I have Marina Case with me today and she is the principal of The Red Shutters located in Warwick, New York. Marina is a self-described hobby decorator who has become an accomplished interior decorator. Today you will hear Marina talk about the specific steps that she took to create the interior design business that she has today that would be envied and admired by any of us. Marina has been honored as one of the top fifty New York designers in New York spaces. She has won national acclaim for her design at the spa at Glenn Mear Mansion which was named one of the top 100 places in the world to visit by Departures Magazine. She also hosts a radio show, a live show where she interviews many people in the decorating field. Good news! She will be making that available in a podcast very soon!

Show Notes:

• What was the “aha” moment when Marina decided she was going to go into the design business?
• In hindsight, when did she realize that she was interested in design?
• How is she using the Historics, Textiles and Wallpaper class that she teaches to help other designers?
• What is the Historics, Textiles and Wallpaper class really about and where can you take the course?
• What is the difference between a skype design and e-design?
• What is the difference between a construction package and a builder specification package?
• How does she charge her services?
• How can the project’s packages affect the cash flow?
• What are some of the challenges that a new designer could face if they try to duplicate what Marina has done with her business?
• What does it mean to be an unofficial brand ambassador for the Williamsburg brand?
• What is the red list? 

Resources:

https://www.businessofdesign.com 

https://www.theredshutters.com 

https://www.mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness  

Welcome back to another power talk Friday! I’m very happy to let everyone know Krista Coupar is back in the house! Krista has two businesses: Coupar Communications and Studio Coupar. Coupar Communications is a public relations and market agency located in San Francisco. Studio Coupar is a full-service design support firm for interior designers, architects, contractors, and builders. On top of running two businesses, she has six children! Talk about a busy and talented lady. Today Krista is going to give us some great tips on what and how we should analyze our business starting the new year.

Show Notes:

• What are some things that new business owners should incorporate for the new year?
• How can you teach people to assign a financial budget?
• Why is it important to know your baseline expenses?
• How can you make yourself feel empowered?
• Where is the biggest social media platform that an interior design should be on?
• What are some tips for using Instagram to promote business?
• What should you put on your business Instagram?
• What are some steps to take to look out for your future?
• How does a designer work up more business or pipeline?
• What are some ways to get the meeting for more clients?

Resources:

https://www.instagram.com

https://www.couparcommunications.com

https://www.studiocoupar.com

I have Calvin Correli with me today and I have learned talking with him before the show that he is a very interesting man! He is an artist, entrepreneur, a CEO of a holistically focused multimillion dollar software company called Simplero. Calvin is very passion about helping online business owners do exactly what makes them feel most alive and is currently working on branching out to bring all of his talents including music, spirituality, personal growth and bring all of this into an exciting new experience.

Show Notes:

• What is Calvin’s business, Simplero?
• What is Calvin’s personal mission with his business?
• What would be some business advice that he would give?
• How long has he been self-employed?
• What are some questions does he asks himself for his business?
• How does he use meditation to help him with projects?
• How can people emulate the life that he lives?
• How can you integrate your life and work?
• What is so great about the “fingerprinting stuff”?

Resources:

https://www.calvincorreli.com

Welcome back to another Well-Designed Business! If you are a first-time listener and just now finding our show thank you so much for tuning in! On the show, today Sarah Wilson is with me. Sarah is an interior designer located in Redlands, California. She has just hit her two-year anniversary in business. She is a designer with a degree from the designer institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

Today you are going to learn why and how Sarah left a career as a software quality engineer to pursue her passion in interior design. While she was attending FDIN she participated in different chairing styles where she created a chairing style that she intends to one day bring to market. Color is one of Sarah’s passions and encourages clients to use bold colors in their spaces.

Show Notes:

• What are some of the skill sets that Sarah brought to her business?
• What other degrees does Sarah have?
• What would she like to tell all the people starting their new interior design businesses?
• Where and how did she get her first client for her business?
• How did she start up her business?
• What is BNI?
• What were some things that she thought would be challenging but were surprisingly easy?
• How important is networking for your business?
• What are some mistakes that Sarah encountered during her first two years in business?
• What are some big victories that she has accomplished in her first two years?
• How did she come to the decision to raise her prices for her services?
• What goals has Sarah set for herself for 2017?
• What process did she use to bring in interns?
• How does Sarah organize her Instagram and use it to show off her work?

Resources:

https://www.chairish.com/trade

https://www.instagram.com/chansaeraedesigns

https://www.chansaeraedesigns.com

Glen Peloso will be joining me today on A Well-Designed Business. Glen is one-half of the Glen and Jamie of the Peloso Alexander Interiors. Each Glen and Jamie are successful interior designers some twenty plus years each and in 2013 these two respected designers came together to co-found Peloso Alexander Interiors in Toronto.

Following their merger, they launched their brand “Glen and Jamie Designer Collection” which is an upholstery line that is now available in stores nationwide. They have both appeared in both print and television in North America and internationally, HGTV and Food Network. They are regulars as design experts for the Merrel and Dennis Show, Global Morning Show, Breakfast Television Toronto and CHCH Morning.

They are also regular design columnists for national papers like the Toronto Star and are national contributors to a variety of national and international magazines. Glen and Jamie serve as design directors at Toronto’s largest attended festival, Buscar Fest. They were recently honored by being appointed ambassadors to the peer project, a non-profit organization that assists youth mentored by youth. They maintain two boutique locations and somehow, they run a full-time interior design firm with a staff of ten!

Show Notes:

• How did Glen and Jamie come to want to found a business together?
• What are some skill sets that Glen has that compliment Peloso Alexander Interiors that are different from Jamie’s skillsets?
• How did the two stores come to be?
• What is the difference in the two stores?
• What is the idea for “the basement”?
• How did the media part of the business get started?
• When did Glen have his start in television?
• What advice does Glen give to people who want to be on television and be famous?
• What are the design tours that Glen Jamie do together?
• How can someone join a tour that is being held by Glen and Jamie?
• How do you most effectively use the resources given to you?

Resources:

https://www.businessofdesign.com   

https://www.pelosoalexander.com