Behind the Design: Yarn Design Associates – Boca Raton, FL

---

Leanne – How did you get where you are today?

Leanne Yarn: I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida and attended college at the University of Florida…go Gators! During my time in college, I interned at a prestigious interior design firm in Manhattan upon which I was offered a job at the end of the summer. I turned it down to move back to Florida (which many people close to me thought was a mistake). If I had taken that New York City path, I don’t believe I would be where I am today. I ended up working in Sarasota, FL for the area’s best luxury Home Builders. A pinnacle career move happened after my time in Sarasota with a relocation to Boca Raton, FL where I currently reside and work.

“Each job opportunity prior to working for myself I treated as a mentorship, soaking up as much information as possible. Not only did my design skills grow over the years, but I absorbed things that you learn only by experience.”

What is Yarn Design Associates’ approach to design and client interaction?

LY: Our approach to design is first evaluating the scope of work and understanding a client’s wants, needs, and personality. Design is the easy part; client interaction can be more of a challenge. We specialize in high-end residential design projects. These projects are people’s personal homes, sometimes even their dream homes. Clients’ emotions are running high and we don’t want to disappoint. Gaining a client’s trust is our most important goal and takes patience. Most of our business is referral-based which makes client interaction an easier segue into developing a strong business and personal relationship in the beginning.

You’re based in South Florida…what’s the design scene like?

LY: The South Florida design scene is all over the map. My place of business is located in Boca Raton, FL which is South of Palm Beach and North of Miami. I would say, for the most part, the overall design esthetic in what we call the “Gold Coast” is very sophisticated. Lots of retired New Yorkers and second property home owners reside here full-time and during the winters. The design scene tends to also be a bit more “flashy” than most.

Who are your favorite local vendors and people of the trade?

LY: My favorite local vendors are hands-down my mill shops. A mill shop can really make or break a final installation for me. I work with some of the most talented and experienced mill shops on the East Coast of Florida. Their lead times are accurate, their installs are clean, and when an issue arises, they come through every time. As far as people of the trade, I only buy from people who make my job easier, not more difficult.

“Continued business is the best kind of relationship to have.”

How do you maintain healthy relationships with the vendors and tradespeople you work with?

LY: I truly feel that I work with the best local tradespeople and my reps go that extra mile when I need something done. In return, I continue to give business to those who help me achieve success with my clients. Continued business is the best kind of relationship to have.

Are you a part of any association or community to stay connected to other design professionals?

LY: I stay well-connected with past employers who also served as incredible mentors for me and still do. Part of what makes me who am I as a designer today is what I’ve learned from those who gave me a chance in the beginning. Staying connected with industry leaders who have succeeded in this business for over forty years is more educational to me than any association or design certification could give me at this point in my career.

How does designing make you feel? What’s your business mantra?

LY: Design gives me that creative outlet that I need. Richard Branson has a nice quote I saw on Linkedin that I follow in business. He said, “If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”

You were selected to be part of the 2nd Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach…congratulations! We want the details. Tell us about the selection process, how you’re partnering with brands to design the space, how you’re marketing your participation, etc.

LY: Thank you! The submission process is open to any interior design firm that wants to participate in raising money for a great cause and be part of something very special. Designers are required to submit what they feel is their best portfolio image, along with a bio.

The selection process is limited and well…selective. I feel fortunate to be amongst some of the most talented designers in the industry. I like to think that that being a local designer and having history working with some major industry leaders prior to starting my own business supported my submission.

The Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach has provided all designers with some incredible sponsors this year. On top of the sponsorship, I myself have done a lot of outreach out to my tradesmen and vendors for support in supplying materials and providing additional discounts on top of trade for Show House use. We have a great Public Relations team who has been active in marketing the big event and the designers participating. I’ve also reached out to my network of resources and contacts for additional marketing opportunities.

How do you define professional success? How do you define personal success?

LY: Professional success is different for everyone. For me, starting my own interior design business was always something I had thoughts about. Each job opportunity prior to working for myself I treated as a mentorship, soaking up as much information as possible. Not only did my design skills grow over the years, but I absorbed things that you learn only by experience. I learned how to deal with difficult people, how to handle uncomfortable conversations with clients, and problem solve like never before. Returned business from former clients is probably the best kind of professional success and compliment a designer could ask for.

Personal success right now is coming home after a long day and not talking about business with my husband. That’s personal success for both of us!

Why did you choose Ivy as your software of choice to centralize your billing, purchasing, and administrative tasks?

LY: Prior to opening Yarn Design Associates, I worked for several different design firms where the day-to-day organization of bookkeeping and project management software tools were always causing human errors. Every time someone pulled a file off of the main office server, people weren’t saving the new updates, or worse, saving over files! It was an absolute nightmare. The best way I can explain Ivy is that it’s in “real time”, like Twitter. Ivy can be accessed on my PC and mobile device which is huge when I’m on the road or at a job site needing to look up something immediately.

What’s an Ivy feature you can’t live without?

LY: Getting to add product images to my Purchase Orders from vendors has allowed me to visually see what’s been ordered faster and has created less room for error on my vendor’s end. My vendors are also loving it!

What do you learn from the Ivy Design Community?

LY: Ivy offers some great online webinars. I use the industry webinars as my version of CEU, as I feel the topics are extremely current and on-trend. The webinars also include educational discussions on business, marketing, social media, and client relations.

Would you recommend Ivy to a designer friend?

LY: Yes, and I already have! It’s all about getting that ‘older generation’ of interior designers onboard with Ivy. It’s a bit of a learning curve, but long term, Ivy will help you run your business more smoothly and organized.

---

Ivy is the # 1 business management software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show how Ivy can streamline your sourcing, invoicing, and purchasing tasks so you can make time for what you love most, design.

 

Are you closing out 2018 and realizing that your taxes are still too high? It’s not too late! There is still time to make a few last minute moves to lower that tax bill. Here is a short list of topics designers should take note of in order to ease their tax woes!

