How to Avoid Losing Money When Working with Contractors

So you've finished working on a beautiful and interesting project. All plans and visualizations are ready, and you can't wait to bring a stylish interior to life.

If you're a beginner in interior design, this article will help you understand the nuances of working with contractors.

Irina Petrova - Expert, Co-owner of ARCA Design studio, loves working with old materials: finding branded bricks or pre-revolutionary moldings — and incorporating all of this into modern interiors.

How to Find Reliable Partners? Ask Colleagues

One of the best ways is to get recommendations from more experienced colleagues in the market. Study portfolios and social media accounts of other professionals, as they often mention contractors in their posts or even write honest reviews about working with them.

Don’t hesitate to ask colleagues about the contractors they collaborate with. Usually, nobody keeps this a secret.

Design: ARCA Design studio

Visit Trade Fairs

Another great way to find contractors is to attend professional trade shows. There, you can immediately get a sense of the supplier's product.

Sometimes suppliers with whom long-term relationships develop are found by us ourselves. Therefore, don’t neglect registering for professional events, social media, and invitations for coffee in the supplier's office.

Visit the Factory

A more comprehensive view of a partner can be obtained by visiting their production facility and office. Websites and social media accounts are not very informative in this regard.

Don’t hesitate to ask colleagues about the contractors they collaborate with. Usually, nobody keeps this a secret.

For our studio, visiting the factory has long become an obligatory step in the process of searching for and getting to know a new partner. An indispensable quality of any contractor is openness. Someone who produces high-quality products will gladly let you visit their factory and give a tour with pleasure.

Design: ARCA Design studio

Pay Attention to Details

During the acquaintance process, try to note all details—you can even make a checklist. Is it clean at the production site? How new and modern does the equipment look? Where is the office located? How quickly does the supplier’s manager respond to your emails and messages? Does the manager himself understand the product well, and how professionally does he appear? How quickly do they prepare a commercial proposal?

Someone who produces high-quality products will gladly let you visit their factory and give a tour with pleasure.

All of this may seem like small details, but in reality, these are the markers. You must honestly answer for yourself: could you bring the client here?

A reliable supplier responds quickly to requests, communicates politely with designers and clients, is ready to produce samples or color swatches for the client, and shows their production at any time.

A good sign is when a contractor organizes tours in showrooms or on the production site, holds masterclasses for designers, and presents new products.

Design: ARCA Design studio

How to Work Correctly with Contractors?

The first and most important rule—no verbal agreements, even if you’ve known the contractor for a hundred years. All decisions made: color, material, model, article number chosen by you or the client—must be documented in writing. If a complex item is being made, approve and sign all working drawings.

Ensure that the contract includes penalty clauses for the supplier in case of delivery delays.

The first and most important rule—no verbal agreements, even if you’ve known the contractor for a hundred years.

A very important point—is how the contractor behaves in conflict situations: defects, replacements. Suppliers who are focused on long-term cooperation are always on the designer’s side and always up to date on what is happening with your order.

A good supplier base can be built over years. Don’t be lazy to look for the best offers on the market, and your clients will thank you.

Design: ARCA Design studio

A Few Tips from Our Studio

Check Your Counterparties

If it's difficult to check a partner independently, trust professionals. Some banks do this as part of their service for sole proprietors or LLCs completely free, even through mobile apps, such as Tочка Bank.

Maintain Your Supplier Database

It’s convenient to do this in the form of a table, divided into categories: for example, “Soft Furniture,” “Tiles,” “Lighting.”

It should contain information about the supplier's price level, all contacts, the number of completed projects, and your evaluation of cooperation with them.

There should be at least three good suppliers in each category. This allows you to offer the client a choice and ensure the best price.

Don’t Ignore New Acquaintances

Even if you feel that the contractor issue is closed, keep contacts with those suppliers who seemed interesting to you.

Trust Your Intuition

It might sound strange. If there are even slight doubts about the reliability of a partner during the initial stages, it’s better not to start the work. Based on our experience, such cooperation rarely ends well.

Show Initiative

A good contractor can grow into a full partner with whom you can implement joint PR and advertising projects, conduct masterclasses and training seminars, participate in trade shows together, and organize photo shoots of completed projects.

Design: ARCA Design studio

Cover Art: Design Project of ARCA Design Studio