One of the biggest issues for interior designers and the industry at large for the past three years has been staffing for project fulfillment. We need staff to execute a particular project in a timely manner, however, upon project wrap there is no guarantee of continued pipeline to keep the team employed. So begins the principal designer's fine dance of trying to get the project fulfilled and keep the client happy on a less than full staff, in a less than ideal situation. Yes, late-night emails over a glass of wine or early AM touch-bases over your favorite cup o' joe works for the short-term, but three years later? Lets just say that many of our industry's brightest are feeling the burn of the perpetual all-nighter.
*If your evening fun looks like a flop, your canvas monogrammed bag is filled with files like these, and you get THIS excited over a cup if coffee, then you *might* need some additional staffing support. GENTLE...NUDGE.
On the other side of this staffing dilemma is the junior and senior design talent. Scrambling for work or remaining steadily under-employed also leads to industry burn-out, and over a period of time we are losing some of our support talent to other industries. Doesn't seem like an issue now, but as the industry starts to recover, we are going to have limited resources of support staff to tap as expansion begins. And make no mistake, the thought process, contribution and expertise of a principal designer and a support designer are WORLDS APART, but are deeply interconnected to the success of a firm. A good principal designer's utilization rate (ie billable hours v. non billable) should be around 50%. That is to say a principal designer should spend 50% of his time in billable activities with current clients, and 50% of his time networking for new clients to keep the pipeline full. By contrast, a support designer should be 75% - 90% billable, meaning all of the time spent is running the details of the project. Principal = broad stroke design, big picture. Junior/Senior Designer = details, details, details & project fulfillment.
Both Pierre and Kitty know that it takes a team to be THIS fabulous.
Designer du Jour was developed with this in mind: pairing great principal designers with great support staff on an as-needed basis to prevent the crazy-making balancing act of the principal working around the clock for a project, (which deteriorates the time needed to go out and get new clients), and retain the talent pool of support designers in the industry. Whether you need someone that is project specific or you would like to hire a designer, Designer du Jour gives you the flexibility to tap into talent as needed, or test drive a designer for permanent hire in your firm without the head-hunting fee or worry that its not the right personality fit.
The services offered are simple and formatted in a menu of services making it easy to order an "a la carte" item for a full day or half-day rate. And because your are hiring someone to fulfill a billable portion of the project, you are passing this cost onto your client at a mark-up: which is a revenue generating investment in your business -- always a good thing. (Business tip: Embrace your revenue centers, manage your cost centers). All pricing is set-up to be marked up at a senior design level rate (about double your cost). Your can "order" a designer and service up to 24 hours in advance and the menu option is delivered usually by the end of that business day. We also can offer custom services if there is something you are working on outside or our comprehensive menu. Just drop Designer du Jour a note and we are happy to accommodate.
So put down the cup of coffee, maybe hit the sheets early or indulge in a guilty pleasure that doesn't require a battery of emails to keep pace with your business. Schedule your support designer today and tackle your next big project with grace, ease, and some breathing room to really enjoy what you do best. Designing. www.designerdujour.com
*If your evening fun looks like a flop, your canvas monogrammed bag is filled with files like these, and you get THIS excited over a cup if coffee, then you *might* need some additional staffing support. GENTLE...NUDGE.
On the other side of this staffing dilemma is the junior and senior design talent. Scrambling for work or remaining steadily under-employed also leads to industry burn-out, and over a period of time we are losing some of our support talent to other industries. Doesn't seem like an issue now, but as the industry starts to recover, we are going to have limited resources of support staff to tap as expansion begins. And make no mistake, the thought process, contribution and expertise of a principal designer and a support designer are WORLDS APART, but are deeply interconnected to the success of a firm. A good principal designer's utilization rate (ie billable hours v. non billable) should be around 50%. That is to say a principal designer should spend 50% of his time in billable activities with current clients, and 50% of his time networking for new clients to keep the pipeline full. By contrast, a support designer should be 75% - 90% billable, meaning all of the time spent is running the details of the project. Principal = broad stroke design, big picture. Junior/Senior Designer = details, details, details & project fulfillment.
Both Pierre and Kitty know that it takes a team to be THIS fabulous.
Designer du Jour was developed with this in mind: pairing great principal designers with great support staff on an as-needed basis to prevent the crazy-making balancing act of the principal working around the clock for a project, (which deteriorates the time needed to go out and get new clients), and retain the talent pool of support designers in the industry. Whether you need someone that is project specific or you would like to hire a designer, Designer du Jour gives you the flexibility to tap into talent as needed, or test drive a designer for permanent hire in your firm without the head-hunting fee or worry that its not the right personality fit.
The services offered are simple and formatted in a menu of services making it easy to order an "a la carte" item for a full day or half-day rate. And because your are hiring someone to fulfill a billable portion of the project, you are passing this cost onto your client at a mark-up: which is a revenue generating investment in your business -- always a good thing. (Business tip: Embrace your revenue centers, manage your cost centers). All pricing is set-up to be marked up at a senior design level rate (about double your cost). Your can "order" a designer and service up to 24 hours in advance and the menu option is delivered usually by the end of that business day. We also can offer custom services if there is something you are working on outside or our comprehensive menu. Just drop Designer du Jour a note and we are happy to accommodate. So put down the cup of coffee, maybe hit the sheets early or indulge in a guilty pleasure that doesn't require a battery of emails to keep pace with your business. Schedule your support designer today and tackle your next big project with grace, ease, and some breathing room to really enjoy what you do best. Designing. www.designerdujour.com
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