Inside Houzz
Houzz Launches Ivy for Designers in Canada
The business management platform enables designers to source products, create proposals, invoice clients and more
We know that between creative work and managing a business, home professionals have a lot to juggle. That’s why last year Houzz acquired Ivy, the business and project management platform that helps home design companies run their businesses more efficiently, effectively and profitably. Now we’re excited to bring Ivy to our community of design professionals in Canada.
Ivy’s cloud-based software and mobile app put everything from document creation to product sourcing to time tracking in one place, to help busy professionals streamline and centralize their business processes. “We are delighted to bring Ivy to Canadian designers and provide them with a centralized platform on which to run an organized and efficient business,” says Alex Schinasi, Ivy co-founder.
Ivy’s cloud-based software and mobile app put everything from document creation to product sourcing to time tracking in one place, to help busy professionals streamline and centralize their business processes. “We are delighted to bring Ivy to Canadian designers and provide them with a centralized platform on which to run an organized and efficient business,” says Alex Schinasi, Ivy co-founder.
Estimates and time tracking. The platform makes it possible to send customized proposals, tear sheets, invoices and purchase orders, all under your own logo. Time and expense entries also can be managed in one dashboard.
Product sourcing. Using Ivy’s Product Clipper, you can save the product specs and imagery for a project in your product library, eliminating the need for manual copying, pasting and downloading product information.
The Room Boards tool enables you to conceptualize and compile products and services by room for current and potential clients.
Vendor purchase management. Ivy’s dashboard also tracks order status across all projects — from purchased to shipped to delivered — in one place.
Tailored to Canadian Businesses
This version of Ivy is tailored to Canadian professionals. “We’ve fully localized the platform for Canada and will provide members with local service representatives,” Schinasi says.
Vendor purchase management. Ivy’s dashboard also tracks order status across all projects — from purchased to shipped to delivered — in one place.
Tailored to Canadian Businesses
This version of Ivy is tailored to Canadian professionals. “We’ve fully localized the platform for Canada and will provide members with local service representatives,” Schinasi says.
On-the-Go Access in the Ivy App
Ivy also offers an app for iPhone, iPad and Android that lets you manage multiple projects on the go. It comes with an augmented reality measurement tool that makes it possible to create floor plans on-site.
Ivy also offers an app for iPhone, iPad and Android that lets you manage multiple projects on the go. It comes with an augmented reality measurement tool that makes it possible to create floor plans on-site.
Product library features allow you to access your products, share them with clients, track payments and add new products from anywhere. If you spot a coffee table in a showroom that would work for a particular client, you can take a photo of the table, enter product details and add it to the project of your choice, or just keep it in your library for later.
“For a designer to be in a showroom or at a market like Interior Design Show and to be able to snap a photo and upload it into their product library or assign it to one of their projects really streamlines the process for them,” Ivy co-founder Lee Rotenberg says.
“For a designer to be in a showroom or at a market like Interior Design Show and to be able to snap a photo and upload it into their product library or assign it to one of their projects really streamlines the process for them,” Ivy co-founder Lee Rotenberg says.
The app also offers an augmented reality measurement tool that allows you to create instant floor plans by scanning the space you want to measure, placing “points” in each corner of the room and adding windows and doors. The resulting floor plan is then exported as a PDF that you can attach to your projects and later reference to make sure furniture and other products work in the space.
“This allows [designers] to be on the go and to always be optimizing the way they run their business and not having to be sitting in front of a computer. It truly gives them more time for design,” Rotenberg says.
To give it a try, sign up or request a demo at Ivy.co.
“This allows [designers] to be on the go and to always be optimizing the way they run their business and not having to be sitting in front of a computer. It truly gives them more time for design,” Rotenberg says.
To give it a try, sign up or request a demo at Ivy.co.
Here are some of the tools you’ll find on Ivy.
Project management. Ivy’s Project Tracker allows you to manage the products and services for a project in one place, making it easier to track the many moving pieces.