Last week we had the opportunity to learn from Patricia’s 24 years of business expertise. If you missed that email, you can see it on the blog here.
This week, we’re asking Patricia about the success she’s found using SideDoor, what she loves about the platform, and how she’s integrated it into her business.
Here we go!
CONVERSATION
SideDoor: Welcome back, Patricia! Last week we talked about you, your business, and some really great business process tips. Can you tell us a little more about what you’ve enjoyed about working with SideDoor?
Patricia: SoThey save designers time. I tell designers about SideDoor because it saves SO much time. I can make more at $300/hour than I can tracking something I make $200 commission on. The procurement, the purchasing phase, is a time eater for any designer.
And with me handing that over to SideDoor, not only do I get compensated in a fair manor I think (because I’m doing zero work except specifying), and then I hand it over, and it saves me more time where I can make so much more money in the time it took to order that room by moving on to another client or another area of the home. That’s my focus.
SideDoor: How do you get clients comfortable with the platform? Do you do anything specifically to help clients know what it is, how to use it, what to expect?
Patricia: Yes, inside my binder that I give to clients, many of the purchasing links go straight to a SideDoor collection. We include a PDF document titled “More About Our DVS Design Trade Showroom,” which explains the platform and important things to know.
SideDoor: So I’m looking at your services, and it looks like it’s an all or nothing sort of a deal. Either you order everything, or they order everything. Is that correct? And how does receiving work?
Patricia: Right! Accepting deliveries is a nightmare. So either I order everything, or, the client either arranges to receive it themselves, or I’ll provide a contact and they’ll use my receiver.
But if you look on our site at our in-house shop on the website, you can see the verbiage we use around SideDoor. You know, we’re selling a luxury service to a coupon world that is used to returns, and people want that, so I just have to beat it into them…final sale! Final sale!
SideDoor: It’s so important to set expectations for clients. That’s so great. Are you using SideDoor in any other creative ways outside of directly with clients?
Patricia: If you go to my website, I do this “Shop What’s Hot” with SideDoor. Really, I think I’ve only sold three things in two years—that’s not the point. The point is that every, single, month, I update my website, which helps with SEO.
SideDoor: And what a great way for people to get a taste of your design style or available items. Are there other elements of the platform that you’ve appreciated since working with it?
Patricia: You know, I like not having to deal with palettes, deliveries, freight. And also, with SideDoor, I’m allowed to, for example, buy a single mirror with no minimums, and they [SideDoor] have excellent customer service. Let’s say something breaks? I shoot an email over to Tommy, and a new one ships! I love that.
They’ve also been fantastic with how they accept payment and how they allow us to check out as the client or as the designer. They’ve made so many improvements, it’s fantastic. Now they have the Karavat fabrics—that’s very exciting—and all the Kravat wallpaper, it’s crazy!
SideDoor: Is there anything else I should have asked that you think would be helpful for your fellow designers?
Patricia: So, the Interior Design Society (IDS) transformed my business completely. They have national conferences and I've served on the national board, I've started chapters, I've done all sorts of things with them this year.
But yes, IDS transformed my business, so highly recommend, and SideDoor is the second thing that completely transformed my business. Those two things really have catapulted me to where I am today. 56 years old, loving going to work. I mean, can you imagine waking up and going, I can't wait to get to the office! That’s how I feel. I literally am giddy, I can't wait to get to the office. A lot of it is by trial and error or by accident, or very intentionally trying to stay in that lane of being authentic and not trying to be like everybody else.
SideDoor: We’re so happy you’ve had such success using the platform! We can’t thank you enough for sharing your experience with us, and we’re so excited for the upcoming opportunity for the community to meet you live during our SideDoor University Q&A See you then!
We love introducing our SideDoor Superstars to our community of designers! If you want to follow along with Patricia’s design work, you can find her website here, as well as her social media profiles on Instagram, Houzz profile, and Facebook.
And watch out for our schedule announcement of the SideDoor University episode with our very own featured designer for this month, Patricia Lockwood. We can’t wait to learn together!We’re back talking with Palm Desert, California based designer, Patricia Lockwood, founder of the award winning design firm Design Vision Studio.
Are YOU a SideDoor Superstar? Would you like to be featured in our series? Just respond to this email and we’ll start the conversation!
