I need some help re. setting up my own Interior Design company. General stuff and specific to ID if there is anyone else there?!

[NatalieJane]

I am doing an Interior Design diploma at the moment, due to finish around September time (it's a part-time home based course, so could be sooner than September depending how I get on) so far, and I don't want to jinx it, but so far, I am getting on really well with it, my tutor has said some very positive things and my grades have been spot on, the idea was to wait for youngest DS to start school then start my own business as an ID.

However, have decided to maybe not wait, and just go for it, but I have no idea about running a business - tax, insurance, the implications in running it from home etc. or even more specific questions like if I was to get a builder in to pull someone's wall down and the house fell down, who is liable for that? Me, or the builder? I literally am starting from scratch, and I don't know where to go to find the answers.

I have tried looking on the gov.'s website but there is just too much - too many 'If you're doing this' 'that' 'the other' etc. and I think I need more specific advice? Or maybe not?!

I, perhaps naively, don't think there will be loads of start up costs? I already have most of the equipment from doing this course, and so apart from advertising and setting up a website etc. there isn't much left to pay for, is there? If it is just that, I don't think I'd need a loan/grant etc. But, am I missing things?

What costs are involved in setting up a business from home? We are renting at the moment, does that complicate it?

Do I literally (obviously over-simplifying it, but is this what happens?) advertise, get a job, get paid, hand the tax man his cut and that's it?

I do realise I am just pouring questions out, and I'm not really expecting anyone to know all of the answers, but perhaps by giving you some of my questions, someone will know where I can find the answers?

Thanks very much in advance, and well done if you read this far!

Are you going to be going for jobs that are structural as well as just 'decor'?

My friend does it - and is always being caught as piggy in the middle between client and contractor.

Well, I'm not going to be seeking structual jobs out, but if I happened upon one, I'm not going to turn it down, especially while trying to get established etc.

With the greatest of respect, I am not sure that a diploma in interior design is an appropriate qualification for managing building projects, however here are some links to get you started:

The British Institute of Interior Design.

Useful books (including a form of contract) from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Form of contract for appointing a builder to design and undertake small works from the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) warning you probably ought to know a bit more about acting as a project manager (which is the technical term for TracyK's 'piggy in the middle' friend) if you are going to use this.

Finally, make sure you have (and are complying with the terms of) adequate Professional Indeminty, Public Liability and possibly Contract Works insurance.

Mranchovy, thank you, I have seen the first two links, but not the third so will have a look through it.

It's not so much that I'll be project manager of a rebuild or a new build, but more like if someone wanted their kitchen and dinning room re-designed and they wanted the wall between pulling out to make a kitchen dinner, then that would become my responsibility to manage that work, in some cases the client would arrange the building work themselves and I would just take over from then. All depends on how the client wants to play it.

Are you an ID yourself?

No, I am an accountant by profession but I am very familiar with contractual forms for building work and the related risks.

a couple of things that dh has found helpful:

free day workshop by the Inland Revenue on what you can and can't claim against tax. really useful.

most business via the Yellow Pages - dh did buy an advert at first but you can get a free listing too.

try local Business Link person (google) if they still exist - again free - help with business planning etc.

consider costs of business banking account; dh got a deal with a bank for the first 18 months free or something. fees otherwise quite a consideration.

you need to change your website often - if you get someone else to do it, make sure it's set up so that you can do that. Maybe a blog of some kind based on whatever your passion is, linked to your business? you need to make sure that you have the right address details on your contact page so that Google searches will pick you up - general search page optimisation stuff.

don't be too quick to set low rates at first, but look for possible small jobs you could do, as references and good work in your portfolio will be what sells best of all. Make sure you get written consent IMO if you want to put pictures of jobs on your website.

Mranchovy, ah, I was hoping I may have been able to pick your brain on a few things, but thanks for your help anyway

Maktaitai, that is really helpful, thanks very much, I will deffo look into the IR workshop, and will keep everything else in mind that you've said.

My plan is to maybe do a couple of jobs for free, in exchange for photography rights, decent (not fabricated decent, just more in depth etc.) references, because at the moment all I would have in a portfolio is my course work and the diploma cert. so I need a couple of jobs to boost it.

