Bright Ideas
Path to Prosperity in 2009

We all know it’s not going to be business as usual for awhile in this economy. But just as President Obama in his inaugural address promised to take “bold and swift action” to restore the economy—companies are doing their part in the momentum by generating ideas and strategies to breathe new life into their corners of the world.   

So, we wondered, what are window fashion businesses doing differently this year to adapt to the times and to prosper? We polled some of our readers. Here are some of the bright ideas:

Output, Output, Output
“This quote in a piece by William McDonough has been my mantra for 2009: ‘No matter how cool your computer rendering is, no matter how brilliant your essay is, no matter how fabulous your whatever is, if you can’t output it, distribute it, and make it known, it basically doesn’t exist. Orient yourself to output. Schedule output. Output, output, output. Show Me The Output.’

“So, I have two goals with Window Dressings, my custom window fashion business:

1. “To incorporate more than one revenue model into the business and focus on what I believe to be profitable niches. And to take those models above the noise by being more distinctive. With that in mind, I am moving toward the web for its efficiency, immediacy and community. Next month, I will launch two new divisions of Window Dressings online.

2. “I have resolved to be more aggressively self promotional this year. (This is something that is very difficult for a lot of us.) Because ultimately it’s all about the brand called YOU, not the blinds, shades or draperies we design, fabricate and sell. It’s also all about not being stuck in fear but to get moving; the more you throw out there, the better chance you have of something taking off.

“I am diversifying my business to create as much income as possible. Under the Window Dressings brand and in addition to my custom window coverings design service I will be launching: Window Dressings Pret (a curated collection of ready mades defined by exquisite dressmaker details and modern silhouette that will be available online); Window Dressings Prive (the ultimate online soft furnishings design consultation destination, because I believe that everyone should have beautifully dressed windows.); and Window Dressings Couture (a to-the-trade window fashion design project management service).”
—Deb Barrett, Window Dressings, Kaneville, Ill., debbarrett.com

Go to Class
“I plan to attend more seminars and webinars this year to stay on top of what’s new. With this tough economy I feel knowledge to help solve customers’ problems and give them a creative, different look will be what customers will want. Customers are very informed these days with shows like HGTV. They want more. I hope to give them more.”
—Lori Carpenter, The Grapevine, Ash Flat, Ariz., thegrapevinegifts.com
 
Educate Consumers on Energy Efficiency
“Consumers are being much more conscientious of how and where they are going to spend, when and if they make the decision on a purchase, any purchase. Hunter Douglas and Hunter Douglas dealers must provide consumers compelling reasons to come into a dealer’s store and to purchase Hunter Douglas window fashions. 

“We know that windows make up only about 10 percent of a home’s insulated shell and a significant percentage of the home’s heating and cooling energy can pour through them. The results of focus groups we conducted among 30- to 64-year-old affluent, stylish women homeowners told us that while 96 percent of participants said that reducing energy consumption would influence their decision to purchase, 42 percent did not know that window coverings help reduce energy loss.

“This clearly indicates that consumers need to be informed and educated. They need to know that more than making a fashion statement, window fashions are tools to help them save energy resources and are important contributors to reducing energy use, utility costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

This is why we developed the Stop The Great Energy Giveaway promotional program in effect through April 30, 2009. It is fully focused on raising consumer and dealer awareness of how easy it is to ‘go green’ and get a handle on energy loss by utilizing Hunter Douglas window fashions while further saving consumers big dollars with significant consumer rebate savings.”
—Norm Malone, vice president of marketing programs, Hunter Douglas, hunterdouglas.com

Branch Out
“I've been in the professional sewing industry for 25 years … mostly doing the same thing for everyone—drapes, bedding, valances. All for adults. … So my new idea is, I am promoting and making children’s/infants bedding and aprons with fabric I've acquired for girls and boys. I am going to start selling premade aprons to children's boutiques and have special order bedding from fabric swatches I provide to them also online at my website. … This might not be the most original new idea but it might be the most fun one!”
—Kim Grantham, Interior Sewing by Kim, Phoenix, Ariz., interiorsewingbykim.com

Work the Numbers
“I was shocked and not prepared when in late October ALL my design projects were canceled. … The sudden unexpected cancellations were due to the dramatic drop in the stock market and the increased overall decline in the economy. Once I dragged my depressed body from under my high-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, I created a plan:

1. “I sought two eager design students as interns. All my time now will be allocated to creating new business. I decided to create several streams of income all relating to aesthetics and design. The interns make calls and do all follow-up to secure new business, like guest speaking and staging, and assist in the design process for each new project.

“OK, these next two things required me to tuck my ego away, far away:

2. “I took a low commission-only job with a decorating contract group selling Hunter Douglas window treatments.

