A recent article by TechCrunch.com outlines the foundation and principle behind the interior design and product web site, Decorati.  As someone in the design industry, I was particularly troubled by the last paragraph in the article:

“While the prices for furniture on Decorati aren’t cheap, the site definitely lowers the costs by letting consumers access high-end furniture and design ideas without the help of a costly decorator. And if you do want to hire a professional, the site makes it fairly easy to find one that matches your needs.” -TechCrunch, October 2, 2009

It seems to be a conundrum as Decorati focuses much of their attention, like Ava Living, on bringing interior designers and consumers together.  Based on this article, however, it appears that Decorati will allow consumers to purchase trade-only merchandise directly.  Is this the case?  Decorati, if you’re listening, please chime in.  All other readers, what do you think?

Click here to read full TechCrunch article.

It was a robot recording from the dermatologist’s office calling to confirm my appointment for the following Tuesday.

While we love systems and technologies as much as (or probably more than) the next guy, this was over the top.  Once my blood pressure lowered, I thought, “What should be our litmus test on whether or not to implement a system or technology?”

Before implementing a new system or technology ask, “Will this system compromise the warm and fuzzy feeling that our clients or our employees feel about our company?”  If the answer is “Yes”, don’t do it, despite the efficiencies gained.

Needless to say, I did not feel warm and fuzzy about my dermatologist.  In fact, I felt like I would probably be put on a conveyor belt and inspected and stamped by #43 (while still paying the full service price).

Our latest structuring of packages for our social media clients has taken on an aeronautical theme.  Coming soon will be the announcement of our Marketing Jetpack, Social Media LaunchPad, Online Community Co-Pilot, and more.  What better name for our new webinars than Flight School!

In the near future, we will offer Flight School classes on the following social media tools’ uses for business: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Ava Living, and blogging.  Our first two Flight School classes will be offered on Facebook 101 for Business.

Agenda will include:

- Why your business needs a Facebook page

- How your personal profile and your business page are different

- The difference between Facebook groups and pages

- Posting links, photos, videos, and events to make your page more effective

- Security of information

- Getting fans for your page

- Encouraging fans to interact once on your page

- How to use Facebook ads

- Resources required to keep a Facebook page going

- Using basic analytics to track results

- Does this really work?

Each online Flight School class will be limited to 12 participants.  This will ensure that people can ask questions and there is interaction between you and your Social Media Flight Instructor.  Register below and you will receive a confirmation within 24-48 hours.  Classes are 60-90 minutes and include a Q&A session.

Cost: $47.00 per class

We look forward to flying with you!

Date

Tuesday, Oct 6, 4 pm EST Wednesday, Oct 21, 2 pm EST

When you click Buy Now, the screen will look like the shot below.  If you don’t have a PayPal account, click the link shown.

Martha will continue to oversee our project sourcing services–sourcing fabrics, furniture, and finishes for our member firms’ projects.  However, this new position will also mean that Martha will be the “go-to” woman for each of our members and any of their business needs.  We anticipate that in the near future, additional team members will be added to this type of position as we are growing quickly.

We created this position to answer a need.  Internally and externally, we felt that our services forced our business into a siloed effect.  This siloed effect did not allow us to serve our members as well as we would like and did not make us as tight of a business team as we would like.  Even as a reasonably small company, it was amazing to see how easy it was for different service areas to not communicate effectively about one of our member firm’s needs.  In response, we emphasized the importance of the relationship and being the one-stop business resource for each of our members.  Through having one point person, design firms will be able to create a better and more seamless relationship, truly making GDM an extension of their own teams and utilizing our offerings to their fullest.

As this is a new position and a new structure for our business, please provide us with feedback!  If you are not a member but enjoy reading our blog, please comment with any thoughts or suggestions about our solution.

Congratulations Martha!  We are lucky to have you.

The Nation’s Next Top Model Home

Tim Schelfe, ASID

The Nation’s Next Top Model Home selected 7 ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) designers and gave them 28 days and $5,000 to transform a room in a model home (competitors could spend an additional $5,000 of their own money as well).  Voting then opened to the public for 30 days online (you can still vote!) and the winner will not only win the ultimate rock star designer status but will also win $25,000 for his or her firm.

I sat down virtually with Tim and asked him about his Nation’s Next Top Model Home experience.

GDM:  How were you selected to participate?

