No matter how careful or experienced you are, working as an interior designer carries certain risks. Business insurance is designed to protect you from these risks, but it can be difficult to know how to get the right cover.
To make things a bit easier, we created this guide together with our insurance partner, Superscript. Here, we walk you through the basics of insurance for interior designers, outlining all the things you need to consider when choosing cover or renewing a policy.
Head to the Superscript website to find out more about the insurance solutions they offer and get in touch to redeem your exclusive discount today!
Business insurance is an umbrella term for a range of covers, each designed to protect you from different risks.
Some risks are more common in certain industries or sectors, while other risks are shared by most businesses. The risks you face are likely to change as your business grows – and they can even vary from project to project.
It’s therefore important to think about the risks involved with your work and to make sure you have the relevant covers in place at the right time. Here are some common covers you might want to consider:
Professional indemnity insurance
A must-have for SBID members, professional indemnity insurance is designed to protect you if a client claims they lost money because of problems with your work, your mistakes or negligence.
This cover can pay your legal fees, as well as compensation awarded to the client. It can also protect you against claims of copyright infringement, unpaid client fees and reputational damage.
You might see professional indemnity insurance referred to as PI or errors and omissions insurance.
Public liability insurance
In-person consultations in your office, visits to clients’ homes, trips to shops and showrooms – working as an interior designer often involves coming in close proximity to members of the public.
If you accidentally cause an injury or damage someone’s property while you’re working, public liability insurance can cover the cost of compensation claims and legal fees.
Employers’ liability insurance
If a member of staff gets injured or ill because of the work they do for you, employers’ liability insurance can cover your legal costs, as well as compensation awarded to the employee.
In the UK, this cover is a legal requirement for most businesses that employ other people – whether those staff are contractors, apprentices, full- or part-time employees, temporary or permanent workers.
Business equipment insurance
From everyday essentials to specialist gear, every interior designer relies on their equipment. Business equipment insurance can cover the cost of repairing or replacing your kit if something gets lost, stolen or accidentally damaged.
It can cover items that stay in one place (such as machinery), as well as portable equipment like laptops and smartphones. And if you have employees, it can also cover their items too.
Cyber insurance
There’s a common misconception that only large tech businesses are affected by data breaches, cyber attacks and hacking. In reality, these are risks for any business that uses technology and the internet.
Designed to protect you from these risks, cyber insurance can cover your legal fees, compensation claims and costs related to notifying those affected. It can also provide protection in the event of extortion, breaches of data protection laws and financial losses caused by system downtime.
There are two main reasons for needing certain types of business insurance: membership requirements and legal obligations.
Firstly, like many other professional bodies and trade associations, the Society of British & International Interior Design has specific insurance requirements for its members. As outlined in the SBID Code of Conduct, all members must have professional indemnity cover. So if you want to join the SBID, it’s essential that you get the right insurance – and maintain your cover throughout your membership.
Secondly, employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement for the vast majority of businesses that employ members of staff. There are exceptions for businesses that only hire close family members or staff who work abroad. But if anyone else works for you, chances are, you’ll need to get covered. If you don’t, you could be fined up for £2,500 for each day without employers’ liability insurance. The law requires a minimum £5 million limit of employers’ liability cover and Superscript include a £10 million as standard.
Although you might not technically need other types of business insurance, there’s one very good reason to consider getting broader cover: the price of insurance is usually far less than the cost of a claim. And insurance can give you peace of mind that you won’t be left picking up the bill for things like broken laptops or data breaches.
As an interior designer, you know the value of tailoring your work to a client’s taste and preferences. And Superscript knows the value of personalised cover, made to suit your business’ needs.
With Superscript, you can:
Contact us to find out more about Superscript’s flexible, customisable business insurance – and their exclusive offer for SBID members.
About Superscript
Every business – from micro to multinational – should be able to get the right cover, made to suit its needs. Superscript is here to keep businesses moving. We qualify, quantify and offer insurance using data, analysis and technology, but we serve a huge number of business types, from dog walkers to dieticians, landlords to locksmiths, crafters to cryptocurrency exchanges.
