Firm Succeeds with Made-to-Order Business Plan

Gilmer notes: “We’re known for excellent service and great communication, and our high-end designs [can be purchased through KitchenDesignOnLine] no matter what the budget is. Our clients discover that we can bring great design and an outstanding finished product to anyone.”

Showing off

Of course, no full-service design firm would be complete without a proper showroom, and Gilmer’s 3,200-square-foot showroom (which boasts 1,600 square feet of office space) certainly fits the bill.

She explains: “We show a variety of designs – from traditional to transitional to contemporary, so our showroom sends the message that we can produce the projects successfully. The layout is very welcoming and easy to browse, and we offer displays from the mid-range to the high-end.”

The firm carries a variety of high-end product lines, including Premier Custom Built cabinetry, Sterling Custom Cabinetry, Décor from Canada, Greenfield by the Corsi Group, granite, marble, soapstone and CaesarStone countertops, and plumbing lines from Grohe, Hansgrohe. Dornbracht, Lacava and Kohler. The firm also has direct accounts with the distributors of Sub-Zero, Wolf, Franke, Best, Miele, Gaggenau, Bosch and Thermador.

To secure additional interest in the showroom, Gilmer has incorporated another unique aspect to her business.

“We have a display in the front window that has three televisions behind a mirror. These televisions show our entire portfolio, including a show that I was featured on, on TLC, as well as various appliances. These TVs face the window so people in their cars or walking down the street are usually intrigued,” she states.

Market Savvy

Indeed, Gilmer notes that marketing plays an important role in the firm’s success.

“We spend money on photographing most of our work, and we then put that work out there to get recognized, whether through advertising, submitting it to design contests and winning awards or getting editorial coverage from trade magazines,” she explains.

Gilmer also has a part-time marketing person on staff responsible for coordinating the firm’s photo shoots, sending out scouting shots to magazines, handling the firm’s advertising contracts with local design magazines and submitting work as entries to design competitions.

“Our marketing person also works with our public relations company to promote our new online business,” she notes.

She concludes: “Our success really comes from finding the right group of people to work for my company who take ownership of their jobs and care about their work. The result is great teamwork, great service, follow through and responsiveness.”