“It’s like having my own staff, even though I run my business solo.” —Interior design business owner Marva Don Card.
Some who have their own business aspirations explore owning a franchise. Some of them, however, are hesitant about whether it’s worthwhile to pay the ongoing royalty or service fee that is involved with a franchise.
Most of our interior design franchise owners operate a home-based business and do almost all of it on their own. Marketing and public relations. Financial management. Business planning. Choosing from our vast array of suppliers. Ordering product. Scheduling installations. Hiring independent contractors. And somehow squeezing in time to create custom interior designs for clients.
During our monthly Marketing Monday Zoom conferences for all of our franchisees, we often have other franchisees share experiences. Recently, Marva Don Card of Idaho shared how being a franchisee gave her a head start in getting her business running. “When I went to my first Decorating Den Interiors international conference in 2014, a member of the corporate team made sure that I got connected to a few experienced franchisees,” said Card. “That group became my tribe and still support and help me.”
Card explains that being a franchisee meant she had a number of teams assisting her in growing her business. “I have a merchandising team that manages my supplier network. I have a marketing team. I have a financial management support team. I have a continuing education team. And more. It all makes for a tremendous return on investment for my franchise service fee.”
Card adds that an important key to her success has been “figuring out who I am and who I want to be. In other words, determining the size of business I wanted. I’ve managed others in my previous jobs. When I became a franchisee, I decided that it would be easier to manage just myself, even though I wear all the various hats my business requires. That is only possible because I have the Decorating Den Interiors team with me every day.”
If you are thinking of starting an interior design business or growing one you already have, please use the form below and learn how you can have this high-quality team working for you.