Published on January 11th, 2019

---

Penalties stink! Don’t forget to make estimated tax payments.

One of the most common faux pas new independent designers make is that they often get so busy building a great business that they forget about paying taxes throughout the year. As most designers know all too well in their second year, taxes are part of the profit and just because taxes are not being withheld during the year, does not make them exempt from paying taxes on their self-employment income throughout the year. Whether you are an individual or business owner, if you expect to owe more than $1,000 in taxes for any given year, you need to be making quarterly estimated tax payments. April is not the only deadline where people must pay taxes! Next quarterly estimated tax payment deadline is January 15th, 2019.

Check out this Turbo Tax calculator that will help calculate estimated tax payments in two minutes! The reward received by completing this task well outweighs the tiny hassle of having to get it done.

Start a “business”.

Get out there on your own and design awesome stuff! Under the new tax reform laws, there are a bunch of deductions that may no longer be able to write off on Schedule A’ (the form that is used by taxpayers to report itemized deductions, which can help reduce an individual’s federal tax liability). Many items, including home office, are no longer deductible on Schedule A’ so get the proper licensing and declare yourself a business. Schedule C’ (the form to report income or (loss) from a business you operated or a profession you practiced as a sole proprietor) offers more deduction options for business owners.

Win big in Vegas this year? Dig up all those losses too…

Gambling losses are tax deductible, but only to the extent of your winnings. You would have to claim money that you won as income, but you can also deduct some of those losses! By remembering to deduct your losses against your winnings, you could in turn lower you tax bill.

Health Savings Account

Too much stress and too many doctor bills? Get an HSA to pay for that. A HSA is a tax-advantaged medical savings account available to taxpayers to pay for qualified medical expenses. There is still time to open a HSA account and contribute. You can contribute pre-tax income in an HSA for use specifically on health spending (including dental). The deadline to open and contribute is April 15th, 2019 which will offer you a tax benefit for 2018.

Do you always plan to start a college fund but never follow through? Why wait?

Setup a 529 plan for your youngsters today! It will feel good to have that perpetual ‘to-do’ off your list, and when it’s time to divide up all that money you made as a rock-star designer, the account will be there so that you can easily make a contribution at any time. Having the account open will feel great and there are also a few credit card companies, like Fidelity, that will link credit card points to your 529. Instead of always racking up miles rack for travel, stack up some funds for our future generation. Put that private school tuition on that card and finally get something back from that school you pay too much for. While the deadline for 2018 529 contributions has closed in most states, here are a few states that have extended the deadline so that you can still contribute for 2018: Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wisconsin.

And last, but definitely not the least, THE IRA

The most common deduction adjustment made during this time of year is to retirement plans. People sometimes have the tendency to wait until the year’s closing to figure out how much they should contribute. The two most common types of IRA are the Traditional and the Roth. If you are not sure which is the right option for you, talk to your tax preparer or financial advisor today. Generally speaking, if cash allows, we almost always advise that people max out their contributions every year. You can make 2018 IRA contributions until April 15, 2019.

–

Written by Marissa McKinney, Logistis

Logistis is a cloud-based accounting firm specializing in interior design. Logistis helps carry designers through the entire accounting process, from start to finish. They can set up the financial portion of your office, integrate your systems, run your payroll, prepare your taxes and offer assistance with financial planning along the way.

---

Ivy is the # 1 software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.

 

 

We met with Natasha Arselan, the Founder and CEO of AucArt, a new online art platform that empowers recently graduated artists from the UK’s top 30 universities, including City & Guilds of London Art School, Royal College of Art and Camberwell College of Arts, by sourcing and selling their works in an auction-style or “buy now” purchasing process that takes place exclusively online, eliminating the need for real estate space and increasing the amount of artists that can be shown simultaneously

Inspired by her years of travel to the biggest art fairs and festivals around the world, Arselan recognized the challenges and disadvantages for young artists to launch their careers and land their work in major collections. AucArt gives early artists a chance to showcase their early works online to an international audience. Arselan shares how the AucArt process works, the importance of investing in the early years of an artist, and how to remedy hesitations to purchase artwork.

---

Natasha, how did you get where you are today?

Natasha Arselan: I live in London (soon to be between there and New York), and am originally from Essex, the suburbs of London. I have lived in Tel Aviv and Berlin. I don’t think there’s such thing as a ‘career move’, it’s a journey. I began my journey studying musical theatre – I quickly learnt the performance artist life was not for me. Following my studies in interdisciplinary arts, I got my MA in Art and Cultural Management while simultaneously working in various pockets of the art world including galleries, curatorial pursuits, and art journalism trying to find myself. There were a number of encounters I found unnerving  so I began creating a model that would incorporate all of the aspects I did love about the art world. And so, this model, AucArt, was launched in December of 2017!

What’s AucArt all about?

NA: AucArt is about discovering and owning artworks by the next generation of artists FIRST. We connect pre-emerging artists directly with clients, giving them access to purchase directly from the artist studio. By creating an accessible channel for pre-emerging art, you’re able to purchase the work at its lowest price point while also supporting the artists themselves from the earliest point in their careers. Investing in artists early in their career is a win / win situation.You get to own beautiful artwork while also supporting the artist’s journey from the beginning – helping them reach the next phase of their career. 

“It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve assisted an artist build their career.”

How did the idea of AucArt come to be?

NA: AucArt was born from various different experiences I had working in the art world. I’ll share with you the main experience that led me to begin the build: An artist in his final year of his Fine Art MA (at a prestigious London art school) who I had previously worked with on a curatorial project called me one day and asked me to come to his studio. He had no money to finish his final year project and asked me to buy a work. I, with limited funds but a strong passion for collecting art, went to the studio – it was like Aladdin’s cave I thought – why can’t everyone have access to this opportunity?! I bought a work and he’s gone on to do brilliantly well. It’s a great feeling to know that you’ve assisted an artist build their career similar to a traditional ‘art patron’. I have a fantastic artwork that is now worth at least 300% it’s value. Rather than building a gallery model that can only look after a limited number of artists at a time, I wanted to create a democratized and transparent platform that could support an increasing number of the pre-emerging artists.

