Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Coppolo.
Michelle, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After 12 years as a stay-at-home-mother of two, I decided it was time to go back to work. My career before having children was marketing and sales in the financial service industry. I realized it would be hard to pick up where I left off in that field, and didn’t really have the desire, so I decided to do something I had always dreamed of – owning my own business.
I started by taking courses at Suffolk University on Interior Design and Space Planning, then I set out to find a job where I could use my new founds skills.
I started working part-time at Darby Road, a 5,000 square foot home furnishing store, located at 1395 Main Street in Waltham, MA. I worked directly with customers, helping them decorate their homes with custom upholstery selections, case goods, artwork and accessories. Soon after I started working, the owner at the time expressed his desire to sell the store and before I realized it, I was on the path to becoming a business owner.
The store, now officially named Darby Road HOME, LLC, has gone through quite a change under my ownership. Although I kept several of the vendors the old Darby Road had, I also took a chance and brought on many new ones. Custom upholstery is a primary focus. All our upholstery is custom made in North Carolina. We recently won “Best of Boston” for our home accessories, which was great surprise. In addition, we have a cool selection of artwork, one-of-a-kind case goods, and custom made tables of all shapes and sizes.
I hand select every single item in the store. My goal is to make Darby Road HOME a truly unique shopping experience. My most gratifying moments are when I hear a customer say that Darby Road HOME is the most interesting store they have ever seen! It makes all the hard work that comes with owning your own business well worth it. We cater to the young couple just starting out, to the soon to be “empty-nesters”. It is very important to me that everyone feels comfortable and never intimidated about shopping for their home or apartment. We try to have something for everyone here at Darby Road HOME.
Has it been a smooth road?
It was a rather smooth transition because I basically kept the same name as before for the store. So the day I took over ownership we continued to have a clientele. However, I started making changes immediately by bringing on more product lines which slowly started to change the look inside the store. I also made a ton of cosmetic changes to the interior with paint and lighting. The exterior went through a transformation with new awning, lighted signage and a ton of flowers to enhance the curb appeal. So over time, the customer base began to change. The majority of our customers loved what they saw and some were sad to see the changes.
The struggle continues to be the internet. People want us, and expect us, to match internet pricing and it simply is not possible. The public needs to understand the service that we are providing. We take the time to place an order, see it through to delivery in the home (not just leaving it on the curbside) and handling any issues that may occur. All of this takes time and most people don’t place any value on our time. It can be frustrating.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Darby Road HOME specializes in home furnishings and accents. We are known for our broad eclectic mix of home decor. We have over 70 different vendors on the floor from all over the world. Because it is independently owned by me, I can take some risks and be a bit edgy with the artwork and furniture. I am not governed by a corporate body that dictates what we can and cannot do as a store. Therefore, our Interior Design Services allow us to help a client create a truly unique, curated space in their home. I never understood why someone would want a guest to walk in their home and it look exactly like the showroom of a big box store.
I also love music! So in my opinion, we always have cool music playing in the background!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Owning your own business is an emotional roller-coaster. If we are having a great month my answer would be totally different than when we have a slow month.
Small business is very hard. I do not believe there is any real strong support, unfortunately. The “shop small Saturday” campaign by a certain credit card company is just a campaign for the credit card company.
I think the city needs to offer rental space that business owners can afford. There is nothing more depressing than a ton of empty store fronts. It’s simple math. The small business owner has to sell enough product to cover their overhead. If the rent is $20,000 a month, then they need to sell a minimum of $40,000, just to cover their rent. And that’s assuming they are selling at a 50% margin. So my advice for anyone wishing to start their own business, is understanding what your overhead will amount to, including insurance, heating and A/C, employees, window cleaning, and on and on. It is crazy how quickly it adds up. I think most people think about starting a business are a bit naive about the actual cost to keep it running. It is so important to keep your expenses down.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1395 Main Street
Waltham, MA 02451
(Located on Rt. 117, on the Weston border) - Website: www.darbyroad.com
- Phone: 781-899-6900
- Email: info@darbyroad.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darbyroadhome/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darbyroadhome
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarbyRoadHOME
Image Credit:
Store shots by Shelly Harrison
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