How to open your own interior design studio? A new approach to opening an interior design studio

Residents of Yekaterinburg and the region are increasingly turning to apartment design projects. Experts say that applications are coming from both owners of huge cottages and one-room apartments. The popularity of the service is due to the growing well-being of the population and the emergence of new finishing materials and furniture. Plus, television projects introduce fashion for interior design. For recent years Many thematic programs have appeared on TV, for example “Housing Question” on NTV, which offer non-standard approaches to the design of even the most typical apartments.

Corporate clients also resort to the services of design studios. They order decoration for offices, beauty salons, restaurants, and commercial kindergartens.

There are many design studios and freelance specialists in Yekaterinburg. There are no exact statistics; expert estimates vary greatly - from 150 to 2 thousand players. However, everyone agrees that there are no more than two dozen well-known companies and there is room for new studios. “The services of designers are in demand. True, in order to enter the market, newcomers will have to offer something different from what already exists, for example, rely on the originality of solutions or high speed of execution,” believes MIKHAIL BABETS, director of the BMBPROEKT studio.

Which format should I choose?

Design studios of various formats operate in Yekaterinburg. Many represent an additional line of business for the parent company. “There are studios at furniture showrooms,” ELENA SULLA, director of the Domino interior center, denotes one of the categories. “Their main task is to correctly select furniture from a specific manufacturer for an apartment or office, and to offer arrangement options.” The next type is architectural bureaus that do everything turnkey, from home design to interior design. The third type is project groups based on wholesale companies that sell, for example, finishing materials or fabrics.

But in the capital of the Urals, classic studios are also represented, with three to five employees on staff involved in design projects for housing and commercial real estate - these firms manage to attract customers from the open market.


Experts say that studios do not specialize in types of clients; they simultaneously cooperate with both individuals and legal entities. A beginner will only have to decide on the price segment. The studios serve clients with above-average income (mid-price projects - 0.8-1.2 thousand rubles per sq. m) and wealthy citizens (design of luxury properties, price from 1.2 thousand rubles per sq. m and above).

ADVICE from BMBPROEKT:

“It’s easier for beginners to work in the middle price segment. Creation luxury interiors assumes deep knowledge of the market. You need to understand finishing materials and furniture sold not only in Russia, but also abroad, and attend international exhibitions.”

How to find a room?

For a studio, premises in office buildings are optimal. OLGA EVSEEVA, general manager The 1st Design Center company recommends looking for areas in central areas that are convenient for clients to reach. Rental cost 0.8-2 thousand rubles. per sq. m. For a beginner studio, it is enough to rent 20 sq. m. m, since at first you can hire three employees, including the director.

A separate entrance for the design studio is not required; repairs are at the discretion of the director. Mr. Babets: “Before purchasing our own premises, we changed four rented offices. When we started investing in the design of the studio, the number of customers increased significantly.” However, Mikhail Babets notes that if the room is in good condition, you can save on decoration: “You can make minimal catchy accents in the interior, bright touches of the corporate style.” Ms. Evseeva advises hanging on the walls best design projects companies.

The equipment of the studio is practically no different from the equipment of a regular office: tables with stands (3 pieces, 5 thousand rubles each) and two chairs for each workplace- for an employee and a client (3 pieces for 3 thousand rubles and 3 pieces for 800 rubles), two cabinets - one for papers (5 thousand rubles), the other for clothes (5 thousand rubles).


The main tool for a designer's work is a personal computer. MARGARITA ZHUKOVA, commercial director design studio "MiA-Project", clarifies that computers will need to be quite powerful (at least a dual-core processor), and therefore expensive - from 55 thousand rubles. The studio will have to purchase a set of licensed software 3D Max (149.5 thousand rubles), AutoCAD (122 thousand rubles), Corel (11 thousand rubles), Adobe Photoshop (24.5 thousand rubles). MAXIM TERENTYEV, product manager of the CAD Competence Center of the Softline group of companies in the Urals Federal District, suggests using network versions of products: “ Software can be installed on more places than purchased licenses. But simultaneously run only copies of the program that the company has.” This type of license is called floating or competitive. The cost is approximately 20% higher: 149.7 thousand rubles. for AutoCAD and 186.9 thousand rubles. for 3D Max.

The studio also needs a multifunctional device, including a printer, scanner, copier, fax, telephone (6 thousand rubles). You will need a laser tape measure (6.5 thousand rubles) and digital camera(30 thousand rubles).