What makes the AucArt auction experience unique?

NA: You cannot find a curated selection from top art school graduates from the most exciting periods in their careers (their final year through three years post-graduation) anywhere else in the world online or offline! We source and curate the talent from the top art schools and create a selection for you to browse from wherever you are in the world. You can choose how you’d like to purchase, for example, if you click ‘buy now’ should you not wish to bid and wait for auction to close, we will have the work shipped to you anywhere in the world usually within a week of purchase. It’s quite extraordinary.

What is your criteria for featuring a new artist?

NA: They have to be within their final year of art school or within 3 years of graduation (BA & MA). The work has to demonstrate consistency whether it be in aesthetic or subjective. Some artists bring new innovative mediums and so far we have focused mainly on 2d works. A creditable CV is always a plus.

Based on your experience, how do your customers (designers & collectors) typically search for the ‘right’ piece of art?

NA: Different clients search for different elements in the work, that’s what’s so great. Some of our designers and collectors look at the aesthetics including size, palette, mood, how the art work will compliment/fit other elements within the interior, and how the colors will enhance other aspects of the environment and mood of the interior. Others look at the subject matter – does the artwork take you somewhere else (in your imagination), does the work make you feel, does it remind you of something, someone, somewhere? Others look for more experimental mediums such as 2d works you can hang on the on the wall that are not paintings that may be more sculptural.

“Living in the presence of original artworks is priceless.”

In your experience, why do people hesitate to purchase art for their residence? Do you have some words of advice to remedy that feeling?

NA: It’s usually the first purchase that causes the most hesitation because they haven’t invested in artwork before (or bought work online). Once they’ve dived in with their first purchase and the work has arrived and they are in the presence of the piece, the hesitation instantly disappears. A large number of our clients are already returning clients. It’s about trusting yourself and following your instinct. I often have new clients saying things like, “I don’t know enough”. You don’t need to know, you need to feel. Living in the presence of original artworks is priceless. In regards to buying from a PDF, the works 99% of the time are always better in real-life, so if you like the work as a JPEG, you’ll love the work in the flesh.

How do you typically work with interior designers?

NA: Interior designers and design studios will purchase independently through the site. Alternatively, if they are searching for something more specific, they will send their requirements to one of our team specialists at specialist@aucart.com for assistance commissions and tailored selections.

Can you offer interior designers tips of best practices for sourcing art for client projects?

NA: It’s all about understanding the needs and vision of an interior designer. It’s crucial to understand what a designer is trying to achieve on behalf of their client, and, matching these points with artworks that answer those questions.

In your opinion, why should artists and clients use your platform?  

NA: AucArt’s mission is like Ivy’s for artists and clients. Our software is there to make our users’ lives easier! In three clicks you can purchase an artwork that’s delivered to you. Why would you want to make more work for yourself? That’s why we’ve created seamless systems to allow clients’ experiences to be nothing but enjoyable and creative without having to worry about the practicalities.

What’s next for AucArt?

NA: It’s just the beginning (AucArt turned one in December)! We’ve proven that AucArt is a much needed and desired platform by both our clients and our artists. We are focusing on growth going into year two, growing our roster of artists, inventory of artworks, and our client base! We also have some exciting partnerships in the pipeline. Sign up to AucArt to get the latest news first (it’s free!).

---

Ivy is the # 1 software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.

 

 

‘Tis the season for Las Vegas Market! This January 2019, make the most out of your Market experience. In-between your vendor appointments, take the time to explore the educational programming out there to keep you informed on how to make the right decisions for your business.

Eager to meet the Ivy Team? Check out our Las Vegas Market programming below. For questions, please email Reisa with subject line “Ivy at LVMKT” to reisa@ivy.co. See you at Market!

---

Book Your Appointment, Get Special Pricing

Book an Ivy demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how the Ivy software allows you to manage your billing, purchasing, and administrative tasks in one place. In your appointment, take 20 minutes to learn how Ivy can empower you to maximize your business potential, including:

• Streamlining your workflow
• Developing project management efficiencies
• Increasing your profitability

Book Sunday, January 27

Book Monday, January 28

Book Tuesday, January 29

Designers who book an appointment with Ivy at Market get access to special market pricing. Spots are filling up, book a time fast!

These terms apply.

Ivy Panel | Creative Business Strategies to BOOST Your Profitability

Get inspired by industry leaders’ innovative business strategies! You’ll leave with key insights and secrets you can apply to your business. This panel discussion will cover:

• Branding and marketing strategies
• The truth about passive income
• Best practices for project management efficiencies
• Goal-setting for 2019

RSVP FOR PANEL HERE

When: Sunday, January 27 at 3pm

Where: Building C Seminar Room, C174

Space is extremely limited. RSVP while you still can.

 

Tax time is difficult enough to get through without the burden of providing additional information to your bookkeeper. When it comes to running a design business, most of your day to day activities are recorded with bills for products and invoices that you either receive or send out to clients. The other activities such as meals, office supplies, business gifts and fees that you need to run your business often require an intentional effort to track those expenses. These expenses and other tips can help save you money when it comes to tax time. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite tips that can make your tax time less stressful and save you money!

---

Receipt Management

Keeping track of your receipts is always a chore for any business.  Over the course of the year, we collect a lot of documents and receipts can get out of control quickly if they are not processed in a timely manner. The purpose of good receipt management  is two-fold:

1-Ensure that you capture all the expenses you have incurred through the year

2-Have documentation for the IRS in case of an audit

One of the best ways to store the documents is to scan the receipts for digital storage. Depending on the type of expense the IRS requires receipts to be kept for anywhere between four to seven years.

