Professional Practice for Interior Designers / Edition 3

by Christine M. Piotrowski

Overview

This essential sourcebook provides all of the information needed to establish and manage a productive, profitable interior design firm. Filled with savvy business and career advice, Professional Practice for Interior Designers, Third Edition delivers updated and expanded coverage of the full range of legal, financial, management, marketing, administrative, and ethical issues faced by sole practitioners, firm principals, and managers.

This comprehensive reference lays out clear, practical guidelines on how to structure a contract and prevent legal problems; work with other designers, allied professionals, clients, and vendors; and calculate fees that are both fair and profitable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471384014
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/28/2002
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	672
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.06(h) x 1.45(d)

About the Author

CHRISTINE M. PIOTROWSKI, FASID, IIDA, provides consulting services to interior designers on business practices. She is a former professor of interior design at Northern Arizona University and has over thirty-five years of commercial and residential design experience. She is a two-time winner of the ASID/Polsky Prize. She is the author of Becoming an Interior Designer; Designing Commercial Interiors; Problem Solving and Critical Thinking for Designers; and Professional Practice for Interior Designers, all from Wiley.

Read an Excerpt

Click to read or download

Table of Contents

	Preface	xv
	Acknowledgments	xvii
Part I	An Introduction to the Profession of Interior Design	3
1.	The Profession	5
	Defining a Profession	6
	History of the Profession	7
	Divisions of the Profession	14
	Educational Preparation	14
	Professional Associations	17
	NCIDQ Examination	22
	Licensing and Title Acts	24
	Continuing Education	26
2.	Ethics	31
	Ethics in the Business Environment	31
	Professional Conduct	34
	For Discussion	40
3.	Personal Goal Setting	43
	Goals	43
	Risks in Goal Setting	44
	A Personal Mission Statement	45
	Setting Goals	46
Part II	How to Establish an Interior Design Practice	51
4.	Planning a New Interior Design Practice	53
	What Is an Entrepreneur?	54
	Advantages and Disadvantages of Business Ownership	55
	Starting a New Design Practice	56
	Defining the Business	59
	The Business Plan	61
	Writing the Business Plan	66
	Control and Evaluation	67
5.	Advice and Counsel	71
	Attorney	71
	Accountant	72
	Banker	73
	Insurance Advisers	77
	Technical Consultants	79
	Sources of Information and Assistance	80
6.	Business Formations	83
	Sole Proprietorship	83
	Partnership	86
	Corporation	88
	Limited Liability Company	91
	S Corporation	92
	Professional Corporations	93
	Joint Venture	93
7.	Legal Filings	97
	Federal Forms	97
	Estimated Taxes for the Self-Employed	101
	State Forms	101
	Local Forms	103
	Specialized Filings	104
	Copyrights, Trademarks, and Patents	105
8.	On Your Own	111
	Working Alone	111
	Business Location	113
	Equipping the Office/Studio	117
	Inventory Issues	119
Part III	The Business of Interior Design	123
9.	Business Organization and Management	125
	Organization of the Interior Design Practice	125
	The Stages of a Business	126
	Organizational Structure Within the Office	128
	Types of Business Organizations	129
	Management	131
	Functions of Management	132
10.	The Planning Function	135
	Importance of Planning	135
	Kinds of Plans	137
	Budgeting	141
	Measuring Performance	143
11.	Personnel Management	147
	Job Classifications	147
	Job Descriptions	151
	The Performance Evaluation	154
	The Employee Handbook	159
	Compensation and Fringe Benefits	163
12.	Legal Issues of Employment	169
	Federal Laws Regulating Employment	170
	The Agency Relationship	172
	Employment at Will	174
	Employment Contracts	176
	Independent Contractors	180
	Sexual Harassment	181
13.	Legal Responsibilities	185
	Criminal versus Tort Law	186
	Negligence	186
	Intentional Torts Against a Person	189
	Intentional Torts Against Property	190
	Codes Compliance	191
	Plan Review Boards	193
14.	Warranties and Product Liability	197
	Warranties	197
	Products Liability	201
