Featured on this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here
• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here

What you will learn from this episode:

• Why more projects don’t always mean more profit
• How to spot patterns in your fees, clients, and capacity
• What to review before setting your 2027 business goals

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For most of my career, I thought the problem with my business was that I didn’t have enough projects.

I wasn’t making enough money, and some years, I was barely scraping by. So naturally, I assumed the answer was more work. More projects, more clients, more opportunities.

And I spent an enormous amount of time looking for all three.

I took on projects that probably weren’t the right fit because I could find some way to justify them. My schedule filled up, but I wasn’t necessarily making more money. Instead, I was busy, stressed out, and frantic.

And here’s what happens when you’re working like that. Mistakes happen. Those mistakes cost money, and as designers, we often absorb those costs behind the scenes.

So now you need another project to make up for the money you lost on the last one.

See the cycle?

It wasn’t until I finally stopped and looked at my actual projects that I understood what was happening. I went back through the work I’d done, examining what each project had cost me in time and what it had actually returned.

That process was extraordinarily, terrifyingly humbling.

I discovered I wasn’t making much money on small and mid-sized projects. Not because those projects are inherently unprofitable, but because I wasn’t charging appropriately for the time they required.

I’d been so busy moving on to the next opportunity that I’d never fully examined the last one.

Now, as we start thinking about 2027, I want you to consider doing the same thing. Because interior design business goals shouldn’t start with how many new projects you want. It should start with understanding what the projects you’ve already completed are actually giving you.

1. Which Projects Would You Actually Want Again?

Think about the projects that worked well this year.

And I don’t necessarily mean the ones with the biggest fees or the most beautiful finished photographs. I mean the ones you’d happily do again.

For me, at this point in my career, that starts and ends with the people.

I’ve said this before, but a construction project isn’t dating. It’s a marriage. You’re going to spend months, sometimes years, working with these people.

How they communicate, whether they respect your expertise, and how they treat the contractor and trades all shape that experience.

I have beautiful photographs of finished projects with clients I would never work with again.

These days, I only work for lovely people. And I truly mean that.

I understand that being selective may feel like a luxury you can’t afford right now. I’ve been there. But I also think you may have more room to be selective than you realize.

So look back at the projects you’d repeat. Was it the client? The contractor? The scope of work? Some combination of all three?

That’s the kind of work you want to build more of.

2. Where Did the Work and Your Fees Stop Matching?

This is where I want you to look for patterns.

Maybe you consistently underestimated the number of meetings a project would require. Perhaps clients added work, and you never adjusted your fee.

Or maybe you found yourself coordinating contractors when your scope never included construction management.

All three situations can leave you feeling underpaid, but they’re not the same problem.

One is a pricing issue. Another is a scope issue. The third may be additional work that you failed to document and charge for.

Simply deciding to raise your fees next year won’t necessarily solve all three.

That’s why I want you to get specific.

Where did you spend more time than you estimated? Which conversations did you avoid? What work did you perform that wasn’t covered by your agreement?

If the same issue keeps showing up across multiple projects, your business is telling you something. Pay attention to it.

3. What Does Your Calendar Tell You About Your Capacity and Your Life?

I can only manage so many construction projects in a year. That’s not a complaint. It’s simply the reality of what we do.

Think about weekly site meetings. There are only five mornings in a workweek. Each hour spent at a meeting can easily create another two or three hours of follow-up work.

That adds up quickly. And three projects in early design don’t demand the same attention as three projects in the middle of construction, with trades waiting for answers.

So when you look at your calendar, don’t just count how many projects you had. Look at when they happened and which phases overlapped.

Did you stop responding to new inquiries? Did you promise start dates you couldn’t realistically accommodate? Did the rest of your business suffer?

And let’s talk about something we don’t discuss enough: your personal life.

I’ve worked through more holiday seasons than I care to admit. It made me miserable, and frankly, the clients were miserable too.

My family takes the first two weeks of July off every year. That’s been true for practically my entire life, and I try very hard to protect that time.

So when someone calls me in January about a new project, I’m already thinking about July.

Where will we be in the construction process? Can I structure the schedule so that I’m not trying to manage demolition while I’m away? You have more control over some of these things than you may think.