TS: An email blast went out to ASID and I filled out the required information, including photos of my work and a headshot of me.  Didn’t think much about it and then two weeks later got a call that I made the top 12 and then the final 7.

GDM:  What made you decide to participate and do you think it will help promote your business?

TS:  Initially I was very skeptical.  I thought, do I have time for this?  But the submission process was very easy to do and I thought “somebody is going to get selected why not me”!  I hoped this would get my name and my firm out to a very large audience.  I also thought it would be a fun competition to be in and a good way to promote professional interior design.  Also, since they were casting ONLY ASID designers I felt they were sending a good message to the public; hire a professional.

GDM:  Were there any pitfalls in participation?

TS: Yes all the designers had to abide by there budgetary rules.  Also the time it took away from my real business and paying clients was huge.

GDM:  What was your favorite part of the competition?

TS: Interacting with the other designers.  For the most part all of the design team got along with each really well.  It was also kind of fun getting use to all the media attention!

GDM:  Have you already seen any results (we realize this is may be a little early/premature)?

TS: I definitely know people have been watching the show because I will walk into a local store and they say “hey aren’t you on that design reality show” and it’s weird that they seem to know me.  It has also expanded my network of colleagues and contacts and provided me an opportunity to re-connect with many past clients and contacts by sending email blasts out to them informing them of the show.

Schelfe and Associates is a Gibson Design Management member so we may be a little biased, but not much as Tim is a great designer and a great guy.  Be sure to cast your vote here for Tim and see the other competitors before September 26th!

Mondays seem to frequently start for me as mentioned above and then quickly spiral out of control; all of a sudden it is 6:30 or 7 pm and while I have been frantically busy all day, I have not checked one item off of my best laid Monday plan.  Unlike Office Space, as a CEO, this is what I call our Case of the Mondays.  While I will take our Mondays over the cubicle nation Mondays depicted in the movie any day, I still feel less than fulfilled after a day like this of heavy firefighting.

I recently read a great article by Peter Bregman for Harvard Business Review with tangible steps to managing your day.  As today is a Monday and we still have four more days left this week, I thought this might be particularly applicable to making the most out of not just tomorrow but the rest of the week.

[Below is an excerpt from Harvard Business Review]

An 18-Minute Plan for Managing Your Day

Yesterday started with the best of intentions. I walked into my office in the morning with a vague sense of what I wanted to accomplish. Then I sat down, turned on my computer, and checked my email. Two hours later, after fighting several fires, solving other people’s problems, and dealing with whatever happened to be thrown at me through my computer and phone, I could hardly remember what I had set out to accomplish when I first turned on my computer. I’d been ambushed. And I know better.

Read more…

While I am not Ethan Allen’s target audience, I did appreciate that they are encouraging interaction and inciting individuality by assigning quiz results.  Instead of just selecting a sofa from a page, you are shown the pre-selected pieces that fit your individualized style.  That’s just good marketing.

From a coding perspective, this quiz probably cost Ethan Allen very little but they will see great ROI due to increased word of mouth (I found out about the style quiz via Twitter and retweeted accordingly) and by converting quiz takers to customers through meeting their stylized preferences.

Take the quiz yourself.  It’s fun.

(article below)

After Stephanie Miller’s recent guest post about optimizing the deliverability of e-mail marketing messages, we received several requests for more information about e-mail marketing best practices. With 10 years of e-mail marketing experience under our belt, we’ve learned a few things. Now it’s time for us to share with you.

The golden rule: Do unto others …

My No. 1 tip for e-mail marketing success is actually what not to do: Do not send too many e-mails to your list. The value of your list decreases the more you send e-mails that recipients don’t want/need.

Read more at SmartBlog on Social Media…

Southern Accents is the latest shelter magazine to face the guillotine.  Earlier this year, Conde Nast closed Domino; others to face the ax in the last two years were House and Garden, O at Home, Blueprint, InStyle Home, Cottage Living, and Country Home.

While the economy is much at fault for the lack of advertisers for our beloved shelter mags, could it also be that the emergence of social media is too taking its toll?  With advertisers opportunities to stretch their dollars farther by utilizing online tools and the online ability to microtarget, could it be that shelter magazines’ only possibility for survival is to also move more substantial efforts online?

We will miss Southern Accents.  As someone who has spent a great deal of her life in the South, it appears to be one of the only luxury design magazines that exemplifies and embraces the beautiful design, ease, and elegance of southern living.