FAQs
Why should we call on Ensata to be our on-demand Design Department?
Here’s the truth:
Your design room is not an asset. It’s an expense.
And when the work slows down, you’re literally paying someone to refill the water cooler and reorganize the sample drawer.
Inconsistent Workload
Pain Point: Spring hits, leads explode. Summer’s chaos. Fall tapers. Winter’s dead.
Root Problem: The design workload isn’t stable year-round. Hiring a full-time designer or salesperson is risky when you might be letting them go in November. So owners scramble every spring, hiring out of desperation, not strategy.
The Hire Was Never a Long-Term Fit
Pain Point: You post a job hoping to find your “design lead” for the next 10 years.
Root Problem: But the truth is, designers either want to go out on their own or they’re not built to handle the client volume you need them to. They don’t match your pace, your ambition, or your vision. They know it and you both feel it by August.
Designer-Sales Expectation Mismatch
Pain Point: You want a designer who can also sell. Or a salesperson who can also design.
Root Problem: This unicorn rarely exists. Designers are visual and technical, not always charismatic closers. Salespeople are closers, not CAD pros. Firms burn through candidates trying to fit both roles into one seat, and it doesn’t stick.
Outsourcing Didn’t Work Last Time
Pain Point: You already paid them, and now you’re either fixing it yourself or starting from scratch. You’ve lost time, accuracy, and. . . Profit
Root Problem: The “designer” you found on Fiverr or Upwork didn’t have a genuine passion for horticulture or understand the best construction and installation practices for your area. The plans were incorrect, the elevations were inaccurate, and the plant list was not be suitable. Plus, since they were in a different time zone, it was nearly impossible to make quick calls for simple revisions.
Training Time Kills Momentum
Pain Point: Every new hire needs 2–3 months of training just to not lose money on them.
Root Problem: Even seasoned hires need to learn your systems, your plant list, your process, and your pricing. By the time they’re dialed in, the season’s half over or they’re already interviewing at your competitor.
Pain Point: The field team is waiting on permits. Permits are waiting on drawings. Drawings are waiting for the designer.
Root Problem: Everything breaks down if the design room isn’t moving efficiently. Even one slow or inaccurate designer can paralyze your build team. That pressure burns designers out and makes you question their value.
Design Bottlenecks
In-house Design Department is a Money Pit
Pain Point: You’re Paying too much per design with your in-house staff.
Root Problem: When you hire a full-time designer, you're making a significant financial commitment, typically between $50,000 and $80,000 a year, depending on your location, plus additional costs for benefits, insurance, training, and software licenses. Say you only have 20 design projects annually, it winds up costing you between $3,000 and $5,000 for each project.
Less projects mean higher cost per design. Then you turn around and “refund” the design fee if the client signs? Seriously?
The concern is that many designers may only spend a fraction of their time on actual design work, potentially just a few hours/week on each project. The rest of their time is filled with downtime, busywork, office small talk, and costly inefficiency.
This significantly eats into your profits, especially if the design department is not fully engaged year-round.
Ensata Design: Your Path to Breaking the Cycle
We are not just another hire; we are your on-demand design department.
Outsourced. Streamlined. Precise.
We don’t flake, we don’t get seasonal, and we don’t need benefits, office space, or overtime pay. You only pay when there’s work.
Embrace efficiency and eliminate bottlenecks.
We deliver fast, accurate 2D plans + 3D renders.
-No more missed sales. We empower your team with stunning 3D visuals that close deals.
-No more risky hires. Effortlessly scale your design capacity without the need to post a job.
-No more training. We are pros, fully equipped with expertise in Vectorworks, Lumion, construction details, and plant palettes.
-No more losses to Fiverr flops. We are a U.S.-based company with a proven track record of delivering millions in successful projects for builders just like you.
Outsource the risk. Keep the reward.
Let’s break the cycle together.
Let’s build something remarkable.
Answers For FAQ’s & Common Objections
Answers for frequently asked questions…
“We’d rather have someone in-house for control.”
I understand the desire for control over the design output. However, in practice, remote design tends to be more responsive because we focus exclusively on deliverables. We're not distracted by in-office meetings or other responsibilities, so when you need something, it becomes our top priority.
“We want someone who is always available.”
The beauty of our agreement lies in the fact that whether we're on a retainer or working by project scope, our time is always reserved for you when needed. You benefit from our responsiveness, as we are available to assist you without the cost of having an idle team.
“We require a lot more work and need a full-time design team.”
We can scale with you. Whether that means adjusting the hours dedicated to your company or involving my network of support under the Ensata umbrella, we can meet your demand without requiring the management of more employees.
“How does this work contractually?”
We operate under a simple service agreement, either by project or a monthly retainer based on estimated volume. You'll have clarity on turnaround times, pricing, and deliverables.
“We’ve tried outsourcing design work before - on Fiverr, Upwork, Etc. - and it didn’t go well. Why would Ensata be any different?”
We often hear this sentiment, and it makes sense. Those platforms are designed for transactional freelance gigs. However, what we offer is completely different. The Ensata Design Firm is not a freelancer marketplace or a moonlighting operation. We are specifically built for high-end contractors who require consistent, high-quality, design-driven results. We are not just a design firm; we are a strategic partner.
“What does ‘ENSATA’ even mean?”
My journey into horticulture and construction began when I served as the COO of a small Japanese-themed garden center and café, designed as a destination garden center in Grand Island, NY. I had the opportunity to train with some of the best garden designers from Kanazawa, Japan, which sparked my passion for authentic Japanese-style gardens.
Over time, that garden center transformed into SATO, a Japanese ramen restaurant with multiple locations in Buffalo, NY, owned by some of my family members. The name 'Ensata' is a tribute to my humble beginnings; 'Iris ensata' is the specific epithet (or binomial nomenclature) for the Japanese iris, which inspired the name.
My question is: What will 'Ensata' mean in the future? The answer… World-Class Design.