ADVICE from the interior center "Domino":

“The studio must have a meeting room, rent an additional 10 square meters for it. m. The customer is uncomfortable discussing the details of the interior of his own bedroom or toilet room in front of everyone, or discussing the cost of the work.”

Who to hire?

A startup studio will need a director and two designers. Usually the director (aka owner) is an experienced specialist in the field of interior design. He looks for orders, supervises the work of subordinates and independently leads projects.

You will have to look for designers among young professionals or university graduates, since experienced employees require high salaries (20-60 thousand rubles), which a growing company will not be able to provide. Several designers produce in the capital of the Urals educational institutions: Ural State Architectural Academy, USTU-UPI (Department of Cultural Studies and Design), Construction College, etc. Candidates are selected in the traditional way: first they post job advertisements on the Internet, then conduct an interview. The main criterion is the creativity of the applicant. It can be assessed by previous work (each specialist has a portfolio) or educational projects. Studio owners note that there is no shortage of young specialists in Yekaterinburg - only one Architectural Academy produces 50 designers per year.

The functions of the hired designer, clarifies Olga Evseeva, include project management, meetings with customers to make amendments, presentations of new layouts, meetings with suppliers of finishing materials and telephone consultations. Ms. Zhukova adds that in the first year the director will have to devote a lot of time to working with young employees, teaching them, monitoring them so that they do not make mistakes. Since the work is not entirely independent, the payment is appropriate. Typically, such specialists are paid a salary of 10 thousand rubles. plus 5-10% of the order amount (the larger the square footage of the room, the lower the percentage). Some companies offer designers 20-30% of the order amount; this saves the company from payments during periods when there are no clients. The usual working day in the studios is eight hours. However, it happens that designers work from home, in the evenings or on weekends - creative profession implies a free schedule.

Accountants are usually hired under a contract or outsourced this function to specialized companies (price - up to 10 thousand rubles per month).

How to attract clients?

Many of the firms surveyed by DK started their business with non-standard solutions. Ms. Sulla says that her design studio grew out of a company selling finishing materials, so there was already a client base. Mr. Babets recalls that “BMBPROEKT” was created under a large construction company that was building an elite house: “Over three years, out of 83 apartments, 65 owners signed contracts with us.” According to experts, in order to get customers now, the studio should take several paths at once: look for clients among friends, advertise on the Internet and print media, and create a website.

Company managers advise starting from the last point, since the customer often does the standard thing: finds the contacts of studios, goes to their websites, and comes to meetings with those he likes. Creating a website costs 30-50 thousand rubles. It contains the studio’s contacts, the best works of its designers, prices, etc.

To promote their services, design studios actively use messages on forums, place links to their website on various portals, etc. In print media, advertising is most often ordered in specialized magazines and directories: “Letabure”, “Repair BLIZKO”, “Stroyka” ”, “Home and Office”, “Tatlin”, etc. According to Ms. Evseeva, in the first three to four months, at least 60 thousand rubles should be budgeted for promotion, then expenses can be halved. Elena Sulla believes that 30 thousand rubles will be enough for a start-up studio to advertise. per month.

Finding clients through friends gives the studio the opportunity to develop a portfolio and receive first recommendations or thank you letters. Many customers, after designing an apartment or cottage, come to the studio to design premises related to their business.

Companies enter into an agreement with the customer, which clearly states the stages of work and deadlines. Typically, the client is required to make an advance payment of 30-70% of the order amount.

ADVICE from “MiA-project”:

“Sign a contract agreement with construction company. Usually the customer does not have a familiar team that can bring the design project to life. A construction companies, in turn, often refer clients to studios with whom they have worked.”

When will the investment pay off?

Prices for design projects in Yekaterinburg have already been established - 0.8-1.2 thousand rubles. per sq. m (for rooms from 20 to 200 sq. m). A growing studio will have to start with the lowest cost. Mikhail Babets emphasizes that it is difficult to launch planned production in the creative services market - the speed of work performed by designers and the complexity of projects vary too much. In addition, customer requests are irregular. However, he believes, on average a designer can complete a project of 100-150 square meters per month. m. Typically, a specialist conducts several projects at once, and serves one client ( standard apartment in 100 sq. m) takes up to three months. A studio of three designers can earn 240-360 thousand rubles per month.

Experts note that the volume of orders from the start-up company will grow gradually. Ms. Sulla believes that in the first year the company will be able to receive and process at least six orders for apartments of 100 square meters. m each. Olga Evseeva gives more optimistic forecasts, believing that up to three to four clients will contact each month.

Heads of design studios agree that the investment can be recouped in about a year. According to DK’s calculations, in order to meet this deadline, a company with three full-time employees will have to receive orders worth 760 thousand rubles in a year.