Thanks again to everyone for their help and input

Hi there, I am have a soft furnishings business so not a million miles away. I started 4 years ago and went from PAYE to self-employed, i set myself up with a 3 month cushion but from then on i needed to be earning.

The first thing i would do is register as s/e now if you aren't already working, write a business plan and start putting all your costs into it asap. THink about what you will need to spend (costs are easy to research but overegg them) and realistically what you can hope to earn.

Think about how you will get commissions - I started with recommendations from very kind friends - but if you need to advertise then you'll need to research that too. I'm not certain about doing things for free - i couldn't afford to do that - but if you are doing one room maybe and hoping to get the whole house on the back of it, or working for free for someone incredibly well connected who you think will pass you name on, then you could justify it as a marketing cost.

Finally - yellow pages listing is free as someone has said and they will contact you once you register as self/employed but personally i found the paid for ads you can bolt onto your listing don't work that well - people seem to go a lot on personal recommendation when inviting strangers into their house (not that surprising!)

Good luck - hope this helps

I am an interior designer but didn't do any courses have been working for about 12 yrs and never stopped really!You need a really good portfolio which is best made of 'free' jobs.If you have a contact sheet ask local estate agents to have your info there on teh desk to give to people.Try to have your own look and sometimes you have to be quite hard with clients as what they want is not always what will be achievable in their house.be aware of trends bt not a slave to them eg I have NEVER been asked for a feature wall! or any matching curtains and bedlinen EVER!But it is good to be aware of new trends and suppliers just in case.Get a really good camera and maybe get some 'free' work with local bilders to become aware of what is and isn't possible wrt structure.You need a good eye for dimensions and a natural feel for a house and the people in it.Word of mouth is priceless as is the ability to do a few things yourself eg I can decorate and also do minor Plumbing/heating.Good luck!

You don't need to "set up a business" as such but - like sinclair says - you should set yourself up as self employed. You won't need premises, will you? Then concentrate on getting work.

Fwiw - and not wanting to make you feel down - my sister is an interior designer. She has a (first class) fine art degree and a post-grad interior design degree. She found it very difficult to get established in the first couple of years, and that's in affluent Edinburgh.

Squeaver is right v difficult.I ahve a degree in english and philosophy but worked for 2 interior designers for about 18 months as basically a slave!A lot of people liked what i did and I did small free jobs but eventually and now I mainly renovate houses from start to finish and do small design jobs if asked.

Thanks again to both

Sinclair, I have been a SAHM for the last 8+ years, so while we're not 'rolling in it' we are coping money wise so if I do go ahead with the working for free, it isn't the end of the world. It will (hopefully) pay me back in the work I will (hopefully!) get off the back of the photo's and the guinea pigs clients word of mouth. Well that is the idea anyway!

Do I need a full on proper business plan if I'm not looking to borrow money? I have a note book almost full of notes and ideas but it is no where near presentable - who would need to see a business plan?

Noddy, think I have spoken to you before about this? When I first started the course... maybe getting mixed up? Did you just decide that's it, I am going to start a business, and did it? Or did you come about it in a different way? I know this is always going to come down to how good a designer you are (or aren't!) and location but how many jobs do you do in a year on average? Is there always something to do when you want there to be? Have there been any particular bad spells? How has the recession affected the work? Sorry have tonnes of questions, but you've probably already run a mile!

Ah sorry, x posts...

That's OK Squeaver, I'm not going to feel down about it. I am going to try, and give it my best shot, there is no NEED to be bring pots of money in or anything so pressure is off that way, but like I said, I'm going to give it a go, do my best if it works, then great, if not, then I'll carry on with the degrees and see how that pans out. I think it's just that I am chomping at the bit to do something, the thought of 3 more years stuck at home isn't thrilling!!

And Noddy, you already answered some of my questions!

I was just asked repeatedly to do jobs when people saw my house A few asked me to help do theirs in exchange I took pictures.Not many people need designers in a recession!and I rarely do those jobs now as a lot of people don't use them.I now renovate houses as that was the way I could afford to do what I love.There are sometimes jobs with big housing builders like wimpy but not sure how that works as it is not really my style.Structural change is the most satisfying for me but does take a while to learn.Have you done anything for friends and family?

