Posts in Business Operations
Your path to a 6 figure design business [+ FREE Download]
Your path to a 6 figure design business [+ FREE Download]

Back in 2014 when I was first starting my business I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I found it so hard to work out the right and wrong way of doing things. And over the years I made every mistake you could think of…But fast forward 8/9 years or so and I now run an extremely successful business that I have built completely from the ground up. And I have spent time putting all this knowledge and experience in to a framework that can help other designers, which is what I am going to share with you today.

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Business Operations, Start a Design BusinessClare Le RoyComment
How to design your business around your life (5 questions to ask)
How to design your business around your life (5 questions to ask)

There is no point running a business you don’t love to work in. Running a business is stressful and you have to enjoy what you’re doing or you may as well go and work for someone else. For me running a business is all about freedom and enjoyment. And in order to achieve that I proactively design my business around the life I want to live by regularly taking time to answer five specific questions…

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Start a Design Business, Productivity, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
3 ways to upgrade your client experience (tips for designers)
3 ways to upgrade your client experience (tips for designers)

The way people feel when they first start working with you has a long-lasting impact on their overall satisfaction with the service you're offering. Plus, having a professional onboarding experience to move your clients through shows you know what you're doing and gives them confidence that they've chosen the right person to work with. I’ve put together some tips for onboarding your new design clients when they first start working with you.

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Working with Clients, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
How to generate more leads using Instagram
How to generate more leads using Instagram

I know that Instagram (in particular but social media in general) can be a very powerful generator of leads and sales for your business as it's one of my own main sources of leads and new clients. But, I also know there are things the people do incorrectly with it.

So, today I want to share three reasons why Instagram (or other social media platforms) is probably not generating the results you are looking for - either in terms of growth or in terms of followers turning in to paid clients.

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Business Operations, Branding + MarketingClare Le RoyComment
How to get more consistent with your email newsletters
How to get more consistent with your email newsletters

I can’t say often enough how important it is to diversify your community and not be solely reliant on platforms that you don't own. And one of the best assets you can build for your business is an email list.

I rarely 'sell' to my readers via email as I want them to enjoy my emails and get a lot of value out of them. I know that so many of you look forward to reading my weekly email and many of you write and tell me that this is one of the few emails you actually even open each week. Here are three ways you can become more consistent with your email newsletter.

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Branding + Marketing, Business OperationsClare Le Roy Comments
Be comfortable in selling your design services!
Be comfortable in selling your design services!

One thing I know many creative people really don't like is selling themselves.

But I want you to learn that selling doesn't have to be sleezy or creepy or pushy - in fact if you really believe in your product or service then you should feel completely confident in what you are selling as you know it is something that your clients need and will help them solve a problem they have.

Getting good at sales is an essential skill if you want to grow a business and continue to do what you love. After all if you aren't making money, your business isn't going to survive!

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Sales Skills, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
Show your face in your marketing!
Show your face in your marketing!

People want to do business with other people – not with brands that have no face or personality behind them.

And that’s why it’s crucial that you are showing your face – both via pictures and videos – in your marketing and content. In today’s video I share some actionable tips and ideas for you to start doing so you can get some great images of yourself to use in your marketing (e.g. on your website, Instagram, YouTube channel).

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YouTube, Branding + Marketing, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
The key numbers you need to track in your business
The key numbers you need to track in your business

Is your business making money? You may not even know if you aren’t tracking these key metrics.

Here are the key numbers or metrics you should be tracking in your business so you can keep yourself accountable, follow any seasonality (e.g. are there particularly slow periods you need to stay on top of), find out how many leads you’re getting and ultimately help you to see if your business is actually making any money!

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YouTube, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
How to create better blogs and videos – a simple 3 step framework
How to create better blogs and videos – a simple 3 step framework

Today I am sharing a simple 3-step framework for creating better content (e.g. blogs, videos or Instagram stories). If you spend 5 minutes planning out your content around this framework before you hit record or start writing your blog post you will find it so much easier to get your point across and it will also help your community remember the messages that you are trying to share.

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YouTube, Branding + Marketing, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
Build your business around YOU first
Build your business around YOU first

I hear a lot of excuses and reasons why people can’t start or grow their businesses. “I’ll do it when my kids start school”, “I’ll do it when COVID is over and I don’t have to home school”, “I’ll wait until I have a bit more time”.

The problem with these sorts of excuses is they hold you back from ever achieving anything. Instead of excuses for why you CAN’T do something what you should be doing is designing a life on purpose – so you fit what you want to achieve in terms of goals, dreams, aspirations around what you CAN achieve in your life.

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YouTube, Business OperationsClare Le RoyComment
How to price your interior design services
How to price your interior design services

One of the questions I get asked the most is about how to price interior design services.

The overarching answer is that pricing creative services is really more an art than a science but in this video I give you a formula (that’s easy to use I promise – no tricky maths required!) for how to think about pricing your services so you can base it in some kind of foundation rather than pluck a number out of thin air and hope you make some money (which is the way I find many designers price their work).

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YouTube, Pricing, Business OperationsClare Le Roy Comments
Instagram Tips Week: Are you using Instagram strategically or just wasting your time?
Instagram Tips Week: Are you using Instagram strategically or just wasting your time?

In today’s Instagram tips week video I want to make sure that you are regularly reviewing your insights tab on Instagram. This is massively important if you are going to be using Instagram as a strategic business tool rather than just as a bit of a time waster. So I talk you through the key metrics I review on a regular basis and show you how to find out information about your Instagram community via the insights area.

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YouTube, Business Operations, Branding + MarketingClare Le RoyComment