Additionally, I like to add notes on my receipts so that I can reference back the purpose. Examples would be the name of the client, the business discussed, and the category the receipt should relate to.  Examples of categories would be meals, office supplies, fabric purchased, and travel.

Early Bill Pay

Bills that are not paid sounds obvious, but not so much in the Interior Design industry. Expenses that you may have for unfinished projects might be waiting for you to pay them at the end of the year. If you have the cash, it will benefit you to pay the bills to take the tax deduction. Often we are hesitant to pay the bill because we are waiting for the project to finish or waiting for payment from the client. If you are sitting on these unpaid bills, this money will help you save money at tax time by reducing your net income and thus your tax bill.

Employee Bonuses

The holidays are a great time to give a bonus to your staff. Review the payroll and see if you can add in some holiday bonus or project related bonus. Make sure that the bonus gets to the employee before the end of the year.  The payroll feature in QuickBooks Online (QBO) makes it easy to run a bonus payroll, and you can select net check or gross check, and it calculates all the taxes for you. Adding in extra payroll will reduce your net income for the company and thus, reduce your taxes.

Credit Card Expenses

If you use a company credit card, connect it to QBO to download all the transactions. Charging expenses on a credit card before the end of the year will make them deductible for that tax year.  The beauty of connecting QBO to your bank is that it retrieves all the transactions to be categorized and enables a more transparent view of the expenses in real time.

Business activities, for the most part, are deductible to the company. However, certain cases arise that are misleading and are non-deductible items. Let us take a look at a couple of examples:

Bad Debt

Check with your tax preparer to find out the basis on which you report your taxes: the cash basis or the accrual basis for tax return requirements. If your company is on a cash basis, then you will not be allowed to deduct bad debt. On the cash basis, you report income when money is received and expenses when the money is spent. When a client fails to pay an invoice, then there is no collection of funds; thus, the revenue is not reported and is not claimed as bad debt.

Sales Tax

The rules on sales tax are getting more and more complicated each day. Products are taxable, and now some services are also taxable. When you pay the state for the sales tax you have collected, this is not deductible. The process is as such: sales tax is charged to the customer, received on behalf of the state agency and then the amount you collected is remitted to the state agency. The collection and remittance of tax are known as a pass through. Reach out to your local accounting professional if you need help on determining the taxability of your company products and services.

Additional Tips

At the end of the year is a difficult time to take on new projects. However, if you need tax deductions then think of things that the company may need to reduce the tax bill. Some of those deductions could fall onto this list:

Advertising

Website creation or revamping

Content articles or Social Media Content

Sample purchases for products

Motor vehicle repairs

Office repairs

New office equipment

The above is just a sample of some items that can be purchased at the end of the year to help reduce the tax bill. As always consult your tax advisor on the best way to achieve these tax deductions. Remember documentation, working with your software to help streamline the capture of the expenses, and finally looking around at the needs of the company will save you time and money come tax time.

To learn more about getting started with a QuickBooks Online account, connect with your Ivy Account Manager, Matthew Jacocks, here.

About the Author:

Jan Haugo owns JH & Associates based out of Scottsdale, AZ  Jan has 20 years of experience working in accounting for companies such as Michael Ferguson Interiors, Valerianne of Scottsdale and Revitaliste.  The goal of her firm is to offer guidance, long-term vision, and goal oriented accounting using real-time information in a collaborative environment.

 

Behind the Design: Ivy Design Firm Praed Projects – Chicago, IL

---

David – how did you get where you are today?

David Hopkins: I went to school (many moons ago) for Interior Design. At the time, there was a tiny little elite school on Michigan Avenue called Harrington Institute of Interior Design which had been founded in the mid 1930’s by Lady Harrington. It was hella peculiar, but perfect. Sadly, after I left, it got sold to a corporation, gutted out, made crappy, and bankrupted. Fresh out of design school, I worked with a wonderful woman named Lisa Abeln; it was just she and I and she taught me so much about how to actually be a designer. This was also back in the days of limited internet (hello, catalogues!) and QuickBooks Desktop, but I really owe her a debt of gratitude. After four years, I moved to a very high-end firm where I worked for over 10 years and was lucky enough to work under Robert Klingel. Robert also taught me enormous amounts over the years and I credit him for really helping me to succeed in my current business. After Robert retired a few years ago, Aaron Miller, a fellow Robert and I worked with, decided to join forced and founded Praed Projects about a year and a half ago.

What is Praed Projects’ approach to design and client interaction?

DH: We both started this company with a vision that we wanted to push out into the world. All of our clients become important to us, and many of them consider us to be like family. Right now, the design world is trying to find our cumulative footing for the next 20 years. With online shopping, lifestyle TV, and social media, the awareness of having a well designed home and an enviable ‘lifestyle’ is very present. Unfortunately, the same streams of information are kneecapping our ability to make a living using traditional means. This has completely changed our approach to design and to our clients; meaning that we are very transparent with sourcing and will show a wide variety of resources to people. It has also made us more flexible as a firm and we have seen a dramatic increase in how much we can get done for a client with the same amount of budget.

Aaron Miller is your co-founder at Praed Projects…how do you manage tasks between the two of you?

DH: Each of us have our strengths and we tend to divide and conquer. We try to start each creative project in a collaborative way, then, we delegate between us and to our staff to see the projects to fruition. That has been one of our major stumbling points as we have grown and we are constantly trying to figure out ways to stay more on top of what we are each supposed to be doing. Running a small business comes with wearing many hats…Aaron is ‘director of staffing’, which means he knows how to submit payroll hours to the financial guy and I am ‘director of communications’ which means I am capable of creating pop-up reminders to call people back. The other day I also became the ‘chief technology officer’ when I fixed the printer (that was out of paper).

You’re based in Chicago…who are your favorite local vendors and people of the trade?

