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Adding the finishing touches to interior solutions
WHILE many companies were winding down for the festive season, entrepreneur Robert Sherwood was busy opening his second small business. Sherwood's first business is an interior design consultancy; his second is a Cape Town shop called Ironi, which sells affordable interior accessories such as furniture, bedding, carpets, lighting, crockery and art work. Sherwood, who has been in the interior design business for nine years, established his own design consultancy five years ago. He attributes many of his ideas to a two-year stint in Sydney.
"My exposure to an Australian shop's clean style and design gave me a real kick start." Sherwood says his two companies complement each other: he is now a position able to offer a complete interior solution - from the concept to the furniture and accessories.
Sherwood says he saw a gap in the market for a shop which combined reasonable prices with a different approach to decorating. "Many people are scared of venturing into what they perceive will be costly and think that hiring an interior designer is an expensive exercise. It doesn't have to be. One can do clever things with positioning of objects, mixing colours and putting an overall theme together. "My business has thrived with the help of a solid client base, and my projects have included individual homes, guest houses, hotels, hair salons, offices and loft apartments," says Sherwood. "I have also established a dedicated chain of excellent suppliers."
Sherwood keeps prices down with the help of low overheads. "I don't rip people off and believe that a fair profit is enough." Unlike many other Cape Town interior retailers, Sherwood chose a quiet spot for his shop in Loop Street. The location is less costly and siphons out the casual window shoppers from serious buyers, enabling him to spend more quality time with his customers. Sherwood advises other entrepreneurs to get as much expert advice as possible before branching out on their own. "I have learnt to invest in professional behind-the-scenes advice, so that while the rands and cents are being watched by my financial consultant I can concentrate on the creative side." Sherwood's immediate goal is to establish his shop. Thereafter, following the incredible interest shown by hundreds of holiday-makers over the December-January period, he hopes to open an outlet in Johannesburg. His concluding advice: "Follow your gut feel, believe what you've got is good, and go out and do it. The bottom line is to have a positive outlook plus the inner strength to make it succeed." Debby Reader
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