Dear Sean,

I have big dreams for the types of projects I want to do, but I think my desire not to be the boss is stronger! What’s the secret to success for a designer who wants to remain a solopreneur?

Sincerely,
Solo Artist

Dear Solo Artist,

I want to start by saying that I understand your dilemma. I have worked in just about every size of business you can think of—as an employee, boss and owner—and being responsible for someone’s livelihood, or even their career, is not for the faint of heart. That said, no one can go it totally alone in the design business. The skill sets are too diverse and the demands too great for any one person. Even if you are doing relatively small projects, you are going to need help if you hope to sustain, let alone grow, your business.

The question, then, is not whether to be a boss or not; it is: What kind of support do you need to do the kind of work you want to do?

I have many, many clients with only one or two people on their team apart from themselves. These clients are all working on the kinds of projects you aspire to and at the scale they seek. How do they do it? They recognize that the only people who need to be on their staff are employees who represent the firm’s culture and who they would trust to act as they would to support and grow that culture. My column from 2023 speaks to this idea.

You may not need any employee to do the work of representing your culture to the outside world, and that is fine. However, you do need to find those freelancers whom you can rely on to represent you in the work you intend to do. The bigger question is: Can you afford these professionals, and how exactly do you intend to structure things so that you are able to undertake the projects you dream of?

I am sure you have built a business that is successful at what it does, but you have not yet decided to make the change to become a different kind of business. Think of it this way: You are a lovely café serving remarkable and creative dishes. You want to up your game to fine dining—which will take intention, structure, and a willingness to forsake certain things.

Let’s keep going with the restaurant analogy—perhaps the most expensive dish at the café is $25; the cheapest one at the fine dining spot would need to be $40. There is a no-fly zone between the prices so that you, your clients and your support team can know that there are two offerings on order that are distinctly different. Clients who know they are one of 15 have to appreciate that what they need and receive is not the same as the client who knows they are one of three or four. I speak about it all the time: Metrics of success are for you to define, and hopefully you can see that they are not the same for every design business or even within a single business. Who do you seek to serve? and Why do you matter? are questions I am not sure you have specific answers to (yet).

All of which brings me to the last and most important thought: Is your unwillingness to be a boss really the reason you are not going after your dream projects? Perhaps the level of responsibility and gravitas that these projects would require are not just “daunting” but also maybe not what you love the most about design. There is absolutely nothing wrong with running an amazing café or being the indie band that loves to play smaller venues.

For now, maybe table the boss idea and spend some time asking yourself why you would truly want your dream projects as a business first, artist second. If you discover that you really are willing to make the sacrifices necessary, then becoming a boss will take care of itself.

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Sean Low is the go-to business coach for interior designers. His clients have included Nate Berkus, Sawyer Berson, Vicente Wolf, Barry Dixon, Kevin Isbell and McGrath II. Low earned his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and as founder-president of The Business of Being Creative, he has long consulted for design businesses. In his Business Advice column for BOH, he answers designers’ most pressing questions. Have a dilemma? Send us an email—and don’t worry, we can keep your details anonymous.