Directions for further development

In three years, the studio can develop new specialized areas. For example, offering clients home arrangement according to the principles of Feng Shui or making landscape design. Thus, “1st Design Center”, in addition to creating interiors, provides phytodesign services. In the future, the company can diversify its business by becoming a dealer for a manufacturer of finishing materials and opening a store at the studio. In particular, MiA-Project acts as a dealer for a fresco manufacturer, and the Domino interior center supplies acoustic ceilings and panels. Margarita Zhukova notes that it is possible to organize own production: “It is advisable for the studio to have its own workshop, in which something individual can be made, for example, exclusive plasters or stucco.” The third related area of ​​activity of a design studio can be construction work.

1 The design project includes three sections: sketches of a room with a new interior, working drawings, according to which builders will be able to bring the designer’s ideas to life, and a list of necessary finishing materials and furniture.

On other people's mistakes

Elena Sulla, director of the Domino interior center:

“At one time, we did not specify in the contract the technology of the relationship between the designer and the customer - the deadlines for completing the stages of work and the responsibilities of the client. The customer may cancel meetings with the designer one after another due to his own busy schedule, and then blame the studio for missing deadlines. The company loses money - it pays a penalty for each day of delay. The customer can ruin the reputation of the studio by disseminating information about its optionality. It is possible to prove that the designer is not to blame only by clearly defining the responsibilities of the parties and the deadlines in the contract. It’s useful to keep a log of meetings with the client to be on the safe side.”

Calculation for a studio with three designers (one of them is the director). In the first year, the studio on average accepts orders for the creation of design projects of 210 sq. m of premises per month. The cost of work is 900 rubles/sq.m. m. The company rents 20 sq. m. m for an office at a price of 1.3 thousand rubles. per sq. m. Designers receive a salary and 5% of the order amount.

An interior design studio is a type of business that combines both the provision of services and the sale of goods. The main service of the interior design studio is the artistic design of premises both outside (exterior) and inside (interior). This service is comprehensive and includes the following types of work:

  1. Development of a design project;
  2. Author's supervision;
  3. Equipment;
  4. Construction management.

This distinction allows the client to hire a studio for certain types of work or to completely transfer the construction project for turnkey implementation.

In addition, the design studio has its own showroom, where it sells designer furniture and decorative items.

The target audience of the design studio is people with above-average incomes who own a property under construction or renovation.

The main channel for attracting clients for the studio is word of mouth, as well as the personality of the studio's leading designer. But in order for this tool to work, you need to create your own website with a portfolio finished works and reviews from satisfied customers.

It is preferable to register an interior design studio as an individual entrepreneur in order to use the patent tax system. However, income from the sale of furniture and interior items will be taxed according to the simplified tax system (6% of income).

In order for the design studio to cope with a large number orders, it is necessary to form not only a staff of permanent workers, but also to cooperate with freelancers. For every full-time studio employee there is a ready-made job description, mandatory. A systematic approach allows you to perform a large amount of work in as soon as possible without loss of quality.

The design studio's income comes from two channels: from clients and from suppliers. In the first case, the client pays for the studio’s services according to the price list. In the second case we are talking about wholesale discounts. Since the design studio acts as an agent for suppliers of finishing materials and attracts new clients, suppliers are ready to make a discount on products from 10 to 20%. The studio can “share” this discount with clients or receive the full amount as a reward

Investments for opening an interior design studio is 1,784,100 rubles.

Payback period studios from 13 months.

2. Description of the business, product or service

The interior design studio provides clients with all types of services in the field of interior design: from professional consultation and development of concept ideas to turnkey delivery of the project.

All stages of work performed by the designer during the implementation of the project are strictly separated from each other and are formalized in separate contracts. This is done so that the customer understands exactly what each stage of the work consists of and what result he should get. In other words, so that he could control the process of creating the project, confidently demand compliance with deadlines and not overpay for the designer’s mistakes.

In addition, this format of work allows the customer to involve a designer strictly on certain works. For example, you can order only a design project, and complete the packaging yourself.

A more detailed list of services is presented below:

1. Interior design services:

1.1. Formation of technical specifications, measurements, photographic recording;

1.2. Defining the style and concept of the project;

1.3. Planning solutions;

1.4. Sketches of premises;

1.5. Visualization;

1.6. Development of working documentation.

4. Construction management;

5. Designer consultation;

6. Visit of the designer to the site.

Of course, for any person not related to construction by profession, repairs are always stressful. And there are few people who really understand how much work and in what sequence will have to be done before they get the home of their dreams. The situation with financing repairs is even more difficult. It is impossible to stay within the budget without the help of a professional, since the construction market is subject to active price fluctuations, and the work of the team often has to be redone.

