We were lucky to catch up with Brittney Cabrera recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brittney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s easy to look at a business or industry as an outsider and assume it’s super profitable – but we’ve seen over and over again in our conversation with folks that most industries have factors that make profitability a challenge. What’s biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?
The biggest challenge to profitability in the furniture refurbishing and restoring industry is finding your ideal client. When I first started out in this industry, I was still learning along the way. I was desperate to get my name out there so any client that wanted my services, I would say yes to. I would say yes to their price reductions, all of their needs and wants, and completely forgot to take into consideration the time and effort it takes for a project to be completed. Furniture restoration is hard work. You put in hours upon hours of work to get the piece just right. This includes repairs, touchups, prep time, labor, pickup and delivery, and scheduling. Your ideal client will respect the process and work that goes into a project so they will always pay the exact amount you quote them. Your non-ideal client will try to get you take your prices down or will not go through with the project after all. Your client is what makes your profit, and if you are not careful, your profits could decrease dramatically just by taking on clients that are not worth your time and effort.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hey! My name is Brittney Cabrera. I am the owner of Britt’s Flip’s, a furniture refurbishing and restoration small business, location in Birmingham Alabama! My business consists of taking old, dirty, broken furniture that was headed for the landfill and rescuing it to make it new! I have always been crafty and thrifty, constantly searching for the best deals around and how I could make the piece even better. I started flipping furniture when I got married because we were too broke to buy new furniture! I would buy old furniture from the thrift store for cheap and fix it up to match our apartment. Once I started I was hooked and wanted to continue doing it for a hobby! My hobby consisted of buying old furniture, making it new again, and re-selling it. The person who bought one of my items asked me to re-do her nightstands, and that is how Britt’s Flip’s came about. I had a desire to take people’s furniture and refurbish it for them as a custom project. My main source of income comes from people having pieces that they love and cherish but want fixed. I take their pieces to my place and completely refurbish and restore their pieces! I clean them, take off the original paint/stain or whatever was on it and follow their design for what they want! It is so much fun and a lot more easier to make an income than relying on people to buy your pieces.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
Keeping in touch with my clients is something I treasure the most about my small business. I LOVE getting to meet my clients and hear the stories behind their pieces. I always create a relationship with them first to gain trust and respect. I never want my clients to feel like they cannot trust me with their pieces. Some clients have pieces that were passed down from generations and they cannot give their pieces to just anyone. I have to be sure I am keeping in relationship with them so they know their pieces are in good hands. This fosters the brand loyalty for me. Accidents are bound to happen once in a while, so any accident that is made on my time and my hand will always be refunded or not charged. I also keep in touch with my clients while I have their pieces. I make sure they love their colors, design, hardware, and it fosters excitement as they wait for their new piece! I show their project pieces on my social media and share their pieces story with my followers too. It makes them feel more appreciated and apart of the furniture refurbishing community!
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
The biggest thing that has helped build my reputation in the furniture market is how personable I am. I consider myself flexible in the market when clients ask for things or price cuts and I am always looking for ways to make my clients feel more comfortable with my services. I want to provide them with services that will have them calling me back for another piece. I do not want to over charge, over promise, and under deliver. Whatever I can do to help my customer I will do! When people hear of Britt’s Flip’s I want my reputation to be positive, exciting, and fun! I think I deliver all of those things within my market!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @britts_flips
- Facebook: Britt’s Flip’s
- Other: Pinterest: @Britts_Flips Tik Tok: @brittneycabrera53