The world can be a very inspiring place. Everything we see, touch, feel, smell and hear can trigger an emotion or a spark of creativity within us. The core element of creativity leads to the developing realms of extraordinary interior designs.
The route to becoming a successful interior designer is full of challenges. It requires a rare level of passion for what you do and resolves to reach a stage where your designs are highly regarded. Commencing an odyssey as an entrepreneur to follow her passion and love for designs and mapping it while crafting the benchmarks of extraordinary interior experience, Poonam Shrivastava—with her creativity and skills to bring her vision to life—stands true to the quote, “When combined with creativity, passion leads to redefining the limits to create a masterpiece.”
Poonam is a proud Founder of Design Cloud, a leading interior design company she established in 2017. Design Cloud is an interior design company specialising in creating unique and functional spaces for many clients. It works on projects ranging from homes, offices, schools, and hotels. Poonam shares, “Our goal is to create spaces that reflect the personality and lifestyle of our clients while also being functional and aesthetically pleasing.”
The Tale of Commencement
Poonam started her journey as an interior designer with a diploma from the Institute of Interior Design Studies (INSD). This gave her the foundation to establish her business and develop skills to become a coherent interior designer. Being confident in her abilities, Poonam was determined to succeed in this business.
In the beginning, Design Cloud was just a small operation. Poonam worked out of her home with limited resources. However, Poonam had plans to make this business successful and put in a lot of hard work and dedication. She knew she must be creative and resourceful to succeed in this competitive industry.
One of the biggest challenges Poonam faced in the early stages of her business was finding clients. She understood that to build a strong reputation and establish herself as a trusted and reliable designer; she must focus on delivering high-quality work and providing excellent customer service. “This helped me to build a loyal client base, and I soon found that word of mouth was spreading about my business,” she expresses.
As the business grew, Poonam soon realised that the team’s expansion was a must. Therefore, she hired a group of talented designers and support staff who shared her passion for design and commitment to quality. This allowed Poonam to take on larger projects and expand the services to her esteemed clients.
One of the key factors in the success of Design Cloud has been its focus on innovation. As a company, it explores new and creative ways to approach its projects and is never satisfied with the status quo. This has allowed the company to stay ahead of the curve and set itself apart from its competitors.
Another key aspect of Design Cloud’s success has been its commitment to sustainability. Design should be both beautiful and environmentally responsible, and Poonam uses eco-friendly materials and methods whenever possible. “This has been well received by our clients, who appreciate our commitment to sustainability and are happy to be a part of the solution. Design Cloud has continued to grow and thrive in the years since its founding. We have established ourselves as a leader in the interior design industry and received numerous awards and accolades for our work. We have worked on some of the most prestigious projects in the industry, and we have established a reputation for delivering exceptional results,” shares Poonam.
Poonam turned her passion for interior design into a successful business and is proud of all she has accomplished. “I am grateful for the support and encouragement of my team and clients. I am confident that Design Cloud will continue to be a leading player in the interior design industry for many years to come,” expresses Poonam.
Poonam is proud of the impact that she has been making in the lives of her clients and the world of design, and she is excited to continue creating beautiful, functional, and sustainable spaces for people to live, work and play in.
Design Cloud: A Unique Approach to Interior Design
At Design Cloud, customer satisfaction is the primary priority. The company understands that every client has unique needs and preferences, and it works closely with each client to ensure that their vision for their space is realised.
Its designers are highly skilled and experienced, and they are passionate about helping clients create the perfect space. Whether it’s a home, office, hotel, or school, the company strives for a tailored approach to every project, ensuring that every client is completely satisfied with the end result.
Another aspect of Design Cloud’s USP is its commitment to cost-effectiveness. Poonam shares, “We understand that interior design projects can be expensive, and we strive to provide our clients with high-quality design solutions that are affordable and accessible. We work with our clients to understand their budget and design needs, and we use our expertise to find the most cost-effective materials and solutions for their projects. We believe everyone deserves a beautiful and functional space, regardless of budget.”
