Case Study

Connections in Design - Dawn Kitchener

A Birmingham-based interior designer who set up a design consultancy in her home fourteen years ago and formed a limited company twelve years ago.

Dawn Kitchener set up Connections in Design with the help of an Enterprise Agency grant after being made redundant. So successful has the company been that today it has 40 employees and a turnover of £4-5 million.

Dawn believes her phenomenal growth in a highly competitive market is due to her commitment to providing innovative design alongside quality service and furnishings

Of course, the growth could not have been possible without the financial injection which came from discounting her invoices with Close Invoice Finance.

Show houses - interior design
Connections' interior design practice currently provides an interior design, supply and fit, service to a wide range of housing developers nationwide. Each show house is individually designed to meet the style and furnishing requirements of the developer. The company also offers tailored design packages for carpets, curtains and furniture in a variety of styles and colour-ways for any type of home, from one-bedroom starter flats, to executive houses

In the past year Dawn Kitchener and her team have designed and furnished over 300 show homes from Scotland to Surrey, successfully meeting the exacting demands of developers' briefs and budgets.

Connections operates from a 26,000 sq.ft. unit which has a design studio and offices, as well as a substantial storage area for furniture and furnishings to facilitate developers' requirements.

Expansion into the retail market
Dawn is now ready to expand the company in another direction - retail. The concept is to provide an interior design service for everyone's lifestyle. 'The Lab' will offer design services for every lifestyle to the general public and expand individual creativity, capture lifestyles and realise dreams.

Close Support
This expansion is a major step for Dawn Kitchener and she is the first to admit it would not have been possible without Close Invoice Finance's contribution to the financial strength of Connections in Design, and the advice and personal input of Leslie Bland. The company had experienced a steady growth during its formative years, moving from 5,000 sq.ft. premises to the current accommodation in King's Norton Business Centre, Birmingham. When in 1996 Dawn felt the time was right to substantially expand her business, she was advised to look at confidential invoice discounting. She discussed the matter with a large number of invoice discounters and, in the end, chose Close, primarily because they were the most approachable and flexible in designing a package to suit Connections in Design.

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