Designer Advantage

Grateful for the incredible designers who trust us to streamline their businesses! ✨

Every success story reminds us why we do what we do—so you can spend less time on admin and more time creating beautiful spaces.

“Making the decision to outsource our bookkeeping and expediting was certainly a tough one! I was concerned about not controlling these roles internally but have to say it was one of the best decisions in my 20 years in business.

They are an extension of my team, work efficiently, are very responsive, and aren’t distracted by the day-to-day interruptions of the office. During covid it has been a blessing to have two less employees on the payroll to be concerned with.

I highly recommend DA to all my design friends!”

✨ The best designs happen when you’re free to focus on your craft.

We’ll handle the rest!

Helping your clients understand the complexities of the design and order process can have a profound effect on your business!

Should I hire a bookkeeper or do it myself? ⁣
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This is a question we get quite a bit. Bookkeeping can be a stressful but necessary facet to any design business. It is important to know your own skills and competencies, and if accounting is one of them, then handling the books on your own for a small firm can be a cost-effective and rewarding solution. However, if your skillset tailors more towards the creative side (as it does for many interior designers) then we would unequivocally recommend outsourcing your bookkeeping. Additionally, if you hope to grow your business, outsourcing the bookkeeping opens up the time to bring on new clients and focus on the design side to deliver them the best project you possibly can. ⁣
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Check out how DesignerAdvantage can help with all of your bookkeeping needs with the link in our bio.

Have you established any new routines during the COVID-19 pandemic that you will incorporate into your business once things open again?

Due to the recent region-wide order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus, many vendors are working remotely or closing for the next few weeks. Check out some of the most recent vendor updates:

Question: What percentage of my employees' time spent on the job should be billed to the client – on average – assuming they are fully utilized?⁣
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Answer: Typically, we advise that 80% of a fully utilized employee’s time should be billed back to the client. Therefore, if an employee is working 40 hours a week their goal should be to bill at least 32 hours per week.⁣
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The same is true for a principal who is “hands-on” in their firm’s projects. If they are more in a “management role” and not managing the details, the goal is to bill 50% of the hours worked.

As tax season is in full force, we wanted to remind you that monthly sales tax filing is imperative for interior design firms that utilize a resale certificate. To help you prepare for your monthly filing, we wanted to remind you of the general sales tax process:⁣
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1. Collect sales tax from your client via Proposals.
2. Push proposals to invoices in your accounting file so the tax is reflected on your sales tax report.
3. Generate Monthly Sales Tax Report through your accounting software to show amount due.
4. Pay/File amount to the state by the monthly deadline

Happy Valentine’s Day from DA!

Design firms often ask us if outsourcing junior design work is profitable and manageable. We believe if you’re comfortable with billing out design time to your client, then it’s definitely profitable and gives you the ability to take on more projects.

DA is hosting a free time billing webinar on Thursday, January 30, 2020! Learn about the benefits of using a time billing model and how it can help your business thrive.

Register with the link in our bio!