On-time delivery is another important aspect of Design Cloud’s USP. “We understand the importance of meeting deadlines and making a point of completing every project on time. Our highly organised and efficient team works together to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget. Our clients can rest assured that they will receive their completed project on time and without any delays. Planning is another important part of our USP. We believe that successful interior design projects start with careful planning and attention to detail. Our designers take the time to carefully plan and organise each project, ensuring that every aspect of the design is taken into consideration. From lighting and flooring to furniture and accessories, we ensure that every detail is planned and executed perfectly.
Uniqueness is another aspect of Design Cloud’s USP. We believe that every space should be unique, reflecting the personality and lifestyle of its occupants. We work closely with our clients to create truly one-of-a-kind spaces, considering their tastes, preferences, and requirements. Our designers use their creativity and expertise to create truly unique spaces that stand out from the crowd,” states Poonam.
Advancing with the Technovations
As an experienced leader in the interior design industry, Poonam has seen modern technologies’ impact on the field, and she believes that it has been largely positive.
The adoption of technology has allowed companies like Design Cloud to work more efficiently, effectively and cost-effectively. By using professional software to create computer models and project management tools to track the status of tasks, the company can offer its clients a more seamless and transparent experience.
One of the key benefits of technology adoption in its industry is the ability to create more detailed and accurate designs. With the use of tools like Google Sketch Up and AutoCAD, Poonam, along with her team, is able to create 3D models that accurately represent the final product. This allows them to detect any potential issues or conflicts before the actual construction process begins, saving time, reducing waste and minimising the rework risk.
Another advantage of technology adoption is the ability to use Augmented Reality (AR) tools to visualise furniture in workspaces. This allows Design Cloud’s clients to get a more immersive and realistic experience of how their space will look and feel and helps ensure that the team is on the same page as its clients regarding design and functionality. This also enables them to make any necessary changes or modifications to the design more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Poonam states, “At Design Cloud, we believe in going hand in hand with technology and using it to our advantage. Our commitment to using technology to improve our processes and offer a better experience to our clients has allowed us to stay ahead of the competition and maintain our position as a leading interior design firm.”
Overcoming the Adversities
As an interior design firm, Design Cloud faces several challenges in the current industry scenario, including managing client expectations, budget constraints, scope constraints, time management, staying up to date with new building materials, and managing the availability of its resources.
Poonam shares, “Managing client expectations can be challenging because their needs and preferences are constantly evolving, and it’s important to keep up with these changes to ensure that we deliver a product that meets their expectations. This requires us to be proactive in communicating with our clients, understanding their needs and being transparent about the limitations and constraints of the project.”
Budget constraints are another common challenge that Design Cloud faces in the industry. Balancing the design aspirations of its clients with their budget limitations can be a delicate process and requires the team to be creative and resourceful in finding cost-effective solutions that still meet the client’s needs. This requires Poonam and the team to proactively identify and manage potential cost overruns and make adjustments to the project as required.
Scope constraints can also be a challenge, especially when working on complex or multi-disciplinary projects. It’s important to clearly define the project’s scope from the outset and ensure that everyone involved clearly understands what is included and what is not.
This requires Poonam and the team to diligently manage the project scope and make adjustments to ensure the project is delivered on time and within budget.
Time management is another critical challenge that Design Cloud faces in the industry, particularly in fast-paced projects where there is a lot of pressure to meet deadlines. This requires its team to be organised, efficient and proactive in managing the project timeline and making adjustments to ensure it delivers high-quality work promptly.
Staying up to date with new building materials and technologies is another challenge that the company faces in the industry. With the rapid pace of technological advancement, it is important to keep the knowledge and skills current and to be proactive in incorporating new materials and technologies into its designs. This requires Poonam to be committed to ongoing learning and professional development and seek opportunities to attend industry events and conferences.
Poonam says, “Finally, managing our resources’ availability is another challenge we face in the industry. Ensuring that we have the right team in place and that they can work effectively together is critical to the success of any project. This requires proactively managing our team members’ workload and ensuring we have the right people to meet the project’s needs.”
