EP 201 | Working ON Your Interior Design Business with Annie Elliott – REPEAT

December 22, 2020

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Are you spending so much time working in your business that you never improve the business itself?

In this episode, originally aired December 9, 2019, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Washington DC designer Annie Elliott to discuss the importance of building systems, analyzing profitability, and intentionally improving business operations over time.

By dedicating time to refining processes, reviewing financial performance, and strengthening team structure, Annie transformed her business one system at a time.

If you’ve been stuck reacting to projects instead of proactively improving your company, this episode offers practical strategies for building a stronger foundation.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why successful designers make time to work on their business
• How a strong bookkeeper becomes a valuable financial partner
• Why tracking gross revenue, net profit, and margins matters
• The importance of following your own systems and protocols consistently
• Why small projects often consume disproportionate time and energy
• How reviewing job descriptions improves team efficiency
• Why analyzing past project profitability reveals important patterns
• How planting seeds with the press helps build long-term visibility and growth

 

Design Intervention

The best piece of advice I ever received was, “Don’t make decisions for your clients.” I’m an overthinker. Too often, I try and anticipate what the client will agree to rather than what the best solution is. Almost every time I’ve taken a risk and proposed a crazy-but-awesome fabric, wallpaper, or piece of furniture, the client has gone for it. Even if it was budget-busting.

Take Aways

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

Stemper & Associates

About Annie Elliott

Annie is a recovering art historian who developed her eye and aesthetic sensibilities studying 20th-century art and working in some of the nation’s top museums. After her thousandth exhibition sponsorship pitch, Annie threw caution to the wind and decided to pursue the career she always wanted: interior design. She did some coursework at the Corcoran College of Art + Design, then she took her love of color and pattern and her art history training in matters of scale, balance, and proportion, and opened for business in 2004. When she was 3 months pregnant with twins. Because that’s how she rolls.

Annie is an Associate Member of ASID, and her design work and insights have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, The Wall Street Journal, and other local and national publications.

www.annieelliottdesign.com

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Legal Disclosure | This podcast is for educational purposes only and provides general business advice for interior designers and design professionals. It is not intended as individual legal, accounting, or professional guidance. Kimberley Seldon and Business of Design® make no guarantees regarding accuracy and are not liable for how information is used. Strategies shared may not apply to every situation—listeners should seek qualified legal, financial, or professional advice before making business decisions. References and resources mentioned may change over time.

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