Hello, one and all, and welcome to a more personal insight into the Smithers Blog! The Year is 2014. I’m just starting my Quirky furniture business.
I have finally prised myself away from the workshop to put pen to paper and share more about starting a business online. I don’t know how to grow it, but I will give it a shot to build my brand.
STARTING A SMALL FURNITURE BUSINESS ONLINE
I suppose a good starting point would be at the beginning, so let’s go with that. Having grown my Smith family to the desired 2.4 children and after several necessary house moves later, I sat in my newly obtained boys’ room surrounded by furniture that looked as knackered as I felt! My immediate thought was that I needed new stuff.
VINTAGE STYLE FURNITURE
I trawled the Internet looking for Vintage quirky furniture and cool boys’ toys that every man cave desired but found nothing. Our latest house move was to an old farmhouse with bags of character and as many rooms as I’d had Lambrettas, so it needed to fit the bill.
SOLID WOOD FURNITURE, NOT CRAP
I soon became bored with the endless suggestions of replica crap and mass-produced that that wouldn’t last five minutes with two adventurous kids and two boisterous dogs. I’ve always believed in lifetime purchases and getting what you pay for. I wanted solid stuff, vintage pieces with an eclectic twist.
MEN’S BOLT HOLES
I’m not exactly sure when the lightbulb moment occurred during my ‘grumpy git can’t find what I’m looking for’ rant, but thank Christ, it did. If I couldn’t directly buy what I wanted, I could try to source it myself and sell it to fellow men looking to fill their beloved bolt holes with top-quality goods?, real neon signs the whole shebang, why stop at the fellas?! At that moment, I was convinced I could also get in touch with my feminine side, and if not, then there was always Mrs Smith to lend a hand.
THINK OF A BRAND BUSINESS NAME
Between setting up my home and running my long-standing sash window company, I searched for worldwide suppliers who provided handmade furniture with a bit of a Cutting edge. I looked at several manufacturers and visited small, intimate furniture trade shows. Before long, we had a list of fabulous manufacturers to which we’d be happy to put our name. A name? We didn’t have one. “Update: May 2015, we no longer run the sash window company because Smithers is so busy.”
With a surname like ours and a nickname I’d held for years (along with a few others that aren’t for your ears!), it was only ever going to be Smithers, and with both of us being of Stamfordian origin – Smithers of Stamford was born.
LOVE OF THE LAMBRETTA
I admit I have always had a distinctive style, thanks to a love of Lambrettas, vintage toys, well-cut clothes, too many hats, and American house music, which I soon found embedded in my catalogue of Smithers goods.
OLD FARMHOUSE IN The UK
As luck would have it, our farmhouse outbuildings were big enough to convert to vintage industrial showrooms, so along with our all-singing, all-dancing website, we now had a super cool space to showcase our amazing products to customers.
NEON DECORATION
The walls were adorned with London Street name signs, neon lighting, stag heads, and decorative mirrors. The centuries-old floor space looked like it was made to carry Aviator desks, comic strip lacquered drawers, and original oil drum furniture.
LABOUR OF LOVE
As we stood back and gazed around with pride, without realising Smithers of Stamford had become our third baby! There had been highs and lows, masses of worry and long knackering days but it was a labour of love and worth every goddamn stitch!
MAN CAVE
The Oil Drum Art furniture was among the first pieces to enter my Man Cave. My love of original paintwork and natural patina made this collection a dead cert.
DRUM DESIGNS
The Industrial furniture is definitely one of Smither’s favourite designs. We will focus on it again when the warmer weather arrives, as this range offers maximum versatility and makes great alfresco furniture.
QUIRKY GARDEN FURNITURE
Admittedly it wouldn’t look out of place on a sunny Jamaican beach, but we’re convinced the small drum art table will make a perfect outdoor planter when turned upside down and that the dining table and chairs will perk up any British patio this summer!
BEST GARDEN FURNITURE
The Drum range is individuality at its best. Antique and vintage oil drums are recycled to create this unique collection, so even though this is one of Smithers’s best sellers, you can guarantee both pieces are different!
OUTDOOR MIRRORS
If you’re aiming for a nautical approach to your space, the Drum Art Mirror, with its porthole feel, is the perfect addition. Equally, if your outdoor space is no bigger than a postage stamp, pop this quirky sun mirror on a garden wall to create an optical illusion of more space. More mirrors here
NEW YORK RANGE
If a New York loft and fifty shades of you know what more your bag is, then Smithers recommends the excellent, sleek lines of the New York Loft Industrial chest of drawers – robust steel, panel beat, and perfect for hiding whatever your hearts desire. It’s great knowing our Hollywood mirror has lived a previous life and that blood, sweat and tears have gone into creating its new one – if only they could talk!!
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We Moved From the Shed to the town centre in Stamford in 2017
Smithers of Stamford has relocated to Broad Street, Stamford, pe91jp. Please take a look at the article here in the local Lincolnshire news.
See Us In GQ Magazine Year 2020
One of our Smithers OF Stamford armchairs was featured in GQ magazine. Please take a look at the article here.
How can I grow my business in 2024?
With Smithers of Stamford now entering its 11th year in business since our start in 2014, I’ve learned so much from the many mistakes made. Over the past decade, I’ve wasted thousands of pounds on companies that didn’t help me grow my business. They pushed me back a few years, but those experiences were part of the learning curve. Now, as we move into our 11th year, I have a clear understanding of what works and what doesn’t. In addition to growing Smithers, we’re helping other businesses through guest posts and offering local SEO advice on various topics. I’d say I’ve trained myself well, as we have around 600 keywords at the number one spot on Google for the UK, though I won’t share all my secrets yet. But I’ve been relentlessly obsessed with page one, Google Glory, for over ten years. Let me help your business climb to the top just like. If you’re interested in me helping you grow, please get in touch with me at nick@smithersofstamford.com
CONCLUSION
Well, that gives a little insight into who we are, why we’re doing what we’re doing and what we can do for you. Our blog will be with you every month to keep you up to date with all that is Smithers and to help guide you towards creating the right look for your own vintage industrial space.
Until then, my friends,
Mr Smithers.