Financial Service Highlight | Considerations to Simplify Your Interior Design Process to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed
COMMON REASONS INTERIOR DESIGNERS FEEL OVERWHELMED
“I’m overwhelmed! I think it’s time to hire someone!”
This seems to be a common theme with designers today. They are being pulled in a million directions and are often understaffed and overworked. When is the right time to hire and, more importantly, who is the right person for the position?
Taking the time to properly assess your internal resource needs is an important process that should be completed before any additions are made to your current staff.
Here are a few things to consider:
What tasks are you looking to take off your plate (e.g., design work, proposal research and preparation, procurement/vendor management—including sourcing, order tracking, vendor negotiations, and quality assurance—, invoicing/bill payment, bookkeeping, etc.)?
How many hours a week are you currently spending on these tasks?
What is a range that you can afford to pay monthly for assistance with identified tasks, given your current cash flow?
Do you have the pipeline or new business to support this new hire?
Do you want to hire a contractor or an employee? (Each comes with various pros and cons.)
What is the timeline for bringing on a new staff member?
How will you recruit for the position, handle the training, and ongoing management of new staff?
At The Dove Agency, we have helped many of our clients navigate these important questions. Interestingly, many clients who think they need more design help consider question one above and realize they truly need a procurement specialist or an administrative assistant. Procurement services can extend beyond simple purchasing and order placement—they may include sourcing unique or custom items, managing vendor relationships, coordinating logistics and delivery, overseeing installation schedules, and ensuring product quality and compliance. By delegating these responsibilities to a skilled procurement professional, designers can free up considerable time to focus on creative work and client relationships. Likewise, when a deep dive is taken into financial statements, designers may end up deciding to offer a different hourly rate (or salary). Regardless, the decision is based upon actual financial data and results.
Not only does our Financial and Procurement Services team make recommendations on how much designers can afford to pay a new staff member, but our firm can also help with the recruitment and training.
Contact us to learn more about recruitment services at The Dove Agency.