An online business strategy training series available through the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) will benefit seasoned practitioners and emerging professionals. Business Strategy Solutions, a series of four CEU-accredited courses developed by professional author and educator Steve Nobel of NOBELINKS, focuses on the key steps to building a successful practice. The downloadable, on-demand content explores the principles of developing a successful business plan, attracting and growing a profitable client base, gaining project management skills and tips for sustaining long-term financial performance.
“These courses offer business knowledge that is equally valuable for small to mid-sized practices wanting to take their success to the next level, and for designers just starting out,” says ASID CEO Randy Fiser. “Because everything is available online, it’s convenient and flexible for busy professionals and provides them the option to attend classes no matter what their work schedule.”
The Business Strategy Solutions series offers courses on topics necessary for developing a successful interior design practice. Topics include:
- Setting Your Intentions explores principles that support successful interior design practices to get you thinking systematically about what you want from your business and helps you to develop a business plan.
- Attracting Clients examines the market for interior design, with a special focus on affluent clients. Learn effective ways to position yourself, connect with clients and develop proposals that will get you noticed and hired.
- Managing Projects explores how to create a culture of creativity for yourself, your employees and contractors. This course covers how to manage budgets, schedules and business issues throughout a project—from design to installation.
- Sustaining Your Practice covers how to sustain the financial performance of your practice, celebrate successful projects and maintain long-term client relationships to develop future business.
Completion of this series fulfills half of the 2015 ASID CEU requirements.
Nobel is the author of Touchpoints of Interior Design, a series of iBooks about attracting clients and building sustainable business practices, and Aiming at Affluence: Marketing Interior Design to Luxury Clients. He speaks frequently about the business of design in design centers and showrooms throughout North America, and is also the acting executive director of the Decorative Furnishings Association. Nobel previously was an owner and president of the John Widdicomb Co. and served as managing director of Baker, Knapp and Tubbs, Ltd. in London.