As an interior designer, have you ever considered the benefits of creating passive income streams alongside your design business? Passive income allows you to generate earnings with minimal ongoing effort, providing you with financial stability and more freedom to focus on what you love most: design. The major benefit of passive income is that you put in the work upfront and it can pay off over years, making it a great task to take on in between projects or during a slow season.
In this blog post, we will discuss four effective ways to earn passive income as an interior designer, including affiliate marketing, online shops, courses, and printable art. These strategies can help you add revenue streams while leveraging your existing design skills and expertise.
1. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a great way for interior designers to earn commissions by promoting products and services that align with their brand. This income strategy allows you to recommend design-related products that you already use and love, earning a commission every time someone makes a purchase through your affiliate links.
How to Get Started with Affiliate Marketing
Begin by joining affiliate programs such as Amazon Associates, SideDoor or LikeToKnow.it. Choose products and services related to interior design, like furniture, decor, tools, or software. Integrate your affiliate links naturally into your content, such as blog posts, Pinterst Pins, or even social media.
For example:
Blogging: Write product reviews, design guides, or “Shop the Look” posts that feature affiliate links to items you recommend. Create shoppable moodboards so your readers can shop your designs.
Pinterest/Instagram: Post shoppable photos that showcase your designs, with direct links to your affiliate products.
By sharing products that resonate with your audience, you can earn passive income while providing value to your clients and followers.
2. Create an Online Shop
An online shop is a fantastic way to earn passive income by selling your own products. Whether you want to offer physical decor items, digital goods, or both, an online shop allows you to reach a wider audience and generate sales 24/7.
What to Sell in Your Online Shop
Consider selling unique items that highlight your design expertise. You can offer:
Custom Home Decor: Sell curated furniture collections, handmade items, or signature decor pieces.
Digital Products: Offer design templates, mood boards, or style guides that clients can download instantly. This is one of the best passive income streams in my opinion. One of the major perks is that you can reuse a template you already using for your business that you think really works.
Best Platforms to Use
Shopify: This comprehensive e-commerce platform allows you to sell both physical and digital products. It offers tools for managing orders, payments, and shipping in one place.
Etsy: Perfect for selling handmade goods or digital downloads. Etsy’s marketplace attracts a large audience interested in unique, creative products.
WooCommerce: If you have a WordPress site, WooCommerce is a flexible option that integrates seamlessly with your existing website.
An online shop can be a reliable source of passive income, as customers can browse and buy your products even when you’re not actively managing the store.
3. Create and Sell Courses or E-books
As an experienced designer, you have a wealth of knowledge that others would love to learn. Packaging that expertise into online courses or e-books is an excellent way to earn passive income while sharing your passion with a wider audience.
Creating and Selling Courses
Online courses can be a great way to monetize your expertise. Choose a niche topic that you excel in—such as “Designing Small Spaces” or “Starting an Interior Design Business”—and develop course content that provides valuable insights to learners. Offer video tutorials, worksheets, and templates to make your course engaging.
Platforms like Skillshare, Teachable or Udemy allow you to host your courses and automate the selling process, so you can earn income long after the course is created.
Writing and Selling E-books
An e-book is a low-cost way to create a valuable digital product that potential clients or aspiring designers can purchase. You could write an e-book on topics like design trends, home makeover tips, or a step-by-step guide to a specific design style.
Sell your e-book on platforms like Amazon Kindle or directly from your website using tools like Shopify. Once published, it requires minimal upkeep, and you’ll continue earning royalties or sales over time.
4. Sell Printable Art
If you have a talent for graphic design, selling printable art is a low-maintenance way to generate passive income. By offering digital downloads, clients can print and frame the artwork themselves—allowing you to focus on creating designs rather than handling physical inventory.
What to Offer as Printables
Consider creating art prints, typography designs, or graphic elements that align with your design aesthetic. You can cater to current trends or seasonal styles, ensuring your products remain relevant and in demand.
Best Platforms to Sell Printables
Etsy: Etsy is a popular platform for selling digital art, with a large built-in audience seeking printable designs.
Creative Market: This platform caters to designers and creatives, making it a great option for selling unique, high-quality digital products.
Your Own Website: Selling printables through your website using platforms like Shopify or Squarespace offers full control over pricing and branding.
Printables are a fantastic way to earn passive income with minimal overhead and maintenance, allowing you to profit from your creativity again and again.
To enhance your passive income streams, it's essential to utilize social media, Pinterest, and newsletters effectively. By consistently engaging with your audience on these channels, you can drive traffic to your affiliate links, online shop, courses, or printables. Regularly sharing valuable content, promoting your products, and staying active on platforms like Instagram, Pinterest, and through email newsletters will help build your brand, reach a broader audience, and ultimately boost your passive income potential.
To conclude, creating passive income streams can help you diversify your revenue as an interior designer, giving you more financial stability and freedom. Whether you choose to dive into affiliate marketing, set up an online shop, create courses, or sell printable art, each of these strategies can be tailored to your expertise and design style.
Start small by exploring one or two of these options, and as your confidence and knowledge grow, you can expand your passive income portfolio. These methods not only provide financial benefits but also offer new ways to engage with your audience, showcase your expertise, and extend your design brand beyond traditional client projects.
Great tips! Will definitely include these into my business plans! 🎉