How This Former Accountant Turned Luxury Chandelier Entrepreneur Maintained Her Business During Pandemic

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Former accountant Dee Johnson turned her chandelier designs right into a thriving enterprise.

However it didn’t occur primarily based on a grasp plan.  It began with a chandelier-making challenge for her own residence.

Johnson was decorations for her residence when she got here throughout a lovely $5,000 chandelier. Because it wasn’t in her finances, she determined to create her personal luxurious chandelier. She confirmed footage to her co-workers within the accounting division and the suggestions was constructive. They inspired her to showcase her designs on-line. Inside a few weeks, she had orders flowing in. Now, Johnson has constructed a six-figure enterprise making chandeliers for others.

“I bootstrapped this enterprise from the bottom up,” says Johnson. “I used my financial savings and offered a automobile to get began.

“A few years later, I acquired an SBA mortgage. Anyone that is aware of something about these loans is aware of that it may be tough to accumulate if you end up a enterprise proprietor. Funding, usually, is tough for enterprise house owners. I acquired a QuickBooks Capital mortgage early within the course of which supplied an excellent cushion for money stream and expense administration.”

The Making of a Luxurious Chandelier Enterprise

Johnson is the founding father of Au Courant Interiors — a producer of luxurious chandeliers, inside furnishings, and equipment. Based in 2013, Johnson needed to pivot from her position as an accountant to full-time entrepreneur when demand for her chandeliers elevated. Her distinctive handcrafted designs grew from one order to roughly ten orders per thirty days inside a number of years.

“Our focus is on the craftsmanship,” says Johnson. “The items are an funding for our prospects.”

Johnson has at all times been an entrepreneur. She began a industrial cleansing service at 19. Then, she dived into the house staging enterprise. When she relocated to South Carolina, she arrived with out a community of household or professionals and returned to her work in Accounting. However at the back of her thoughts, she knew that one in all her ventures would take off and lead her to a dream enterprise.

“I think about myself an entrepreneur first. Then, the creativity is available in. I get the very best of each worlds [with Au Courant Interiors]. I get to handle the enterprise from the entrepreneurial aspect and use all of my monetary information to do this. Then, I additionally get the profit to be artistic. It’s an awesome stability.”

QuickBooks Helps Accountant Pivot Chandelier Enterprise Throughout Pandemic

The pandemic was a shift for a lot of companies — together with Au Courant Interiors. Dee was pressured to pivot her enterprise to fulfill buyer calls for.

“We had points with our provide chain and funding,” says Johnson. “However I used QuickBooks on-line and QuickBooks capital to assist me get by way of it. I utilized for a QuickBooks Capital mortgage at some point and the subsequent day it was deposited. To me, it was an awesome course of once you examine it to all of the hoops it’s a must to undergo to get funding from a conventional financial institution. We didn’t have to tug my credit score to do this. It was extra in regards to the well being of my enterprise.”

In a matter of weeks, Johnson was capable of produce all of her designs in-house. She created 400 new designs and partnered with Wayfair to import and export her chandeliers.

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