DH: We are lucky to have the Merchandise Mart here along with some terrific local folks. We tend to buy a lot of mass market and vintage upholstered pieces and have them re-done locally in our own fabrics. Molly Quinlan at Eli Wyn Upholstery is the lady we turn to to make that magic happen. We also love Meaghan Leavy at Home Carpet One, which is a small neighborhood carpet and tile showroom that has really great in-stock items. The fellow that does the buying for it has a great aesthetic. We also love the auctions at Leslie Hindman and Susanins…we tend to buy and inventory art and accessories from them to use later in projects.

How do you maintain healthy relationships with the vendors and tradespeople you work with?

DH: People respond to two things: pay your bills on time…and know their names. Sheryl, a person on our team, will know the first name of every single person working on a job site and I am amazed at what people will do for her. We also try and acknowledge that most vendors only hear when things go wrong, but never when things go right…and counteract that with thank you notes and images of installed pieces.

Have you acquired any designer certifications? Are you a part of any association or community to stay connected to other design professionals?

DH: We all love the Ivy Designer Facebook Group. Sometimes, just reading that firms are struggling with some of the same exact things we struggle with makes it somehow feel better.

How does designing make you feel? What’s your business mantra?

DH: Our most rewarding projects are those that we feel are really done – when the space is furnished, all of the white tags are cut off of the ends of the lamps cords, and the dining room buffet is full of perfect napkins just waiting to be used. We don’t think that clients are hiring us to just design for them…we are setting up a lifestyle for them. We have moved a bachelor from an odd family-oriented condo to an ego building three story timber loft (which made him very popular with the ladies) and helped a couple relocate from their cherished home full of stairs to a single floor co-op that will serve them for the rest of their life. Those are the moments when we can sit back and feel like we really did an extraordinary job.

In moments of clients dilemmas or design block, how do you pick yourself back up?

DH: That is where a good business partner comes in handy. At least once a week, we talk each other off of a ledge or from making a bad knee jerk reaction. There are also moments when we just fail at a project, like our infamous ‘green room’ incident. I picked out paint colors after dark (and after a couple of martinis). We are known for some bold color choices, but even the painter called me up to double check that he had the right color…and it was just dreadful. Every component that got installed in the room made the green even more jarring, until we had to call up the client and admit defeat. That was one painting bill I was happy to pay off.

What’s your strategy to capture the eyes of key editors for quality coverage?

DH: Somehow we have gotten quite a bit of coverage; I was featured in the The New York Times and we have had coverage in a few magazines just because of a writer we know. However, Aaron and I have decided that hiring a publicist and putting together an actual marketing plan is the next key step to our growth.

Do you regularly attend trade markets and conferences? If so, which ones and what’s your strategy?

DH: I went to High Point Market about ten years ago and continually say, “Oh, I need to do that again”.

How do you define professional success? How do you define personal success?

DH: For both of us, to be able to make a living from a creative field is amazing. Our five year goal is to have a company that can stand on its own and not be reliant on the two of us. Both of us realize that design changes constantly so we want to keep fresh young opinions around us to keep us from ‘aging out’ of things. I used to have a mantra to ‘define my own personal success’, and it was straight out of an episode of MTV cribs. I lost those desires 15 or 20 years ago, and, I’m still trying to figure out what I think that means.

Why did you choose Ivy as your software of choice to centralize your business management needs?

DH: We were trying to use only QuickBooks, and we were getting further and further behind with all of our projects. I had tried to use a competitor program previously and hated how heavy the front end is. Ivy makes it fast and easy to present concepts and then flesh things out later if need be. We also, as design savvy folks, loved how clean the interface was for anything client-facing. We actually gave our graphic designer print-outs of our Ivy invoices and tear sheets to make sure Praed Project’s brand identity was complimentary to Ivy’s paperwork.

What’s an Ivy feature you can’t live without?

DH: The Ivy Product Clipper. I love the fact that I can browse around the Internet for one project. While I’m sourcing for one project, I can see something perfect for another project, clip, and tag that product to a different client. It makes it possible to get so much done. Even if I come back to the product later and the size is off, or, it doesn’t work for the budget, it at least gives us a starting point to look for an alternate.

---

Ivy is the # 1 software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.

 

 

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, our elves are filling up your Ivy stocking with a one-of-a-kind purchase order guide, and guess what? It’s filled with delicious best practice surprises inside!

via GIPHY

Save time by getting your addresses in order

Why spend energy repeatedly adding different addresses to your POs when there are so many ways to better utilize your time? The address tab under your account settings is going to save you that time by allowing you to add your most frequently used addresses. These addresses will later populate in your projects and POs. So, if you repeatedly use a receiving warehouse, a fabricator, or your working with custom furniture you can store the addresses you need for purchase orders here. Ivy spares you the repetitive administrative tasks so you can spend your time doing other fun things like gift wrapping, snuggling, or baking cookies for Santa.

There’s no such thing as TMI

Okay, there is, but not when it comes to your purchase order information. When you add a product to your library either via the Ivy Clipper or manually in your product library, add as much information as possible. Ivy automatically separates what is client facing and vendor facing. When you edit a product you have the space to add a specific vendor description that will only appear on your purchase orders.

You can also add a vendor description when using the Ivy Clipper.

The first rule of PO is…ALWAYS start with a proposal!

When managing your projects on Ivy, it’s so important to always start with a proposal.

Here’s why:

• You need a starting point

You can use proposals to see the total cost of the product that you are specifying and create your tear sheets, budgets, and more.

• You’ll be able to see your entire product’s life cycle!

Once your purchase order is created you will notice that only the vendor facing information will show there. When you start with a proposal it allows you to manage and see the product throughout the course of its life cycle. You’ll see it move from a proposal to a purchase order or an invoice. You’ll clearly see your selling vs. purchasing cost and your resulting profit.

• Proposals help you protect yourself.

Ivy allows you to collect a deposit on proposals, and we highly recommend that you collect as much money up front before paying your vendor. Protect yourself!