If you’d like to feature your product news here, get in touch to find out more.
If you’d like to become SBID Accredited, click here for more information.
On International Women’s Day, we wanted to recognise female entrepreneurs in the industry. This year, we would like to shine a spotlight on Honghui Liang, the Managing Director of Liang & Eimil. A husband-and-wife team of two, Honghui and Frank established their company to bring much-needed modernity to the interior design industry in a world dominated by ornate furniture and shabby chic homes.
Liang & Eimil takes pride in creating expertly crafted designer furniture, lighting and accessories. They offer clients innovative solutions for interior design and hospitality sectors. “We pride ourselves on the fact that we constantly innovate and bring new designs to our customers, exploring new materials and styles.”
Commemorating the feminine spirit, Liang & Eimil sheds light on the affects that build the environment every day, not just on March 8th. The choice to highlight Honghui and her dedication to embrace equity was taken for this year. Join us as we investigate methods for fostering inclusion, inspire you to start your own business, and offer you curated content that includes an exclusive interview.
According to Honghui, being a successful entrepreneur requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance with a strong will. It must serve a purpose. She is most proud of building Liang & Eimil from the ground up during a ten-year period.
Honghui explains how she has always been very independent ever since she was a child. She is a doer and achiever, always keen for an adventure. In 2009, she relocated to London to join her husband, Frank Eimil’s business and says, “I adore interior design and the pieces my husband creates. He is a wonderful designer, and I am good at running a business, so we are a perfect combination”. She adds that she is extremely proud of the brand they have both built together, claiming that their complementary skills are the key that has led them to where Liang & Eimil is today.
Prior to moving to the UK over ten years ago, Honghui worked in a variety of fields. She was a consultant for many Italian companies looking to expand into China, and she also ran her own business with a friend in the oil and gas industry. She says, “I am enjoying more of what I am doing now because I believe I am creating something meaningful.” Liang &Eimil’s mission is to bring luxury lifestyle into the lives of people and change the way they live and feel at home. Their objective is to make an ordinary day a memorable one, with the luxury of comfort, elegance and enhanced way of living.
When asked about the gender shift in leadership roles, Honghui believes she has seen a transition from male dominant to more female leaders since starting the business, as she noticed an increase in the number of companies led by women. “I believe the difference between male and female leaders is that women prefer a more collaborative approach of leadership by nature, whereas men tend to lean towards a command-and-control style.”
On the topic of fair and equal working environment, Honghui encourages impartiality by ensuring that no hidden characteristics are used to discriminate against employees. She also proposes that equal access to benefits and working conditions for all employees, as well as fair and consistent hiring and promotion procedures be established. Lastly, fair processes and procedures are to be set for dealing with employee grievances and disciplinary issues.
Often, there is the double-bind dilemma for women in leadership. Gender stereotypes frequently undermine women’s ability to lead. Men are seen as being strong, decisive and assertive when they take charge, while women are seen as competent but unpopular when they do the same. Women leaders frequently exert twice as much effort as males for the same accolades. Honghui thinks this needs to change as she stated, “to give more women the chance to succeed at all levels, in all occupations, and in all spheres of life, it is time to rethink what it means to be a leader. We ought to evaluate each employee according to the same criteria.”
The most difficult challenge they faced was when their warehouse caught fire. All their inventory was destroyed, but they remained calm and overcame the hurdle. They were lucky that everyone around them were very understanding and supportive, including their customers. “While faced with a challenge, it is important to discuss transparently to arrive at a solution.”
Work life balance is also another of Honghui’s constant battle. Being a family orientated individual, Honghui tries to spend as much time as she can with her family while balancing the two things that are most important to her: her family and her business. But how does she manage it? She says, “It’s nearly impossible to strike a balance with only 24 hours in a day, so I devote more time to my family by sacrificing on my sleep.” She expects to be able to devote more time to her family and children as more mid-level managers join the team and Liang & Eimil expand.
