Biweekly business tips for residential interior designers who want better-fit clients, smoother projects, and more business strategy with less business stress. π
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Should you change your business name? π§
Published about 9 hours agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
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Hello and happy Thursday, interior designers and home remodel pros!
Let's talk about YOUR BUSINESS NAME.
Have you thought about changing it? π§
Naming a business is at least as hard as naming a baby. Except this name also has to set you apart from competitors, be memorable, pronounceable, and maybe one day, sellable. No pressure! π
When I started my first design firm, I wasn't ready to put my own name on the door. I didn't want the business to be "all about me." Instead, I named it Rivalee Redesign, in honor of my grandmother. I loved the name and the connection
Me at my first-ever home fair. Made that room divider from salvaged doors, got the desk from Craigslist, brought the rug from my own entryway at home. πͺ
Unfortunately, no one knew how to pronounce "Rivalee." π
But that's not why I changed it.
As my company grew, I realized I needed to step out from behind my business and take ownership of its direction. I had clients trusting me, employees depending on me, and a company that was no longer a cute hobby.
I was no longer a designer who happened to have her own business.
I had become a business owner who happened to be an interior designer.
Changing the name to Rebecca West Interiors was my line in the sand. And it was terrifying! Would I confuse people? Lose clients? Look flaky? But I needed to embrace my role as the captain of the ship, and the name change helped me do that.
(How did we become Seriously Happy Homes? That's a story for another day!)
I was reminded of all this when our friend and fellow designer Maegan Blau announced that she's changing her firm's name from Blue Copper Design to Maegan Blau Design & Consulting. πΎ
Turns out, when she originally named Blue Copper Design, she specifically avoided using her own name because she wanted her company to be bigger than herself. Now she's realized that putting her name on the door doesn't make the business "all about her." It gives her growing vision room to expand!
In her newsletter, she wrote:
Eight years ago, I started Blue Copper Design with a clear vision: to change the way we think about accessibility in our homes and the spaces we experience every day.
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A lot has changed since then. I've grown as a designer, expanded my expertise, found new opportunities, and discovered that my vision reaches far beyond the spaces I design.
For Maegan, accessibility isn't just a professional specialty. It's personal. She's been a wheelchair user since a diving accident in 2009, and her own experience trying to create a beautiful, accessible home helped inspire her design career. She's a great colleague to have on your resource list! She consults with other design professionals, too.L
So, should YOU change your business name?
Here are three questions I'd ask before making that decision:
What's wrong with the name you have? Is it confusing? Too narrow? Does it communicate something you've outgrown? Or are you simply tired of it? Those are different problems with different solutions.
What do you hope the new name will accomplish? A new name might communicate your expertise, connect people directly to you, or make room for new services. It won't magically fix unclear positioning or inconsistent marketing.
Will the new name fit the business you're building NEXT? Think beyond today's services. Where do you want to be in five years? Will the name give you room to grow?
Not everyone needs their own name on the door. But whatever you call your company, just make sure it serves the business you're building, not just the one you started.
Here's to building businesses that grow with us, and to having the courage to make smart changes when it's time! π₯
π Rebecca
π BOOK UPDATE!
7 chapters done! πΊ Three early readers are giving enthusiastic feedback. Best response so far:
"Ever since Rebecca first introduced me to the DECIDE Method, it's changed how I approach everyday decisions. I find myself asking, 'What am I really trying to accomplish?' That simple question helps me clarify my priorities in everything from my art to how I spend my time." β Terry R., early reader
Iβm Rebecca West. I help residential interior designers feel seriously confident about guiding clients through tricky design decisions.
I spent 17 years running my design firm, Seriously Happy Homes, helping more than 2,000 clients turn their houses into happy homes. π β₯οΈ
Our work, along with my book Happy Starts at Home, was featured on TV's New Day, in The Wall Street Journal, Live Happy Magazine, Success Magazine, and beyond!
I'm also the creator of The DECIDE Methodβ’,a practical framework for helping clients make hard decisions with confidence (without making those decisions for them).
Interested in working together? Explore my 1:1 coaching, or ask about my group coaching programs: Nail Your Niche, Contact to Contract, and The DECIDE Method. I'd be delighted to help you and your team build the trust, skills, and business processes that lead to happier clients, smoother projects, and healthier profits. π R.
Rebecca West, Business Coach for Residential Interior Designers
Biweekly business tips for residential interior designers who want better-fit clients, smoother projects, and more business strategy with less business stress. π
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