Being an interior designer in a small business can be very solitary. While there is a lot of beautiful objects and products we work with, there is also a surprising amount of technical information that we need to know or have at our fingertips. Often, we are juggling a suite of projects and always there is something new to learn.
The first few years of my business were very lonely. No one to bounce ideas off with, to go to product launches to with (I know, boohoo for me, but those things can be very intimidating for an introvert!), or chat to about technical information on which selections to make and why. This all changed for me when I was invited to join a group of interior designers and decorators, who were for the most part, made up of sole traders who were going through or have gone through similar experiences to me.
In all the years I’ve been in this group I have never felt I was fighting for the same clients. In a city the size of Melbourne and with such a variety of styles of work and areas of expertise, there is a space for everyone. Our group is complimentary, not competitive.
We meet monthly, sometime via Zoom, to learn about new products for our projects or business tools that will make our processes easier. I now have a group that I can send an SOS to when I have a new situation that I haven’t been through and there is always someone with advice to share. Or a group to celebrate successes with. I’m doing the math, between the 30 of us, I would say there is at least 450 years of industry experience, honestly, it’s closer to 500.
These designers are some of my biggest cheer squads. They inspire me, encourage me and educate me to be a better designer and person. I would like to think I am able to do the same to them.
