Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Le.
Kim, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Vietnam. My mother was a great businesswoman and she and I had a very close relationship. My mother exposed and equipped me with necessary skills to run a business and I consistently observed. I learned a good deal from her. Throughout my life, I had always dreamed of owning my own business. While in college, I worked in a furniture store for a few years. Then in 2002, a local furniture in my community that was greatly needed closing out. At that moment, I was working in the computer industry. I said to myself, that now is the time for me to make my dream a reality and I decided to take this opportunity to launch my own furniture business and start down a new, exciting path.
I jumped right in as an entrepreneur and quickly learned the ins and outs of the business. I also learned that not every idea is a good idea or works until it is time for that idea to come to fruition. Our product selection, customer service and sales picked up quickly. After the first year of running a successful furniture business, we moved into our Western Avenue location which was a convenient location with a much bigger space. Several years later when competition and the economy got tough, “the tough got going”. We had to work more strategically and make sure that we did not lose our customers or the quality of furniture that they were used to purchasing. We started importing our own merchandise to continue to ensure the quality, style, and prices that catered to our customers’ and their needs.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course not! I would not be honest if I said that it has been a smooth road! As the saying goes,” Nothing in the world is worth having or doing unless it means effort, pain or difficulty”! We all go through our shares of ups and downs. I remember the impact of the Housing Collapse in 2008. That was not a smooth or pleasant time, especially for a furniture store. During that time, I saw many types stores and wholesalers slowly closing. We were fortunate and survived that crisis thanks to our loyal customers who allowed us to serve them and still serve them to this day. Even in difficult times, we stayed our course, worked harder, giving excellent customer service and things always turned out better in the end.
Right now, the most challenging thing for me is competing against e-commerce businesses. People enjoy the convenience of sitting at home and purchasing furniture without having to shop in stores. Which creates a big problem for small businesses like mines because our customers are purchasing more and more from these online stores.
Another challenging thing for me is managing time between family and business. I would love to spend more time with my 6 years old daughter Mirah.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Decorium Furniture – what should we know?
Decorium Furniture Chicago is a family owned and operated furniture store since 2002. Decorium has been known for bringing the most unique furniture to Chicagoland. And we will continue to do so A great portion of our furniture pieces are contemporary, modern and a sort of minimalist to a point – which was our niche at the time. We also carry trendy mid-century, rustic and traditional furniture through our local suppliers in Chicago. Some of our products can also be special ordered to suit your decor.
We are not merely a furniture store. We offer design consultation – making sure the furniture fits our customers’ taste, space, etc. We even consider many furniture style suggestions from our customer family. We deliver and assemble our products for our customers. We also offer professional staging. We propose to stage for both occupied and vacant properties. We work with New Home Builders, Investors, Flippers, Realtors and Homeowners and we offer a special discount for interior designers.
At Decorium, customer service is vital. All our customers comes first and are priority. Products might vary and come in and out of style, but our customer service is always the same! Making customers happy and keeping them satisfied is the one thing we strive to maintain always. I enjoy giving my customers excellent quality and value for their money. The greatest thing for me is to have people tell me how they love our products, how many compliments they get, how reasonable the prices are and furniture value for their money. There are many furniture entrepreneurs in Chicago and we all set out to offer the same service. The competition is strong. That’s why at Decorium, we always strive to be the best for our customers to keep them coming back.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I feel that being a successful businesswoman/entrepreneur is a not a job that every woman can fulfill. I feel that one must have certain humanistic qualities.
There are three humanistic qualities that I have and feel that they have contributed greatly to my success. The first one is adaptability. As I mentioned earlier, you must be able to roll with the punches and understand that not every idea is a good idea or works until it is time for that idea to come to fruition. You must be able to adapt it is critical. The second quality is persistence. You will have to be willing to persist through difficult times and pull right through. The third quality that I have, and feel is very important to my success is Work ethic and enjoying what you do, because if you love what you do you will be very successful in it. I really love what I am doing. I was successful because I was put in long hours without even noticing it. In a week, I can work 60 or 70 hours with no problem. I am very passionate about my business; the product and the customers being satisfied. When you have a passion, it’s no longer work or business it becomes fun. Entrepreneurs and small businesses don’t run on 40 hours a week.
Excellent customer service is another key attribute of my success. I want all my customers to always think of Decorium Furniture every time they are in the market for new furniture. I have the best staff to assist me with the sales, administrative work, and delivery services. Our customers are always happy with our staff customer service skills.
The lessons I have learned: Work hard, then work harder. Whatever it is that you do, find your niche, work at it and do not give up.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work and learning from failure.” Colin Powell
Contact Info:
- Address: 4841-4851 N. Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625 - Website: www.decorium.us
- Phone: (773)561-8519
- Email: admin@idecorium.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/idecorium/?hl=en/https://www.instagram.com/decoriumchicago/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decoriumfurnitures/
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