HIGH POINT – A new matchmaking program called Home Design Guild will launch to the design community this week at the High Point Market with a champagne toast at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at the Suites at Market Square’s ASID Designer Lounge.
“Being active in this industry for more than 25 years, I saw and heard about the challenges independent designers have using these platforms,” said Jackie Paulsen, founder of Home Design Guild. “The technology available right now is either outdated or too complex. I knew that there had to be a better way to support designers and the community while offering homeowners a best-in-class experience.”
For decades, interior designers have had to rely on a combination of marketplace apps to market their business, attract potential clients and grow their business, but these apps present major challenges to designers, according to Paulsen.
“Current industry players are expensive, don’t limit membership, are complicated and cluttered with no guarantees of helping interior designers generate business, build relationships or educate homeowners on the design process,” Paulsen added. “In some cases, they even compete with designers and require that they outbid one another for visibility.”
Paulsen said she created Home Design Guild to address these challenges and help designers set themselves apart in the market with a platform designed exclusively for them. The platform seeks to empower design professionals and matchmake them with the right clients and the right projects by eliminating the guesswork of fielding prospective projects, Paulsen said, adding that a personality test ensures that designers build more valuable relationships based on a foundation of chemistry, compatibility and education.
For homeowners, Paulsen said the goal is to make the process of finding a design professional who has earned the Home Design Guild Seal of Approval.
“Due to a lack of ‘regulation’ in the industry, it’s harder for homeowners to know how to find a trusted partner,” said Paulsen. “We believe that our system of vetting designers who apply for our seal will give homeowners more confidence in whom they choose to hire. The seal is our guarantee for homeowners that each designer has been verified for quality. It’s also a commitment to support our professional designer community and give them an advantage in a crowded marketplace where the barrier to entry is low.”
The homeowner experience within the Home Design Guild platform is slated to launch in early June, with marketing campaigns launching as each territory hits its minimum number of designer members to go live.
Paulsen said she will also offer daily small group coaching sessions for expertly navigating the client relationship with personality and relationship professionals from ColorWorks Group.
See also:
l