A Houzz Pro Review From a Real Customer
Like many other designers, the past two years have been, well, different. As a California-based residential interior designer, that journey has had the lowest lows and the highest highs. Early in the pandemic, our government made the difficult but necessary choice to shut our entire state down for a total of three months. Plenty of us were scrambling to pause current projects, apply for unemployment (something many of us didn't know how to do), and keep our creativity flowing. Not to mention we were aiding our children in remote learning and managing our own and clients' stresses. Then, the world opened back up! After six months of working from home, staring at those walls, that old sofa, and that neglected kitchen… well, let's just say, my phone has not stopped ringing since!
Is Houzz Worth it?
As my business has grown, so has my need for more help with the firm. I am hesitant to hire any full-time workers after seeing how quickly it can all go up in smoke during the pandemic. But my needs are real, and I had to find a solution. By using Houzz Pro, I hired a Florida-based firm to manage the Houzz Pro end of things. They assist me with everything from gathering pricing, creating POs, and entering in orders to tracking delayed and damaged items (the bane of our existence in this new world). If you're wondering "is Houzz worth it", let's just say that if I did not have a platform like Houzz Pro, I would not expand my firm and get the support and help that I so needed.
Houzz Pro Review: The Early Days
I found myself feeling incredibly overwhelmed and disorganized, two things I am not used to being. It was then that my Houzz rep reached out (what timing!) the talk to me about signing back up as a Pro with Houzz. I had been a Pro member for about five years, most of which were really great. As their business model changed in a way that did not fit my needs, I did not renew my membership for a few years. This was a common issue among designers, and Houzz had made some very significant adjustments in response to that. Given how many new clients I had, I was hesitant at first to offer my name up for more clients. But then my rep told me all about the other benefits of being a Pro member, which gave me pause. One of the significant issues that I came across in my newfound overwhelm was that I could not keep track of all the details needed in each client's project. I forgot to order small items, miscounting handles for kitchen cabinets, and losing track of shipment statuses. And we all know about the supply chain issues! I had a terrible time finding emails with the requested status updates for each item. It was a mess!
Houzz Pro Review: The Turning Point
So, back to that Houzz Pro program. My rep explained the new dashboard would allow me to combine Ivy Mark, the data software I use to source products and invoice clients, with the other benefits of Houzz Pro's interior design software. A localized platform for tracking orders, recording progress, project hours, organizing tear sheets, and the myriad of other things that go into keeping a project running smoothly? GAME CHANGER! How did I go this long without using this tool? The feedback that I have received from my clients about how organized and seamless things are has been very encouraging.
To Conclude, is Houzz Worth it?
I know that some in my industry are still sore over how Houzz was managing our accounts for a time. As a result, there are questions about whether Houzz is a legitimate site and company. But I have to say —give them another shot. They really did listen to our concerns and have become an integral part of running my business. To summarize this Houzz Pro review, I know I won't be leaving Houzz Pro out of my toolbox of ways to manage my business in the best possible way.
Find me on Houzz here!
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