{"id":1053,"date":"2016-04-19T10:55:17","date_gmt":"2016-04-19T14:55:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.qcdesignschool.com\/blog\/?p=1053"},"modified":"2016-04-19T10:55:17","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19T14:55:17","slug":"can-long-distance-design-consultations-grow-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qcdesignschool.com\/blog\/2016\/04\/can-long-distance-design-consultations-grow-business","title":{"rendered":"Can Long-Distance Design Consultations Grow Your Business?"},"content":{"rendered":"Do your Facebook followers bemoan the fact that you live on the other side of the country? Is there no market in your area for the kind of design services you dream of? Or are you just ready to expand your business<\/a>, but not sure where to go?\n\nIf any of these sounds like you, it might be time to consider adding a new design service<\/a> to your business: long-distance design consultations. Whether you\u2019re an interior decorator, a home stager, a professional organizer, or feng shui professional, offering your clients the option of a long-distance design consultation lets you diversify your business and bring in more clients.\n\nBut first, you\u2019ll have to figure out the details. All design professions are very visual, so how will you figure out what kind of space you\u2019re working with from across the country? Should you charge a long-distance client the same as you would for a local client? We\u2019ve got your answers!\n

What is a long-distance design consultation?<\/h3>\nFirst things first: what do we mean when we talk about a long-distance design consultation? Like many aspects of the design industry, there\u2019s no single definition or setup. The way design services are packaged depends on the business. Even for traditional in-person services, two interior decorators or home stagers might offer totally different packages to their clients!\n\n\"Conducting\n\nBut in general, a long-distance design consultation is exactly what it sounds like. Rather than meeting a client in person to discuss their needs and look at their space, you\u2019ll conduct a consultation by phone, email, or video call, without ever meeting your client face-to-face.\n\nObviously, this format expands your potential client base hugely, but it also creates some challenges. How are you supposed to advise a client on their space if you never see their home or office in person?\n\nLuckily, you don\u2019t have to do all the brainstorming yourself. Many designers have started offering long-distance consultations in a variety of forms. A little market research can help you find a style that\u2019ll work for your business!\n

Ask-the-designer<\/h3>\nThis low-commitment long-distance format doesn\u2019t quite count as a consultation, but it\u2019s a good place to start. As a design professional, you probably get people asking you for design advice all the time. For friends and family that\u2019s fine, but writing detailed responses to every design-hungry Facebook post or blog comment you get can take up a lot<\/i> of time.\n\nInstead, add design advice to your business model. Now, we\u2019re not suggesting you start hoarding all your design knowledge\u2014that\u2019s just bad for business (and super stingy). But you can<\/i> offer \u201cmini\u201d consultations for clients who don\u2019t want a total design overhaul.\n\n\"Providing\n\nFor a fixed rate, let your clients send in photos of their spaces, along with their most pressing design questions. Maybe the energy in their living room feels off. Maybe they just can\u2019t keep their hall closet organized, no matter how hard they try. Maybe they\u2019re struggling to find the right piece of furniture to work with a strangely shaped sunroom. Whatever their problem, you can get back to them with some personalized advice. This style of long-distance design consultation is quick and easy for both you and your client!\n

Full service<\/h3>\nYou might not be able to arrange your client\u2019s furniture and d\u00e9cor yourself, but you can still provide full-service design work, whatever your design specialization.\nFirst, you\u2019ll need some basic details from your client, including:\n