What client problems does the design studio solve?

1. Budget limitation.

At the stage of procurement and construction management, the designer draws up an accurate cost estimate, monitoring the quality of materials and work performed.

2. Search for a construction crew.

Construction management involves the involvement of an experienced team of workers. At the same time, the designer is financially responsible person before the customer upon delivery of each stage of work.

3. Exact embodiment of the idea in the finished interior.

A professional design project guarantees the customer that all planned elements can be implemented on a real object. This is confirmed by the availability of working documentation, according to which the builders will work.

4. Search and purchase of finishing materials.

The configuration stage includes the selection of all materials for the final finishing of the room. In this case, the customer receives a bill of materials indicating the place of purchase, article number and cost of each part. At this stage, the designer can significantly save the client's costs, since the studio works with many suppliers at wholesale prices.

The main restrictions that the client is guided by are budget, timing and volume. necessary work. In the design studio you can choose ready-made service packages according to your preferences and budget.

Basic package includes the formation of technical specifications, approval of the layout, sketches of the premises, and the necessary working drawings. Cost - from 700 rubles per sq.m.;

Business package complemented by 3D visualization, more detailed sketches, as well as a full package of working documentation. Cost - from 1000 rubles per sq.m.

The first consultation and visit of the designer to the site is provided free of charge. Subsequent additional consultations are paid separately.

In addition, the design studio acts as a showroom, that is, it sells exhibition samples and designer decorative items.

3. Description of the sales market

Target audience of the project

The target audience of the project can be divided into two separate categories: potential target audience and real target audience.

Potential target audience- these are all people who are faced with the need to make repairs or start building a new home. These can be people of different age categories: from 26 to 60 years. What they have in common is that they have their own home and the desire to make the interior unique.

However, not every person is ready to seek the services of a professional designer, since for the average person this cooperation is associated more with costs than with benefits.

That's why real target audience- this is a narrower segment of people that the design studio is aimed at working with. The main criterion of the real target audience is the level of income. Depending on whether you are going to work with economy class or VIP status clients, you will select suppliers of the appropriate price category, as well as create service packages.

This business plan was compiled for a studio that focuses on economy + and business class clients. Currently, the services of a designer are mainly used by people with average and above average income, i.e. from approximately 40,000 rubles per person. This is an average income that varies by region. At the same time, the client is willing to pay about 1,000 rubles per square meter of space for a design project.

A customer who seeks the services of a designer wants to create unique interior your home or office. At the same time, he understands that paying for the services of a professional designer will be compensated by saving time and money spent on independently performing all the work.

Description of competitors and advantages of the studio

4. Sales and marketing

The most active channel for attracting clients to a design studio is "Word of mouth" As a rule, people turn to a designer based on recommendations from friends and acquaintances, after they have seen the result of a professional’s work in person.

The best confirmation of our rich experience in this field are reviews from real clients. Feedback is collected by the studio manager for each project. Reviews take the form of a letter of recommendation and are accompanied by the client’s signature. The manager compiles a separate album with reviews, or includes them in a portfolio of finished works.

Another important studio promotion tool is own website and its promotion. The website must have a portfolio of finished projects in the form of high-resolution photographs. Since photographs are the intellectual property of the studio, before uploading them to the site, you need to apply watermarks to each photo.

5. Production plan

Registration

In order to open an interior design studio you need to pass state registration companies. It is preferable to register as an individual entrepreneur and use the patent taxation system. A patent is purchased for a period of up to 1 year, in this case the type of activity “Artistic design services” is indicated. Interior design of residential premises." However, the sale of furniture and interior items is taxed separately. In this case, the studio uses the simplified tax system and pays 6% of the company’s income to the state treasury. Total cost registration will cost you 2,000 rubles.

Office space

Next, you need to find office space. The premises must have a convenient location and parking. It is best to locate the studio on the ground floor of a residential or office building with a separate entrance to the main street. It is preferable that there are companies nearby that provide related services: production kitchen furniture, curtain salons, tile stores and floor coverings. If you decorate the salon as a showroom and display samples of finishing materials, then the recommended area is from 80 sq.m. Rental cost at a rate of 700 rubles per sq.m. will be 56,000 rubles per month.

