Tell us a little bit about Homestyle and the types of services you offer.
A local independent interiors shop specialising in made to measure blinds, curtains and plantation shutters.
What sets your business apart from others in the industry?
A small dedicated team – not tied to any one supplier, so we can source the best products and fabrics from a wide range of top manufacturers. An experienced and knowledgable team, a dedicated showroom in burgess hill where clients can come and see our products and discuss their requirements
How important have your employees been to the success of Homestyle?
We are a small team: Emma and Fraser: Owner/managers, Erica is showroom co-ordinator, Kieron and Nick do the surveying and fitting and Anthony is our apprentice. As we are such a small team, each member plays their own important part, and all have their own specialisms.
What is your most popular service / product?
Our work is quite seasonal. We tend to sell lots of blinds in the summer months, and lots of cosy curtains in the winter. Plantation shutters are becoming an increasingly popular choice throughout the year.
Where do you source your materials from?
We work with a large range of manufacturers, which are mostly based in the UK. We are not tied to any specific manufacturer, so if there are supply problems, we can look for better alternatives. Plantation shutters are pretty much all manufactured in China…..and the market leader, Luxaflex make some of their products in Poland.
What should people look for when considering a business to install bespoke blinds / shutters?
Shop local, look for established businesses that will be available to you easily if you have any problems later, and measuring should always be free. We fit all of our blinds free of charge too.
Where do you see your business in five years?
Hopefully going strong doing more of the same. Our team is growing. It started with just Emma and Fraser and now we have grown to a team of 6, with 3 vans out and about daily fitting and selling.
How important has your online presence been for your income?
We don’t do online sales at the moment, as so much of what we do is related to helping the client face to face to make the best choices, and then installing the products for them. But we have a website with lots of information on it about what we do, and we are always very happy to answer email/telephone queries if people have questions or want ballpark prices.
What do your clients say about you on checkatrade?
http://www.checkatrade.com/LgHomestyle/Reviews.aspx. check for your for self we are more than happy to have our customers speak for us.
Do you have an inspiration? How has that affected your business?
We are inspired by great looking windows – we love helping customers to make the right choice for them, and the fantastic change that a fresh new window dressing can make to a whole room.
Supplied by homestyle-online.co.uk