No one can do it all. Even superheroes. Batman has his butler Alfred and sidekick Robin, Green Hornet has Kato, and The Fantastic Four have each other. We all need a little help once in a while, and that undeniably includes design professionals — especially those who run their own firms or determine the direction (and ultimate fate) of the companies for which they work. Creative types want to create, not think about peripheral things like marketing, accounting, or (gasp) making money. So who comes to our rescue” Enter Lloyd Princeton. Even his name instills confidence. He founded Design Management Company to provide expert business advice to design industry types, introduce advanced technology, alleviate administrative anxiety, and propel us towards higher profits. He’s saved others — just see how he can help your business.
Lloyd is one of those multi-talented, left-brained / right-brained people that we envy and admire. He’s straddled the line between the design and business worlds for many years, and he understands that the typical business model just doesn’t fit our operations. It’s a breath of fresh air to find someone who knows enough about our idiosyncratic industry to grasp which sales and marketing techniques will speak to our potential customers, which billing and order-fulfillment methods will quickly drive us into the black, and how tricky it can be to negotiate higher, more profitable rates with existing clients.
Lloyd’s no slacker. He built on his Bachelor of Science in Business Management with certificates in Training and Development and Not-for-Profit Management. His work history is comprised of tenures with Wells Fargo Bank and Osborne & Little, a leader in wallpaper and fabrics, but he has gained further insight into the biz by serving on the board of directors of both the Hospitality Industry Association and Family Link.
Recognizing a lack of resources for sound, yet innovative, business advice for those in this creative field, he founded Design Management Company (DMC) in 1999 with the singular goal of providing interior designers and architects satisfying solutions for managing all aspects of their businesses. Since every group is a little different — sole proprietor vs. ten-person studio vs. 250+ employee manufacturer — he approaches each client with a fresh eye and a tailored plan. Just need a little short-term human resource support, or a technological boost and some contract restructuring to get you out of a rut” Not a problem. Need to think more strategically for long-term public relations planning, employee training, and business expansion” DMC can do that too.
Basically, DMC helps the non-linear creative get (and remain) on-track in a logical manner… but only in a way that you and your company can follow comfortably for years to come. They analyze your operation and keep you from getting bogged down with the administrative stuff, allowing you to focus on what got you into the business in the first place: artistry. From one-on-one consultation and individual business reviews with Lloyd, to short roundtable sessions with industry peers, DMC can fit into your schedule and budget requirements, show you how to stimulate ideas and cut costs, and inject needed energy into stagnant business practices.
The icing on the cake is that Lloyd, DMC’s principal consultant, is also a lively, captivating speaker (see why we’re jealous of him”), and the subject matter of his talks run the full gamut of the design industry to fit any crowd. A mere sampling includes…
- foolproof strategies for getting your product to the marketplace;
- fresh ideas on who to market design service to and how;
- basics of technology, who it’s right for, and how it can help, or hinder, an office;
- the 411 of running a business and how not to get into financial trouble;
- and, for the consumer, everything you need to know about the process of working with an interior designer.
As of this publishing date, Lloyd has 15 speaking engagements scheduled for the remainder of 2005, and his next one is a biggie. Along with sponsor Nanik Woodblinds, the Texas Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID Texas) is bringing him in as a Keynote Speaker at the upcoming the Dallas-Fort Worth regional expo and conference, METROCON05, where he will speak on “Deciding What You Are Worth and Charging It: How to charge for design services and best use a contract.”
Oh, and one last thing. As if all of the above wasn’t enough, Lloyd has his hands in one more venture. Communication Design Studio, a division of DMC, is a company that provides comprehensive print and web-based visual marketing tools and promotional materials to enhance design firms’ business strategies. Gaddiel Lopez serves as Creative Director, and he uses his 15-year experience in visual communications, art direction, project management, and design and production to make clients look as good as they really are. So find out more, take advantage of their free downloads and pertinent links, check out their track record, read Lloyd’s contributions to trade publications, and find out where he’s going to pop up next by visiting these websites:
Design Management Company: www.dmcnyc.com
Communication Design Studio: www.dmccds.com
Then, when you finally decide to get help, you can contact Lloyd directly. (Remember, the first step is admitting that you have a problem…)
Lloyd Princeton
220 West 26th Street, #1007
New York NY 10001
T 212.777.5718
F 212.777.5719
lloyd@dmcnyc.com
