Are you constantly busy but still not making the money you should?
If you’re working evenings, Saturdays, and still feel behind, the problem may not be a lack of clients—it may be the wrong size clients.
In this episode, I walk you through a real-life example of how a “simple” $600 sconce project can quietly turn into eight hours of unpaid time, delivery runs, returns, and frustration. These little jobs feel helpful in the moment, but they slowly drain your profit, energy, and opportunity to grow.
You cannot scale a design business on jobs that don’t support your time.
To up-level your clients, you must first up-level your standards. That starts with defining your minimum design fee and minimum product budget. When you set these numbers clearly and confidently during your discovery call, you allow clients to decide if they can afford you—without you shrinking to fit their budget.
The designers who grow are the ones who cut the bottom branches so the top can flourish.
This episode will help you calculate your true minimums, communicate them gracefully, and begin shifting your practice toward projects that actually pay you what you’re worth.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
- The “busy but broke” designer trap
- Why good intentions don’t build profitable businesses
- How small jobs multiply your unpaid hours
- The 23-hour project baseline explained
- Calculating your minimum design fee
- Understanding the 15% design fee-to-budget relationship
- Why your minimum product budget matters
- How to introduce minimums during a discovery call
- What happens when clients self-select out
- How past clients can expand their projects to fit your new standards
- Why raising your minimums happens in small steps
- How eliminating small jobs creates room for larger projects
- The 8–12 month timeline to fully shift your client base
- Why you must stop shrinking to fit small budgets
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
- Book a Clarity Call
- Learn about the Growth & Structure programs
Additional Resources:
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