Which Project Management Software is Best for Your Design Business?
It goes without saying that every small business owner hopes to find the perfect tool for every job. Well, we hope you have a magic wand because that’s the only tool that’ll do it for you. Until then, finding the right software to help you manage projects and accounting that works for your unique interior design business is the best we can hope for.
We’ve already shared some descriptions and impressions of a few of the most popular management platforms in a post titled, Project Management – The Black Hole of Interior Design. However, most of that information was largely drawn from a design-focused source, Business of Home. While they are a trusted source for objective, industry-focused information, we began to wonder what it might be like to actually use these platforms.
After searching for such a source, we felt lucky to discover an online accounting firm that is dedicated to serving interior design businesses of every size. Named The Designer CPA they essentially perform as your part-time CFO while focusing specifically on the unique business challenges and money management needs of interior designers.
In other words, these folks have hands-on experience with the software as do their clients. The following information is taken directly from an article on their website: The Pros and Cons of the 4 Best Project Management Software for Interior Designers.
Hands-on Impressions of Designer Software
Let’s see what the accounting professionals have to say about the most popular project management software being used today.
*Design Manager
The team at Design Manager is promising great things with an update in 2023. While I have not seen the new software at the time of this writing, the use of Citrix is expected to end, and the new release is strictly going to be on the “cloud”.
“I am hearing that the great things that have made Design Manager who they are since 1984 will not be going away. The software will still be an all-in-one option—with project management and accounting all in one. You will still have access to many different reports to let you track how well your business is doing by project.”
The Pros:
Comprehensive Reporting – All of my clients that use DM love the reporting features so they can keep track of the profitability of each project. This allows them to adjust after every project to maximize profit. All the details for your projects are available in the reporting. Software that can provide this information can make your and your team’s lives easier to make decisions that allow for greater profitability.
You only need one subscription since the project and accounting is all in one software. Pricing is $65/per user / per month at the time of writing. You do not have to also pay for a QuickBooks Online subscription because all accounting is done in DM.
The Con:
It’s time-consuming – To review comprehensive reporting, data input can take longer to enter. My clients that use this software either have an internal employee who enters the information or a bookkeeper who specializes in the software. Your bookkeeping fees may be higher than a different business that strictly uses QuickBooks Online for their accounting solutions.
Design Manager is the most popular project management software for interior design forms… We think the reasons for this are obvious.
*Ivy / Houzz Pro Platform
With Houzz purchasing Ivy, more and more Ivy customers are finding out it is time to transfer to Houzz Pro. If you are still using Ivy, you may want to take a deeper dive in the Houzz Program to make sure that the software will still meet your needs.
This software does not have all-in-one accounting in it, so a separate subscription to QuickBooks Online is required. Ivy / Houzz Pro currently has three different options for subscription Current Prices: 1) Starter $65/mo, 2) Essential $99/mo, and 3) Pro / $149/mo.
If you combine the software subscription for QuickBooks Online, the total fees are much higher than the software that provides an all-in-one accounting and project management solution
The Pros:
Clients say the software looks beautiful compared to other options
Receiving payments from clients may be easier
Project management is easier and less time-consuming to enter into this software
3D Floor Plans
The Cons:
The reporting available leaves much to be desired when you compare the comprehensive reporting in all the other software we are reviewing
The integration with QuickBooks Online is wonky at best. The issues with the integration shutting down or some items not importing can be an accounting nightmare
There have been many stories of questionable practices with Houzz that should be researched before deciding if the software is best for your company.
As always, Houzz is very proud of themselves and their software, as the cost makes clear. Then again, they often have reasons for feeling that way.
*MyDoma NEXT
MyDoma upgraded their software to MyDoma NEXT in the Spring of 2022. We sat down with the MyDoma team to learn more about the details which you can review here.
Like Ivy/Houzz, MyDoma does not have all-in-one accounting in the same program. MyDoma pricing is based on the number of team members you have and can range anywhere from $59 to $129 per month. Keep in mind a subscription to QuickBooks Online will also be necessary for your accounting needs.
The Pros:
My clients say the Visualizer, Client Portal, and Clipper are easy to use and look great to present to their clients
Contractors and clients can have access to the Portal to see everything they need to see on their project
You can review project-specific reports in the project management software
The Cons:
A second subscription will have to be paid for with QuickBooks Online besides the MyDoma NEXT subscription price
Only paid invoices can be exported to QuickBooks Online, so if you want project-specific information in QuickBooks Online, it will have to be entered manually a second time in the accounting software.
For us, the visibility that’s available for clients and contractors may be the #1 feature of this software.
*Studio Designer
Studio Designer completed an upgrade to a 2.0 version in the summer of 2019. Many of my clients enjoy this software now that the kinks of the upgrade seem to be resolved.
Studio has two different payment options: Basic for $54/user and Professional for $72/user. What is the difference? Professionals will give you access to time billing, calendars, and activities. If any of these options are important to you, investing in the professional level would be best.
The Pro:
Just like Design Manager, the comprehensive reporting cannot be beat. Having access to profit details allows you to maximize the profit of your business.
The Con:
More time consulting to enter details to review this comprehensive reporting
We think this evaluation makes it clear that, for a design professional, it would be best to pony up for the Professional version.
We hope this more in-depth evaluation of the most popular project management software developed for interior designers has been helpful. Further, Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.