In the world of interior design, design firm principals are constantly juggling a million and one tasks. From design discovery to client onboarding, floor plans to renderings, networking to social media, project management to client care, you do it all. Let’s face it, you’re wearing upwards of 36 hats at any one time, and it can leave you feeling overwhelmed and under-earning. And that leaves less time and energy for the activities that bring you real profit. EARN MORE WHILE DOING WHAT YOU LOVE You started your business to make money, doing what you love…design. Many designers are so bogged down with low-dollar tasks, that their finances and creativity both take a hit. If you want to increase your profit and engage in the work you love doing, then you must start focusing your efforts on the right activities. I remind my clients, “Where your focus goes, your finances flow.” In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to distinguish between high-dollar and low-dollar tasks, so you can prioritize activities that directly contribute to your profit. While low-dollar tasks are necessary activities within your business that must be completed, they are not a priority. As a designer and business owner, you should focus on tasks that impact your bottom line and require higher levels of expertise and skill. The categories here can make it simpler: lead generation and marketing, SEO and visibility, sales and offers, creative work, project management, communication, and admin. LEARN TO DOLLARIZE YOUR DAY FOR MORE PROFIT Discover which activities you should prioritize and which you should outsource when it comes to administrative tasks, marketing and advertising, sales, creative work, and more. You only have a finite amount of time. Knowing where your time is going each day will make a big difference. Let’s find out where you’re spending your time, so we can make you more money! You’ll learn how to dollarize your days, so you earn more in every activity. And you can delegate low dollar tasks. Your time as principal designer, Creative Director, or CEO is best invested in $1k tasks vs. the many $100 and $10 that can be delegated to team or outsourcing online. DELEGATE TO INCREASE PROFITS & AVOID BURNOUT When you stay focused on your Zone of Genius work at least 80% of the time, you’ll find yourself more productive, more fulfilled and more profitable. It’s vital that you relinquish the idea that you must do it all yourself. This is a myth and a costly one. Instead, when you assign a dollar value to each task, you’ll find that by delegating what you aren’t efficient at, what you don’t love, and what isn’t impacting the bottom line directly, that more gets done and you step out of sacrifice and off the burn out path. Your firm will earn more with the right team in place. Whenever you can outsource or delegate to someone who is a fraction of your hourly rate (internal use only, you know I advocate flat fees) you get time back for the actions that matter most. To find out how you can effectively grow your design business, BOOK-A-CALL here, it’s complementary and a way to explore the fit, as well as create your plan. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR: (3:00) The difference between high-dollar and low-dollar tasks.(4:20) Which aspects of social media are high-dollar versus low-dollar.(7:10) What high-dollar marketing looks like.(13:33) How to change your money mindset.(15:30) What high-dollar creative work and low-dollar creative work entail.(19:40) The value in finding a good stylist.(24:00) How to dollarize your calendar.(28:05) How to completely transform your business. MENTIONED: Episode 081: The Four Steps to Landing Every Project (Design Discovery Process) FOLLOW AND REVIEW: We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple ‘+’ in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. SUPPORTING RESOURCES: For more information about The Affluent Creative, check out my website www.melissagalt.com Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @MelissaGalt and TikTok @MelissaGaltBusinessCoach
