Meet a member: Kiran Singh, Interior Designer
Posted: Tue 6th Jan 2015
In a new series for 2015, we're profiling an Enterprise Nation member on the site every week so you can hear how they get started and their top tips for success. In this first profile, we meet interiors entrepreneur, Kiran Singh.
Kiran is the owner and Interior Designer at Studio Kiran Singh. She's also the owner and Editor-in-Chief of online magazine, My Unique Home.
Q: What was your motivation to start your own business?
What motivated me was my passion for interiors. I also had knowledge and experience from a previous business I'd built up in Norway. When I moved to London in July'08 I applied for a number of jobs, but the recession and the fact I didn't have experience in this country meant it was challenging.
I decided to start my own business and get my name out in the UK. I'm a graphic designer, so was able to design my own website and get moving quickly. Studio Kiran Singh and My Unique Home began.
Q: Whilst you were starting up how did you balance home life with work?
I did a teaching course at my local college. That meant I could teach adults whilst working on the businesses. I needed to work around my daughters schedule so I launched interior classes that I run from home. This helped build up my profile and means I can balance being a small business owner and a single mum.
Q: What's your most effective sales and marketing tip?
Find your target market and useSocial media to talk to them. Interacting with your fans is important rather than just talking at them. For a small business looking to engage the local community, here are some good places to start:
Netmums - Netmums is a family of local sites that cover the UK, each site offering information to mothers
Mumsnet - Where parents swap advice
StreetLife - Streetlife makes it easier to connect to people in your local area
Local Facebook groups - Connect to businesses and people in your area through Facebook
I also write for several online publications where my website is credited. Content marketing and blogging helps build your position as an expert in your field: find appropriate blogs and sites and approach them with your story.
Q: Which tools could you not live without in your business?
As a small business owner, I can't live without Hootsuite, MailChimp, Cloud Storage, and Evernote. The great thing is, they all work on my smartphone, so I can keep up to date on the move.
Q: Can you recommend any apps for interior designers?
Houzz - Home improvement inspiration
HomeStyler - Watch your home design ideas come to life within a photograph of your own space
Room 3D - create a 3D animated room and modify the colors and items with an impressive realistic image
Q: What's been your biggest business success to date?
It's been a fantastic couple of years building my brand - I find showcasing your expertise at events and winning awards is a great way to get your name out.
I've been the resident expert at a number of interior design shows and been nominated for The Mumpreneur UK awards, alongside winning at the Asian Professional award for Design and Creativity.
Q: What are your ambitions for the next 5 years?
I hope to have my own Design Studio with 2-3 people working for me, have books published and branch out my design classes. I'm glad that along the way, the Enterprise Nation Community will be there to help me with ideas, support and knowledge.
What are your top 5 tips for people who want to start up:
Create a vision board of your dreams and goals
Make a plan with step by step instructions
Have a daily planner and to-do list
Enjoy the journey
Don't give up
If you want to talk to other likeminded Interiors professionals, join our home and garden business meet-up in March.
Sign up to be a member to receive 25% off all events and a host of other benefits.
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