June 13, 2005
Décor do-over | A chat with Michelle Davis of Belle Decorating in Auburn.
By Rebecca Lamet
Founded: August 2004
Employees: One
Startup costs: $7,500
Revenues, 2004: $12,000
Projected revenues, 2005: $40,000
Contact: 784-0445
PO Box 892, Auburn 04212
www.belledecorating.com
You say you're a interior redesigner, rather than being a typical interior decorator. What's the difference?
The first thing I explain to people is that I don't try to sell them anything [or] tell them to buy anything from other stores. What I specialize in is redesign, which means that I will go into their home to meet with them and figure out what is working with their space and what isn't. I take a space and basically redecorate it using their existing furniture, accessories, artwork, lamps, rugs, everything. I don't limit myself to that one room ˆ my store is their house.
My other major service is called staging ˆ designing to sell. I work with Realtors and redesign a home that's on the market.
How did you first get the idea for the business?
I've had this passion for decorating since I purchased my first home in 1998, and was constantly renovating my house by redecorating it. I worked at the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council for four years and then at Central Maine Community College for four years. I always had a business background and thought of owning my own business. I'd run numbers, but I'd think, There's no way I'd make a living off of this.
When I met my husband [a chiropractor], watching him growing his business successfully inspired me to do what I love.
Did you need specific training to get started?
I found a school in Connecticut called The Interior Redesign Industry Specialists. It offers training that is sponsored by HGTV. You have to have an eye for this, but [the program] certainly taught the business aspects and [techniques] like looking for focal points in people's homes.
How do you approach a client's space when you start a job?
I do one room at a time, generally starting with a living room or a family room. I completely empty out the space because I need a blank canvas to work with. It' s a lot easier if I have an empty room so I can check out the lines of the space [and] architectural elements to see if there's a focal point that maybe was not as obvious before. If there isn't a focal point I obviously need to figure out how to create one with artwork or a lamp or something.
How do you market your business?
My marketing strategy is low budget. I decided to join a [Business Network International] group, [which] has chapters all over the world. We get together on a weekly basis and you start developing relationships where you can refer business back and forth, so they really are my sales force.
The only advertising I do is my name and phone number in the Yellow Pages, but I've gotten a few calls from that.
What do you charge?
Typically it's $75 an hour, depending on the project. People can have a new look inexpensively ˆ typically under $200, and it's very dramatic.
Who is your competition?
There really aren't any redecorators in the central Maine area. There are two in Maine that have the same training I have and they're both in Scarborough. In terms of decorating, there are interior designers who go from top to bottom put together a whole design plan, but that's not what I do.
How did you finance your business?
I was able to use my home equity line.
What are your plans for growth?
I'm actually trying to grow the staging part of my business. I'm also going to start focusing on the Portland market. I want to be able to expand where I actually have some decorators working for me.
You said you used to redecorate your own home a lot. Has that stopped since you started Belle Decorating?
My own home is definitely going a lot slower than before. But I still can't get enough of it. There's just not enough time in the day.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
Employees: One
Startup costs: $7,500
Revenues, 2004: $12,000
Projected revenues, 2005: $40,000
Contact: 784-0445
PO Box 892, Auburn 04212
www.belledecorating.com
You say you're a interior redesigner, rather than being a typical interior decorator. What's the difference?
The first thing I explain to people is that I don't try to sell them anything [or] tell them to buy anything from other stores. What I specialize in is redesign, which means that I will go into their home to meet with them and figure out what is working with their space and what isn't. I take a space and basically redecorate it using their existing furniture, accessories, artwork, lamps, rugs, everything. I don't limit myself to that one room ˆ my store is their house.
My other major service is called staging ˆ designing to sell. I work with Realtors and redesign a home that's on the market.
How did you first get the idea for the business?
I've had this passion for decorating since I purchased my first home in 1998, and was constantly renovating my house by redecorating it. I worked at the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council for four years and then at Central Maine Community College for four years. I always had a business background and thought of owning my own business. I'd run numbers, but I'd think, There's no way I'd make a living off of this.
When I met my husband [a chiropractor], watching him growing his business successfully inspired me to do what I love.
Did you need specific training to get started?
I found a school in Connecticut called The Interior Redesign Industry Specialists. It offers training that is sponsored by HGTV. You have to have an eye for this, but [the program] certainly taught the business aspects and [techniques] like looking for focal points in people's homes.
How do you approach a client's space when you start a job?
I do one room at a time, generally starting with a living room or a family room. I completely empty out the space because I need a blank canvas to work with. It' s a lot easier if I have an empty room so I can check out the lines of the space [and] architectural elements to see if there's a focal point that maybe was not as obvious before. If there isn't a focal point I obviously need to figure out how to create one with artwork or a lamp or something.
How do you market your business?
My marketing strategy is low budget. I decided to join a [Business Network International] group, [which] has chapters all over the world. We get together on a weekly basis and you start developing relationships where you can refer business back and forth, so they really are my sales force.
The only advertising I do is my name and phone number in the Yellow Pages, but I've gotten a few calls from that.
What do you charge?
Typically it's $75 an hour, depending on the project. People can have a new look inexpensively ˆ typically under $200, and it's very dramatic.
Who is your competition?
There really aren't any redecorators in the central Maine area. There are two in Maine that have the same training I have and they're both in Scarborough. In terms of decorating, there are interior designers who go from top to bottom put together a whole design plan, but that's not what I do.
How did you finance your business?
I was able to use my home equity line.
What are your plans for growth?
I'm actually trying to grow the staging part of my business. I'm also going to start focusing on the Portland market. I want to be able to expand where I actually have some decorators working for me.
You said you used to redecorate your own home a lot. Has that stopped since you started Belle Decorating?
My own home is definitely going a lot slower than before. But I still can't get enough of it. There's just not enough time in the day.
New Entrepreneurs profiles young businesses, 6-18 months old. Send your suggestions and contact information to editorial@mainebiz.biz.
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