After collecting payment on your proposal,  you should convert your proposal into a PO, so you can begin the purchasing process and receive the finalized cost from your vendor.  You’ll notice that all of your vendor-facing product details, such as your product title, vendor, SKU, manufacture, and vendor description will all transfer over to the purchase order automatically.

Did you know?  You have the ability to drag and drop items and organize them according to a specific order when editing purchase orders in Ivy

.

Ivy tip! When handling cost changes between proposals and POs, start with the proposal. The proposal is a flexible document and is meant to show estimated costs.  If your vendor changes the cost you originally presented on the proposal, you’ll want to reflect that change in price in the invoicing phase. Create an invoice for the item from the original proposal and change the cost on the invoice. Add shipping cost and bill your client for the difference.

Track money in and money out

Ivy allows you to track money in and money out as it pertains to a project. Let’s say your collecting $1,000 for a rug when $700 is the base price, which is going to the vendor. If you don’t create a PO, it will appear that you are collecting $1,000 in income, when in fact you are only making $300 on that item and the only way to reflect that is through a PO. So, even if you don’t send a purchase order to your vendor it is imperative that you make purchase orders for every single thing you purchase and track your money in and money out. It is the only way to truly understand your profitability.

Related content: How Designers Save Hours of Time Using These 5 Ivy Features

Make a payment online!

Verify that your vendor takes online payments through Ivy. You can simply click “Make a Payment” enter your credit card info and submit your payment online via Ivy. If your vendor doesn’t accept payments via Ivy you can manually record a payment, which is crucial to understanding where your project stands financially. Always record the payment you are making, and always create a purchase order.

Trick:  When you receive the vendor invoice, upload it as an attachment to your purchase order. Centralize your workflow. Add everything to one system! Make sure your purchase order matches your vendor invoice EXACTLY.

Make it pretty

You can convert your PO into a beautiful, and professional looking PDF.

Know where you stand

By clicking VIEW document timeline you’ll be able to see when your purchase order stands. For example: when you sent your purchase order as well as when the vendor received or opened it.

Add additional notes for your vendor

Under the Memo section. When you edit your purchase order you will see a section called “Memo to be displayed on the purchase order:” this is where you should place any additional shipping information you feel is necessary like no weekend or Friday delivery. When your vendor opens up the purchase order that you send they will see the memo info at the bottom.

Quick tip!  You can save time by defining your default exceptions In the project settings.  Click on “Edit Project”, scroll down and click on “Additional settings” so you can set project specific memos and emails. So, if you have one client that doesn’t want Friday/weekend delivery you can set that on the project level. Now this will populate on every single purchase order for that project.

Put a little bit of you in your email messages

When you send a PO via email your vendor’s email is automatically populated for you and you can actually BCC yourself or add a specific reply to. So, if you have an expeditor who is handling all of your POs you can set the default reply to that specific person and bcc him/her or yourself to get a copy of the email. You also have a default message that will be sent that you can edit in your account settings and make it more personal.

Merge your purchase orders

Instead of sending many different purchase orders to a single vendor Ivy allows you to merge them into one. You can merge unpaid, open purchase orders in the same project. So, if you have more than one purchase order for a specific project make sure to make things easier for your vendor (and more organized for yourself) by merging all POs into one.

View your PO list across all projects

We highly recommend that you use the “All Projects” tab. It’s an amazing tool which gives you a holistic view of all your documents and payments across all of your projects. Click on Projects and navigate to “All Projects” here you will find a global view of all of your documents for your projects. Click on the “Purchase Orders” tab to see a list of all purchase orders across your projects. You can use the search bar to search for a specific vendor.

Create dedicated purchase order reports

Leverage Ivy’s Reports section to pull specific purchase order reports for your company. Select the “Purchase Orders” reports and choose the dates you would like to generate the report for. You can see all dates or choose a custom date. You can pull a report for all projects or for a specific project, and, you can select all vendors or a specific vendor. Plus, you can segment your report according to status (paid, partially paid, open etc.).

Close your PO when YOU’RE ready

When to close a PO is an internal decision that is totally up to you. Many designers close the purchase order once the item has been confirmed, shipped, or installed in the client’s home. The best practice here is for you to do what you feel is best.

Ask the community

Our community is our most powerful resource! Leverage it to ask absolutely anything you want whenever you want.

Of course, we’re always here to help you every step of the way! If you have more questions about purchase orders make sure to email our support team at support@ivy.co.

Purchase orders are such an integral part of Ivy and your workflow. Make sure you implement the best practices in this guide so you can make the most out of them. PO PO PO! Merry Christmas!

 

Behind the Design: Ivy Design Firm Design Alchemy – Sacramento, CA

---

How did you get where you are today?

Deborah Costa: Wow, how long do you have? In short, I started designing video game studios for entertainment giants Sony and Sega in the late ‘80s. Since the industry was in its infancy, there was an extreme shortage of developers so creating the coolest/hippest development studios possible was imperative to attract, and maintain, talent. I spent a decade working with immensely talented individuals (like Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Michael Jordan, and MTV) and was able to push the limits of creativity and travel the globe. However, raising a family while working crazy hours and traveling constantly didn’t mix well so I left the corporate world to focus on residential design and have never looked back.

My daughter, Kristine, started accompanying me on projects around the age of three so she’s been in and around the industry for over 25 years. Even as a toddler, she found design intriguing and loved watching spaces transform. Her father is a General Contractor so she’s been fully immersed in the business since birth. While in college, she lived in Rome and travelled throughout Europe soaking up the history and architecture. After obtaining her BA, she relocated to Southeast Asia on a Fulbright Grant and spent the majority of her free time seeking out furniture manufacturers and suppliers throughout region. Upon her return to the States, we joined forces and we’ve been partners now for six years.

You are a dynamic mother-daughter team…how did that happen exactly?