3. “I lowered my hourly rate. This was especially hard for me because I have been in business for over 20 years and I feel I earned my high hourly. A wise advisor told me, ‘it’s better to have 50 percent of something than 100 percent of nothing.’ Here’s to working smarter in 2009.”
—Phyllis Bowie, Interior Designer, National Columnist, Speaker, phyllisbowie.com

Customer Service
“In 2009 we will be focusing on providing a higher level of personalized service to our clients. We will be focusing on our core group of repeat clients and making sure we serve them extremely well! A good referral is worth a lot of advertising. We will be offering spring ‘refresh’ consultations for a reasonable fee—a ‘refresh’ is an update rather than a complete redo. … We are focusing on overall impact with an eye on a manageable cost.”
—Joan Kaufman, president and owner, Interior Planning and Design, Naperville, Ill., InteriorPlanning.com

Five No-Fail Marketing Methods 
“Here are five proven ways to market your business daily:

1. The power of thank you: “When I began my business, I wrote thank you notes to every client for every call. These were short, handwritten on note cards and clients regularly commented on them. It built my business. Don’t email it, handwrite it. Do this at the close of each day for every client or prospect you met with. Nothing is more powerful than a handwritten note in this age of high tech and low tech.”

2. Forward with feeling: “I’m not generally a big fan of forwarding email as too often I get so much junk! However, there are resources online that have great content, relevant content—content your clients would appreciate. Be selective in what you send; this can be as effective as sending an old fashioned newspaper clipping. You can make it easy by using Google Reader or even Google Alerts for keywords or topics that will appeal the most. I also like doing this with magazine articles from publications I read regularly.  … Touch them with something personal that you saw that you thought they’d enjoy!”

3. Greetings from afar: “Whenever I travel, I take a couple of pages of mailing labels with my client list and upon arrival, pick up postcards for easy mailing. I get these out in the first two days of any trip, domestic or foreign. This keeps clients connected even when you have disconnected!”

4. Connect your clients: “I have found that one of the most effective ways to stay top of mind with my clients is to be their one-stop lifestyle resource. This means that I am the source of referrals for their needs including financial advisors, pharmacists, doctors, caterers, florists, trainers, maids and more. … Yes, you can create referral revenue from this, but more importantly is the residual value you are creating by encouraging your clients to use you as their one-stop lifestyle guru.”

5. Little extras matter most: “Often, design professionals get caught up in charging for every last touch; instead, build your business in a way that enables you to provide some finishing touches as perks of working with you. When you complete a kitchen, include a goodie basket with wine, cheese, munchies and more. When you complete a bath, include a spa basket with scented soaps, a candle and a loofah. Extras go a long way in building a relationship.”
—Melissa Galt, Melissa Galt Interiors, melissagaltinteriors.com

Make Connections
“I have teamed up with a home staging company and a local networking group. In addition, I am contacting the local banks in the community to offer my consulting and project management services with their foreclosed homes. There are many homes that do not need a general contractor for a basic facelift. … I am going to rep a few carpet companies for both commercial and residential projects. I will also be selling custom area rugs to complement the tile, wood and laminent flooring that is so popular here in southern California. And I will stay focused on my business plan marketing strategies to attract clients with incomes above 150K. Lastly, I will be contacting top interior designers to discuss my project management services and how my expertise can impact their bottom line with increased productivity and profits.”
—Kathy Morris, Picture Perfect Window Coverings, Los Angeles, Calif.

Learn and Teach
“What I would like to do for my business in 2009 is learn all I can. When I have learned everything I can, learn some more.  … I would like to start an e-mail newsletter with helpful tips for designers that are somehow presented to really stick in your mind. … I would like to have some classes that would get designers involved in the thought process of how window treatments become a reality.”
—Ruth Zahler, Ruth Zahler’s Custom Creations, St. Michael, Minn.

Hire a Personal Coach
“The best thing I did this past year was hire a personal coach. I spent a lot of time discovering my values and what brings me passion in my life. My coach taught me the importance of setting goals in seven areas of my life instead of just business goals in order to keep my life more in balance. … I have now broken my goals down to the smallest action steps and have placed them on my calendar so that every day, I am taking some sort of action on my goals.”
—Angela Thee, Angela Thee Custom Interiors, Suwanee, Ga., angelathee.com

E-Newsletter
“This year, I will send out a free E-newsletter using Constant Contact. I purchased a year’s worth of pre-written articles from Mary Larsen (marylarsendesigns.com), so I will include these in the newsletter. …  I’m convinced this will be a positive move for my business, and I’ll have fun maintaining client friendships at the same time.”
—Dian Garbarini, Designs by Dian, Mission Viejo, Calif., designsbydian.com

Foot Traffic Frenzy
“This time of year typically tends to be a bit slower so I wanted to do something exciting to reach out to new people. I’m running a ‘Foot Traffic Frenzy’ Promotion … goal to welcome 1,000 new into our showroom between now and St. Patrick’s Day and at the same time reward one lucky winner with a hefty $1,000 prize. It’s a viral campaign and my first time to include/utilize Facebook as a major component of the distribution effort. I’d be thrilled for you to check it out on my fan page (on Facebook), Storibook Designs and sign on as a fan so you can stay informed of my Frenzy updates!”
—Sarah Devaney-O’Neil, Storibook Designs, Boston, Mass., storibookdesigns.com

E-Marketing
My business ideas for ’09 all revolve around business development and word of mouth marketing:
1.      Implement a new monthly email newsletter.
2.      Implement a new weekly blog.
3.      Re-vamp my web page. 
4.      Implement a new business mailing, to a select list purchased on zip code and home value. 
5.      Energize my SEO by developing more inbound links.
—Brenda Be, beTM interior design and project management, Boston, Mass., beTMdesign.com

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