How to Become an Interior Decorator

Franchising is one of the best ways to become an interior decorator, taking your career into your own hands and chasing your passions at a lower level of risk, and with access to plenty of franchisor support as and when it’s required. If you’ve got interior design on your mind, you’re in the right place. Keep reading, and you’ll find out everything you need to know about becoming an interior decorator via making a franchise investment.

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Interior design services are more in-demand than ever in 2021, and though the industry was impacted - like every industry - by the pandemic, it’s bouncing back extremely well. An estimated 20,000 interior designers are currently operating in the UK [British Institute of Interior Design], and you could join that number and benefit from the many different advantages of running an interior decorating franchise.

What does an interior decorator do?

There are many different specialisms and sub-sectors contained within the interior design industry, and if you’re looking into how to become an interior decorator, you’ll soon discover that no two franchise investments in this area are exactly the same. Still, there are certain tasks that you’ll likely undertake during a day in the life as the owner of an interior design franchise. Tasks like:

• Meeting, negotiating and communicating with clients
• Developing, drafting, editing and refining plans/ideas/work
• Scheduling and budgeting out projects/work to be completed
• Advising clients on things like colour scheme, space suitability, fabric choice, etc.
• Cultivating and maintaining strong supplier relationships
• Cultivating and maintaining strong client relationships
• Managing your business and your time/the time of a full team of employees

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>> Read more:

• Top 3 Blinds Franchises in the UK
• Top 4 Interior Design Franchises in the UK
• Sector Spotlight: How to Run an Interior Decorating Franchise From Home
• Top 4 Kitchen Design Businesses in the UK
• 8 Advantages of Running an Interior Decorating Franchise
• How to Choose a Kitchen Franchise That's Right For You
• The Latest Tech Trends Innovating the Kitchen Design Industry

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How to become an interior designer and start running a franchise

So, with a strong sense of what an interior decorator actually does and the certainty that that type of work suits you, it’s time to get into the specifics of how you can actually reach the point of launching your interior design business and getting things off the ground with one of the top interior design franchises in the UK. To make sure you cover every base pre-investment, you should ask yourself the following three questions, one after the other...

1. What skills does an interior decorator need?

A franchise investment is unique in lots of ways, and one of the best is that, in many cases, you can become a franchisee without any prior industry experience and still build a thriving business in no time. This is thanks to the extensive provision of training and support that the business model offers. Even without experience, though, there ARE certain transferable skills that you’ll need to be well-suited to a career in interior design. Skills like:

• Creativity and style
• An eye for detail
• Customer service and communication
• Leadership and teamwork
• Thinking on your feet/working well under pressure
• Accepting criticism/making adjustments with grace
• Business management
• People management
• Time management

2. Which interior decorating franchise opportunities best suit me?

Once you’ve settled on the idea of starting your own interior decorating franchise and determined that your skills match up, it’s time to decide which specialism best suits you. There’s plenty of options within the sector, including becoming a professional painter and becoming a blinds and shutters installation specialist.

Then, knowing your ideal specialism, you can get more specific about the pool of opportunities available to you and determine what you can afford, which operational territories are available, what level of training and support is on offer - all the practicalities that can make or break the success of an investment, essentially.

3. Have I done my due diligence?

This is the final question you should ask yourself, at the moment when it’s time to sign a franchise agreement and commit to a contract with a company. Yes, due diligence takes time and effort, but it’s worth it to know that what you think you’re investing in is really what you’re investing in. Do your due diligence by:

• Fully reviewing the franchise opportunity
• Fully reviewing the franchise’s FDD
• Speaking with your franchisor and getting answers to any questions
• Speaking with existing franchisees in the network and listening to their experiences
• Determining the time it’ll take you, at an estimate, to recoup your investment

Franchising opportunities in the interior design industry

1. The Christmas Decorators

The Christmas Decorators is the UK’s favourite seasonal decorating company, and this festive franchise currently has a network of over 40 hard-working franchisees.

• Becoming a franchisee with The Christmas Decorators: You don’t need any particular prior experience - just the drive to succeed and the strong desire to make people’s festive dreams come true.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £25,000, with advertising and royalty fees charged at 2% and 10% respectively.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll receive nine days of intensive training (including classroom training and hands-on practical training) and continual support from your territory’s dedicated Business Development Manager.

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>> Read more:

• Ready for a Career Change? Check Out These Five Top Franchise Opportunities in the UK
• Career Change: Start a Fresh Career with a Franchise
• Fed Up With the 9-to-5 Perhaps Starting a Franchise Business Is Your Best Next Career Move

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2. ColourHaus

Since 2019, ColourHaus has been transforming kitchens, UPVC windows, doors, furniture and fittings for a fraction of the cost of replacement.

• Becoming a ColourHaus franchisee: You don’t need previous industry experience, but you do need to be attentive to detail, committed to learning and prepared to work hard (as well as able to deal with people from all kinds of backgrounds).
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £12,500, with a total investment cost of £25,000 and a royalty fee charged at 10%.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll shadow professionals and train on the job. You’ll be provided with launch support, marketing advice and technical advice. You’ll have access to all the tools, equipment and supplies you need.

3. Schmidt

Founded all the way back in 1959, Schmidt has been designing, manufacturing and selling innovative, made-to-measure kitchen and bathroom furniture for six decades.

• Becoming a Schmidt franchisee: You’ll need to be passionate about sales, happy to work on high-value transactions and able to provide an excellent standard of customer service to your customers.
• How much you need to invest: You’ll need to make a minimum initial investment of £100,000, with a total investment cost of £420,000.
• What you get for your investment: You’ll enjoy a full franchise package of training and support, including assistance with site selection and fit-out (and an interest-free loan for the cost of your entire showroom fit-out).

You could be running your own business in the interior decoration sector in no time

If this article has left you even more certain of your decision, check out Point Franchise’s wide range of available interior decorating franchise investment opportunities. If you’d like to keep exploring your options, maybe consider starting a similarly creative and aesthetically-focused endeavour, like becoming a pastry chef or starting your own florist franchise?