Conversation with Jennifer McDougald, who is a Proprietor of Legacy Home Decor. We inquired her several stimulating queries to understand how she manages and expands her enterprise. Let’s commence with the Introduction.
I initiated my occupation by aiding individuals in discovering their new dwellings, as an apartment leasing professional, and it transformed into my business of helping people embellish and systematize their homes instead. Legacy Home Decor is a home decoration, furniture, and gift emporium situated in Pearland, Texas. We conduct most of our transactions online, but also provide the in-store experience for those that are local and prefer to inspect the products in person. We concentrate on exclusive home décor and gifts that are economical. Additionally, we offer a variety of products that are handmade by local artisans. Our inventory of new products is continually replenishing, ensuring that our selection is always evolving, and we consistently have something novel and exhilarating to offer our patrons.
We appreciate your participation! Can you recount an anecdote about what impelled you to initiate your enterprise?
In 2012, I unexpectedly found myself as a single mother of three children, striving to make ends meet and considering other prospects to generate supplementary income. One weekend, I watched a segment on HGTV for home staging, and I instantly realized that I would excel at home staging due to my expertise in property management, working with model apartments, as well as sales and marketing.
I persisted in working in property management full-time while also dedicating weekends to home staging and redecorating assignments to supplement my income as a single parent. A friend informed me about a furniture painting class being held locally that piqued my interest, so I enrolled in the class. Before the class culminated, I knew that I discovered something that I would love doing and integrating into my business, but little did I know that one class would alter the entire trajectory of my business.
Upon returning home from the class, I promptly purchased a pair of end tables from a thrift store down the street to commence practicing what I had learned. Before long, my waiting list for custom painted furniture exceeded my list for home staging. I began to envision the potential of expanding my enterprise enough to eventually transition out of the corporate world in order to spend more time with my children before missing any more of their formative years than necessary.
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I started taking my enterprise more seriously and devised a strategy to build it during evenings and weekends while still maintaining full-time employment, until I could take the leap of resigning from my job and devoting myself to my business on a full-time basis instead.
After toiling on the business every night from 9 pm (once everyone was in bed) until 2 am, and sleeping only 3 hours from 2 am to 5 am before commencing another grueling day, after 6 months, I ultimately relinquished my corporate job and Legacy became a full-time pursuit in January 2014. My business was solely conducted online until April 2015 when I launched the brick-and-mortar storefront of Legacy.
How did you conceive of the idea or concept for the business?
Home decoration and furniture stores were already prevalent businesses; however, understanding the demanding schedule of busy mothers and how challenging it was for them to find the time for shopping, I aspired to formulate a business model that not only offered distinctive, affordable home decor options but also facilitated a convenient and hassle-free shopping experience. This is why Legacy facilitates services such as online shopping and local holds for pickup until it is convenient for customers to visit the physical store.
How many individuals are currently working for you?
Presently, we have 5 employees.
What guidance would you offer to other novice entrepreneurs?
I would advise other entrepreneurs that achieving success will demand far more of their time and financial resources than they are likely planning for, and it will take considerably longer to achieve success than they anticipate. While individuals foresee entrepreneurship as being challenging, time-consuming, and costly, I believe the true scale of these aspects can only be comprehended when personally experienced. Although it undoubtedly necessitates much more than I had ever envisioned, I would willingly undertake it again and would not allow these challenges to deter me from taking the risk.
How much potential market share do you aspire to attain in the next 3 years?
The home decor industry is a 663 billion dollar a year sector. As a small enterprise, we are far from possessing a significant market share in such an extensive sector, but I aspire to eventually emerge as a prominent contender in this industry.
What are the best and worst purchases you’ve ever made?
The majority of my purchases have been related to inventory. I have diligently studied home decor trends and have honed my expertise in selecting items that appeal to my customer base, but I do not invariably get it right. Occasionally, I have chosen a product that turned out to be a disappointment. In such instances, I liquidate the item at its wholesale cost and proceed to source a successful replacement.
Who provided the most support in your life?
My husband, my mother, and my late grandmother have irrefutably been the most supportive individuals in my life. I could not have advanced this far in my business without the steadfast support of my husband and my mother, and I am profoundly thankful for all they have done and continue to do for my success.
What are your future plans?
My forthcoming plans encompass an unwavering commitment to delivering the finest possible products at the most competitive prices to my customer base, as well as persevering in finding avenues to assist my clients in organizing their homes. I am ardently working towards augmenting our customer base both locally and online and aspire to substantially broaden my outreach in the forthcoming years.
How can individuals contact you?
Contact me via email or visit the website: Shoplegacydecor.com
