Wouldn't it be great if there was a magic bullet that would help us improve customer service, be more efficient and effective, AND would make our companies more profitable?? Well believe it or not, that isn't a unicorn dream. Implementing strong business processes and systems absolutely help you make all those dreams come true in your business. Without them, you're floundering, just reinventing the wheel over and over, and driving yourself (and clients and your team) CRAZY! So if you don't have those processes in place, here are the 4 that are the MOST important to add NOW!

1. Project Management

Project management software is essential to keeping everything in your business running smoothly! The best ones will list each step in the timeline of a project, along with tasks, deadlines, and who is assigned to each thing that needs to be done. My favorite (and I use it ALLLL the time) is Asana, but there are many others. You can plug in timelines and create templates for every size of project. Once you enter it, you can use it over and over for projects - and that means fewer mistakes and dropped balls. Not only is it irritating to have things go wrong, it costs you MONEY. I even offer templates that are already pre-programmed for interior designers. You can check those out here. 

2. Financials

TOO many designers think that if they have a bookkeeper, then they have their financials covered. WRONG. You want to have a financial system that gives you all the info you need to be as profitable as possible. So you want to have accounting software that can produce a strong P&L, you want a great cash flow statement on a regular basis, and you want to have an easy invoicing system. At any given time, you want to know exactly how your business is doing and what the future looks like so you don't hit any slow months that you aren't prepared for! It's more than just accounting, so be sure you have every financial base covered.

3. Business Management

This is different from project management - it's managing the general business of interior design. Think of something like Ivy or Studio Designer. They will offer sourcing and will help you with your proposals. And they also can include accounting software and project management software. Most importantly, they help with procurement. Most designers DO have this type of system already in place, but it pays to shop around a bit even if you're happy with the one you're using. There are always new bells & whistles being added, so be SURE you have the one that works for your business.

4. Communication

This is the one that MANY designers forget about. And it is one of the most critical!! You want a clear schedule of communication for your clients, your employees, and your build team members. So for example, it would include when and how you communicate updates to your client about how the project is going. It will clearly spell out when you should communicate to the contractor new additions to the project binder. And it will remind you when you need to set up reviews for your employees. Communication is the best way to keep things running smoothly. And it is the one thing that can really ruin a client or business relationship. 

To help you keep things running smoothly, download my FREE Guide to the 5 Essential Business Processes here. It has a few more ideas that will really help you run a super-efficient business!

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