FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS

Designed to Scale Business Blueprint + Hiring Blueprint Questions

  • No. The processes are outlined in an editable Google Doc (which is similar to Microsoft Word or Apple Pages) so you can update them and use them without any other software. For some designers, this is plenty. We simply provide resources and training videos for those who are interested in managing their processes in Asana to give designers options.

    See how we set up and use Asana for my business and our clients’ businesses with our complimentary Asana Blueprint.

  • Yes! We are always improving our products and adding resources that are requested by customers, and making big impacts for our 1:1 clients. Once you purchase, you’ll be added to an email list specific to the product you’ve purchased and will receive updates by email when they are available.

    If you have a process you’d like to see, please email hello@dakotadesigncompany for consideration. When you purchase now, you’ll have access to all future updates while locking in the price today.

  • Yes! The tools take you through the weekly and monthly business management process as well as the entire design process. So if you take discovery calls, prepare proposals, source products, prepare for presentations, place orders, make reselections, and offboard clients, the customer-facing processes will provide you with the step-by-step checklist for managing each phase of your service.

    If you have different processes for different services, you can customize the Business Blueprint processes as necessary for each service.

  • No, at this time, the Designed to Scale® Hiring Blueprint does not include contracts and confidentiality agreements. It’s easy to find standard agreements online that are available to download for a low investment.

    You will always want to have a licensed attorney review your contracts and agreements to ensure they hold up in your state and are applicable to your needs.

  • If you’re too busy to work on your processes, then you need to implement processes so you aren’t too busy!

    When we’re busy, the last thing we have time for is hiring and training someone. That’s why it’s important to start now before you get busier and fall more behind. Investing the time upfront to create your processes will save you hours each week AND will result in having a step-by-step training checklist you can hand over to a new hire. Sure, maybe someone can’t come in and do the design work, but they can certainly manage the other 80% of non-design-related tasks that are necessary for every project.

    If you are truly too busy, I recommend prioritizing the processes where you are currently having the most trouble so you can work through your bottlenecks one at a time.

    Another benefit to setting them up now is you can add future refinements to your new employee’s to-do list so they will continue to update and maintain the processes as your business evolves.

    I like to say "Cry once, and reap the benefits forever".

  • Yes!!! Even more so. If you plan to manage everything from clients, to finances, to orders, to taxes, to vendor accounts, to drawings, and all the tasks in between, then having formalized processes will SAVE you from making mistakes and missing important details.

    Checklists will keep you from waking up at 2 am wondering if you remembered to send a payment for that custom order. When you have fewer to-dos floating around in your head, you’ll have more brain space for doing the creative design work you love to do, and your clients will pay top dollar for it. By formalizing your service steps, you'll keep productivity elevated, which always equals better profit margins.

    And if you ever want to sell your business down the road, you’ll need documented processes so someone coming in will be able to run the business successfully in the same way you did.

  • No, these are intended for use by interior designers and wedding planners only and are not meant to be resold, duplicated, copied, distributed, shared, or offered to any third party or marketplace.

    If you are a coach, consultant, strategist, VA, OBM, design assistant, integrator, or other who works with interior designers and wedding planners and they need help with their client experience process or their business processes, please direct them to purchase through my small business. By purchasing from me, they will benefit from the additional resources we provide to our template clients.

    PLUS, our products are not for commercial use and only come with one license so any unauthorized use will come with additional license fees and more.

  • Nope! These are plug-n-play resources, completely done for you. Each of these resources is delivered in a Google Doc so everything is in one place. It’s up to you if you want to keep it in the Google Doc, or if you want to move the resources into a project management tool.

    Each of the Blueprints comes with a few short videos (5 minutes or less) with tips for using the tools and templates.

    These are the processes, tools, templates, and documents we use in our 1:1 clients' businesses and my 1:1 clients hire me for the consulting AND the done-for-you implementation my team and I provide.

  • These new products are standalone products, so you don’t need to purchase anything else to use them. In the Designed to Scale® Business Blueprint, each process has prompts telling you (for example) to send a “What to Expect for Installation Day” email or a “Welcome to the [Business Name]” onboarding email, or a “Welcome Packet”.

    If you don’t have the client experience templates, you’ll know to create an email or pdf for that part of the process so it’s templated and ready to go out. You could essentially reverse engineer this and make a list of the items you need to create so each process is complete.

    The Designed to Scale® Hiring Blueprint comes with email templates to send out throughout the hiring process so you'll have everything you need all in one place.

Client Experience Template Questions

  • Our 1:1 services do not include the client experience templates or any of our contract or process templates. If you are planning to work with us in a service that includes implementation, you will need to purchase our templates.

    Our reputation is everything and we want everything we touch to be professional, elevated, and perfect. Therefore, we only provide CRM set ups and implementation to clients who have purchased our client experience templates.

    If you are working with us in a consultation only service, you do not need to purchase our templates. However, we will not review, edit, fix, rewrite, or redesign templates purchased through other companies.