Working with suppliers

In order to attract the attention of buyers, you need to try to place as many exhibition samples of furniture and decorative items in the salon as possible. At the same time, very often suppliers offer to purchase exhibition samples at a discount of 30 to 50%. However, you have the right to set your own prices for the samples presented in your showroom. You will spend about 1,000,000 rubles to purchase exhibition samples.

Office furniture must be purchased separately. It is not subject to sale, is the property of the studio and is subject to depreciation. You will spend about 50,000 rubles on office furniture.

Purchase of equipment

Next you need to purchase necessary equipment for work. These are computers, professional software, an A3 printer. It is also necessary to carry out wired internet, capable of providing good speed to several devices simultaneously. The total cost will be about 200,000 rubles.

Personnel search

The next stage is the selection of employees. Initially, three permanent studio employees will be enough: lead designer, graphic designer, manager. An accountant is outsourced. The total monthly budget for wages is 100,000 rubles.

Opening

If you don't have a lot of experience in the design field and a lot of connections among your colleagues, then you shouldn't do a large-scale opening event. The most important thing is that your studio now works strictly by the hour and it will be easy for the client to find you.

6. Organizational structure

The interior design studio employs three people on a permanent basis: a project manager, a graphic designer and a manager. In remote work mode, the studio collaborates with a designer who makes 3D visualization based on ready-made sketches. An accountant is also hired only to submit reports. Let us describe in more detail the responsibilities of full-time studio employees.

Project Manager

The project manager acts as the lead designer:

  1. Meets with the customer, forms technical specifications, develops a concept idea for the project;
  2. Makes site visits and conducts consultations;
  3. Searches for suppliers, concludes contracts;
  4. Interacts with contractors;
  5. Monitors all stages of the project;
  6. Conducts supervision and construction management;
  7. Makes key management decisions in the studio;
  8. Hires and fires employees, distributes responsibilities within the team, calculates wages;
  9. Responsible for creating a portfolio;
  10. Presents finished project to the customer.

Graphic designer studio

  1. Goes out to take measurements, takes photographs of the object;
  2. Develops planning solutions based on the finished technical specifications;
  3. Makes sketches, compiles references, selects materials;
  4. Prepares all working documentation;
  5. Coordinates each sketch with the leading designer and presents the final version.

Studio manager

The wages of all employees are formed from two parts: salary and percentage of the order.

A visualizer who works remotely receives payment depending on the amount of work. On average, the cost of finished pictures ranges from 300 to 500 rubles per sq.m.

7. Financial plan

The main part of the design studio's investments goes to the purchase of exhibition samples. You will have to spend 1,000,000 rubles on them at a time.

The total investment amount is 1,784,100 rubles.

Initial investment in opening an interior design studio

Current expenses

It is assumed that the acquisition of a patent will be carried out in a one-time payment for a whole year. Depreciation will be charged linear method for all equipment and furniture owned by the studio. Other expenses include gas costs during site visits, services of a professional photographer after the project is completed, and running office expenses (paper, water, etc.).

As for the studio’s income, it is generated in two directions: the sale of services in the form of completed projects, as well as the sale of furniture and interior items. In the first case, income comes directly from the customer and is taxed according to the PSN. In the second case, the money comes from suppliers of furniture and materials with whom the studio has an agreement agency agreement. Taxes on this type of income are paid as 6% of the amount of revenue under the simplified tax system.

Since the main part of the studio’s work is interior decoration premises, then the seasonality factor does not matter.

The number of projects that the studio can conduct simultaneously varies from 1 to 5. This depends on the complexity of the project, the area of ​​the premises, as well as the type of services that are provided at a particular facility.

In this regard, the number of objects per month indicated in the financial plan is considered in square meters and is distributed evenly across months.

In practice, this would be 2 apartments of 100 sq.m., one house with an area of ​​200 sq.m. or a large object of 500 sq.m., on which you have been working for several months.

Investment efficiency

Month of work

Number of projects per month (in sq.m.)

Average cost of services per sq.m.

Price sold furniture in the studio + agency fees from suppliers

Income per project

Total income

Total consumption

Rent (sq.m.)

Utility payments

  • Nuances and problems of starting a business
  • Advantages of an online interior studio
  • Universal scheme
  • Conclusions

Interior design is a field of activity that is becoming increasingly popular. This is due to the rapid development of commercial construction: shopping centers, business centers, super and megamarkets. And renovations in apartments are rarely complete without the participation of a designer. Therefore, such a business is quite profitable and will provide a more than decent level of income. In this article we will try to figure out how to open an interior design studio from scratch and how much it will cost.