As SBID is the accreditation body for interior design, we had to talk interior. As Honghui enjoys reading, her most important pieces of furniture in a home are chairs and shelving. “Reading a book in a comfortable chair with shelving to display all of your favourite books and most treasured photo frames of your loved ones, where you can keep all of your beautiful memories, are most precious.”
Honghui’s favourite interior style is a cross of Art Deco and Mid-Century Modernism. Her home includes a variety of colour schemes as every room should tell a different story. From Liang & Eimil’s over 1,500 product line, Honghui’s favourite piece is the Brutalist sideboard as she likes the texture, use of the geometric patterns and the subtlety of its golden brass trims.
Honghui advises young female entrepreneurs who want to start their own business venture and succeed in business to “Identify a market. Take action to start out courageously. Take the chance and push yourself. Keep your vision clear. Be observant. Have faith in yourself and always stay positive.” She adds, “It’s important to create a great team by hiring good people. Take advice from your employees and consumers as well as from your mistakes.”
Honghui’s last message for aspiring female entrepreneurs is to have a purpose and be passionate. “Always maintain your confidence. Empower yourself to face challenges and risks without fear. Be creative as it allows you to concentrate on reforming and breaking through instead of solving problems. Be collaborative while also developing self-awareness. Self-awareness enables us to see things through the eyes of others. Determination. You will always go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to make it happen if you have a strong determination.”
Cover image: Featuring Liang & Eimil’s Lapis Sofa, Lapis Occasional Chair, Montier Mirror, Luca Floor Lamp, Icardi Pendant Lamp and accessories.
About Liang & Eimil
Liang & Eimil, a British brand that specialises in furnishing design for the residential and hospitality sectors, believes in making ordinary moments remarkable. Renowned for producing expertly crafted furniture, lighting and accessories, they take pride in offering innovative solutions that can be tailored to any interior design aesthetic.
If you’d like to feature your project news here, get in touch to find out more.
There are limited spaces available on our NEC3: Preparing and Managing the ECC course in April 2022. This practical two-day training course introduces delegates to the philosophy of the NEC family of contracts and focuses on the provisions of the NEC3 Engineering and Construction Contract (ECC).
The programme includes interactive workshops using a number of case studies to assist delegates’ understanding of pre- and post-contract aspects of ECC.
Who should enrol?
It is ideal for anyone working with, or intending to work with, the NEC3 ECC including: project managers, contract managers, quantity surveyors, planners, clients, consultants, contractors and their supply chain.
At the end of the course participants should be able to:
Join the Trade Mission to Dubai and discover new opportunities in this dynamic market and the wider region. Expo 2020 (Oct 2021 – April 2022) creates a seminal moment for UK companies to visit the market and attend the following key tradeshows across architecture, design and wider creative industries sectors taking place between 8 – 12 November:
The visit offers UK companies operating across architecture, interior design and the experiential sector an opportunity to participate in a tailored programme of B2B activities to promote their expertise to local and regional decision makers as well as key industry contacts.
Members login to register & find out more
Tristan de la Haye, founder of De la Haye Coaching, is now on board with the SBID community to give advantage to members bogged down by business growth challenges. His expansive experiences in the industry of design and furniture are evident in his coaching style; realism and purposeful analysis to tap the potential. These help in forecasting and directing decisions towards desired outcomes. Recognised for his dynamic approach in business, passion for developing successful businesses and affinity for the interiors and furniture industry, Da la Haye Coaching, aims to guide those in need to meet their goals to success with clarity and focus.
“Over the years, I have discovered that one of my true career passions is helping others find success and my wealth of knowledge and expertise within the industry allows my clients to do just that.” – Tristan de la Haye
Every business goes through growing pains. But the pains or issues encountered by enterprises are industry-specific. It takes the expertise of an experienced industry insider to help identify the core of the issues, find the hidden potentials, and align these with company goals and business objectives. De la Haye Coaching supports furniture and interior design business owners accomplish revenue targets; optimise costs while reducing specific expenses; and time management. He also works with teams within an enterprise – in sales, production, and other departments, covering every area of the business as needed.
