On the Ask Us Anything podcast, editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen taps former Trade Tales guests to answer real, confidential designer questions, offering a safe space to discuss business challenges. Have a question of your own to ask? Send an email to start the conversation.

This week, Anissa Zajac joins Ask Us Anything to answer a question from a designer who’s looking to scale her business by expanding into new markets. Before offering her services in new cities, however, she’s seeking guidance on how to nail down the logistics—namely, securing a local network of trade partners she can trust to get the job done remotely.

For Zajac, the founder of Indianapolis-based House Seven Design, most of her firm’s biggest clients are out of state. She talks about the importance of setting clear expectations from the outset, establishing in-person touchpoints at key moments in the design process, and using remote project management tools to keep all team members on the same page.

Crucial insight: Zajac says that one of the most crucial elements of operating a project remotely is establishing trust—not only with trade partners, but with clients. “You’ve got to interview your clients the same way they’re interviewing you from the beginning, and if you get any red flags, or twinges where you’re like, ‘I don’t know, but I’ll overlook it’—don’t,” she explains. “Ultimately, you want to provide a good product for the client. You want those people to tell everybody what a delight it was to work with you, and you want them to refer you to all of their friends and family. If you aren’t meshing well from the very beginning, it’s not going to get better as bills start coming in and the project starts going.”

Key quote: “My biggest thing has been to run a project the way you would want someone to run your own project. Are you conscientious of the budget? Are you being fair? Are you being detail-oriented? Are you on-site when it’s absolutely necessary, as opposed to just checking it out? Are you really billing for hours that absolutely need to be billed?”

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands and Crypton. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.