Time Management is almost impossible for an interior designer, especially with an ever-growing list of to-dos, endless emails, phone calls, design reviews, and an event calendar to rival the most popular socialites.
However, these are not an even ground to miss out on your client’s work or deadlines. Yes, it can be overwhelming, but learning to delegate tasks and judiciously manage time is a skill every interior designer must master.
Here are a few strategies to help delegate tasks, and effectively manage your time.
To manage time effectively as an interior designer is to identify and focus solely on the content or task that drives revenue the most to your business. Whether it is networking, running campaigns/ads, or physically interacting with your clients, understanding what drives revenue for you is most important.
Focusing on these tasks does not mean neglecting other tasks, it only means prioritizing that which is important over the other, and understanding which part of your efforts yields returns. If it is your socials that are generating more revenue, place importance on it, and if it is collaborating with other businesses that give you the results, then prioritize it.
This approach just means being strategic with your time. Every task you embark on should yield or generate revenue in a way, but it’s crucial to recognize and prioritize those that have the most significant impact on your revenue and growth.
In doing this, you’re not just busy, but you’re busy with a goal, driving your business forward in the most efficient way possible.
This is an effective way to delegate tasks and manage your time, as an interior designer. A big part of your job is to work with other people’s schedules, and this may be stressful if the people you are to work with are not forthcoming.
It is hard enough managing your schedules and work, but when other people’s last-minute schedules come in, it gets messy. This is where your Google Calendar comes in.
This will help you to schedule meetings, delegate tasks whenever, and keep track of your appointments a day or hours before, by sending reminder notices to people you are scheduled to speak with. In the case of flaky clients, who are found of canceling last minute, you can erect a policy that stipulates a client pays a canceling fee, within 24 or 12 hours of your meeting.
As an interior designer, you need to have a standard operating procedure. This gives you a proper idea of what can come next. This way you can anticipate your workload ahead of time, and create a realistic schedule, especially now that you know how much time to budget for crucial tasks.
As an interior designer, your deliverables also rely on the schedules and productivity of others, like clients, vendors, and employees. Laying out your work procedures with all relevant parties ahead of time helps everyone around you stay on schedule and maximize productivity. It also protects you from a liability perspective, since everyone will have assigned duties to be completed at a mutually agreed upon time.
Documenting plans and thinking ahead will minimize future sources of stress and distraction.
To build a strong team as an interior designer, you do not need so many people. The success of your business lies in a strong team of professionals such as lawyers, insurance specialists, bookkeepers, and financial advisors.
Diligent bookkeeping is the backbone of any interior design business. The act of documenting everything that goes on in the business, particularly, in an interior design business, where moving parts are ample, sequences are complex and hard to follow, and financial transactions involve multiple parties.
By hiring the right personnel at every stage your business grows too, you are building a strong foundation for the future and this also helps you lighten your workload.
Effective time management for you as an interior designer is about finding what works best for you and being ready to adapt as needed. It’s a blend of efficiency, flexibility, and self-care.
By using these strategies, you find a balance that allows you to be a successful designer, a present parent, a friend, a partner, and a fulfilled individual. It also helps you manage other tasks that your presence might be required for.
Remember, the key to time management is not just about blindly sticking to a schedule, but also about being adaptable and kind to yourself when things do not go as planned.
Balancing client projects, administrative tasks, and personal life can be challenging, especially when you’re working solo, as an interior designer. However, it does not always have to be like that, so long as you implement the right strategies when it comes to delegation and time management.
By delegating tasks and surrounding yourself with the right persons who are crucial to the growth of your business, you are minimizing future sources of stress and distraction.