“I have always loved working within the industry and partnering with some of the leading brands and manufacturers. Working together to help you understand your target market, best ways to profit from it, and how to develop foundations for long-term success are some of the first steps we will explore together.”
Tristan de la Haye has worked with industry leaders in design and furniture manufacturing, as a support system to owners and their teams. He found satisfaction when working with entrepreneurs and manufacturers in helping them achieve their revenue and productivity goals at less stressful levels. Here are what he considers some of his achievements with clients:
“Tristan is a pleasure to work with, and I have truly benefited from his knowledge and his commitment to helping me achieve much more in my business life. He is an extremely focused business coach and worked hard to ensure that I achieved the targets we set together. I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Tristan to any company that is looking for growth and also wanting to implement new systems that make their business more efficient and successful.” – Eleanor M.
You can contact Tristan de la Haye: +44 7825 248 508 or email [email protected]
About De la Haye Coaching
Tristan de la Haye’s career has been expansive and diverse. This gives him the advantage as a coach across business aspects – operations, financial control, marketing and sales, customer service, and profit creation. His expertise within the interior design and furniture retail industry is also helping him and his clients harness individual and team potentials.
Tristan started at John Lewis Partnership on their management training program before moving into the SME business sector where he found his niche. From small single outlet companies with modest turnovers to multi-location retail and manufacturing enterprises with revenues of tens of millions.
Inviting entrepreneurs and creatives in the small business community to learn about asserting their legal rights, defending a case and dealing with/resolving legal disputes.
Concentrating on the issue of access to justice in the current legal market, Unity Legal Solutions is pleased to present its Autumn Conference with the support of The Genesis Initiative. Formed to create economic reform driven by SME’s and supported by Parliamentarians, Genesis recognises the importance of improving access to justice for the SME community.
For too many people, court proceedings to assert a legal right or defend a case are out of the question because of lack of funds or fear of the process. Unity seeks to overcome these difficulties particularly for the entrepreneur and SME market, with speakers covering some of the issues facing those with disputes and how Unity can help in resolving them.
The Conference will be chaired by Roger Billins, founder and managing director of Unity. Roger is a practising solicitor and consultant to two London firms of solicitors, author of two legal textbooks, and Chairman of the Trustees of Intermediaries for Communication.
To register at the conference, please confirm your attendance to [email protected]
Challenging you to think through your exporting journey, this virtual event will explore the benefits of exporting, helping you build or refine your strategy and combat the issues associated with the transition into new markets. As you venture into overseas markets, you want to ensure that your business is:
Hear expert insight on the legal, financial and logistical obstacles associated with exporting and how to mitigate these risks and trade safely overseas. Learn how to develop your business model and connect with like-minded London businesses on the same exporting journey as you.
UK hospitality and design suppliers are invited to join the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) and the British Contract Furnishing Association (BCFA) for a spotlight session exploring current and future projects in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. You will hear from industry experts about developments across hospitality in the GCC and set-up and licensing requirements. We will be joined by two leading global hotel chains operating in the Middle East and best practice will be shared by a true British success story in the region
Professional accreditation provides impartial third-party certification or endorsement of an individual’s level of knowledge, skill, experience and proficiency to practice within a specific industry or profession. Granted by authorities in the field, accreditation for professional competence is often affiliated with the industry’s trade or professional association (also referred to as a body, organisation or society), interested in raising the industry’s standards.
Professional bodies help to define and set standards for professional practice. Unlike chartered professions, due to the lack of official title recognition for an interior designer, there is no universally accepted definition recognised by government for qualifying an interior design professional or distinguishing a proven, professionally trained interior designer against an interior decorator, stylist or untrained hobbyist.
Architects and engineers are often the professionals credited for the creation of safe internal environments – while the role of an interior designer is overlooked in terms of its impact on public health and safety. Much more than mere aesthetics of dressing a space, an interior designers choices and advice can have significant implications on our health and wellbeing. Inaccurate advice or inappropriate specification may breach laws or compliance regulations, incur additional cost, generate delays or increase risks to those who invest in and ultimately use the space.
