Pricing isn't the Problem
Stop obsessing about your pricing.
Designers can be obsessive about pricing. As you probably know, I write about things that I see designers struggling with. And pricing is probably the number one issue that designers THINK they have trouble with. But pricing isn't the problem. Trouble usually comes from the issues surrounding pricing like confidence, billing, and time.
In my experience working with hundreds of designers, you can make any pricing model work. Changing your pricing model won’t make much difference to your bottom line.
The “right” pricing model doesn’t make your business more profitable or efficient. The "right” pricing model doesn’t make clients more willing to pay. The “right” pricing model doesn’t eliminate or solve your problems.
It’s not your pricing, it’s you.
So if it’s not how you are pricing, it’s time to start obsessing about other areas of your business that will make it run smoother, with more profit and fewer problems. And that all starts with you - not your pricing.
Be a professional. Your business is a business, treat it, yourself, and your clients as such.
Be confident in your pricing. However you choose to price is perfect as long as you do it with integrity, clarity, transparency, and confidence. If you’re confident clients will be less likely to take advantage of you. Read Feel Confident in Your Pricing.
Stop taking the wrong customers. You know who they are. Stick to your criteria for accepting new projects.
“No matter how you price, the wrong clients will always be the wrong clients and cause stress. ”
Get really good at setting client expectations. Most problems that arise with clients are because of unmet expectations.
Whatever your pricing model is it should be clear and transparent. You should be able to quickly and easily tell clients how your pricing works and what to expect (see above bullet) and they should be able to understand and trust.
Have professional billing practices. That means that you bill on a schedule (i.e. bi-weekly, monthly) and it’s consistent.
Don’t give away hours. This to me, is the first thing to do when your interior design business isn’t profitable. Stop working for free.
If it’s not your pricing, where do you need to turn your focus? Where are you falling a little short?
About The Author
Hi! I’m Capella and I’m an interior designer who helps fellow designers build their businesses. Forget secrecy and competition, I believe designers should support and uplift each other. By helping and boosting one another, we can elevate the business of interior design together! Hang around a bit and I’ll share all the business “secrets” no one else wants to talk about.
