- October 20, 2025
- Heather McManus
Many interior designers don’t realize how much money they’re missing out on when they source for clients.
If you’re still purchasing through retail furniture stores that give you a commission of, on average, 10%, you’re slowly killing your interior design business.
Perhaps you have some vendor accounts with a designer discount—but if your client compares the price they’re getting, the internet beats you every time and eats your profit. Even worse, that savvy client ends up—understandably—angry and mistrusting.
The good news is, you’re not alone—and this is not the end of the story.
Many interior designers feel intimidated or unsure about how to purchase directly from manufacturers, or don’t realize that by doing so, they can truly compete with the internet on price.
Most designers stick to what they’re comfortable with, but sadly, commissions, retail stores, and occasional designer discounts are not enough to support a healthy business.
I learned the hard (and slow) way—but you don’t have to! After struggling to pay my bills despite being busy with clients and selling a ton of furniture, a mentor let me in on a secret that was a true game-changer.
She explained the different price tiers vendors offer—and the substantial difference in profits that can be made through direct accounts with individual vendors. It made sense on paper—and the profits promised to keep my bills paid, pay me, and leave enough left over to reinvest in my firm. I thought, this is how I’d start living my wish list and growing my creative business.
So I gave it a try—it took me a while to open accounts with vendors directly, and it was daunting to maintain them year after year. Challenges included opening buy-in amounts ($$) and annual purchasing volume quotas ($$$) to get the best pricing.
It wasn’t impossible, but as a small design firm and solo designer, I had to focus all of my sourcing on one or two vendors to meet those minimums. Though I could see the logic for my profitability in theory, I felt stifled—I wanted more options.
Ultimately, creative choice is what we want—for ourselves as well as for our clients!
To solve this problem, I created The Designers Collaborative—or TDC for short.
It’s like hitting the easy button for sourcing and profits as a creative designer! By joining together, TDC members have buying power—we are a collective, professionally administered engine fueling profits, with the creative freedom of more than 300 vendors to choose from.
Rather than the 20% profit a standard designer price provides, you could be earning the 66% discount of a stocking dealer—without costing your client a penny more!
Pricing Tiers Explained: Every vendor sets their own pricing structure called price tiers. Bigger, better discounts are granted to those who purchase bigger, better quantities. In a nutshell: The more you buy the more you save. Membership in The Designers Collaborative gives you incredible buying power—at the BEST possible pricing tier.
See the major profit you could be making in a family room below:
Apply to join The Designers Collaborative today to gain access to 300+ vendors, exclusive pricing, and a thriving community of designers growing together.
