7 Steps to Prepare Your Interior Design Business for 2021

Aren’t we all ready for a fresh start in 2021 after the crazy year we just had? But how ready is your business for this new year? 

Preparing your Interior Design Business ahead of time can be a decisive factor for your success. 

Check out our 7 steps to get ready for 2021. 

1. Do a recap

As much as some of us want to leave 2020 in the past, taking a good look at it can be very beneficial for the future of your business. 

Look at your numbers, your clients, your processes, your audience, review your website, and social media analytics, too. Get an honest look at how the year really went. Sometimes we have a feeling it was a good or a bad year but in reality, the numbers don’t show that. And if you have numbers from previous years, compare those. 

For example, let’s say you are used to go to many tradeshows and since they all got canceled this year you have the feeling that it really hurt your business. Make sure to take everything into consideration before making that kind of statement. You probably save money on traveling and hotels, you might have spent that time building your business online. At the end of the day, it might have saved you some money which is a good information to keep for this upcoming year.

2. Learn from your competitions

Taking some time to look at your competitions and how they handled the crisis can give you lots of things to think about. There might also be new companies that came out since you last check out your competitions. It is good to know what other people are currently offering and how you are differentiating yourself from them. 

3. Ask for feedback

This is a great time to take other people’s feedback into consideration. Create a survey about your offer and your communication and marketing to make sure your content stays relevant to your audience. We often assume that a campaign will work only to realize it doesn’t speak at all to the audience. Ask your customers via email or social media. Make them feel important, that you really listen and value their opinion and want to create something for them. 

This is also a great time to ask for testimonials if you are talking to past customers. You will be able to use these testimonials throughout the year in your content. 

4. Diversify your offer and invest in your online platform

If it isn’t the case yet, make sure you are set for online services. Truth be told, we can hope as much as we want that 2021 will be back to normal but that is surely not a certainty. Making sure you can operate online by offering online consultations, trainings, both individual and group workshops will help you stay ahead. Those patiently waiting to get back to “normal” will really see the effects on their business. 

Diversify your offerings will allow you to not put all your eggs in one basket, something 2020 prove us it couldn’t work anymore. 

5. Prepare your content ahead

Online content has been huge in 2020. Make sure you are ready for 2021. The beginning of the year is a wonderful time to plan ahead your content for the next 12 months. With that said, of course, you will have to review it monthly to make sure it is still up-to-date but having a yearly vision of where you want your company to go, which campaigns you will want to run, and what you will want to talk about will help you to not feel rushed or overwhelmed, to be more strategic about your communication and have a bigger impact.

Note all the holidays and other special days, think about important dates for your company and for the industry, write down the deadlines for your blogs and newsletters. Think about collaborations you will want to do and when you will have to get in touch with these people, put clear reminders and followups if you are working with other people. Make sure your photographs are ready to go or plan ahead to get what you need. 

6. Check Editorial Calendars

Journalists and magazines are constantly looking for new content to publish and you might be one of them. To increase your chance to get noticed, you will want to sync up with the editorial calendar of the media you want to work with. That means also understanding their deadlines. Imagine you have a wonderful coastal project you want to pitch them but you send it to them 2 weeks after the deadline for the issues on coastal design. Too little, too late. Being relevant is really important when working with the press. 

7. Show up

If 2020 has been a tough year for your business, don’t wait for business to pick back up to show up. Share your knowledge, speak up, and show yourself as the expert you are. Even if you have no work at all right now, this isn’t the time to stay shy and quiet. Take this opportunity to grow your following and reputation for when people will be able to hire you again.

Ready to kick off 2021 on a high note? Make sure you are prepared for the new year. Click here to schedule a Complimentary Brand Consultation.