It all starts with solid systems. Today, Luz Perez Brown, of Willow and Jax, will give you a peek inside her recent project with J. Reiko Design + Co. She explains how you can make your business looks insanely professional and your clients feel seen and cared for every step of the way with client-focused systems and processes. Keep scrolling to pick up a few tips from Luz and peep some of Jenny’s beautiful design!

When interior designer Jenny Murphy of J. Reiko Design + Co reached out to us at Willow & Jax, she was looking for a better way to communicate with clients and to update the bootstrapped elements of her business that no longer served her. Specifically — she wanted systems that were buttoned up, consistent, and saved precious time. She’d purchased a big brand’s designer-specific templates in the past but wasn’t thrilled with the result. So, we sat down and asked a ton of questions to get to know her business and client communication goals.

We dug into Jenny’s current business operations to get an understanding of what’s working and what isn’t. Here’s what she wanted:

• Documented systems for onboarding and offboarding clients.
• A buttoned-up process map that’s crystal clear and easy to follow.
• Client communication tools that would be a cinch to personalize.
• PDFs customized with her brand logo and signature fonts for a consistent, elevated feel
• A waitlist strategy that kept clients nurtured and cared for before their project kickoff
• An end-to-end process that she could later plug into a CRM platform like Dubsado or Honeybook
• Clearly outlined processes to bring new hires up to speed and ensure her whole team was on the same page

These are common wish list items from many of our clients. Because being an interior designer requires you to wear a lot of hats! We dug right in and created maps for the full client journey and design process, so each step — from that initial call to the final handoff — is crystal clear. No matter how the process goes, there’s a clear flow that shows what’s coming next.

“I already feel more organized, so I can hardly wait to see what the next steps bring!”

Jenny Murphy

Now she’s got a start-to-finish client communication process that’s tailor-made for her unique business. But the best part? There’s a fully-branded resource for every single step. We created a full suite of templates and emails for every single step of the client process, so all Jenny has to do now is copy, paste, tweak a few words specific to each client, and send. Not only is her workflow unmistakably clear. But there’s nowhere for a client to get lost — no part of the process where they’re left wondering, “Ok…what now?”

An upleveled client experience = an upleveled business (and an upleveled bank account).
Client communication is one of the key pillars of running a successful business. Especially one as intimate as interior design. Your clients need to feel connected and cared for every step of the way. And when your communications are also beautifully branded and feel elevated it says that you’re running a white-glove business and are worth the investment.

In the end, you get a design business that not only looks more polished and professional, but it feels better. Because when you’re confident in each step — and can cut communication time way down — you free up time and energy for the things you love most about running your business.

Like what you see? Take a peek at the talent behind the story… Business & Branding Expert: Willow and Jax · Interior Design: J. Reiko Design + Co.