Business Skills for Designers

Many employed designers have aspirations to set up their own business. These sequential days, taken individually or together, have been developed to assist those who wish to do so

Setting up a Design Practice

This course will set out the research and organisation required to set up a design practice, as well as the professionals and authorities who will assist in this field

	SUITABILITY Suitable for those who have been employed as a designer in the industry and who wish to set up and run their own professional interior studio. Suitable for interior or garden design students DURATION One day LOCATION Chelsea Harbour

Contacting organisations and seeking professional advice will ensure that a start-up business, either interior or garden, is given the fundamental building blocks from inception. Having a realistic, working business plan is also essential when you are considering forming a new business. Practising professional designers will give advice, together with anecdotal evidence, on:

• The business plan, business ethics and advisors
  
• Market research, competitors and keeping an eye on the competition
  
• Legal and technical guidelines
  
• Fee charging
  
• Organisation and management
  
• Opening trade accounts
  
• Accounting and VAT
  
• Portfolios and website
  
• Marketing
  
• Financial forecasting
  
• Business development

There will also be an opportunity to discuss individual concerns.

Running a Profitable Design Business

To set out practical advice on how to plan and organise the daily running of a studio, with how to ensure that the business thrives and develops

	SUITABILITY Suitable for those who have been employed as a designer in the industry and who wish to set up and run their own professional interior or garden design studio DURATION One day LOCATION Chelsea Harbour

The way in which businesses are run on a daily basis can be the making or breaking of them. This day will show what are the ingredients required to run and succeed in a profitable design business, either interior or garden. Practical advice and recommendations will be given by practising professionals, together with personal accounts of their daily business dealings.

Subjects covered will be:

• Office set up
  
• Client briefing, proposal, stages of a project
  
• Administration and project files
  
• Estimates, invoices, statements & schedules of variations
  
• Ordering
  
• Management
  
• Managing the client, workforce and your time
  
• Accounts and VAT
  
• Implementation of a project
  
• Site visits
  
• Site meetings and minutes
  
• Snagging
  
• Signing off
  
• Forecasting future projects
  
• Keeping up to date with CPDs, exhibitions, other designers

There will also be an opportunity to discuss individual concerns.

Effective Project Co-ordination

To provide an overview of the practicalities of managing and methods of communication required to co-ordinate a small project successfully

	SUITABILITY Suitable for those who have been employed as a designer in the industry and who wish to set up and run their own professional interior design studio . Suitable for interior or garden design students DURATION One day LOCATION Chelsea Harbour

Implementing a project requires skill, organisational ability and diplomacy. Although most medium to large projects will demand a Project Manager, most designers need to be able to co-ordinate small projects that cannot justify the expense of a Project Manager. Detailed specification and clear ordering procedures, together with advice on how to co-ordinate contractors will ensure the smooth running of a project. This day will be headed by a leading Interior Designer with the following aspects being covered:

• Sequence of a design project
  
• Preparation
  
• Responsibilities of people involved
• Legal and technical information
  
• Designs and product information
  
• Schedules of works and specifications
  
• Budgeting
  
• Tendering and contracts
  
• Ordering
  
• Implementation of programme
  
• Installation
  
• Completion and evaluation

There will also be an opportunity to discuss individual concerns.