Welcome to Part Three of our special four-part series on building a profitable interior design business with Laura Thornton!
In this episode, Laura brings together everything you’ve learned so far—understanding your numbers, tracking your time, and getting lean on spending—and reveals how to turn efficiency into profit that’s yours to keep. If you’ve invested in your systems, process, and team, you deserve to be rewarded. Laura shows you how efficiency and smart procurement are not reasons to lower your fees, but the very foundation for sustainable, scalable growth.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why efficiency gains and streamlined systems are your business’s reward—not a discount for clients.
- How investing in tools, team, and technology pays for itself through better margins and less stress.
- Why procurement is the untapped profit center that can transform your business—and how to claim it.
- How strong vendor partnerships (like Laura’s experience with Decor-Rest) can help you avoid client “comparison shopping” and elevate your value.
- How to communicate the true worth of your service and confidently charge for your expertise and streamlined process.
Key Takeaways:
- Efficiency and time-saving systems aren’t “extra”—they’re built-in investments you deserve to profit from.
- Procurement offers scalable income and supports a seamless client experience.
- Your profit covers more than just your paycheck—it pays for your business’s foundation: rent, insurance, software, team, and more.
- As you grow, tracking your profits by project type and revenue stream helps you see what’s truly sustainable—and what’s not.
Ready for the next episode in the series?
- Listen to Part 1 - Know your numbers. The Foundation of Profitability
- Listen to Part 2 - Time is money, literally
In just one focused hour, we’ll dive into whatever you need most—pricing strategies, client management, attracting high-end clients or building repeat business. You’ll get clarity, strategy, and expert advice based on my 27+ years of running a thriving, seven-figure design firm.
This is your chance to get real answers to the questions you’ve been dying to ask—from someone who’s actually been there.
Book your session as you need it—no strings attached.
Be sure to follow along on Instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces + @thorntondesign to stay up to date on what we're talking about next week. If you love our podcast, please, please, please leave us a review. If you have any questions or topic ideas OR you wish to be a guest email us thebusinessofbeautifulspaces@gmail.com or find us on instagram @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Laura Thornton is the principle designer of Thornton Design Inc, located in Kleinburg, ON. Since founding the company in 1999, Laura has been committed to creating a new kind of interior design experience for her clients. Thornton Design is an experienced team of creative talents, focused on curating beautiful residential and commercial spaces in the Toronto, Ontario area and beyond. Now sharing all the years of experience with other interior designers to create a world of collaboration and less competition.
The Business of Beautiful Spaces I @thebusinessofbeautifulspaces
Thornton Design I @thorntondesign
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