Hi there, designer đź‘‹
Let’s talk about something that comes up often in conversations with other designers - outsourcing.
Now before we start — I’m not against outsourcing at all.
In fact, as your business grows and your projects become larger, bringing in help can be a really smart move.
But there’s something important I’ve learned over the years running my own design studio.
If you outsource TOO early… it can quietly drain your business.
I see this happen a lot with solo designers.
They outsource renderings.
They outsource drawings.
They outsource sourcing.
And before they realize it, a large portion of the project income is flowing right back out of the studio.
Meanwhile they’re still doing all the client communication, project management, site visits, and creative direction and often even re-doing the work they've outsourced!
It becomes a lot of work… for not a lot left over.
Early in my business I made a very intentional decision.
I wanted to build the core technical skills inside my own studio first.
Render my own visuals.
Create my own technical drawings.
Develop my own sourcing systems.
Not because I wanted to do everything forever.
But because I wanted to understand the full process & hours behind it — and keep that revenue inside the business while I was still growing — basically to simply stay in business!
And honestly, it shaped the way my studio operates today.
When I’m developing a design, I can move quickly because the tools are already in my hands.
If I want to test a layout, I can draft it.
If I want to show a client a space, I can render it.
If I need drawings for the contractor or vendor, I can produce them.
There’s no waiting. No back-and-forth. No extra layers slowing the project down.
And financially, it makes a huge difference too!
Because when you keep those core skills in-house, you’re not constantly paying outside vendors just to move your project forward.
Now, as your business grows and you start working with larger budgets, that’s often when bringing in support makes sense.
A design assistant.
A junior designer.
Or even outsourcing tasks.
But when you’ve already built the skills yourself, you’re leading the process — not depending on it.
And that foundation can make the difference between a design business that survives…and one that actually becomes profitable.
—
Just a little behind-the-scenes perspective from my own studio this week.
Sometimes building a strong design business isn’t about doing less work right away.
Sometimes it’s about learning the right skills first — so the business becomes stronger over time.
P.S. Since we’re talking about building skills in-house, the Spring Sale is currently running inside Interior Design Den. If strengthening your technical skills has been on your list this year, this is a great moment to explore it.
See you next week, designer 🤍
Ana 🌸
Interior Design Den
Responses