94: Debi Pinelli- Sound Advice on the Business of Interior Design

Our guest on today’s show is Debi Pinelli and the way we got connected is such a funny story! I have a very dear friend named Rachel who is the cousin of Debi’s husband! A few months ago, we had Tim Templeton on a power talk Friday show and he was talking to us about influencers and connectors that you will have in your circle of influencers. Rachel is that connector! Today we are going to talk about Debi’s business, A&J Interiors. She came to interior design through her specialty in designing her own window treatments. Debi has been designing and fabricating window treatments for over 20 years! She is the president of the New Jersey chapter of Window Coverings Association of America. Show Notes: How did she decide to make her window treatments into a business? How important is it to have good rapport with your vendor? What are some things that she did when she started to become successful? What are some ways you can reach out to others for help in running a business? Who does she have on her staff? Write procedures down! Why are bookkeepers so important to running a successful business? Where does she go to get inspiration for designs? Is Highpoint worth going to? Make sure you look at your numbers! What are some ways to look at advertising? Why did she join Window Coverings Association of America? What is “Windows to Success”? What does the New Jersey chapter of Window Coverings Association of America do? Does the New Jersey chapter just talk about window coverings? How often should an evaluation be done? Why did she decide to charge a flat fee for her services? Listen to your gut! How many chapters are in the Window Coverings Association of America? You will find the rest of the show notes  at our resource center:  Window Works.