Did you go to design school because you are creative and have a unique perspective to offer? If the answer is “yes,” then you should take full advantage of the benefits of online shopping and profit from today’s world of custom. Challenge yourself to learn about and specify more made-custom products for your clients. It may seem overwhelming at first, but once you align yourself with a few reliable custom resources, this process can be easy and fulfilling.

Until a few years ago, “custom” was a dirty word that meant expensive, long lead times, and the added risk potential mistakes. Today, however, this is no longer the case. The new customer expectation includes incorporating custom finishes into even the most routine design projects. Because of this trend, successful boutique companies have benefitted by establishing themselves as unique in their offering to clients.

Before you begin looking into boutique resources, it is important to understand that they are like the juicy apples that you stumble across at your local farmers market and less like the advertised waxed apples from grocery store that are less fulfilling. Smaller companies don’t have the robust advertising budgets that larger firms have at their disposal. These larger expenditures are typically passed on to the customer via higher price points. Additionally, boutiques won’t have a corporate sales team. Instead they partner with independent sales reps or perhaps have no representative at all. This means you have an open door to closer relationships with boutique owners and their knowledgeable staff. Does this place the burden on you to educate yourself and be more proactive? Absolutely. In turn, you will be rewarded with more fruitful, profitable results and stronger business relationships.

If you are a successful designer, you are also a sales person (whether you like it or not). You sell to your clients, but you are also selling to yourself every time you research and specify products.

To help you in the process of selecting boutique resources, we have a few parameters to guide you:

Identify three areas that describe your design firm? Perhaps you are smaller, have a concentration in biophilia, are LEED
qualified, etc.
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Now search a few boutique companies for select product categories by either using the suggested above parameters, Google, or by calling colleagues to inquire about their “treasures”. Keep in mind that smaller companies’ websites and marketing materials may not be as slick as those from smaller companies. Research the company’s value proposition by browsing the “About” section on their website. Look for key phrases like family owned, American made, eco-friendly, speed of delivery, craftsmanship, and value.

CUSTOM RESOURCES

Lighting
Hennepinmade (Minneapolis, MN) HennepinMade.com/about
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Drapes & Bedding
Try Wildcat Territory (Thomasville, NC) WildcatTerritory.com/about-us
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Custom Area Rugs
Try Delos Custom Rugs (Calhoun, GA) TheDelosCompany.com/about/
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Continue this exercise for casegoods, custom furniture, etc,. The ultimate goal is for you to do more custom projects through less vendors. This will enable to offer clients your unique perspective and will prohibit clients from turning to online off-the shelf options. The long term benefit is establishing credible rapport with a meaningful customer.

To get the ball rolling, contact the companies that you have successfully identified. Set up a one-on-one phone call or ask if they offer web training. You may be surprised how quickly they respond. They will be excited to partner with you. In turn, your business is sure to flourish.