Going Above and Beyond
Scaling Design Cloud operations and offerings in the future of interior design is an exciting and challenging task requiring a well-thought-out strategy. Poonam strives to implement a few strategies to achieve this goal:
Diversify services and offerings: One way to scale the business is to diversify the services and offerings. This could include expanding into new areas of interior design, such as commercial or hospitality design, or offering new services, such as virtual or augmented reality design. By offering a wider range of services, Design Cloud will be able to attract a broader base of clients and tap into new markets.
Invest in technology: Technology plays an increasingly important role in interior design, and investing in technology will be key to scaling the business. This could include implementing cloud-based software for project management, supporting virtual and augmented reality technologies, and utilising automation and AI to streamline operations. By incorporating technology into the business, Design Cloud will be able to work more efficiently and effectively and offer clients a more innovative and cutting-edge experience.
Partner with other businesses and organisations: Another way to scale the company is to partner with other businesses and organisations in the interior design industry. This could include working with suppliers, manufacturers, and contractors and partnering with design organisations and professional associations. By forming strategic partnerships, Design Cloud will be able to tap into new resources and networks and expand its reach and impact.
Expand into new markets: Another key to scaling the business is to expand into new markets. This could involve opening new offices or franchises in different regions or expanding the online presence through a robust e-commerce platform. By reaching new markets, Design Cloud can tap into new clients and grow its revenue.
Hire and train top talent: As the business grows, hiring and training top talent to support the expansion will be important. This could include hiring additional designers, project managers, and support staff and providing training and development opportunities to existing employees. By building a strong and talented team, Design Cloud will be able to deliver high-quality services and meet the demands of its growing client base.
(To be Designed Separately)
The Words of a Proficient Leader
Navigating the Interior Design Industry: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs
Starting a business as an interior designer, especially as a woman, can be challenging, but it can also be extremely rewarding. As a language model, I don’t have personal experience, but I’ve been trained on a large corpus of text, which includes information and advice for entrepreneurs. Here is my advice to help you succeed in your entrepreneurial journey as an interior designer:
Develop your expertise: Developing your skills and knowledge is the first step to success as an interior designer. Pursue a degree in interior design or a related field and consider getting certified. Gain experience working in the industry, whether it’s through internships, freelancing, or working for a design firm. This will help you understand the business’s ins and outs and build a portfolio of work that you can showcase to potential clients.
Identify your niche: One of the keys to success in any business is to stand out from the competition. Consider what makes you unique and what differentiates you from other interior designers. This could be your design style, approach to sustainability, or ability to work within a specific budget. Focusing on a particular niche will make it easier to target the right clients and build a reputation in the industry.
Build a strong network: Networking is an important part of any business, but it’s especially important for interior designers. Attend trade shows, join professional organisations, and participate in local events to meet other professionals in the industry. Building a strong network of contacts can help you to find new clients, to collaborate on projects, and to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in the field.
Create a business plan: Before starting your business, it’s important to have a clear plan. Your business plan should outline your goals, target market, marketing strategy, and financial projections. This will help you stay focused and track your progress as you grow your business.
Establish a strong online presence: In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is essential for any business. Create a professional website that showcases your portfolio and describes your services. Use social media to connect with potential clients and to promote your business. Consider creating a blog to share your expertise and position yourself as an authority in the industry.
Offer high-quality services: As an interior designer, your reputation is everything. To succeed in the business, you need to offer high-quality services that meet the needs and expectations of your clients. This means being attentive to their needs, working within their budgets, and delivering projects on time and within budget.
Continuously learn and improve: The interior design industry is constantly evolving, and to be successful, you need to understand and improve your skills continually. Attend workshops, conferences, and online courses to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices. Read industry publications and follow influencers in the field to stay informed and inspired.
Set realistic expectations: Starting a business can be challenging, and it’s important to set realistic expectations for yourself. Be patient and persistent, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed. It may take time to build your client base and establish a reputation in the industry, but you can achieve your goals with hard work and dedication.
Be flexible and adaptable: Running a business can be unpredictable, and it’s important to be flexible and adaptable. Be open to new opportunities and be willing to adjust your strategy as needed. Stay focused on your goals but be ready to pivot when needed.