Nuances and problems of starting a business

Interior decor studio in modern conditions can be organized with virtually no investment at home. At the same time, the Internet search results for the request “How to open a design studio” display in the top materials that talk about the cumbersome system of organizing this business from scratch.

Traditionally, to start a business, a novice specialist is recommended to:

  • rent an office;
  • modernize its interior;
  • buy equipment and furniture;
  • hire staff;
  • launch an advertising campaign.

Opening a design studio from scratch using this scheme will require significant investments. This is on average about 2,000,000 rubles. At the same time, the company will be focused on working on a scale settlement. This greatly reduces work efficiency, as does competition. Before you open your own business, you need to prepare to fight your business rivals. In the field of design it is especially acute.

Download ready business design studio plan you can from our partners. The quality of calculations is guaranteed!

You can organize a business from scratch in a more flexible, modern and effective scheme. It is enough to create your own resource on the Internet. It must contain examples of work - a portfolio. You can easily create them yourself by studying design, its laws, techniques, trends, directions. In this case, it is necessary to master graphic programs for 3D modeling, such as 3D max, Unity 3D and others. There is enough material for this on the Internet.

Opening a design studio on the Internet will ensure coverage of the entire Russian-speaking segment, and make a rational investment. For this you will need:

  1. Website creation – 10,000 – 100,000 rubles.
  2. Optimization and promotion of the resource 10,000 – 200,000.
  3. Advertising – up to 200,000 rubles. You can also post on your own social networks, participate in thematic forums or open your own. To gain experience and clients, you should take part in specialized design competitions.

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Opening a business in this case will require a minimum of investments, but the efficiency of such an enterprise will be an order of magnitude higher than when implementing a standard scheme.

Advantages of an online interior studio

According to research, more than 50% of the market for services in terms of interior creation, 3D design, and game development is in the hands of small studios that perform work remotely. Accordingly, their budget increases every year. And there are several reasons for this:

  1. Reception of work and revision are carried out promptly, remotely online.
  2. Operational calculation. The money is quickly transferred to the performer’s account.
  3. Optimal cost of services. It does not include rent for premises, employee salaries, or taxes.
  4. The online studio tries to attract clients, so it does the work as efficiently as possible. For objective reasons, employees sitting in the office are not always ready to show 100% results.

Research shows that even large corporations prefer to use the services of small firms on the Internet.

The only downside here is high level competition. And in order to make your project profitable, and the decor studio to become famous, it is necessary to generate high-quality, bright works. Their cost should be below the market price. Subsequently, with the accumulation of experience and clients, the price of projects will gradually increase. On average, apartment interior design costs between $300 and $500.

If you don’t have the talent or desire to design yourself, you can work according to the order redirection scheme. For example, an order is placed on a special exchange indicating the technical specifications, it is taken on by a third-party freelancer at a lower price, and after completion it is delivered to the customer at a higher price. But this method does not allow for rapid revision of the project and creates other organizational difficulties.

Universal scheme

But you can combine these 2 schemes - open a studio in the office and simultaneously conduct activities via the Internet. Where to start in this case? It is advisable to first work independently in this area and accumulate capital to open a design studio in the office.

Attention! Please note that there will be problems with recruiting staff. Real professionals in the field of interior design and computer modeling already work either for themselves or in other studios. You will immediately have to take untested specialists, beginners and train them on the job or offer high salaries - percentages to qualified craftsmen.

Opening an office requires registration of an individual entrepreneur. Where to start this process? It is necessary to submit documents to the department tax office at place of registration:

  • Application for registration of individual entrepreneurs - form No. P21001. This is a 5-page document where you need to indicate the OKVED code. According to the new 2019 classifier, this is 72.60 - activities related to web design, information technology, programming, creation of Internet information resources.
  • A receipt indicating payment of the state duty. Its size is 800 rubles.
  • Copy of passport.
  • A statement defining the type of taxation. Submitted no later than 30 days after registration. And it, in turn, according to the law lasts no more than 5 days from the date of submission of documents.

Conclusions

Design studio requires to a greater extent, desire for self-education and improvement. Modern market trends bring these qualities to the fore. Otherwise, you need to spend a significant amount to open an interior design studio yourself. But this does not guarantee success, since most of the market is divided between talented, enterprising teams of freelancers.

At 20 years old I studied at the Faculty of International Economics and all I knew clearly was that I didn’t want to work in my profession and wouldn’t. I can’t say that I had any kind of search for myself. Sometimes analyzing how I came to decorating and designing weddings, I understand that it was a five-year long journey and it consisted of a great many very different parts. Honestly, if at the age of 20 they told me “Anya, in 3 years you will be decorating weddings,” I would have laughed.

