The Design Business Decisions That Keep You Profitable in a Slower Market

A slower market doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong with your interior design business. But it may require you to make different decisions.

In this episode of Resilient by Design, Rebecca sits down with interior designer and business owner Karin Bennett to talk candidly about what it looks like to run a profitable design firm when the market shifts.

Karin shares how her business has evolved since her first guest appearance on the podcast in 2021, including why she’s willing to take on smaller projects when necessary, where she continues to invest when larger projects are harder to secure, and how she thinks about keeping her team busy without saying yes to clients who aren’t the right fit.

Rebecca and Karin also get into the numbers behind running a design firm. They talk about flat fees, tracking hours, hybrid pricing models, implementation fees, and why you need real data before you can know whether your pricing is actually profitable.

Plus, Karin shares why hiring experienced team members has helped her delegate more easily and build a business that doesn’t depend on her doing everything herself.

Episode Highlights

How to respond when larger design projects become harder to secure
Why a slower season can be the right time to invest in marketing and your business
When taking a smaller project can still be a smart business decision
The difference between a project that isn’t ideal and a client who simply isn’t the right fit
Why tracking your team’s hours matters, even when you charge a flat fee
How Karin structures design fees versus implementation
Why Rebecca discovered implementation was one of the most profitable parts of her design firm
How hiring more experienced designers can actually make delegation easier
Why your pricing model should continue evolving as your services and projects change

Running a profitable interior design business isn’t about finding one perfect formula and sticking with it forever.

It’s about paying attention to what the numbers are telling you, understanding what your business needs right now, and being willing to adjust along the way.

Episode Resources

Learn more about the Consultations that Convert Bootcamp: https://rebeccahay.com/bootcamp
Episode 71: Focus on your strengths and take back control of your business with Karin Bennett
Learn more about Karin at her website and follow her on Instagram.

This episode is sponsored by Programa.

Programa is project management software built specifically for interior designers. It’s designed to save you hours every week and reduce the errors that come from managing projects across scattered documents and systems.

Use code RBD25 for 25% off annual Programa plans. Click to learn more.

September 8, 2026

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