Managing for Profits
Got a window treatment business? Need a boost in profits? Look no further!
Join Vince Nigara, for Managing For Profits. Vince is a seasoned expert, with 40 years experience operating a profitable window treatment business, who now teaches you to do the same.
Managing For Profits is a focused, 4-hour session, designed to teach you strategies to increase your profit margins. This is not sales training. Sales training is important, but Managing For Profits is CEO training. These 4 hours will dramatically uplevel your business acumen and your confidence as the CEO.
Register now!
Exciting Windows! 21st Annual Conference
Registration is now open for the Exciting Windows! 21st Annual Conference, which takes place April 16th-18th in West Palm Beach, Florida, immediately following the IWCE.
This isn’t just another industry event—it’s three days that could completely transform your business.
Our keynote speaker, LuAnn Nigara, will present “Luxury Isn’t About You: The Mindset Shift That Will Transform Your Business.”
As someone who’s helped countless window treatment professionals elevate their businesses, LuAnn will challenge you to rethink what it takes to attract and retain affluent clients. This isn’t just about selling more products—it’s about creating unforgettable experiences that set your business apart.
Register now!
FORGING SUCCESS: Behind the Brand with LuAnn Nigara and Dan Minor
What does it actually take to build a brand that stands the test of time? I’m sitting down with Dan Minor of Charleston Forge for a behind-the-scenes look at how designers and vendors can grow together. Think vendor relationships, business longevity, and the truth about what success looks like.
Strategies for Success: The Ins and Outs of Licensing
Licensing can be a game-changer—or a time-waster. I’ll lead a powerhouse panel with Cheryl Luckett, Stacy Garcia, and Thom Filicia to unpack how to do it right. From royalties to red flags, you’ll walk away knowing what to say yes to—and what to run from.
RSVP NOW
Marketing Strategies for Interior Designers: Building a Standout Brand in 2025
- Brand voice, are you positioning yourself as a luxury, mid-market, or accessible designer?
- The power of storytelling: Showcasing projects in a compelling way
- Balancing organic content vs. paid advertising
- Using AI tools for content creation & marketing efficiency
Beyond Illumination: The Role of Lighting in Architecture, Construction and Design
Lighting isn’t the cherry on top—it’s baked into the foundation of good design. I’m talking with Maria Mullen, Theresa Dorlini, Christopher Todd, and Tim Green about custom lighting, integration, and how to use light to elevate every space you touch.
No RSVP needed
Financial Mastery in Design & Construction: Budgeting, Pricing, and Profitability
Designhounds Talks Chicago at The Mart : Business Spark Conference
These are exhausting times regardless of where we stand politically or philosophically and whether or not our business flourishes at the moment. Overwhelm and work fatigue get ahold of the best of us even at the best of times and now the challenges associated with the industry we love and work in become magnified especially for creative thinkers.
The result can be templated creative work – never a good idea – and a need to “play it safe” and both often go hand-in- hand with dreading the next work day and longing for Friday to hurry up and get here already. Wishing days away is not a good way to live life and short of changing direction altogether and moving to a remote island to live as a hermit – the question is, how can we find that spark again, the motivation and excitement we felt for the work we do (remember the first time you opened the box of brand new business cards?) because it is that spark that drives us through rough times.
How can we rekindle the romance between ourselves and our business?
“Ground yourself… then go! These are the two critical actions we must take to live as our best selves. One without the other throws the merry-go-round off balance, sending you and your team tumbling with it. But when combined, they become a force multiplier, attracting the best people who want to jump on, stay, and play.” Kyle Gott
Join us for a two-day business spark conference presented by Designhounds Talks hosted in collaboration with the MART Chicago and concurrent with the MART Wine + Design event. The conference will be focused on re-establishing an emotional connection between business owners and their businesses, offering tools and narratives designed to reignite the love for what we do and minimize the power of worry and uncertainty in our minds.
Presenters include:
Author, speaker, podcast host Luann Nigara, A Well Designed Business
Author, speaker, business coach Jane Horan, The Horan Group
Non-profit leader and retreat facilitator Reverend Kyle Gott
Designhounds Community Founder, Veronika Miller
Register now!
From Panic to Profit: Smart Pricing Strategies for Interior Designers
You didn’t start your business to be broke. Let’s price like pros.
Are you tired of second-guessing your fees, undercharging for your time, or scrambling to justify your invoices?
Join us for a powerful live podcast-style lunch and learn with interior designer and business strategist Beth Diana Smith, where we’ll pull back the curtain on pricing with confidence.
Beth brings her background in corporate finance and her signature “design fee calculator” to the table, offering tried-and-true insights that have transformed her design business into a streamlined, profitable operation. You’ll get real talk, real tools, and the chance to ask your real questions.
Whether you’re new to flat-fee pricing or looking to refine your hourly structure, this is your moment to reset your pricing mindset and strategy.
In this not-to-miss session, Beth is pulling back the curtain on:
✅ How she uses her custom Design Fee Calculator to create profitable flat-fee proposals
✅ Why tracking your hours (yes, even for flat fee!) is the key to long-term success
✅ What not to do when pricing—and what to do instead
✅ How to adjust your mindset to think like a CEO, not just a creative
Whether you’re charging hourly, flat fee, or a combo of both—this conversation will shift how you think about your value and your business.
👉 Bring your notebook. Bring your questions. This is the conversation you can’t afford to miss.
This Lunch & Learn is sponsored by our friends at Sunbrella.
Sunbrella Indoor Living offers a collection of custom indoor window treatments that combine the softness and design-forward style you need for your projects with the durability and cleanability Sunbrella is known for. These window treatments are perfect for homes with kids and pets, and include drapery, roller shades, and Roman shades.
Be sure to check out these beautiful fabrics designed for inspired spaces in the Window Works showroom during the Lunch & Learn! You’ll also have the chance to meet (or reconnect with!) Deanna from Sunbrella, who will be on-site during the event.
Register now!
The Business of Interiors Community Summit
This year we are hosting a two day event, to create an immersive and insightful programme. Based on the iconic Kings Road, George Smith and Waterworks will be hosting our 2025 community summit. Day one will be held at George Smith’s beautiful showroom and day two will be held at the inspiring Waterworks showroom.
From an expert panel discussion from leading Interior Designer’s, to an insightful presentation from Rick Campos and his US colleagues, get ready for two days packed with education, insight and inspirational presentations guaranteed to provide valuable actions that you can take away to enhance your own design business.
Breakfast and lunch is included in your ticket for both of the days and we will mark the end of the summit with evening drinks and canapés at one of London’s finest establishments.
We will be revealing more guest speakers very soon.
Klarna is available at checkout and bespoke payment plans are available on request. Please email hello@thebusinessofinteriors.co.uk to arrange.
Please also email hello@thebusinessofinteriors.co.uk for support with travel and accommodation. We will be releasing hotel business rates by the end of January 2025.
Register now!