We offer the following:
   + floorplans/elevations for furniture planning
   + floorplans/elevations for kitchen/bath cabinet layouts
   + floorplans/elevations for tile layouts
   + 3D renders of exterior and interior projects
   + CAD drawings of custom furniture pieces with dimensions for tearsheets
  + Photo Realistic Renders (Upon Request)

We use Home Designer Pro from Chief Architect.

It depends on the size of the project. Here are some general guidelines:
Basic Floorplans with Elevations:  
         + 1-2 rooms with furniture layouts = 2 hours. (This includes scaled room and furniture to specs with labels and dimensions. All submitted via PDF.)

Kitchen/Bath Cabinet Layouts:  
         + Baths = 1 hour (This includes scaled floorplan/elevations with items such as room openings, doors, windows, standard ceiling heights, cabinetry, plumbing fixtures, shower doors, etc. All submitted via PDF.)
         + Kitchens = 2.5 - 3 hours (For kitchens, this includes scaled floorplan/elevation items such as windows, doors, room openings, cabinetry, appliances, dimensioned clearances, specific cabinet/appliance call outs. All submitted via PDF.)

Detailed Floorplans with Elevations: Tile Layouts
         + If floorplans/elevations have not been created already  
                 + Tile layouts with material call outs and dimensions = 2 hours (This includes drawing kitchen or bath to scale, adding plumbing fixtures, and any other information needed for trades to quote project/install project)
         + If floorplans/elevations have been already completed by MDA
                 + Tile layouts with material call outs and dimensions = 1 hour (This includes drawing kitchen or bath to scale, adding plumbing fixtures, and any other information needed for trades to quote project/install project)

3D Renders:  
         + 2 - 4 hours/room, per option (This is because we need to clip the texture, scale it to proper proportions for it to render properly, or if we need to search for specific items to look like sourced pieces)

CAD Drawings of Custom Furniture Pieces for Tearsheets:  
         + Custom based on amount of furniture and specific designer needs. Consultation will be needed with the CAD team to obtain an estimate of hours needed to complete the project.

CAD tasks are billed at our hourly rate ($80 per hour). All new clients are charged a nonrefundable Onboarding fee ($400), which will be applied as a credit toward their end-of-month balance. Invoices are sent out on a monthly basis.

We generally shoot for 5-7 business days from the time we receive all necessary information we need to start the project. (Note: Currently, we are at 7-10 business days. However, the CAD Team Lead, who reviews incoming project requests, will communicate with you if the lead time will be shorter than the 7-10 business days.)

CAD requests can be submitted by completing the CAD Task Submission Form, which will be shared with you during onboarding. Once the submission has been received by Teamwork, it will create a notification for the CAD Team Lead to review the submission. Submissions are reviewed within 1 business day (barring vacations or company closures which are typically stated in the submission form). This ensures we have all necessary information to get started with your project. (This link is the same link to use for edits on projects already completed.)

There is not a limit to the number of revisions. However, incomplete information or unclear directions will cause unnecessary revisions, which in turn, costs our clients time and money. We still charge for revisions and edits (at the standard hourly rate). It is important to understand that we cannot guarantee an immediate turnaround time on revisions, and it is best to ensure that all criteria you have submitted are complete and accurate at the beginning of the project. We typically are scheduling time for projects days in advance and cannot always accommodate a quick fix or adjustment. If you may want multiple views of something, to see different variations or plans, please try to consider this ahead of time.

Tasks are assigned to the CAD team based on the project requirements and the availability, strengths, and skills of our CAD designers. If your CAD designer has questions regarding the project, they will communicate with you via the comment section inside the task. This will ensure a record of communication is kept. 

We do provide samples of our work and will happily share upon request.

Our current lead time is 5-7 business days from the time we receive all necessary information. If you have a hard deadline, please keep these lead times in mind. The deadline should never be the same as your presentation day with the client. Please leave a cushion for potential edits or changes if needed. We cannot guarantee someone will be immediately available. Once a task is submitted and has been reviewed for complete information, our CAD Team Lead will send a confirmation of receipt and share the current lead time. (The turnaround for revisions is usually 2-3 business days.)

Our Virtual Assistants (VAs) have varying levels of experience in Houzz/Ivy, Materio, Studio Designer, Dubsado, DesignFiles, etc.

We manage our design partners' projects in a tool called Teamwork. This is our primary communication and task management platform. While we can work with other software and tools, we track all tasks, logged time, and conversations in our own system for the purpose of consistency and team management. (See the next question for more!)

We request that all communication, time, and task tracking be done in MDA's Teamwork account. There is no extra cost to the client.

We leverage Honeybook for CRM, Teamwork for project management, Wix for web presence, and Milanote for brainstorming, collaboration, and planning.

Our services and what we train our team on most consistently is procurement management and CAD services. While we can offer sourcing, at this time, we encourage our design partners to work with us for a quarter or three months before delegating this duty. This allows us to be better acquainted with your preferred vendors, any buying groups you are a part of, and the way you put items together. 

Once we get to that stage, we use an intake form to gather all the information we need – things like preferred vendors for this project, color scheme, design style, budget, etc. We commit to an initial hour of sourcing before sending our preliminary finds, and from there, you tell us whether we're on the right track or if we need to take a new approach. 