I also used to say yes to projects and figure out the timing later. Now, when my schedule is full, I’ll tell a potential client that I’d love to work with them, but we need a later start date.

And you know what? More often than not, they’re willing to wait.

Before you decide you need to hire someone because you’re overwhelmed, ask yourself whether the real problem is staffing or the start dates you’ve agreed to.

Those are two very different problems.

4. Which Relationships Brought You the Right Work?

Referrals are wonderful. But a referral source can send you a lot of work without necessarily sending you the right work.

I had a realtor who referred clients to me for years.

Someone would buy a house and need new flooring, paint, a bathroom refresh, or a small kitchen remodel. In the beginning, those projects were great for my business.

I was building relationships, getting to know vendors, and staying busy. But as my business evolved, those projects were no longer the right fit.

The clients had often spent most of their money purchasing the house. They needed the work completed quickly and inexpensively so they could move in. I kept thinking those smaller projects would eventually turn into larger ones. Occasionally they did, but mostly the same type of work kept coming.

Eventually, I took the realtor to lunch and explained where my business was going and the projects I wanted to take on. I was anxious about that conversation, but she understood completely.

Today, I get fewer referrals from her. The ones I do receive, however, are much better aligned with my business.

Here’s what I want you to take away from that.

When you’re building referral relationships, tell people two things: what you’re doing now and where you want your business to go.

Don’t just ask for referrals. Give people enough information to send you the right ones.

5. What Did Your Process Tell You About the Help You Actually Need?

When designers feel overwhelmed, we often assume we need to hire another designer or an assistant.

But I want to push back on that a little.

A junior designer may actually require more of your time, especially in the beginning. They need training, mentorship, and oversight.

If you’re already stretched thin, that may not solve the problem you’re trying to fix.

Instead, look at where your process broke down this year.

Did your discovery process give you enough information to write an accurate scope? Were drawings ready when the contractor needed them? Did change orders get documented and billed?

Did closeout drag on because no one had clearly identified what remained outstanding?

Look for problems that happened more than once.

And just as importantly, look at what worked. Don’t rebuild your entire business because you’re tired at the end of the year. Some things are working beautifully and deserve to be left alone.

When I looked honestly at my own business, I realized I didn’t need more in-person help. I needed to buy back my time in specific areas. Today, I have a bookkeeper, a drafting team, a personal assistant, a podcast editor, and support for my technology and content. None of those people work with me in person. And that’s exactly what works for me.

A few years ago, I also made the decision to switch to a more expensive drafting team. I was nervous about the cost, but the quality of their work far exceeded my expectations. Looking back, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner.

But I only knew to make that change because I’d identified my drawings as an area where I needed better support.

Your process review should tell you what kind of help you need, not just whether you need help.

Before You Set Your 2027 Goals, Do This

I know this sounds like a lot to review, but you don’t have to dissect every project you’ve completed this year.

Start with two or three.

Choose one you’d happily do again and at least one you’d handle differently.

For each project, ask yourself:

• What worked well?
• What cost more time, money, or energy than expected?
• What would I change if this same project came in tomorrow?

Then look for the patterns.

Maybe you need a clearer construction management scope. Maybe you need to stagger your project start dates differently or improve how you qualify potential clients.

Perhaps you’re consistently performing additional work without charging for it. Or maybe you genuinely need to hire someone, but not for the role you originally imagined.

Pick one or two specific changes you can make before your next proposal goes out or your next project begins. And then I want you to ask yourself one final question.

If you brought in more of the same work next year, with the same clients, the same scopes, and the same fees, would that give you the business you want?

If your answer is a hell yes, fantastic. Stop trying to fix what isn’t broken.

But if the answer is no, that’s probably the most useful thing you’ve learned all year.

Every new project gives you an opportunity to do things differently. You can adjust your fees, improve your process, choose better-fitting clients, or structure your calendar with more intention.

You don’t necessarily need more work in 2027.

You need a better understanding of the work you’re already doing and what it’s actually giving you.

That’s how you build a business that works better for you.

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Like this Episode?

Be sure to check out Episode #259: Building a Business That Fits Your Life: My 2026 Plan

Be sure to check out Episode #212: Leverage What Worked in 2024 to Grow Your Business in 2025

Be sure to check out Episode #284: How to Build a Successful Interior Design Career With Amy Vermillion