Design and Remodeling Pros Reveal Their Goals for 2024
Find out what other professionals have set as their business and personal goals for the coming year
The start of a new year is the perfect time to recalibrate your business compass. Knowing what your peers will be focusing on is always interesting and can help you hone your ideas, whether you’re looking to grow your client base, refine your operations or simply carve out more time to spend with family. Read on to find out what four design and remodeling professionals had to say.
Russo has been using Houzz Pro for a while now and finds its tools not only save him precious time and streamline day-to-day operations, but also help his clients visualize their finished home. “One of the difficulties interior designers face is communicating our vision for a client’s space — Houzz Pro helps our visions come to light easier and faster” for clients, he says.
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Attend Industry Shows and Events
“As someone who loves to learn, I’d like to continue educating myself about the industry, new developments and ways to better communicate with my clients in 2024,” Russo says.
“To do this, I plan on attending furniture markets, the kitchen and bath design expo and other trade industry events this year. Attending markets and events helps ensure that I have proper product knowledge. This in turn helps me to communicate with our clients and to enhance the client experience.”
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“As someone who loves to learn, I’d like to continue educating myself about the industry, new developments and ways to better communicate with my clients in 2024,” Russo says.
“To do this, I plan on attending furniture markets, the kitchen and bath design expo and other trade industry events this year. Attending markets and events helps ensure that I have proper product knowledge. This in turn helps me to communicate with our clients and to enhance the client experience.”
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Be Involved With Projects From Start to Finish
For Jennifer Birnstiel, principal at architectural practice ArchiPlicity in Plymouth, Massachusetts, being more selective about the projects she takes on to free up time to get more deeply involved in each one is a key objective for 2024.
“We have great projects and great clients on every level of design,” she says. “But I do love those projects where we can continue through the interior design and selection process and create a collaboration that focuses on the whole house and seeing the project through from beginning to end.”
For Jennifer Birnstiel, principal at architectural practice ArchiPlicity in Plymouth, Massachusetts, being more selective about the projects she takes on to free up time to get more deeply involved in each one is a key objective for 2024.
“We have great projects and great clients on every level of design,” she says. “But I do love those projects where we can continue through the interior design and selection process and create a collaboration that focuses on the whole house and seeing the project through from beginning to end.”
“We have several projects like this right now where we collaborate with the contractor, interior designer and homeowner, providing full supervision and coordination and helping with the selection of interior millwork and materials. I would love to see this facet of the business grow in 2024,” Birnstiel says.
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As for how Birnstiel plans to achieve that: “We will update our branding in the coming year and focus on these particular projects as examples for our portfolio,” she says. “We will continue to build strong relationships with the contractors and interior designers that we are currently working with on full-service projects to encourage ongoing collaborations and referrals.
“My hope is that this approach will enhance our business by allowing us to grow in providing our fully custom, turnkey model, which focuses on all architectural details, both the interior and exterior.”
“My hope is that this approach will enhance our business by allowing us to grow in providing our fully custom, turnkey model, which focuses on all architectural details, both the interior and exterior.”
Improve Time Management
On Birnstiel’s personal-goal front, she plans to continue to focus on improving her work-life balance and daily time management in the coming year. “Time management helps me be better at what I do because it allows me to focus solely on the tasks or design I am working on and give it my full attention, which results in a better design or solution,” she says.
“I try to set a daily time schedule for myself and check emails and return phone calls first thing in the morning,” Birnstiel says. “I try to schedule meetings for midmorning and limit them to one a day. In the late morning through early afternoon, I set aside time specifically for drawing, when I silence the phone so I am not distracted. In the late afternoon, I respond to any outstanding emails or phone calls.
“This schedule allows me to manage my time and not get distracted by other things happening throughout the day.”
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On Birnstiel’s personal-goal front, she plans to continue to focus on improving her work-life balance and daily time management in the coming year. “Time management helps me be better at what I do because it allows me to focus solely on the tasks or design I am working on and give it my full attention, which results in a better design or solution,” she says.
“I try to set a daily time schedule for myself and check emails and return phone calls first thing in the morning,” Birnstiel says. “I try to schedule meetings for midmorning and limit them to one a day. In the late morning through early afternoon, I set aside time specifically for drawing, when I silence the phone so I am not distracted. In the late afternoon, I respond to any outstanding emails or phone calls.
“This schedule allows me to manage my time and not get distracted by other things happening throughout the day.”
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Allow Time for Recreation and Relaxation
“I would also like to be able to be more intentional about my personal time this year,” Birnstiel says. “I love hiking and being outdoors. Stepping away and relaxing in this way helps me personally and, I think, professionally too as I return more clear-headed.
“To achieve this, I will make scheduling my personal time as important as my work time, with the understanding that in order to find work-life balance, my personal time needs to be a priority too.
“I’ve made this goal for myself because I know that in order to give the best I can to my clients and my family, I also have to give the best to myself,” Birnstiel says.
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“I would also like to be able to be more intentional about my personal time this year,” Birnstiel says. “I love hiking and being outdoors. Stepping away and relaxing in this way helps me personally and, I think, professionally too as I return more clear-headed.
