How to Start a Freelance Decorating Business

Decorating color palates and schemes

If you have an artistic eye and an interest in decorating, a freelance decorating business may be a rewarding way to make a living. Professional decorators are hired by individuals and corporations to decorate either an indoor or an outdoor space. Decorators often work in residential spaces, but may also find work designing offices, wedding receptions, and outdoor living spaces. Starting a business requires a lot of work, but with a little planning and preparation, you will be ready to decorate for clients in no time.

Things You'll Need

• Business plan
• Home or commercial office space
• Phone line
• Portfolio
• Advertising/marketing
• Client contract (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

Start a Freelance Decorating Business

1. Create a business plan. Before you can begin working as a freelance decorator, you need to do some preparatory planning. Whether you want to create a formally written business plan is up to you, but at the very least, you should think through many of the issues that you will face as a business owner. Some of the points that you should consider include: how much starting capital you have available, a budget, the geographic location you wish to serve, whether to rent a commercial office, whether you want to be a niche decorator or general decorator, how much you will charge for your services, where your clients will come from and how much you expect to make in your first year.

2. Set up an office. You will want to have some form of office to store client files, do your billing, keep track of your calendar, etc. You may be able to do this from a laptop on your kitchen table and by meeting with clients on location only. On the other hand, you may want to rent space to have a place to meet with potential clients. There is no right answer here. When making your decision, you should consider the image that you wish to portray to your clients and your budget.

3. Research trends in your field. No one wants to hire a decorator that isn't apprised of recent trends. Similarly, if you are new to the profession or do not have formal training, you should do as much research as your schedule allows. Look at magazines and books on decorating for your field. Go to textile trade shows to find new fabrics and seasonal color schemes.

4. Purchase business and office supplies. As a freelance decorator, you will not need to have an inventory of decor on hand. You will set a budget with your client, make suggestions and purchase according to your agreement. What you will need are business supplies, such as a phone line or cell phone, so that your clients can contact you, a computer and printer for creating invoices, billing and accounting software, and general office supplies such as paper, pens, envelopes, etc.

5. Advertise and market your business. You will not be hired to work as a freelance decorator if no one knows about your business. Ideally, you should have business cards made. Hand them out to everyone you know and ask for referrals. If you are technologically savvy, set up a website or a decorating blog. If you are working with a large budget, advertise in a well-read decorator magazine or send mailers out in your community. Marketing and advertising can be as simple or complicated as you choose. It is up to you to decide which methods will be most effective for your business and what you can reasonably afford.

6. Create a portfolio of your work. A portfolio is a great marketing piece that shows potential clients what you are capable of doing. It consists of photographs of work that you have previously completed. Make sure that you get a client's permission before you take photographs. You will not have a portfolio when you first start out, but building one over time will be in the best interests of your business.

7. Have your client sign a contract before you begin working. As a freelance decorator, you are not an employee of your client. Rather, you are running your own business and providing services on a one time basis. Your client agreement does not and should not be complicated. If should include a description of the work that you have agreed to provide to your client and how much you expect to charge for those specific services. It should also state that once the work is complete, you will need to amend the current contract before additional work can be performed. Having such a contract in place protects you in the event that a client is dissatisfied with your artistic interpretation of their wishes and refuses to pay for your services. It also protects you in the event that your client claims that you agreed to perform additional services for the set price. You can create this type of contract on your own, or you can have a small business lawyer draft a contract template for you.

References

• Home Business Center. com: How to Start and Interior Decorating/Design Business