A decorating business is an excellent choice for somebody that wants to work for themselves doing practical, hands-on work. People will always need decorating services, and it’s a very varied job. You can earn a good living if you build a successful decorating business, but there is a lot of competition out there, and it can be tough to separate yourself from the crowd.
If you think that a decorating and interior design business is the right option for you, here are some key tips to help you get it off the ground.
Choose A Niche
As a decorator, you will take on a lot of different kinds of jobs. Some people decide to do a little bit of everything, but if you want to build a thriving business, it’s better to specialize and pick a niche. Do you want to focus on residential properties or big commercial office renovations? Will you offer additional services like carpentry or plastering? Maybe you will offer exterior painting services. Each different niche requires slightly different equipment and a certain skill set. For example, exterior painters need to provide scaffolding and commercial decorators need a much larger team, and often need demolition equipment.
Before you get started, decide on a niche and get all of the necessary equipment. It’s much better to be the best at a specific niche rather than average at everything.
Invest In Time-Saving Tools
Time is money in this industry, and the faster you can complete jobs, the more money you can earn. The customers will be happy if you finish ahead of schedule too. However, that doesn’t mean you should rush jobs and cut corners because that only results in poor quality work and unhappy customers. If you want to finish jobs faster, invest in good quality tools that save you time. Things like heat guns can half your time when stripping wallpaper, laser-assisted spirit levels make it quick and easy to level things, and paint sprayers are ideal for exterior jobs. An upfront investment in time-saving tools allows you to complete jobs quickly without sacrificing quality.
Market Yourself Across Multiple Channels
Word of mouth is good for finding new customers once you get the ball rolling. However, you can’t rely entirely on recommendations, and you need to market yourself properly to get a steady stream of customers. For the best results, you need to market yourself across multiple channels.
Digital marketing is crucial because most people head straight for Google when they need a decorator. If you don’t have a good website and a social media presence, you’ll miss out on a lot of potential customers. You can use your website as a place to showcase pictures of your previous work. On social media, find local neighborhood pages and advertise your services on there.
You should try the old-school marketing methods too. Posting flyers through people’s doors, for example, generates a surprising amount of business. Be prepared to invest in marketing if you want to get your business off the ground.
Follow these simple tips, and you can start a successful decorating business of your own!
