HOW TO BUILD A CAREER IN INTERIOR DECORATION

The interior decoration industry is really hot so to say. So profitable for those that have ventured into it.

People want to beautify their homes and offices but not everyone has the time, gift of creativity, eye for colour and the passion for interior decor.  Therefore, they hire an interior decorating company to do the job for them.

So do you have a good eye for design? Have you received several compliments on the way you decorated your home or office?  Ever helped your family and friends transform their homes? – Then that is all the experience you need to start your own interior decorating business in Nigeria and make some money for yourself. Interior décor business is a venture you can start with no university degree and very little capital.

Here are basic steps to learn how to start an Interior Decorating Business in Nigeria

Step 1

Learn the Basics.

You should start in this field by taking a few basic courses in interior design. This basic knowledge entails the following:

• That you understand the different elements that are used to decorate any room.  (textures, space arrangement, furniture selection, color use, lighting, etc)
• That you can use these basic elements effectively on each project you work on.

It is possible to learn most of these by studying on your own but to make sure you are not leaving any stones unturned, it is best you enroll in an interior design class. The formal training will give your future clients more confidence in your skills. You must continually develop your eye for design by studying architecture publications, magazines, visiting furniture and art galleries and checking out interior decorating based websites.

“Practice makes perfect”. You should practice your decorating skills as often as you can. I recommend you work for a reputable interior decorator and get some experience. Working on different projects for family and friends will also help you improve your skills. Take pictures and include the details of each project in your portfolio.  That will be helpful when you start scouting for customers.

Step 2

Finding Clients

As an interior decorator, you need to think about your specialty and target market.  There are many ideal clients to pick from; new home owners, business premises, advertising agencies, hotels, restaurants, boutique stores, cafes, libraries, art galleries, etc. As you can see, practically every business needs the services of an interior decorator.  No wonder it is a billion dollar industry!

The best way to promote your interior decorating business in Nigeria is by word- of – mouth. You can achieve this by offering your services to friends and family for free. If they love your work, they will definitely introduce you to their friends and colleagues. Hence making advertising a lot easier. Other forms of advertising include your local newspaper, TV, radio and social networks (Facebook, makemoneynigeria, etc)

Step 3

Register Your Business

Register you interior décor business. Before you perform any services, register your company with the Corporate Affairs Commission Nigeria (CAC Nigeria). For further info, I recommend that you read our article on “how to register your interior decorating business with the CAC Nigeria”.

Step 4

Capital.

Like I said earlier, the cost of setting up an interior decorating business in Nigeria is relatively low. You can start from the comfort of your home with a few supplies and then expand in time. Apart from the fee you have to pay for registering your business you may not have to invest more money especially if you want to start small.

Step 5

Estimating a Project

In every project you handle for your clients, price is essential.  If you fix your rates for your services too high, you will not get any business, and if you keep them too low, you will end up lowering the value and you still may not get much business or generate good profit.

When estimating the price for a job, you should consider the following:

• The size of the project and the number of hours you will need to complete it.
• The services that will be needed to accomplish the task. This also includes the number of outside helpers you will need to hire
• The deadline for completing the job

You should find out what other interior decorators are charging before you fix yours

Source: www.makemoneynigeria.com