We talk to the founder, Caroline Caron Dhaouadi, to find out more...
We launched in March 2019 and had to grow really quickly: the demand was big for an organisation service that was more than just decluttering. We realised that people had been looking for that kind of service for quite some time.
Your background...
I’m French and spent fourteen years working in consulting, lived in France, Singapore and in the US. My husband and I settled down in London six years ago, after the birth of our second child. That’s when I decided to take some time off to spend more time with my family. Once both children were in school full-time, I decided to become an entrepreneur, and founded Homefulness, which combines my love for interior and design with my acute sense of organisation and clutter-free spaces. I’m convinced that a better home, organised with style, is a key component of balance and wellbeing.What have you learned from the current crisis a propos of your business?
Never take anything for granted! Even the most successful business might have to face the unexpected. No matter what, you need to be ready to pivot at any time. Launching online consultations is not something I was considering. I’m a very “hands-on” person and I really thought that it wouldn’t work for me … but the unexpected happened and we had to react quickly. Now in our fourth week of online consultations, I can say it’s a success (although I can’t wait for us to be able to get back into people’s homes).
What are you doing differently to run your business?
Everything! I used to spend my days at clients … and now I’m home all the time, just like most of us. I mostly work alone, and with clients via virtual consultations. All our processes had to be adapted. We’re also facing new challenges as the products we use to organise our clients’ homes are not all available anymore. And those that we can still order now take longer to be delivered. With fewer choices available on the market, we have to arrange spaces differently. We basically had to start from scratch again. We definitely learned a lot!What tech/platforms have helped you during lockdown...
Virtual consultations are made either via FaceTime or Zoom, depending on our client’s preference. I now use an iPad Pro with a connected pen to draw the inside of our clients’ cupboards and show them how to arrange organisation products.Business advice you'd give to other owners to help get through the crisis
Never give up! There is always a way to pivot your business. And if there’s really not much you can do, stay close to your clients and spend time on all those admin tasks that will help you get back on your feet once this crisis is over: website design, search engine optimisation, social media growth … Don’t give up on your clients and followers: free help and advice is more than welcome these days and will ensure your brand is not forgotten.How are you coping with lockdown, when you're not working?
I feel so busy that I honestly don’t have time to suffer from lockdown … and it also helps fighting anxiety. My husband got Covid at the beginning of the lockdown and had to self-isolate. I was left alone with my business to run and my kids to homeschool … even though my husband is now back (and healthy!), I feel like I haven’t slowed down. My kids are in year 2 and 4 … definitely not independent homeschoolers! Having my own company means that I’m lucky to be able to organise my schedule… I basically homeschool during the day and work in the evening, apart from virtual consultations during which my kids usually listen to podcasts.Are you taking virtual exercise classes?
I use the app Down Dog to practise yoga. It’s free during lockdown and I love it: you can choose the length of you class, which means that you can still do something even though you don’t have more than twenty minutes on your hands.If you've had time for some retail therapy, which website/s have you visited?
Not sure if that counts as “therapy” but I’ve used Waterstones to order books and puzzles for my kids and Baker Ross for arts and crafts. I also ordered quite a few REN beauty products … a little self-care doesn’t hurt!May 2020
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