Industry associations, buying groups, Facebook groups, business coaches and more. There’s no shortage of support systems in the home furnishings industry, whatever your role. The question is: Are you taking advantage of those connecting resources to help you build a better business, or are you going it alone? I think a lot of us tend to lean toward the latter.
Something I realized as we headed back to markets this summer in a way that allowed for handshakes and hugs is that we all actually need the lift that comes with connection to those who can understand our triumphs and challenges. Running a business is time-consuming — sometimes all-consuming — and we might not think we can carve out time for connection.
In speaking with Jenna Gaidusek of eDesign Tribe for our cover story this month, she commented that she began eDesign Tribe when she realized she was “lonely” building her design business by herself. Apparently, she wasn’t alone. The Facebook group that began eDesign Tribe in 2018 is now more than 4,000 strong, and that’s without ever paying for an ad. Being in business for yourself doesn’t necessarily mean being in business by yourself.
Something I love about our Furniture, Lighting & Decor audience is that on both the retail and designer sides of the business, so many of you are willing to share ideas, teach each other new skills and build lasting friendships so you have someone to turn to when the going gets rough or you want to celebrate business milestones.
Our industries are such that our colleagues aren’t competitors necessarily — after all, how is a lighting retailer in California competition for a lighting retailer in New York?
Ours is an industry that revels in lifting each other up, celebrating the wins and learning from those too. The audience at this year’s Showroom of the Year Awards in Dallas was evidence of that. It was heartening to see a room packed with industry professionals and retailers ready to cheer on their peers. We share the in-depth stories of our Showroom of
the Year winners in this issue. It’s a good time to gain some knowledge from these innovative business owners.
We also have some sage advice on shoring up your business processes in this month’s Design Coaching Center from LuAnn
Nigara, host of the podcast A Well-Designed Business.
At Furniture, Lighting & Decor, we look to be one of the resources to help you make connections and learn from your peers. If you’d like to see something we’re not covering, please don’t hesitate to reach out and share how we can help. You can
email us at dfalvey@sgcmail.com or amcintosh@sgcmail.com
We’re off to Las Vegas Market later this month, where we are looking forward to doing some connecting of our own! We hope to see you there.