Desire to start a business it appeared quite banally: I clearly understood that working for someone else did not suit my temperament or interests. I knew that I could realize my potential and abilities only in my own business. Plus, ambition played an important role here.

The trick is that I didn't have to look for start-up capital, the initial investment was $500: website, logo, minimal set of printing materials. The funny thing is that now, for example, I don’t even have business cards, since I’m at the stage of a complete rebranding.

The most difficult in the first 365 days there was almost everything. Since I started without patronage or advertising, the first main problem was finding clients. I am still firmly convinced that in our field there is no better advertising than word of mouth, but where does it come from when you are working for the first season? In addition, problems with logistics and contractors repeatedly arose. Now I am working with a group of proven contractors in whom I am 100% confident. At that same moment, everything happened by trial and error, more than once leading to severe force majeure and leading me to gray hair. The first year there was a tangible problem with a high-quality portfolio, because in my field a client comes to a beautiful picture. Plus, I was looking for my niche, now I often hear that my style is readable and recognizable, but then, in fact, I did not offer clients my taste, but only fulfilled their requests.

Happy birthday I consider May 5th to be “my business”, and I really wanted to throw a small party for my team on this day, but it so happened that I celebrated at the location, decorating the event. And honestly, I would like to wish myself that it would always be like this :).

Business that pays off became in the second year of its existence.

Our motto: “Don’t repeat yourself, don’t repeat yourself.” My main goal in my activity is to create a product that is not yet on the market. Namely: truly European weddings and stylish designs, in accordance with the latest trends, or better yet, ahead of them. I love my client and always strive to give him the best, anticipate his desires and exceed his expectations. Happiness for me is that mostly people come to me who trust my taste and who are on the same wavelength as me.

In our field the most important thing in working with a client- be able to hear and feel the client. This is the niche where super expectations are placed on the performer. The client should never see the backside, in my opinion. When turning to a professional decorator, he, first of all, buys beauty and tranquility. Therefore, under no circumstances should you show the client stress, the impossibility of achieving tasks, or force majeure. Everyone understands that this takes place, there are always insurmountable factors and circumstances, but the customer should not see this. And even if the day before the wedding the bride asks to double the amount of custom-made textiles and fabrics that are no longer in stock, that's just my problem, and I think I'm not doing my job well if that problem isn't addressed. I can decide. And I set very high standards for myself in my work.

About me

I'm very inspires my job. It’s a vicious circle: this is where I get inspiration, and this is where I put it in. It’s an indescribable thrill to do something that’s truly yours. This is what gives you energy that nourishes you so much that you can go without sleep for several days.

The best, and perhaps the only, way to reboot, relax and relieve stress for me it's travel. Only when I go to a new city can I completely switch off and restart my brain.

The first thing I always do when starting the day is, - I check my email and Facebook/Instagram feed, only then bath procedures and breakfast, if I have time. This, of course, is an addiction, but without this ritual I cannot wake up, like many without coffee, so even when I have to leave for editing at 5 am, I set the alarm so that I have 15 minutes for this :).

Since my day, as a rule, is not standardized and very often I come home around 11, then I go to bed, sometimes long after midnight, because I still want to devote a little time to myself, my family, to be alone with my thoughts and plan for tomorrow. But I try to get up no later than 9 am, ideally at 8. I really like it when the day is long and starts early.

Bad habits, as such, I don’t have any. I used to lean heavily on all sorts of junk food, but even that went away on its own.

In moments of despair I am very stimulated by a sense of duty and responsibility. I simply cannot allow myself to give up, curl up in the fetal position and indulge in melancholy, knowing that other people depend on me: my clients, my team, contractors, relatives.

Time is always short- this is the motto of any person running his own business. You get used to falling asleep and waking up with the thought “is it possible to have at least 10 more hours in the day”, “or is it possible to somehow not sleep at all”, but no, you can’t. We only have 24 hours and you need to fit in time for work, time for yourself and time for your family - and you just learn to juggle. It seems to me that there is no recipe here, it is impossible to conduct a master class on this topic, but when you find yourself in constant time pressure, you suddenly realize that by some miracle, everything is fine, you didn’t burst and managed to do everything.

Why is this beneficial?

It is understood that creative people, artists and designers initially go into this business, but there are factors that make it attractive to ordinary investors. Here are the main ones:

  • constant demand for relevant services;
  • starting a business does not require large investments;
  • lack of strict regulation, as in construction;
  • low costs for its maintenance.