    We encourage you to do your homework before investing in your business.

  • If you offer both full service design and design day services, then yes, you will need the Avery Design Day Templates.

    The emails, investment guide, welcome guide, measuring guide, and post project resource guide included with the Avery Client Experience Templates are written specifically for the very structured design day service.

    In fact, we’ve laid them out so you can reverse engineer exactly how to structure the service, if this is the first time offering it.

    If you need additional help with how to structure the service, and want to save 20% on the Design Day Client Experience and Contract templates, purchase the Design Day Workshop and access the private savings code.

  • Nope! Our templates are professionally written and have gone through several rounds of copy-edits by professional copy-editors and writers, design school grads, and interior design college educators.

    We also do updates every six months to review and refresh so everything is relevant.

  • The Emerson Full Service Client Experience Templates were created for interior designers who offer full-service design work for furnishings/renovations in either a flat rate, hourly, or price/square footage business model.

    The Avery Design Day/Virtual Design Client Experience Templates were created for interior designers who offer design days, design consultation services, designer for a day services, or virtual design services.

    While you may not consider yourself a “luxury” business, the service you provide your clients is a luxury for them.

  • These are completely written out and we’ve highlighted the words you’ll need to replace with your business-specific information (like your hours, contact information, pricing, etc.).

    The only section with prompts is the bio section for you/your team. Obviously, we can’t template a bio that works for all designers and wedding planners!

    The images show Lorem Ipsum (dummy text) to protect my copyrighted language from copycats (yup, FIVE times and counting I’ve had people steal my copy it’s so good). Once you purchase the templates, you’ll receive the link to access your files and those are fully written by me and were refined and edited by a professional writer on my team.

    If you want to sound professional in your emails and marketing materials-these will be perfect for you.

  • One thing I always tell my 1:1 clients is they’ll be able to use the copy I write for the client experience system in all the places they need copy for their business.

    I’ve had clients wait to write their websites because they wanted to use the language from their client experience system.

    I’ve had clients repurpose the language in their marketing and email newsletters.

    You can also make variations of this system for your additional services, using the full-service templates as your guide, and then removing any details that don’t apply to your smaller services.

    The only thing you can’t do is share the templates with your industry friends. Each purchase includes a license for ONE person (the Purchaser) to use the templates.

  • The Canva Templates come with placeholders for photos so you can add your portfolio photos.

    If you don’t have a strong portfolio, you can use stock photos that represent your design style, OR, you can do a brand shoot (highly recommend!) and use photos of flat lays and design materials from your office.

  • You shouldn’t need any new software as this is created to run straight from your inbox. You’ll need a free Canva account to edit the guides and a free Google Drive account, and you’ll receive the emails in an editable Google Doc. You can read here about my favorite software for a luxury client experience.

    Your purchase also includes short video tutorials (I’m talking less than 3 minutes each) walking through how to edit the files in Canva, how to add emails to your CRM or Gmail, how to edit the questionnaires, and more.

    Here’s a previously recorded video showing how simple it is to edit the Canva files and once you purchase you’ll receive an additional training video walking you through how to change fonts, colors, images, and page layouts and how to share your files.

  • The Canva and email templates are written based on what I've seen is the most common process for industry best practices. I would set aside an hour to review the Canva templates and add your images, links, and fonts. You’ll also want to confirm the language is correct (example: do you call it your office or your studio, do you call it a welcome meeting or a kickoff meeting, etc). Once your refinements are in, you shouldn’t have to edit them again unless your process or pricing change. One and done!

    For the email templates, I recommend doing a one-time read through to plug in your business-specific language in the highlighted areas. Then plug them into your email system or CRM as templates so you can personalize them when you use them. If you’d like help with personalizing your templates, please email us us for more details.

    PS: I’ve had customers buy these, fill them in, and send them out ONE HOUR later to clients. So they can be ready to go as quickly as you want.

  • You can use the parts of the system that apply to your process, and then revise the ones that don’t so it is specific to your process. I follow what I have seen first-hand to be industry best practices for the process:

    1) Discovery phase with a potential client to include a call and possible consultation meeting

    2) Client books and receives onboarding materials

    3) Client and business owner have a welcome meeting

    4) Business owner starts the design/research process

    5) Business owner presents design plan

    6) Client approves and business owner begins managing the project

    7) Fulfillment of services (project management, order management, coordination of allllllll the details)

    8) Installation/Event day/Photoshoot

    9) Project wraps and offboarding begins

    Be sure to check out our Client Experience Templates for Full Service Designers as well as the Client Experience Templates for Design Day Designers.

  • Short response: then make time. I say this with love!

    These will be a game changer for your business once you start using them.

    Long response: while the templates are simple and quick to set up, and once you do personalize them, you shouldn’t have to edit them again unless your process changes.

    Invest the time once, and let them serve you forever!