No, they're all too far away, they all ask me on the phone, but I've not actually done it myself.

Actually, another thought just came into my mind from what you were saying about giving local estate agents my details to pass on, there is a very top end furniture shop just up the road, wonder if it would be worth popping in there too? Or am I taking the biscuit?

You need practice and examples of your work befoore you can put a flyer out as it works best with pictures.What sort of work are you wanting to do?

Well until I find my feet, I'd be very happy with a few small jobs, just changing decor/furniture etc. just so I can say "This is what I can produce" but I always find myself coming up with ideas for childrens rooms, bedrooms, playrooms, even through to playbarns, nurseries etc. I think it's because I like things to be a little bit different and you tend to get away with more, erm, different, designs in these types of places. I can do the lovely posh drawing rooms (the course is full of it) and I enjoy doing them, but for me, the pleasure is in the funkiness! Also really like doing the kitchens and bathrooms, and for some rather bizarre reason, entrance halls Can't explain that one!

Take some really good pics of your own house and see if you can get some good shots and put them together on a leaflet and try and get some 'free' jobs that way.Theme work like childrens rooms is not really my field as have never been asked for it.I like halls too aways works well when selling if the entrance is good.

We've just moved, got lot's of decorating before it's going to be ready for pictures! This is why I am so set on somehow getting a few free jobs, I need the pictures!

I think you should approach any friends then who might like a free 'makeover' and do it that way.neighbours etc.Also keep a record of before and after of your own house renovation as people like to see 'real' homes and nothing too staged.I have pictures going back years so don't worry about how old they are unless very fashion based which can look dated.While you are building up work become familiar with brands products prices etc.

Sory havent read everything but I would strongly siggest that you go onto the business link website and google their courses they do one for individuals starting up in business, covers all the basics ie whether you should be self-employed, ltd company, vat registered etc etc. I went on it a couple of years ago and it was very good

I am quite familiar with what's available, and where. Have spent most of my 8 years at home on the internet looking at things, wondering where I could fit them in most of the time!

When you do do jobs for other people, if you don't mind, could you tell me how you go through the process of 'selling' the design to the client? This course says it all must be a certain way, it's all got to be down on paper, pictures, drawings, coloured layouts, perspective drawings etc. and then tells you most ID's offer this for free, then can claim the cost of it all in the cost of the job, but my fear is, if you advertise all of that for free, that's the whole design, a lot of work, time, and cost of materials, for someone to say "No I don't like it", send you packing and then carry out your design themselves? It seems a little unfair to me? Or is that the way it works?

Thanks Inmypants, I am still at the stage where I am 99% sure I am going to go for this, will decide for deffo after I've finished my course and then will start putting the real wheels in motion, should be able to get all of that type of stuff out of the way in time for spring-ish time next year and hopefully hit the summer movers for the free jobs. Well that's my kind of loose aim anyway.

I don't know as I don't work like that at all!I usually do a brief description of what i will do and some scale drawings and generally work with the client to come to a final decision.Have never done a perspective drawing so wouldn't be able to comment.I mainly work on full projects from start to finish and manage builders etc from day one.I find traditional colour scheming etc is not that popular apart from in Barratt home type developments which as I have said is quite well paid but not my thing really.My oldest friend is also an ID in London and has no training either!A portfolio is the first thing to sort really as people want to 'see' what you do.If you have just moved that is the perfect opportunity so maybe go with that.Anyone you meet thinking of doing up a house offer your services and maybe do it that way.I think to earn a good living you need to be versatile as fashions come and go eg atm over styled/themed houses are unfashionable so harder to get work This is when project management skills help as you can do that instead.Some designers do parties and things too

Well that cleared that up, am very pleased there are ways around all of these drawings, it is actually something I don't mind doing, but at the same time, I'd much rather get on with things, and it doesn't help that I plan lot's in my head, I don't, actually can't, sit and sketch and work a design out of it, it's all in my head, whereas a lot of this course is focussed on the drawings drawings and more drawings.

Do you do much of the mood/sample boards? And the one thing really annoys me, titling blocks, always always always forget to put it on till the last minute and then have to rush trying to fit it on so it looks like it's always been there!

And the lighting plans, why is it a must to have it on paper, wouldn't you be there with the electrician?