“To achieve this, I will make scheduling my personal time as important as my work time, with the understanding that in order to find work-life balance, my personal time needs to be a priority too.
“I’ve made this goal for myself because I know that in order to give the best I can to my clients and my family, I also have to give the best to myself,” Birnstiel says.
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Increase Outreach and Project Management Efficiency
Meeting his firm’s revenue goals by dedicating more attention to clients is the main 2024 objective for Machi Medrzycki, a general contractor at MLM in New Orleans. He believes that hard work, team building and effective management are the keys to achieving it.
“We are planning on more active architect outreach and more robust marketing campaigns, paired with smaller profit margins,” Medrzycki says.
“We will also be utilizing seasoned project managers and [project-management] technology more efficiently, while still maintaining a personal touch with clients.”
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Meeting his firm’s revenue goals by dedicating more attention to clients is the main 2024 objective for Machi Medrzycki, a general contractor at MLM in New Orleans. He believes that hard work, team building and effective management are the keys to achieving it.
“We are planning on more active architect outreach and more robust marketing campaigns, paired with smaller profit margins,” Medrzycki says.
“We will also be utilizing seasoned project managers and [project-management] technology more efficiently, while still maintaining a personal touch with clients.”
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“My personal goal for 2024 is to spend more time traveling with my family,” Medrzycki says. “I’ve always had a good work-life balance, but I do want to spend even more quality time with my family this year.”
Using software like Houzz Pro to manage projects remotely, allocating work to experienced project managers and having solid, easy-to-follow systems and processes in place will all help him enjoy time with his family in 2024, Medrzycki says, with the confidence of knowing the business will be in good shape when he returns.
Using software like Houzz Pro to manage projects remotely, allocating work to experienced project managers and having solid, easy-to-follow systems and processes in place will all help him enjoy time with his family in 2024, Medrzycki says, with the confidence of knowing the business will be in good shape when he returns.
Improve Lead Quality
“Our goal this year is to focus more on passion projects rather than investment properties or rentals,” says Francisco José, marketing and communications director at Strong Tower Renovations in Houston.
“Our specialty is enhancing the functionality of a home to suit the owners’ lifestyle,” he says. “When we renovate rental properties, it feels a bit impersonal as the focus is usually profit rather than functionality and [best] use of the space.
“In 2024, we will be more selective with the projects we take on, making sure they align with our specialty and vision,” José says. “We plan to achieve this by enhancing the quality of leads, which should lead to a better connection with clients. Better connections lead to happier results, both for the client and the contractor.”
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“Our goal this year is to focus more on passion projects rather than investment properties or rentals,” says Francisco José, marketing and communications director at Strong Tower Renovations in Houston.
“Our specialty is enhancing the functionality of a home to suit the owners’ lifestyle,” he says. “When we renovate rental properties, it feels a bit impersonal as the focus is usually profit rather than functionality and [best] use of the space.
“In 2024, we will be more selective with the projects we take on, making sure they align with our specialty and vision,” José says. “We plan to achieve this by enhancing the quality of leads, which should lead to a better connection with clients. Better connections lead to happier results, both for the client and the contractor.”
5 Ways to Attract the Clients and Projects You Want
Communicate Values to Find the Right Clients
“Another goal I have for 2024 is to get more projects that align with our brand and embody our values by adjusting how I communicate and through which channels,” José says.
“Aligning ourselves with clients who hold the same values as we do will help us take on projects that are more in line with our specialty. A home can be renovated a thousand different ways, and we only specialize in a few of those ways.
“In order to be more selective with projects, I will be asking more value-based questions during the initial phone consultation,” he says.
Being more patient and resilient in finding the right projects is also important to José in 2024. “It can be difficult turning a project down, but saying yes to the right ones will be worth the wait,” he says. “It’s about quality over quantity.”
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“Another goal I have for 2024 is to get more projects that align with our brand and embody our values by adjusting how I communicate and through which channels,” José says.
“Aligning ourselves with clients who hold the same values as we do will help us take on projects that are more in line with our specialty. A home can be renovated a thousand different ways, and we only specialize in a few of those ways.
“In order to be more selective with projects, I will be asking more value-based questions during the initial phone consultation,” he says.
Being more patient and resilient in finding the right projects is also important to José in 2024. “It can be difficult turning a project down, but saying yes to the right ones will be worth the wait,” he says. “It’s about quality over quantity.”
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Tell us: What personal and professional goals have you set for 2024, and how do you hope to achieve them? Please tell us in the Comments.
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For the early part of 2024, Daniel Russo, principal designer and CEO of Columbus, Ohio-based design, remodeling and construction firm Daniel Russo Home, will be focused on setting up the launch of his new online store.
Juggling his busy existing design business with a new retail offering will require new systems to be put in place and a high level of organization — areas where Russo feels technology can really help.
“We are using Houzz Pro software and all the tools available on it to get organized,” he says. “At the same time, we are building stronger relationships with our vendors, which will optimize our process when we launch the online store.”