The unreasonable client. The underachieving employee. The unprofitable product line. Those kind of headaches suck up your time and steal your profits. Let 'em go. One of the best ways to gain financial freedom is to eliminate the obstacles to it. Say "see ya" to the client
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How do the leading "trade only" showrooms connect with design professionals? I recently surveyed managers of some of the nation's most financially successful showrooms , and they shared these strategies: + Conduct designer focus groups + Build strong road rep programs + Turn the showroom
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Do you - or someone you know - know contracts? I ask because I've been contacted by the spouse of a designer who's been unable to collect the thousands of dollars owed to her under a cost-plus arrangement with a high end client. Simply put, the client refuses to pay. Here's the rub: there
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"You're getting ripped off!" That was my message to those attending my "Double the Fees You Set and Get" presentation this week at Chicago's Merchandise Mart. Design professionals are woefully underpaid for their time and expertise, I pointed out. Don't blame your clients for taking advanta
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How much you earn may have less to do with your design skill than your marketing skill. It ain't fair, but its fact: Many of the highest paid design professionals lack the design skills of competitors earning much less. Many of those getting the highest fees have worked fewer years
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Even the divas of design have doubts. Cecil Hayes, a nationally-recognized Florida-based designer whose clients include prominent movie stars, athletes and CEOS, told me a while back about her first meeting with Wesley Snipes. Snipes, the actor and producer, hired her to design his home
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One person may be holding you back from doubling your income as a design professional. That person isn't a competitor or a customer. That person is you. Design professionals can be -- and too often are -- their own worst enemies. At my seminars in recent months I met four individuals wh
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