E-commerce Web designer not afraid in dot-bomb era

Special to the Business JournalBOULDER — Marisa Haedike isn’t concerned with all the dot-bombs that litter the side of the information superhighway.

“I am the kind of person who does not follow much of what ?seems to be happening’ with the Internet industry,´ said Haedike. “The Internet is not going away. It’s here to stay, and it will only get better with time and practice with regards to the best way to use it for all of our present businesses.”

Haedike, an interior designer, decided about 18 months ago that a good way for her to use the Internet was to start DesignersClearance.com, a virtual showroom for the interior design industry. The site sells samples, overstocked merchandise, returns, slightly damaged and discontinued pieces to design-center showrooms, interior designers, and high-end furniture manufacturers and artisans across the country.

“We saw a need to get these wonderful, often overlooked products out into the world,” she said. “We are passionate about bringing (these products) to the surface with a national presence. Our vision is to promote the interior-design industry and make high-quality furnishings more accessible to interior designers and consumers.”

While Haedike admits that the Internet was in its boom 18 months ago, she thinks now is a “perfect time to start a dot-com.

“The true survivors are shaking out and will hopefully continue to stay in the game,” she said. “I believe it may be time to return to some of the tried and true principals of any good, successful business: great customer service, having fun building and operating your business, enjoying all the people you come across and work with. It’s about having an idea that solves a problem and fills a need for your customers and remembering that no matter how it turns out, you paved the way for someone else to learn and continue to make Internet businesses, and maybe even business overall, better.”

She believes the Internet is the right approach for her business. “We are bringing people and resources together over a wonderful new medium,” she said. “It may be easy to lose sight of the big picture, but I try not to. I tend to stay optimistic. As a start-up, that is a must.”

Nina Williams, a designer and owner of Nina Williams Interiors and Gardens in Denver, who recently published a book on home design, says she believes what Haedike is doing is wonderful. “I know a lot of people interested in interior design are very aware of the Internet and use it often,” Williams said. “I use the Internet myself extensively for research.”

While Williams says the interior design industry isn’t recession-proof, she says there has been a surge of interest in homes and making them more an extension of the owner, led by domestic living celebrities like Martha Stewart. “I think the business world has gotten so fast today that people have started putting more emphasis on their homes as a place they can get away from the hustle of the world,” Williams said. “People are beginning to create their own little Eden.”

Haedike knows that it takes more than a fascination with Martha Stewart to keep her business alive ? she must be a smart businesswoman, too. She said she has kept her start-up costs to a minimum.

“I would say that we have put mostly sweat equity into the business thus far, spending less than $50,000 to get it started,” she said. “I worked as a multimedia graphic designer before changing careers to work as an interior designer, which enabled me to do the Web-site design. Most of the start-up costs have been professional consulting costs, travel and equipment.”

She also holds a degree in advertising and said she’s able to “meld (her) backgrounds perfectly and cover many bases.” She calls her operating costs reasonable because she’s the intermediary in the transactions, and she’s not buying or warehousing her inventory. “My costs involve everything to run the Web site, plus legal, accounting expenses and whatever I put into marketing at this time,” she said.

She said her business plan is laid out to make millions of dollars within a short span of time. “Growing a business (is) one step at a time,” she said. “There is a huge market that I am breaking into that has not been fully tapped into yet, so the potential is very big. As with anything at this stage of the game, it is an educated guess.”

Haedike credits Boulder’s entrepreneurial spirit for giving her the courage to start her business. “Boulder is an amazing and wonderful place,” she said. “What a creative town filled with such talented people. The entrepreneurial spirit is great and has inspired me to get off the bench with my idea. I have had many coffees with people sharing wonderful stories and advice. I often feel Boulder is somewhat of a magical town. Having lived in Florida prior to Colorado, I can say that had I stayed there, this idea probably would not have come to fruition.”

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