Pro Q&A: 3 Tips to Maximize Your Time
Megan Dufresne of MC Design details how she optimizes her time to grow her business
Megan Dufresne of MC Design in Redondo Beach, California, provides interior design services to clients in both the United States and Mexico. She can be juggling up to 10 projects at a time while traveling back and forth across the border several times a year. We interviewed her to find out her strategies for handling it all.
Tell Us About Yourself
My goal is to bring spaces to life. I get these very specific ideas in my head, so I’ll spend a lot of time sourcing the right item to fulfill exactly what I envision. I take on a wide spectrum of projects, from single bathrooms all the way to a whole new build, with multiple clients at a time. I tailor each project to the client because they all have different needs and require different levels of involvement.
What Are Some of the Challenges You Face?
I have to stay organized so I can juggle multiple jobs at once and keep on schedule. I also have to be very productive with my time, designing and meeting with clients, because there are only a limited number of hours in every day.
My goal is to bring spaces to life. I get these very specific ideas in my head, so I’ll spend a lot of time sourcing the right item to fulfill exactly what I envision. I take on a wide spectrum of projects, from single bathrooms all the way to a whole new build, with multiple clients at a time. I tailor each project to the client because they all have different needs and require different levels of involvement.
What Are Some of the Challenges You Face?
I have to stay organized so I can juggle multiple jobs at once and keep on schedule. I also have to be very productive with my time, designing and meeting with clients, because there are only a limited number of hours in every day.
What Are Some Ways You Save Time?
1. Going digital. I don’t know how I would live without technology to communicate with my team and clients. I use a calendar linked to my email that allows me to keep track of everything I do outside of the office, like client meetings and installation days. I use a project management app which allows me to delegate tasks to my assistant so we meet deadlines, and another app that allows me to draw up proposals, track my hours and invoice clients to keep payment information in one place.
2. Asking for help. Whenever I can outsource smaller tasks, I try to do that. My time is valuable to me, so I’ve gotten used to taking advantage of the resources available. One example is the Houzz Trade Program, which not only gives me discounts on products, but also an account manager who communicates with the sellers when I have product questions. She’ll also follow up with orders so I don’t spend time on hold when I need to spend time with clients.
3. Clarifying expectations. I make my initial proposal extremely thorough by outlining the scope of my involvement on the project so expectations are clear and I don’t have to worry about miscommunications leading to delays. Both myself and the client know what we are getting into when we take the project on, and the proposal also acts as a guide throughout the project, helping to keep a tight schedule. I have a general template that I created for my proposals so I’m not starting from scratch every time, but I tailor it for every individual project.
Tell us: What are your favorite ways to maximize your time? Share them with us in the Comments.
Learn more: Apply for the Trade Program here
This story was written by the Houzz Industry Marketing team.
Read more: Are You Ready to Hire? | See more Pro Tips
1. Going digital. I don’t know how I would live without technology to communicate with my team and clients. I use a calendar linked to my email that allows me to keep track of everything I do outside of the office, like client meetings and installation days. I use a project management app which allows me to delegate tasks to my assistant so we meet deadlines, and another app that allows me to draw up proposals, track my hours and invoice clients to keep payment information in one place.
2. Asking for help. Whenever I can outsource smaller tasks, I try to do that. My time is valuable to me, so I’ve gotten used to taking advantage of the resources available. One example is the Houzz Trade Program, which not only gives me discounts on products, but also an account manager who communicates with the sellers when I have product questions. She’ll also follow up with orders so I don’t spend time on hold when I need to spend time with clients.
3. Clarifying expectations. I make my initial proposal extremely thorough by outlining the scope of my involvement on the project so expectations are clear and I don’t have to worry about miscommunications leading to delays. Both myself and the client know what we are getting into when we take the project on, and the proposal also acts as a guide throughout the project, helping to keep a tight schedule. I have a general template that I created for my proposals so I’m not starting from scratch every time, but I tailor it for every individual project.
Tell us: What are your favorite ways to maximize your time? Share them with us in the Comments.
Learn more: Apply for the Trade Program here
This story was written by the Houzz Industry Marketing team.
Read more: Are You Ready to Hire? | See more Pro Tips