Designers and Decorators - Anyone engaged in Such?

[baileyuph]

Thanks for the details of relationships with the others you work with, one can make it work and good things seam to happen.

Doyle

[baileyuph]

West Coast, your last comment confirms you and the decorator are in a win-win situation.  As a result, your incentive is to make her as happy as possible.  She must be good because her actions exude confidence and success.  Two or three like her would keep you busy, one would think.

Doyle

[west coast]

Doyle you are absolutely correct. The real kind of background issue here is a lot of the designers in my area are more interested in a quick buck by selling draperies and rods. They do not seem to put an effort into the upholstery sale although they all have plenty of samples and knowledge. I just keep weeding them out and really try to help the ones that are willing to work with me and what I'm trying to do.
Reg

[Chuck D]

Our experience with "designers" has been all over the place. We have some basic rules when it comes to working with them. Number one is, our price is our price, we don't negotiate it. Seems like most we have encountered want to beat us up on pricing and do the work for next to nothing. We have plenty of work (very blessed to say that) so we can pass on tese types.
Secondly, we have to approve of the fabric before we will take the job. Too many experienses with fabrics that are not suitable for upholstery. and lastly, they have to work in our time frame. We won't push others aside to do their work, it's not good for our reputation.
We do have a few who are very good to work with so we can't lump them all in the same lot. Proceed with caution, interview them as well as they interview you and spell things out from the start and you'll do fine.

[baileyuph]

This, collectively, is a good feedback, to me anyway.  Like Chuck explained, it just depends on the ID and perhaps the upholsterer.  Can't generalize.

In a good market, and both very professional (upholsterer, Designer), the team could make it very interesting. 

I have gained more respect for the decorator in this feedback, like everyone is saying, especially if the Decorator is really good at the game, it can work.

The market around has a lot to do with what the business can be made into.

Doyle

[sofadoc]

........interview them as well as they interview you and spell things out from the start and you'll do fine.

I think that's the best advice so far. 

Any time a decorator/designer calls me for the first time, the first thought that goes through my head is "Somewhere, there's another upholsterer who is sick of putting up with her".

Of course, that isn't always the case. But if they ARE changing upholsterers, I would like to know why.

[baileyuph]

Yes, interview and communicate.

Which ever one a shop works for, it has to be where the money potential is there for both.  Both have to make money for it to be worth doing.

Doyle

[byhammerandhand]

Gene has mentioned a few times that he's gotten several designers' work because he has a smoke-free shop and the designer got tired of sending furniture that smelled like an ash tray  to clients.

Just saying, it's a two way street.   Sometimes the designer fires the upholsterer and sometimes the upholsterer fires the designer.

........interview them as well as they interview you and spell things out from the start and you'll do fine.

I think that's the best advice so far. 

Any time a decorator/designer calls me for the first time, the first thought that goes through my head is "Somewhere, there's another upholsterer who is sick of putting up with her".

Of course, that isn't always the case. But if they ARE changing upholsterers, I would like to know why.

[sofadoc]

Gene has mentioned a few times that he's gotten several designers' work because he has a smoke-free shop and the designer got tired of sending furniture that smelled like an ash tray  to clients.

While growing up in the family upholstery business, my step-dad used to hang out at the shop all day. He was slightly handicapped, so he couldn't walk very well. But he could certainly sit at the desk, and light one cigarette right off the other. He was a hardcore 3 pack a day man. Many customers complained (to no avail) about the smell. My mother insisted that he sit there and smoke, because the alternative was that he would go to a bar before noon and start drinking.

Sometimes the smoke was so thick in the shop that I would almost barf up a lung.

He used to send off for free cigarette coupons. He would use my name/address as well so he could get more coupons. To this day, I still get junk mail from tobacco companies.

Smoking eventually killed him. He died of emphysema........ at the age of 89.
He was still puffing away right to the bitter end.

[bobbin]

I just sold a huge job (posh marina referral).  Feedback was that my shop was clean, organized, "smoke free", and so was I.  I can tell you that the designers I work for take all that in!  One of the things I've found most difficult is competing with "back roomers" (cheap labor, no taxes!).  "Just say, NO" and "stand your ground" is not so easy when you have bills to pay and a meagre checking account balance (or you're watching your "seed money" dwindle), but it's precisely what you have to do to gain credibility with the professionals.  Oh, and you have to deliver great work, on time, and within your estimate.  But that's not so hard if you have experience and you quantify your expenses/materials (you can't "guesstimate"!).

I was "turned down" on a lot of work last year... "too expensive".  But I sucked it up and refused to "cave" on price.  It seems word has gotten around and the calls I've received recently are not nearly as "shocked" by the estimates as they were last year.   

[byhammerandhand]

I think Gene says something like, "My goal is not to be the cheapest, but the best."

I just sold a huge job (posh marina referral).  Feedback was that my shop was clean, organized, "smoke free", and so was I.  I can tell you that the designers I work for take all that in!  One of the things I've found most difficult is competing with "back roomers" (cheap labor, no taxes!).  "Just say, NO" and "stand your ground" is not so easy when you have bills to pay and a meagre checking account balance (or you're watching your "seed money" dwindle), but it's precisely what you have to do to gain credibility with the professionals.  Oh, and you have to deliver great work, on time, and within your estimate.  But that's not so hard if you have experience and you quantify your expenses/materials (you can't "guesstimate"!).

I was "turned down" on a lot of work last year... "too expensive".  But I sucked it up and refused to "cave" on price.  It seems word has gotten around and the calls I've received recently are not nearly as "shocked" by the estimates as they were last year.   

[bobbin]

It's scary to "play chicken" when you know how depleted your reserves are, Hammer.. 

I've never doubted my technical savvy.  Nor the options the mechanical diversity of my "Armada" offers.  But "just saying, 'NO'!" has proven the hardest part of self-employment for me.   

"Cast not thine pearls before swine"

(yeah, right! if you've positioned yourself to do so! and you have the stomach to actually say, NO!)

[sofadoc]

But "just saying, 'NO'!" has proven the hardest part of self-employment for me.

True! Because there is always someone down the block that will say "Yes".

[Lo]

This truly is a great compilation and insight into creating relationships between businesses. I believe in the win-win and with now having a bit of better understanding hope to connect with some of these folks, as I too love working with designer fabrics and concepts. Good luck to others who choose to build these in-direct client access . . . AND thanks Doyle for getting the conversation started.

Marlo

[bobslost]

Sorry I'm a little late to the conversation I haven't been on line . But I feel I have a lot of experience on this subject .  Before I moved  Designers made up a large part of my cliental most where very loyal and provided me with more work than I could handle . Some where demanding but I never had to negotiate pricing with them. As long as you do good work and are professional you should have a good long lasting relationship. One designer I still stay in contact with has been sending me work for 30 years. 
I will agree a lot of them do not want you to advertise on who you are or were your located .
But it is possible to do work with the general public and designers they are business people just like you and know you have bills to pay.
There is a different between schooled designers and decorators but both can provide you with a lot of work. Check with your local design studio for a list of register designer or with the ASID.
Before rejecting the idea of working with a designer, remember  people who hire a designer usually do not take cost into consideration.