Are you doing extra work for your clients without realizing how much it’s costing your business?
One of the biggest places interior design businesses lose money is scope creep. A client asks for something beyond the original agreement, you know exactly how to help, and you say yes. Later, you realize you never mentioned that the additional work would cost more.
Because going back to ask for money feels uncomfortable, it’s tempting to think, “I’ll just do it. It won’t take that long.” But those giveaway hours can quickly become a habit, and eventually a significant loss of income.
In this episode, I explain why you should actually expect clients to ask for more. It’s usually a good sign. They’re happy with your work and want you to do more for them. The key is learning to recognize those requests as additional business instead of free work.
We’ll look at how a clearly defined Letter of Agreement makes these conversations easier. When the scope is specific, you can graciously explain that you’re happy to take on the additional work, but because it falls outside the existing agreement, there will be an additional fee.
For smaller additions, you may be able to quote the extra work immediately. Larger additions may require a new Letter of Agreement. Either way, communicate the cost and capture the opportunity before beginning the work.
And those “little” unpaid hours matter. Terri demonstrates that just three unbilled hours per week at $200 per hour over 50 working weeks equals over $10,000 in lost income.
Stop leaving money on the table. Set the boundary, capture the additional work, and get paid for the value you provide.
Topics We Cover in This Episode:
- Understanding how scope creep quietly reduces your profitability
- Recognizing additional requests as opportunities for more business
- Breaking the habit of giving away your design time
- Creating a clear and specific scope of work
- Why contract language alone doesn’t prevent billing problems
- Preparing for additional requests before clients make them
- Talking about extra fees clearly and confidently
- Pricing smaller additions without creating unnecessary complexity
- Creating new agreements when clients significantly expand the project
- Calculating how much unpaid design time costs your business each year
🔗 Resources Mentioned:
- Terri’s Open Door “Ask Me Anything” Q&A
- Book a Clarity Call
- Learn about the Growth & Structure programs
Additional Resources:
Follow & Review on Apple Podcasts
Are you following my podcast? If you’re not, I want to encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss any future episodes!
I would also appreciate it if you would leave me a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! They help me make sure I am providing the content that you love to hear!