The main thing, of course, remains demand. Modest size initial capital and minor overhead costs are unlikely to help make a firm successful if there are no clients. They can become all the surrounding restaurants, cafes, shops and boutiques in malls. The interior of shopping malls and cafes requires constant updating, shop windows need to be decorated, at least for the New Year, holding themed holidays and promotions requires appropriate changes in the environment, and some office owners want to enliven a boring look.

Such services are not needed once, the need for them arises periodically. Of course, there are restaurants that cling to the historical walls with all their might, but there are few of them. Typically, catering establishments are ready to completely change their interior every two to three years. Stores require the services of designers even more often. It is best to decorate display windows every season and before the holidays; the composition inside is refreshed with the arrival of a new collection. In a shopping center, tenants generally receive a space with bare walls and everything has to be done from scratch. If the client is satisfied with the work of the company, then with a high degree of probability he will place an order again.

How to take the first steps

The requirements are really minimal. Except good taste, you need a little. Some start even without registration legal entity. But it’s better not to forget that companies increasingly prefer to pay the costs of registering their retail outlets“white” means that a certain minimum of documents will still be required. All you need to do is register individual entrepreneur. But at first you can completely do without an office and advertising materials. They are necessary to attract large clients; in other cases it is easier to meet directly on site.

The only thing that is absolutely important to get started is a portfolio. Without a clear example, it is difficult to convince a potential customer to entrust decoration to your company. Of course, competition in this area is not very big, but it still exists. It is better to prepare convincing arguments for negotiations.

It is necessary to collect a portfolio as soon as the decision is made to open such a company. To do this, you will have to take part in competitions or work a little for free. Charitable foundations also sometimes need to decorate premises, and they are always happy to save money. In addition, you can offer your services to schools, veterans and public organizations.

There is one little secret. When starting a business in this direction, you will most likely have to attract specialists or hire staff on a permanent basis. You can obtain their consent in advance to include them. best works in the company's portfolio. This will make it much more solid. There is only one caveat. The issue should not only be discussed, but also formalized accordingly in order to eliminate possible conflicts. Accusations of plagiarism can kill a business, no matter how successful it is.

How to create a team

The success of any design studio depends on its team. It is employees who produce ideas and create the company's reputation. And the creator of the enterprise is not always responsible for creativity. Of course, there are plenty of cases when it is opened for a specific famous designer who attracts clients with his name alone. But even in such a situation, you shouldn’t count on only one star. Who should be on the team and where is the best place to find personnel?

Before recruiting people, you need to realize that creating interior design for commercial premises is not only about decorating, but the main clients are small and medium business, not wedding planners. You will have to deal not only with decorating with flowers, but also with organizing lighting and even erecting temporary walls. At first, you simply won’t be able to hire everyone. necessary specialists on an ongoing basis. You need to decide who you really need and who you can attract from time to time.

In practice, the asset includes:

  • designer,
  • graphic designer,
  • printer,
  • florist,
  • cabinetmaker or furniture maker.

We are talking about an ideal situation; you can start with an incomplete team. You just need to understand that then not all ideas will be realized. Several general workers may also be required, which will save time for specialists. An electrician, drywall specialist, tiler and painter are best hired for individual projects. The fact is that these professions are in demand, their salaries are usually high, and they are not always involved in projects.

Finding suitable personnel is difficult even using all possible channels: from acquaintances to employment sites. The real “deposits” of potential team members work in theaters. Of course, this does not mean actors, but artists, stage workers and various workshops that create props. It is also worth paying attention to students of creative universities. You just need to remember that employees must produce high-quality results. The company will be directly responsible for the defects to the customer.

Office and website

After the company gets on its feet and orders begin to arrive regularly, you should think about your own office and website. It simply doesn’t make sense to rent an office inexpensively in a business center somewhere on the outskirts. After all, you need not only meters where you work and receive clients. Gray walls, a white ceiling and wood laminate flooring are unlikely to impress potential customers. The studio office is a showcase of the entire business!

You need to look for a room on a long-term basis, and then approach the creation of its interior as creatively as possible in order to demonstrate your creative potential to all visitors. Don't be shy and really use your imagination. An office can become a completely unexpected place. For example, a converted bus or an abandoned attic - good alternative sleek business center.

The same approach should prevail when creating your own website. It should not be perceived solely as a place on the Internet where a portfolio is stored. It in itself should become clear evidence of your taste, talent and ability to create a new and beautiful environment.

A beginner needs to remember that success in this business requires not only hard work, but also the ability to surprise. To attract store visitors with your interior, you must first impress its owner.

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