Part IV	Managing the Business's Finances	207
15.	Financial Accounting	209
	Accounting Methods: Accrual versus Cash Accounting	210
	The Balance Sheet	211
	The Income Statement	215
	The Statement of Cash Flow	219
	Accounting Records and Systems	220
	Cash Management	224
	Computer Applications	227
16.	Financial Management	231
	What Is Financial Management?	231
	Financial Ratios and Percentages	232
	Reporting Performance	235
	Controlling Overhead	239
17.	Determining Design Fees	243
	The Billing Rate	243
	Which, When, Why?	246
	Methods for Setting Design Fees	248
	Estimating Design Fees	257
	Indirect Job Cost Factors	261
18.	Preparing Design Contracts	265
	Definition and Basic Elements of a Contract	265
	Letter of Agreement or Contract?	269
	Form of the Contract	269
	Content Formalities	271
	Developing the Design Contract	271
	Interior Design Contracts: Content and Form	274
	Performance	298
	Termination by Agreement	300
19.	Product Pricing Considerations	303
	Pricing Terms	304
	Discounts	306
	Selling Prices	309
	Deposits, Down Payments, and Retainers	311
	Freight and FOB	312
	Delivery and Installation Charges	313
	Sales and Use Taxes	315
	The Role of the Designer/Specifier	316
	Federal Laws and Pricing Practices	319
20.	The Sale of Goods and the Uniform Commercial Code	323
	History	324
	Definitions	324
	The Sales Contract	325
	Statute of Frauds	331
	Title	331
	Risk	332
	Sales on Approval	333
	The Seller's Rights and Obligations	333
	The Buyer's Rights and Obligations	334
Part V	Marketing and Business Development	339
21.	Marketing Interior Design Services	341
	Definitions	342
	Target Marketing	342
	Establishing a Niche	344
	The Four Ps of Marketing	345
	Marketing Analysis	346
	The Marketing Plan	348
22.	Promoting the Interior Design Practice	353
	Public Relations	354
	Publicity	354
	Basic Promotional Tools	355
	Referrals	363
	Networking	364
	Competitions	366
23.	Advanced Promotional Tools	371
	Publication	371
	Direct Mail	377
	Speaking at Seminars and Meetings	378
	Premiums	379
	Multimedia Presentations	379
	Internet Marketing	380
	Proposals	384
	Advertising	387
24.	Selling Your Services	395
	What Is Selling?	395
	Selling Services versus Products	396
	Building Client Relationships	397
	The Selling Process	398
	Selling Techniques	403
25.	Design Presentations	409
	Marketing Presentations	409
	Proposal Presentations	413
	Project Presentations	415
	Overcoming Objections	418
	Closing Techniques	420
	Follow-up	422
	Negotiating	422
	Other Guidelines for Making Presentations	424
26.	Personal Power	429
	Image--Nonverbal Cues	429
	Well Suited	432
	Body Language	434
	Business Etiquette	436
Part VI	Project Management	447
27.	Project Management Techniques	449
	What Is Project Management?	449
	Phases of an Interior Design Project	450
	Working Relationships	457
	Project Schedules	458
	Project Budgeting	462
	Time Records	463
	Time Management	467
	Project Files or Job Books	470
	Value Engineering	474
28.	Working with Trade Sources	477
	Manufacturers	477
	Sales Representatives (or Reps)	478
	Market Centers, Marts, and Showrooms	479
	Local Showrooms	481
	Retail Specialty Shops	481
	Manufacturer's Dealers	481
	Tradespeople and Craftspeople	482
	Construction Contractors	482
	Selecting Trade Sources	483
	Technology and Trade Sources	485
29.	Contract Documents and Specifications	489
	Contract Documents	489
	Specifications	492
	Competitive Bidding	500
	Modifications	513
	Submittals	516
30.	Contract Administration	519
	Construction and Procurement Administration	519
	Order Processing	522
	Shipping and Freight	538
	Expediting	540
31.	Contract Administration: Delivery and Project Closeout	543
	Delivery and Installation	543
	Project Closeout	547
	Postoccupancy and Follow-up	550
Part VII	Careers	557
32.	Career Options	559
	Career Decisions	559
	Residential Interior Design	561
	Commercial Interior Design	562
	Common Employment Options	565
	Alternative Career Options	569
	Preparing for Specialization in a Career	573
33.	Getting the Next--or First--Job	577
	Portfolios	577
	Resumes	583
	The Job Search	592
	The Cover Letter	595
	How Employers Review Resumes and Cover Letters	600
	Interviews	602
	Follow-up	608
	The First Job	610
	Making a Career Change	612
	Glossary	617
	Appendix	637
	Index	643