HOW TO START AN INTERIOR DECORATION BUSINESS IN NIGERIA

The interior decoration business is one of the popular businesses in the country at the moment. Over the years, things have changed in that aspect and individuals now seek for experts who will help them design certain places for a price. These experts help with putting the best possible designs and make a place really nice and pleasing to the eyes. The business is quite popular though it is not practiced by many which makes it a good option for any entrepreneur looking to start a business. It is lucrative and also the kind of business that will surely be around for a really long time as the industry keeps improving everyday. 

The business just like the name implies, involves decorating an indoor area to make it look really beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. This is mostly practiced in houses even though there are other places where such experts can still go about their work. Today, once houses are built, the next thing in line is getting an interior decorator to help with organizing and also making the house look very nice. If there’s a way you want your house to look, all you need to do is just get an interior decorator, inform the person of your plans and voila, you can get your dream house setting for an agreed price. 

The business not only caters for new houses as old houses can also be decorated with the help of an interior decorator. In the past, individuals didn’t do much in terms of decorating the house or maybe, they just didn’t see the need for it but as the world has changed now and with technological advancements here and there, it has become almost like a big part of organizing a house. So for individuals who probably have no decorations before or are just willing to change the way their house currently looks, they can simply do that with the help of interior decorators. They change the way the place looks and you would almost not recognize your own house. 

One of the main reason why the business is such a good idea is the fact that interior designers or decorators are very much in high demand in the country. Houses are built on a regular basis and even without building a house, some people might just want to decorate their office space, studio, restaurant and other places like that. The interior decorators help with this and also ensure that a place is designed to meet the needs of the customers. It is also worthy to note that despite this high demand for the experts from the business, it is also not widely practiced and it makes it a good business option that can bring in customers and fetch entrepreneurs high profits. When demand is good, it means there won’t be problem getting customers and you’ll also be able to make your money in no time. 

The business is also one that doesn’t really require a big capital to start. You can simply even start with just a very little amount and as you get customers, you get whatever you need and use it to produce a really nice design or decoration. You also don’t necessarily need an office space or a location where the business will be located. It can be successful run from the comfort of your home without any issues at all in getting the business underway. 

It can also be started by almost anyone provided they are well equipped with enough information and training to go about the business. You don’t need any kind of educational qualifications or prior experience though you will definitely need training to be able to pull off certain designs and to also get better at the business. Once all these criterias are met, then it won’t be a problem for anyone looking to start the business. 

Starting the business is not a really hard thing to do. You just need to be trained and then be quite versatile and follow trends to be very successful at the business. It’s something that can be operated fully from the comfort of your home and you might only need to get online presence for the business and also work to make connections and put efforts into marketing your business. 

In the next sub heads, I’ll be discussing the steps involved in starting an interior decoration business in Nigeria and some of the things that might prove useful during the course of the business to ensure that you’re doing the right thing and also making sure you’re successful at the business you’re starting. 

1. RESEARCH 

No matter what you’ve heard someone saying about a business and how well success is assured or how lucrative it would turn out, always try to do your own research. The research will not cost anything except your time and that time will prove to be well spent when the business starts and the successes starts coming in. It is important to do a thorough investigation about the business since you’re going to be investing your money into it and you’ve never been involved in the business. Some hours of research won’t hurt.

The research is always meant to give you an idea of what to expect and the challenges ahead to be faced. It teaches future entrepreneur how the business works and what success means. It shows the risks involved and the ways to tackle them. It also gives ideas on how to sustain the business and work towards more success. Imagine missing out on any of the mentioned points, it’s more like being less equipped about something especially something you plan to spend money on. 

There are experts in the business, of course, so also look to advise from these individuals as they are most likely the best bet for reliable information on the business. Take note of even the smallest things during the research period and pay close attention to how to stay and survive in the business. The research is as important as anything in the business. 

2. WRITE A BUSINESS PLAN 

A business plan needs no introduction. It is equally as important as some of the other processes or things involved in the business. After a comprehensive and thorough research has been conducted, entrepreneurs must now put all their ideas into paper after, of course, deciding to start the business. The business plan will cover things like the way you plan to operate, the cost of several things, how you plan to market your business, future projections and also contingency plans. 

The business plan serves a number of purposes. In cases where individuals might need to get investors or even get a loan, it will prove useful as it will contain all that needs to be known concerning the business. It is also going to serve as a point of reference for the proposed business

3. GET TRAINED

Before you’ll be able to carry out interior decoration plan, you’ll need to have acquired a certain level of training. Designing or decorating a place is not exactly a very easy thing to do as it involves quite a number of things as well as precision. You can either enroll in a school or a place where you can be taught or get an expert or someone who has been in the business for a while and get them to teach you. There’s also an option of learning online. You can just enroll for a course and also make use of YouTube to learn certain things about the business. 

4. CAPITAL AND LOCATION 

Like I’ve mentioned, you don’t necessarily need a location for the business and that of course eliminates the option of having a really large capital to start your business. You can simply just work from home and just meet up with potential clients at public places. Capital is pretty low as you don’t need to much things until when you’re working and the cost of that would even be paid by your client. You’ll definitely need a smartphone and/or a laptop. If you’ll also be in need of help, you can hire a few hands to help with the work. 

5. MARKETING 

You’ll need to work on your portfolio and then make connections with people in the field as well. You can meet up with real estate companies and see if they’ll be in need of your services. You’ll definitely need to create an online presence for your business. Social media is quite effective and can be used for the business. Simply create social media accounts and advertise the business through the platform. You can also encourage your customers to inform other people. Promos and discounts will also help in getting customers.