘I’m a glass-half-full person. I think if our company can adapt to the situation and only work with higher net worth clients, our name will be cast out to a wider net and we’ll receive more opportunities. I’m someone who likes to think about the business six, nine, twelve months ahead, and what projects we’re going to have,’ says Malhotra, who believes it’s important to stay positive and keep looking forward.
8. Keep ahead of the curve
As the cost of materials and labour continues to rise, design and construction companies are addressing ways in which to cut these costs and avoid losing clients. One answer is to use more recycled materials within the build, saving money and the amount sent to landfill. ‘As an industry, we have to introduce more sustainable building practices. We can’t keep building the way we are because it’s not practical or sustainable. We are getting more and more clients talking about being off the grid, or having energy-efficient heating and solar panels, so we appreciate we have to move with demand as it grows, or we’re going to be left behind,’ says Malhotra.
With four full-time designers, and a new hire soon to start, Aflux Designs is flourishing and blooming, and their success is down to targeting the right type of client through their Houzz profile, as well as maintaining efficient and effective business management systems through Houzz Pro. ‘We’re now a well-established design company, creating more sophisticated and challenging designs compared to when we first started out, and our quality of service has grown with the company. As a numbers guy, I define success by revenue growth and profit margins, and this only grows if you are on top of your game, delivering high quality designs to the right clients, providing a good project management experience, and developing positive client relationships. You can’t just think about making a profit and not consider the cause behind the profit. That’s what we’re doing and it’s working.’