We can assist in high-end material sourcing. While not all our team members have direct access to a fabric showroom or explicit knowledge in fabrics, we are comfortable suggesting patterns, colorways, and premium vendors, as well as procuring physical samples for your review. 

It's also helpful to have access to your preferred vendor list to know what brands you like to work with and which products best capture your client's style. Sharing any design boards or previously selected items with us helps inform our sourcing process. We also have access to buying groups like Daniel House, Vitoch, Habitatery, and Designers Inc.

Yes! Check out the following list of tasks with their respective time requirements. These ranges are only estimates and can vary due to several factors, such as missing information, the complexity of the design, and the number of revisions needed. Other factors include: extra labeling/callouts, multiple plans for one space, narrowed focus on specific features of an item or unique items when sourcing, etc. (We base these numbers on previous project averages.)

         + 1 room floorplan (CAD): 1- 1.5 hours
         + room 3D render (CAD): 3 - 4 hours
         + 1 room main furniture sourcing: 1 hour (to start)
         + 1 room accessory sourcing: 2 hours
         + 1 whole room sourcing with furniture, furnishings, art, lighting, accessories: 3 - 4 hours

Yes! Check out the following list of tasks with their respective turnaround times. These estimates are working averages and are subject to our team's capacity at a given time. The 'clock' starts after we receive all the information necessary to complete the project. Please understand that the more information we have to go back and request, the longer it will take for us to perform the task and the longer it will take for the task to even get started. Come prepared and it should be smooth sailing. We have forms for all tasks to help prompt the responses we need.

         + CAD: 5-7 business days
         + Sourcing: 1-2 business days
         + Presentations: 1-2 business days
         + Orders: 1-2 business days

No, but we do know some amazing people who do!  

Jessica Hutchins At Hutchins Bookkeeping
Services include: Profit/loss reports, balance sheets, reconciliation of accounts, etc

Logistis for Designers
(323) 443-1233

Holly At Happy Book Solutions

Depending on the hours you need each month, most of our Virtual Assistants are happy to schedule dedicated time to work with their Designer. You can expect a response to messages either same-day or on the VA's next scheduled workday. Otherwise, tasks will fit into the schedule as soon as the assigned VA can do them, generally within a business day or two.

Designers have full proprietary rights to all work/designs provided by MDA and ownership of all documents. Please see below for this excerpt from our contract:

We consider a wide breadth of factors when assigning a team member to a client account. Those factors include the VA's availability, time zone, skill set, experience, and expressed interest. Truth be told, personality types even factor into the equation! During the onboarding phase with a new client, we share a resume-style profile that shows off their assistant's educational background, design experience, previous work, software proficiency, and design portfolio (where applicable).

We focus more on managing the hours we are needed than the number of designers we support. We collect the goal hours our team members would like to work and match them with the appropriate projects. We are dedicated to maintaining a boutique, curated feel for our services. While we have our proven processes for how we like to do things, we like to ensure that you're still heard and feel valued! We support our clients in an Administrative capacity (procurement, sourcing, mood boards, etc), CAD capacity (renderings, floorplans, etc), and more recently, with business consulting.

There is no limit to the number of revisions. However, incomplete information or unclear directions will cause unnecessary revisions, which in turn, costs our clients time and money. We do charge for revisions and edits (at the client's package rate). Please also be mindful of the fact that we try to plan our tasks a day or two in advance so we can better plan when we can get things done for clients. Projects needing repeat edits may not always be able to be prioritized.

Our values are transparency, sustainability, family, integrity, and empowerment. We have built a business around these values. We know how challenging it can be to feel like you are handing your business over to a stranger. That is why we work in Teamwork. So at any point, you can see our latest task updates and time logged on your projects. We partner with people who demonstrate integrity of work and show this through their commitment to supporting our design partners, as well as their MDA team members. Our entire goal is to provide a knowledgeable, dedicated, and well-curated team of individuals that empower you to develop the best version of your business. One that will support you and your family for years to come. We're not just task-doers; we are your partner in growth.

Developing a strong team requires consistency. We ask our partners to commit to three-month packages so we can better determine how much time we'll need to dedicate to your business and make sure you have the resources you need when you need them. Month one is usually an adjustment period, where we get to know you and you get to know us. In month two, momentum starts to build as we lean into the developed systems and your shared goals. Month three is typically where we see the most impact. It's a beautiful, slow burn that pays off in dividends over time! 

The truth is, we are not planning to be a short-term solution to your business needs. We want to be a part of the long-term solution that enables you to grow and scale the business you have been envisioning. Our three-month commitments also serve as a review opportunity. We want to ensure that we're taking time to pause and review the progress we've made. The goal is to adjust where necessary and keep moving forward in the right direction.

When you link arms with MDA, we consider it a business partnership. While the goal is to help you further develop your role as a design business CEO and allow you to focus on the parts of the business you love, we try to discourage a set-it-and-forget-it mentality. Even the most resourceful, independent team needs input and regular facetime. The more you talk with your team and CRM about what's working well and what isn't, the better your overall experience with MDA. This means being diligent in delegating work, holding yourself accountable for timelines and responses, keeping your weekly meetings, and providing consistent feedback to our team. This takes time and dedication from all parties, but the payoff is exponential!