BUSINESS ADVICE

WHAT PROFESSIONALS ON HOUZZ

HAVE LEARNT FROM RUNNING A BUSINESS IN 2020

This has certainly been a year like no other with the global COVID-19 pandemic forcing us to live and work in unprecedented ways. Houzz.co.uk, the platform for home renovation and design, has spoken with professionals in its community to discover what they’ve learnt from the experience, how it’s changed their approach and how that might impact the way home renovation pros work in the future.

Technology opens up possibilities

After being forced to halt face to face meetings, being able to communicate remotely was vital for professionals this year. This was also an opportunity for many professionals to test out new communication methods. Brian O’Tuama of Brian O’Tuama Architects, an architect on Houzz, explains, “I suppose what this year has taught us most is that we can carry out initial consultations with prospective clients, and conduct some design review meetings with existing clients, using technology platforms. We’ve had many such meetings over the lockdown period and, in the case of prospective clients, have found it so much easier to begin to get to know one another when we can see one another.”

Technology has also allowed professionals to speed up business processes and delight their clients in the process, as Dorota Hrstic of Moodesignz, an interior designer on Houzz explains. “The response from our clients has been extremely positive since introducing Houzz Pro to our projects. It allows for smooth, remote communications between us and the client, easy and attractive ‘mood board’ creation and the live budget feature has saved us countless hours already.” 

Flexibility is key

With ever-changing circumstances, professionals on Houzz have found that being flexible and able to quickly adapt to be major assets this year. Bhavin Taylor of Bhavin Taylor Design, an interior designer on Houzz comments “However, when working on projects during a pandemic, things are never straightforward and multiple curveballs are thrown at you. Adaptability has allowed me to overcome many a bump in the road.”

As a result, many pros feel like they are having to be much more organised. “I think when you’re faced with so much uncertainty, it does make you quite resilient and forces you to be very organised,” says interior designer on Houzz, Fiona Duke, of Fiona Duke Interiors. “When working on a project, making sure you have options and alternatives is key, especially in this new climate.”

“At times, suppliers have really struggled with lead times, so you need to manage client expectations and ensure you communicate this and manage it accordingly,” Fiona says. “Your scheduling has to be detailed, and you have to plan ahead to accommodate these changes – sourcing and ordering items far earlier than before in order to keep projects on track.”

"Without being able to physically meet with clients and suppliers, I had to make sure regular contact was being made and updates given on deliveries and progress. Houzz Pro allowed us to communicate effectively with our clients and ensured critical touch-points weren’t missed."

It’s okay to take a breath

For many, lockdown was a time that forced them to slow down, as Bhavin explains. “As a small business owner, it can be really hard to switch off, as you’re always under pressure to find new clients, keep the business moving, and ensure invoices are paid – all of which can be extremely stressful,” he says. “However, this year, with its periods of lockdown, has highlighted that there will be situations that are out of my control and that it’s OK to slow down or even stop occasionally.

“This has been quite difficult for me to get my head around (and I’m sure many other people have struggled with this),” he says, “but it’s actually a good practice to learn, especially for my health and mental wellbeing, and one that I hope I’ll be able to keep up going forwards.” Communication increased

During uncertain times, where meeting in person was difficult and delays were likely, many homeowners reported that they found it helpful to utilise online tools for remote communication as well as shopping, invoicing, payments and contract approvals according to recent Houzz research.

Communicating (and overcommunicating) was a key tool used by professionals on Houzz to reassure their clients and keep projects moving forward. “The changes that were taking place around us were all pretty daunting, but after the initial shock of the situation, I wanted to try to focus on how to keep the momentum going for the business,” says Fiona Duke of Fiona Duke Interiors. “Communication was key,” she continues. “Without being able to physically meet with clients and suppliers, I had to make sure regular contact was being made and updates given on deliveries and progress.

Micheal Brett of Milestone Builders, a building firm on Houzz agrees, adding, “Houzz Pro allowed us to communicate effectively with our clients and ensured critical touchpoints weren’t missed.”

We can do things differently

As we were encouraged to work from home, one of the most significant shifts through 2020 has been how and where we work. And this looks set to become a more permanent fixture for many. “We’ve all realised that working from home is much more possible and efficient than we thought it would be, so some form of working from home looks like it’s becoming much more common,” pro on Houzz, Cat Hoad of Absolute Project Management says.

“Accordingly, whatever space you work in at home, give some thought to making it as comfortable and tranquil as possible – try to ensure you have a comfy chair, good light, some convenient storage and some things to look at from your desk that give you pleasure – this could be plants, artworks, photos or other ‘objects’,”

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