For over a decade, the Society of British & International Interior Design (SBID) has represented, promoted and protected the interests of practicing interior designers in industry, government and trade, creating a widely recognised benchmark for professional standards with its first-to-market Accreditation criteria – defined by an interior designer’s level of education, experience and competence.
To ensure the welfare and safety of clients and end-users – from adhering to building regulations and ethical business practices, to making compliant material specification and space planning, SBID Accredited Designers must comply with its Code of Conduct and Ethics which set out the expectations for design professionals operating in a safe, compliant and ethical manor.
Achieving SBID’s Interior Design Accreditation provides clients with reassurance that the design services offered are quality-assessed to meet the required industry standards for compliant professional practice.
SBID also require its Accredited Designers to commit to an annual programme of continued professional development to maintain relevant skills and knowledge. Ensuring the designers commissioned are sufficiently trained, educated and experienced to perform at the highest level is essential for improving public safety, reducing industry complaints and driving professional standards.
To find out more about SBID’s professional accreditation for interior designers, click here.
Now in its fifth year, SBID’s international franchise in Ukraine recently announced the winners of its latest student design competition for young designers. The Get Me 2 the Top 2020/21 award ceremony took place in the capital city, Kyiv. The main goals of SBID’s annual youth competitions are to provide talented interior design students with opportunities to showcase themselves and gain valuable tools to help them kickstart their careers in the design industry.
The event was opened by Peter Wickenden, the First Secretary, Energy Policy & Acting Country Director, Department of International Trade (DIT), British Embassy in Ukraine and Julia Danilova-Meretska, Regional Director of SBID Ukraine, who made the welcome speeches and congratulated the winners.
Julia Danilova-Meretska, Regional Director of SBID Ukraine said: “The competition is an opportunity for a young specialist to meet the industry in practice, to get a valuable piece of advice from the best professionals in the industry. We are proud that for the fifth year in a row we are making our contribution in identifying the talents, as well as providing young generation with an opportunity to make their dreams come true.”
Among the guests of the Award Ceremony were the contest partners and jury members; Ruslana Bessarab, founder of St Sophia Homes; Helen Khilkova, CEO of DonStream Education Group and official representative of the University of The Arts London in Ukraine; Serhiy Makhno, architect, designer, ceramist and founder of the Sergey Makhno Architects studio; representatives of the Delavega furniture factory and D8 engineering, as well as architects and interior designers authorised by SBID.
From the shortlisted students, the international jury selected winners in the following categories:
Private Space: Yulia Brazhnikova, Kyiv National University of Technology and Design
Public Space: Oleksandr Rekhlytsky, Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture
Product Design: Oleksandra Morgun, Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts
Retail Design: Demidenko Anastasia, Mykhailo Boichuk Kyiv State Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design
The overall winner this year became Daria Utkina, a graduate of the Salvador Dali Academy of Contemporary Art who will receive a six-month paid internship at the British architectural firm Jestico + Whiles, including costs of flights and accommodation in London, and Visa support.
Other prizes for the winners feature a trip to the Poliform LAB in Italy; gifts from Delavega furniture factory, D8 Engineering and Silpo supermarket chain; the Serif TV from Samsung Electronics TV; internship at St.Sophia Homes development holding; an annual subscription to ELLE Decoration Ukraine magazine; reproductions of works by famous contemporary Ukrainian artist Roman Minin from Abramovych.art; the training course “Marketing in Construction and Architecture” from the School of Construction Project Management PRO PM Construction, as well as a course from the University of the Arts in London (UAL) and DonStream education group.
In addition, two competition finalists – Alina Chen, KhDADM, and Olena Grechko, Lviv Polytechnic National University – were also invited for an internship at the Sergey Makhno Architects studio.
More detailed information about the competition, the international jury members and the works of this year’s winners can be found on the SBID Ukraine website: www.sbid.org.ua/getme2thetop
Join SBID
Find out more about our flexible membership structure.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
By subscribing, you agree to be added to SBID’s mailing list. As an industry’s standard bearer organisation, we strive to bring you the most up to date news and access to exclusive industry content through our various newsletters.