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Step 1
Decide what type of home design services you'd like to offer. Home design is a very broad category that can cover building preservation and restoration, professional organizing, interior design, faux painting and interior redesign.
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Step 2
Find out if you need to get a license if you choose to be an interior designer. This type of a home design business is government regulated in about half the American states and seven Canadian provinces. If you need to get licensed, then you can only do so after you have a college degree, 6 years in the field and after you have finished an intense certification exam.
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Step 3
Determine which type of redesign you'd like to do. You can work with Realtors and do home staging to help people sell their homes. Alternatively, you can work with residents and businesses directly and offer suggestions on how they can improve the appearance of their buildings.
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Step 4
Figure out which type of home design service is needed the most in the area you'd like to work. You can find this out by informally asking around. Check the yellow pages to see what types of home design services are currently offered. Ask real estate agents about what people are looking for regarding home design services.
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Step 5
Purchase a franchise if you have the money and don't want to do everything on your own. Many people who start a home design business choose to go this route because then they're part of a company with an established name and get access to prepackaged advertising and marketing materials. Expect to pay many thousands of dollars for a franchise.
