I was introduced to Cynthia’s interior decorating business thanks to another profile that I did on the site and using some of my own advice and asking for a referral. The one thing that really stuck me with Cynthia’s story was how she decided to follow her passion for interior design, went back to school, and then started her own business. It just goes to show that you too can make a change if you’re truly passionate about the dream your chasing! Congratulations Cynthia!
PE: Tell us about Fresh Space and it’s product/services?
Cynthia: Fresh Space Interiors is my interior decorating business – I’m an accredited Interior Decorator so I can advise on all aspects of home design such as space planning, window treatments, flooring, etc. My specialty, however, is colour consulting – I’m a Benjamin Moore colour consultant with a degree in fine art. so colour and paint are definitely my passion!
PE: What was the inspiration behind creating an interior design company?
Cynthia: I had been working in an unsatisfying office job for a number of years and came to that point where I had to decide to settle there for the long term, or take a chance on trying something more inspiring. I had always been interested in interior design, and loved fixing up houses as a hobby, so it was a natural choice for me. It suited my creative side, plus it’s a profession that really allows you to have a positive impact on people’s daily lives.
(PE: I like how Cynthia decided that it was time to follow her passion instead of working for an “unsatisfying office job”)
PE: I always like to talk to people about their visions. What’s your vision for Fresh Spaces and where do you see the business in say 3-5 years time?
Cynthia: That’s a great question! Of course I want to keep expanding my client base, and I’m interested in teaching as well. But I’m lucky in that I’m always getting inspired and excited by my job, since every project brings a new set of challenges that require creative solutions. So to a certain extent I’m happy to leave myself open to the unexpected as well.
PE: What did you find to be the hardest part about starting up your business?
Cynthia: I was still in school and working part-time when I started up, so time management was a big issue for me – and still is, I have to admit! There are so many threads involved to running a business that you don’t anticipate and keeping on top of all of them definitely requires sharp organizational skills.
PE: If you were able to give one piece of advice to an aspiring entrepreneur what would it be?
Cynthia: If you’re really excited about your business idea, and you’ve done your research and think it just might work, then definitely go ahead and give it a shot! A huge motivating factor for me was to not have that big “what if I had tried…” moment 15 or 20 years from now.
PE: Could you tell us about that moment in time, your “Eureka” moment, when all the ideas you had about your business just started to make sense?
Cynthia: I think it was when one of my earliest clients left me a voicemail at 11 p.m. – she had just finished painting her living room a green colour we had chosen, and she loved it so much she couldn’t wait until the following day to tell me. It’s such a small thing but it was really rewarding for me, and I knew I had made the right decision.
PE: If you were able to change one single thing about the way in which you started your business what would it be?
Cynthia: I would definitely have been much more organized about my paperwork. For me, that’s the easiest thing to put off until ‘later’, but I found out the hard way that the process is 100 times more miserable if you don’t stay on top of it.
PE: Could you tell us how you managed to find your first customers?
Cynthia: While I was in design school I worked part-time at a Benjamin Moore paint retailer, giving in-store colour advice to customers. Many of the people I helped there became my first customers, and I’m happy to say a lot of them still are!
(PE: This is great advice! Could you “moon-light” to gain some experience and/or contacts?)
PE: What venues/methods of attracting new clients to Fresh Space have you found to be the most successful?
Cynthia: I have some great relationships with a few painting contractors who I’m able to recommend to my clients, and they do the same in return for me. It’s a great service for our customers, and an excellent way to generate new business for all of us.
PE: How important is “word-of-mouth” advertising to the overall success of your business?
Cynthia: It’s huge. It’s the best form of advertising. Your home is the most important place in your life and it can be stressful to invite a stranger in to change it. People naturally want assurance that the experience will be a positive one, so they first place they turn for advice is to their friends and family. I get a lot of referrals from previous clients and I’m especially grateful for all of them!
PE: Could you give our readers some advice on home to deal with customers? How do you manage expectations and keep your projects on-schedule?
Cynthia: Right from the start, I’m very honest with my customers about what I’m there to do, which is to use my expertise to advise them on what will work in their home. It’s up to them to tell me what they like and dislike, and I need them to be very honest with me because it’s their home and I want them to love it. As for staying “on-schedule”, that’s the big one with renovation projects, isn’t it! (I tell my clients that a renovation is like a wedding – despite your best planning, something always goes wrong, and you won’t know what it is until it happens.) The best thing you can do is just keep communicating with all the parties involved, and I try to do as much of that as I can by email. Having things in writing helps to avoid confusion and keep everyone up-to-date.
PE: When you’re not busy running Fresh Spaces what do you like to do with your time?
Cynthia: Well, we moved house ourselves last year, so in my downtime from decorating, I’ve been doing a lot of…..decorating. Under normal circumstances, though, I love movies – I’d see one every day if I could. I also do a lot of hiking with my husband and our dog – there are some great trails around our new house and we’ve been enjoying discovering them all!
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