DC: I had a thriving design practice in the Sacramento area for 20 years but was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Kristine was anxious to build a practice and to continue to work with the sources and suppliers she had built during her travels, so joining forces was a natural progression. We’ve always had a very tight relationship and it seemed natural to team up. The results have been beyond our wildest dreams.

Where does your relationship as business partners end and as family begin?

DC: We aren’t sure we do separate the two. We both live and breathe design and are constantly seeking new inspiration, strategies and opportunities. Our work is our passion and we feel immensely blessed to be able to share our wins/losses, trials/tribulations and inspirations with each other. There is no one we trust more and we know, without a doubt, that we always have each other’s back.

What’s the design scene like in Sacramento? Who are your favorite vendors and tradespeople to work with in Sacramento, CA?

DC: We are fortunate to be able to work in a variety of locations. We have many clients in the San Francisco/Bay Area and Southern California so we visit the design showrooms in SF, Los Angeles and Laguna frequently. Many of our clients also have second homes in amazing places so we venture to Lake Tahoe, the coast, and Mexico pretty regularly and try to source locally as much as possible.

In Sacramento, we’ve got a family of incredibly talented woodworkers, painters, metalworkers, contractors, plumbers and other subs that we work with constantly and will travel with us to complete projects.

Sacramento is truly up and coming and we are proud to be part of its growth. We only work by referral so our clients have already seen our work and trust in our vision. This makes it easier to push the limits of their comfort zone to develop environments that are more progressive than what other firms would typically design.

We are also lucky to have a huge community of artisans to collaborate with on all of our projects. This link is imperative to creative fresh spaces. Our shop is located in the Antique and Design Center in East Sacramento and some of our favorite sources are also our neighbors. The Ruralist sources the best collection of unique home and garden bespoken items while Sekula’s Antiques specializes in high-end art, books, and collectibles. We also partner with Ali from Kechmara Designs to supply us with unique Moroccan rugs and trinkets.

What’s your business mantra? How does designing make you feel?

DC: Creating spaces that make people happy is everything. Home is very important to us and we need to live and work in spaces that inspire and ground us. We feel blessed that we can do the same for others. We know we are not solving world peace or developing a cure for cancer. However, we do our best to create peace in our client’s homes and develop spaces where people can truly relax, reflect, love and grow.

You have a retail store as well….tell us about that!

DC: Our ever-evolving store…yep, we’ve had a retail shoppe for about five years now. It’s actually our favorite place to shop. We buy treasures we love at market, through our travels, from our local craftspeople…whatever we just have to introduce to our clients and community.

When we were in Provence last Fall, we connected with an amazing soap manufacturer who creates the most unique blocks of soap that we now use in every project. While at Maison-Objet, we connected with a terrific chair line out of Spain, a linen line from Portugal, and a textile line from Africa made by a village of women who were abused by their family members and are now supporting themselves through craftwork.

We also design furniture for a manufacturer in India that sells to mass merchandisers. We would spend time at the plant in India, then, the pre-production versions of our products would be shipped to us for review and editing prior to production–we were developing quite an inventory. It seemed logical to display these items on our show floor along with the other vintage pieces we picked up while in India and Indonesia.

When it is time to style a project, we pull primarily from our store inventory. Since we don’t purchase anything for our shoppe that we don’t love, it’s easy for us to find special pieces to accessorize a project.

How do you discover new and inspiring finds that can be used for client projects?

DC: Travel, travel, travel! It’s imperative for us to visit boutique hotels, hip restaurants, and new geographies to keep our projects fresh and evolving. This doesn’t have to be expensive…we hit up happy hours, browse lobbies, request room tours from hotel staff, utilize hotel tonight, connect with local designers, research extensively before leaving, and focus on “where the locals go” instead of the tourist attractions. We utilize airline points accumulated through product purchases on credit cards to help minimize expenses (you’d be shocked at how quickly the points build up).

We also subscribe to a variety of fashion, décor, and travel magazines to stay on top of trends and news and purchase 2-3 new design hard copy books each month to share with each other. There’s nothing better than a morning cup of joe while flipping through the pages of an inspiring publication.

As designers, why do you prioritize High Point Market over other markets?

DC: Although High Point is harder to get to than some international shows we frequent (and the hotel scene is less than desirable), we consider it a must. So many of our favorite domestic suppliers only show at High Point and many of them have manufacturing facilities in the area. Since we have to sit in every piece of upholstery we source, High Point makes our job so much easier.

We make it a practice to attend numerous regional markets, Las Vegas Market, and one international market each year as well. We try to incorporate design showrooms, notable home décor stores, boutique hotels, and art galleries into our market visits to make the most of each experience.

Tell us about your upcoming road trip down to Savannah, Georgia…

DC: We’ve been wanting to take a road trip to the South for a few years now but the timing hasn’t been right. This is the year! We’ve been researching Savannah and Charleston for two years and have a myriad of historical houses, hotels, structures, shoppes, neighborhoods and craftspeople that we can’t wait to explore.

Your Instagram is beautiful…how much time do you dedicate towards Instagram and other content marketing efforts?

DC: Oh boy, Instagram is a double edged-sword. We understand that it links us to the world but it’s very difficult for us to dedicate the time we know we need to to present the image we’d like to project. We are incredibly busy with our clients and barely have time to stay on top of our day-to-day business. We feel like one of us has to control our social media presence because it is our voice and aesthetic that is presented. Therefore, we do our best to post regularly and engage with our audience as much as possible. In short, we’d like to spend more time, but our clients have to come first.

What’s your business model?

DC: There are three segments to our business:

1) Interior design practice: We work on large scale residential projects, boutique hotels, and select commercial properties. Our typical projects are in the $500k- $3m range.

2) Retail shop: We curate our shop with items that we love and look for opportunities to showcase local artisans and craftsmen who are not yet mainstream.

3) Specialty Rentals and Home Staging: We have a 10k warehouse full of furniture and accessories that we utilize to stage vacant homes and furnish specialty events throughout Northern California. Our crew of design assistants and movers stage 2-3 vacant homes per week.

