Pros Reveal How They Save Time & Increase Productivity Each Week

Having a jam-packed schedule isn’t the only reason to find ways to streamline your everyday working practices, says Tristan Haddock, director at building firm Renotech Building. “Apart from the run-of-the-mill spot fires that come with running a construction company, the industry is currently dealing with erratic weather, personnel and material shortages. So every minute of every day needs to be easily accounted for.”

A simple but effective way to minimise wasted time is to make sure you’re asking prospective clients the right questions during the initial phone call, says Anne-Marie Kruithof, interior designer and principal at Fuchsia Interiors.

These questions include:

• What is the scope of the project?
• Have trades or a builder been engaged?
• What is the timeline for the works?
• What is your budget?
• Have you had experience working with a designer before?

“If the project mostly requires decorating or the client seems unsure, I will offer an initial one- to two-hour consultation with a fee for service, and then go from there,” says Kruithof. “I find this very successful as it creates a level of confidence for the client to then engage my full services.”

Find out how Houzz Pro can help you run your business and manage your leads

Haddock also finds having templates ready to go on his computer is a great time-saver. “We create templates within our software so we don’t have to manually input all the information for every project. This means only minor tweaking per job is required for initial project set-up,” he says.

Choosing business software that is specifically tailored for the needs of design and renovation professionals, such as Houzz Pro, will also streamline your work processes and save you serious time, says Melanie George, manager of the client success team for Houzz. “Pros are always ‘on’ and they need a system they can access from anywhere, whether it’s on their laptop or an app on their phone.”

Houzz Pro lets them do just that: “It streamlines and centralises the processes for each project. Everything is in one place so there’s no need to flip back to your inbox or check your calendar – you can work solely from Houzz Pro,” says George.

“It saves you time by automating processes – for example, pre-filled templates with line items, terms and conditions, and billing cycles that can be used again and again without the need to start from scratch with every project. This also reduces the chance of mistakes as there’s less room for human error,” says George.

“You can use the client dashboard to communicate with clients on the status of each job. The dashboard includes a message history, a project timeline that pros can then build and share with clients, and daily logs where you can share regular updates on the job site, including photos,” she says.

Houzz Pro also allows for easier collaboration with subcontractors and team members. “You can invite them to collaborate and then send tasks straight out to them from within the software,” she says.