As of July 2nd, I decided to leave my full-time, commission-only job to work on my own. When I started this blog and decided to start my own business, I had no idea where life would take me and it's been a crazy ride for the past... nearly a year! (wow, time flies!)
So, armed with the knowledge I gained from working in a retail situation, I've begun a new chapter for Regeneration Interiors. I love the name "Regeneration" because it reminds me that there are always times when we need to "start again". So here I go!
I've got a few clients I'm working with, who decided to carry over with me from the store. I have always believed that Furniture Brands has the best quality furniture for the price, and I still do, so I will continue to work and sell through the store.
The biggest thing about being on my own is that, even though I'm still only getting paid when I sell, I'm not spending my time working for someone else. I have more control over the clients I work with, the jobs I do and my free time. So far, it's been more hours put in, but I can put them in whenever I choose... wow, freedom! Having said that... not that many people have walked in and asked for assistance, so that's a con.
One very exciting change to my new chapter is that I've now aligned myself with Furniture Brands Contract furnishings and I'm a "servicing dealer". That means that I can sell any of the Furniture Brands (Thomasville, Drexel-Heritage, Broyhill) to commercial clients. I'm so thankful for the contacts I have within Thomasville, after all of these years!
While I've done design in the past and have worked with clients on staging and re-design, I've never had been able to sell directly to the client, so this is quite a bit different, and I think I'm going to love it! I've contacted a few other furniture brands and also accessory lines and am setting up accounts everywhere I can in order to have the broadest selection for my clients... now if I just had some more clients!
In addition to this new pathway, I've been doing some research in building businesses and branding. My husband recently learned about Zappos.com and their brand story at a SHRM conference, so we decided to visit their headquarters and read a book written by their CEO Tony Hsieh. This probably seems like I'm getting way off track, but it will make sense, I promise. (I definitely recommend you check out their story and read "Delivering Happiness
")So what did that have to do with Regeneration Interiors, or me? Well, it made me think about who I am and who this company is and where are we headed. Since I don't have a great success story, YET!, I have to tell you who I plan to be and who I want to be, so here goes...
Most everyone who knows me and has read my blog for a while, understands my philosophy on design and decor, but you may not understand my philosophy on 1) customer service, 2) community responsibility and 3) charity.
The three sort of go hand-in-hand, but to clarify...
1) I believe that if I provide the best customer service I can, take care of my clients' needs and show them that their happiness is more important than the bottom line, then the money will come, because ultimately people want to know that they are the priority. (by the way, this is exactly what I told the folks at the store when I was interviewed!)
2) I believe that we as individuals have a responsibility to be active and responsible members in our community, the same goes for businesses and sometimes that means doing something good for the community, even when it doesn't make you any money. That being said, I'm now looking for a shelter charity to work with where I can take my talents and assets to help others. My dream would be to provide furniture for a needy family. (let me know if you know of a local group who might benefit from this sort of service.) I'm committing to doing (for now) two projects per year, not necessarily with the same organization.
3) Last, but not least is charity, and there are so many, but for personal reasons, we've decided that 3% of all sales will go to the American Cancer Society. We've had several family members who have been taken from us by this terrible disease, and we want to do everything we can to aid in research and to assist those who are currently suffering.
Now that you know where I am, and where I'm headed, I hope you will become a follower of my blog, call me if you need help with a design or decorating project, and pass my name along to anyone you know who might use my services. I hope to be back on track with my regular blogs and see and hear more about what you all have going on!