Why did you choose Ivy as your software of choice for your business management needs

DC: We chose Ivy because of its ease of integration into our practice. The other packages we’ve utilized in the past were cumbersome and required a great deal of back office support and training. We also like the ease at which we are able to integrate it with QuickBooks Online.

How has Ivy transformed your design business?

DC: Ivy’s easy to implement tracking system allows our design and warehouse personnel to seamlessly monitor projects. We are much more organized and informed about the status of our orders.

What’s an Ivy feature you can’t live without?

DC: The Ivy Product Clipper is indispensable. It makes the sourcing process more organized and streamlined.

What have you learned from the Ivy Design Community?

DC: The Ivy community is terrific. The support that the designers offer each other is invaluable especially since our business can sometimes be very isolating.

Photography by Stephanie Russo

---

Ivy is the # 1 software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.

 

This November, Ivy Designers inspire us with the festive and creative ways they get ready for the holiday season.

---

Ivy Design Firm Design Shop Interiors

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqulPGgHw87/

Ivy Design Firm JTW Design

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBvsX-FoF0/

Ivy Design Firm Mindy Laven

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq2l_4kF1JX/

Ivy Design Firm Meredith Rodday Design

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq5CedeAdo_/

Ivy Design Firm Christopher Kennedy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqeBV4IlZ_J/

Ivy Design Firm vestige HOME

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq0Mhm6jGJ1/

Ivy Design Firm Lindye Galloway Interiors

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrBpoamF1nJ/

Ivy Design Firm Relativity Textiles

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7etsLFj0d/

Ivy Design Firm Peppeard Design

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq7hVR7lGdW/

---

Ivy is the the # 1 software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.

So many of our fabulous designers have yet to uncover one of our greatest resources, the Discover Network. Ivy’s Discover Network (accessed by clicking the “Discover” icon in the navigation panel) is a great way to connect with professionals like bookkeepers, 3D renderers, and purchasing agents, which in turn can help you increase your revenues and take your design business to the top. Learn all about how you can leverage the world of purchasing agents in this article.

Starting with the basics, what are purchasing agents?

Purchasing agents are people or companies that offer to buy goods or property on behalf of another party. In the design business, purchasing agents can serve as a useful tool for designers because they have built long-term relationships with vendors which allows them to offer designers various products for extremely competitive prices.  

How can a designer open an account with a trade vendor?

Opening an account with a trade vendor is not exactly the easiest task. Trade vendors have their own rules for how they like to do business. Often times they will only work with designers that have a brick and mortar location or a showroom. Why? It’s simple, they want their goods shown on their floor, and want their products to be bought in bulk. In addition, they will usually ask for a large stocking order like a minimum opening order of $25,000 (or more) or require yearly minimums, which can be nearly impossible and frustrating for small firms or independent designers. However, there are many designers out there that don’t have the capability to commit to those terms, which is exactly where purchasing agents come in.

What do purchasing agents have to do with it?

Purchasing agents are able to work with designers who are not able to get trade accounts. They get good pricing because they established business relationships with many vendors, giving Ivy designers access to accounts they may have never had access to before.

How to connect with Ivy’s purchasing agents

Purchasing agents on Ivy have accounts with many vendors and will sell to Ivy designers through their accounts. Here’s what you need to do to start connecting with purchasing agents on Ivy.

• Click on the “Discover” section on Ivy
• Find any professionals you are searching for (purchasing agents, bookkeepers who work with QuickBooks, 3D rendering, etc)
• Search for a vendor you are looking to work with

Once you’ve searched for a vendor, a list of purchasing agents will appear. You can always see the different lines Ivy purchasing agents carry by clicking on their profiles. Easily contact any of the purchasing agents by clicking on the “Contact” button and send out a quote.

Quick tip!  When getting started, send out multiple quotes and find out which purchasing agents have the best prices for you.

What does a designer have to do to work with a purchasing agent?

Once a designer chooses a purchasing agent he/she can contact them through the discovery link.

Recommended practice: Send as much information as possible about the product! Add information on the item number, fabric grade, the finish, a photo, a link to the vendor’s website, literally all the information you can send. That way the purchasing agent can quickly find the information/pricing and send out a proposal.

Placing an order with a purchasing agent is really easy. All you have to do is send a purchase order with the item details and pay your agent online via Ivy.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if an item is damaged upon delivery?

Unfortunately, damages can happen often. Purchasing agents will do everything in their power to get your items replaced. However, vendors will often try to fix the product rather than replace it.

What can you do if an item is damaged upon delivery?

• Photos, photos, photos! Take lots of photos from every angle.
• If it appears that the packing has been compromised it needs to be inspected right then and there.
• Always keep the original packaging. If the item is not returned in the original package you will not be able to file a claim with the agent or the vendor.
• If you ship to a receiving warehouse, make sure to develop a great working relationship with your receiver and ask them to inspect your package immediately upon delivery and take photos if needed.

How does the tracking work?

As soon as people place an order they want to be able to instantly track it. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t happen that way. Tracking varies according to the vendor. Some vendors will ship out the next day while other vendors can ship the product after a month. While not all vendors send tracking information, purchasing agents will keep designers in the loop by forwarding them the shipping emails they do receive. Designers can always call the purchasing agent to ask tracking related questions.

Do you have to have a receiver to purchase through a purchasing agent?

This depends on the vendor and product. If you order furniture, yes you should have a receiver. It’s always best to send products through a receiver before sending directly to a client. You want someone to inspect the items before they reach the client’s house.

The purchasing agents on Ivy are an incredible resource for designers. By leveraging this resource, both designers and purchase agents empower each other to strengthen, grow, and enhance their businesses.  

---

Ivy is the # 1 business management software for designers. To learn more about Ivy, schedule a demo with an Ivy Guru who can show you how designers use Ivy to streamline their workflow and make more time for what they love, design.