Are you looking to start a business as an interior decorator or does your current design business need resuscitation?

Each week I get emails from readers interested in making a transition from their current field into the interior design industry.

I did.

I worked in the design/build industry as an accountant managing hundred of millions of dollars in construction projects. In 2009, I turned my passion for interior design into a thriving design business but trust me it didn’t happen overnight. However, it did happen faster than most thanks to this blog and my social media presence.

Often times my advice to others is to first learn the business side of interior design. This knowledge will help you to decide whether or not you even want to pursue this endeavor. The smaller your staff, the more time you spend on the business operations side than you do on the creative side. If you don’t have a grasp on the business side, you will quickly learn the reality of a “starving artist.”

In 2014, it was reported that 1 in 4 interior designers were self-employed. In my personal experience I’ve found that those who choose interior design as a second career feel more comfortable working as a solopreneur or managing a small staff.

Working in this type of setting makes it imperative to get out and establish a community of decorators/designers who understand the business and who can offer support on your journey. One of these resources should be WindowWorks’ A Well-Designed Business Podcast developed and hosted by Luann Niagara.

I had the honor of being interview by Luann and shared a tremendous amount of advice on HOW TO IDENTIFY YOUR TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS.

Are you familiar with the term?

Transferrable skills are skills that you can take from one job to another. They even apply to special skills you’ve acquired through volunteer work, hobbies, etc.

In my hour-long interview (click here to listen) I also share the following:

• How to build a social media following
• Apps I use daily to run my business
• How to listen to your audience/potenital clients
• My business processes
• My advice to others starting out
• How I generate multiple streams of income (after all, this is a business not a hobby)
• How I motivate my team to work hard and get the job done

There are several other podcasts available on A Well-Designed Business on topics ranging from how to get your work published to relaunching your business in a new market.

Now’s the time to invest in educating yourself on how to run a successful business. You may not have time to sit in a class, but next time you’re sitting in traffic (tomorrow) take a listen at one of the podcasts also available on itunes. There is a new interview each week.

Do you listen to other podcasts on business related topics? If so, then please share them in the comments section. I’d love to check them out!

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy my interview.

x,

Erika