  • No, these are intended for use by interior designers and wedding planners only and are not meant to be resold, duplicated, copied, distributed, shared, or offered to any third party or marketplace.

    If you are a coach, mentor, strategist, VA, OBM, design assistant, consultant, or other who works with interior designers and wedding planners and they need help with their client experience process or their business processes, please direct them to purchase through my small business. By purchasing from me, they will benefit from the additional resources we provide to our template clients.

General Template Questions

  • Our 1:1 services do not include the client experience templates or any of our contract or process templates. If you are planning to work with us in a service that includes implementation, you will need to purchase our templates.

    Our reputation is everything and we want everything we touch during your service to be professional, elevated, and perfect. Therefore, we only provide implementation services to clients who have purchased our client experience templates.

    If you are working with us in a consultation only service, you do not need to purchase our templates. However, we will not review, edit, fix, rewrite, or redesign templates purchased through other companies.

    We encourage you to do your homework before investing in your business.

  • I know you have options, and I’m honored you’re here! If you’re on my email list or have ever attended a workshop or webinar I’ve done, or you’re a present or previous client, you know my business motto is to GIVE and to GIVE GENEROUSLY. And when I create a product for my customers, I put endless time, energy, and financial resources into making sure it’s perfect.

    In addition to that, I’ve taken my experience from owning two businesses, managing the operations of a 250 person company, and working specifically with interior designers and wedding planners for the last five years to create templates and resources that are applicable and impactful to the various business models and team structures we’ve helped streamline. My company has helped over 130 designers and counting, so we’ve seen A LOT. With Dakota Design Company, you have the reassurance that our products are based on tried and true industry best practices.

    We’ve also seen what else is available, and we know firsthand that our products and customer service are superior.

  • I’m not an interior designer who had success with my own business and now I’m selling that one single approach to everyone. I’m a business consultant who has streamlined and transformed the businesses of interior designers and wedding planners for years, from their first hundred thousand to hitting multiple millions.

    My experience working INSIDE various business models and team structures to refine revenue streams, services, pricing, client experience, branding, and marketing has given me a depth of experience that I weave into the work I do with every client.

    Not only do my team and I provide the hands-on back end implementation that is so impactful, I’m also on calls with owners, their teams, their consultants, their attorneys, their publicists, their marketing agencies, their web designers, and their accountants. I’m familiar with the end customer (your customer) and what they will and won’t pay for (and what they expect from their designer).

    My approach is based on what works across the United States and Canada in various markets (and what doesn’t).

  • No, these are intended for use by interior designers and wedding planners only and are not meant to be resold, duplicated, copied, distributed, shared, or offered to any third party or marketplace.

    If you are a coach, consultant, VA, OBM, design assistant, strategist, or other who works with interior designers and wedding planners and they need help with their client experience process or their business processes, please direct them to purchase through my small business. By purchasing from me, they will benefit from the additional resources we provide to our template clients.

  • After managing the behind-the-scenes business operations for interior designers and wedding planners big and small, I saw that with every single client we always started with the client-facing processes. This is where designers and planners usually feel the most boundary-less and overwhelmed.

    Having a formal system in place allows you to tighten up your process and sets firm boundaries for how you work with your clients. From there, client management becomes easier because you’re not constantly recreating the wheel with email communication. Your clients ask you fewer questions because you’ve given them so much information about what they can expect.

    It’s also easier to manage incoming leads because you have a refined process and know exactly what to send out every step of the way. AND this system screens out prospects who aren’t a good fit for you. This means less time on the phone with people who are just looking for free design advice and less time creating proposals for clients who can’t afford you.

  • You’ll receive instant access to your purchase. You’ll receive two links to access your digital download. Once you confirm your purchase, you’ll be redirected to an order confirmation page that has the link to your files. You’ll also receive an email at the address you used when you purchased with the link to access your files as well as your invoice. The link will expire in 24 hours; please download the link and save the file so you can access your templates.

    If after 24 hours you haven’t accessed your file, click the link in your email confirmation and it will automatically send a new link.

  • Due to the instant and digital nature of this product, we have a strict no refund policy.

    Be sure to email shop@dakotadesigncompany.com with any questions before purchasing if you are unsure about anything.

  • Due to the instant and digital nature of these products, we do not offer payment plans. Please reach out if you are interested in bundling multiple products. We can offer a special bundle savings.

  • Yes, if you’re interested in purchasing more than one product, please email us for details on bundle pricing.

  • We are happy to provide single item pricing for the Canva guides in the Emerson and the Avery if you don’t need everything that’s included. Please email us for more info.

Questions + Suggestions

HAVE A QUESTION NOT ANSWERED ABOVE?

Let’s chat. Send me an email.

HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO SEE IN THE TEMPLATES?

We formally update the templates on a quarterly basis to incorporate challenges and trends we’re seeing in the industry. If there is anything else you’d like to see in the templates, please let us know below.