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When an epic overseas trip in 2012 sparked an idea for a side hustle, Josephine, her husband Vince and business partner Michael embraced their entrepreneurial sides by importing and selling unique luxury tiles.
Initially targeting qualified tilers for commercial projects, the team started selling out of a shipping container. They soon realised they had a knack for selecting tiles that the people of Perth loved.
Having identified a lucrative gap in the market, their side hustle quickly took over their lives and they soon quit their jobs to pursue Luxe Ceramics full time. After a few years of working on the business, the trio leased their first retail space in 2015 and started selling their tiles to residential and commercial interior designers and builders.
Renovating their business direction
Growing at a rapid rate, Luxe Ceramics purchased their very own building and moved into a new, much larger showroom in Bibra Lake in 2018. And with their new space came even more new ventures.
“We now offer our clients full renovation services, so for kitchens, bathrooms or main living areas our showroom is a full selection centre,” Josephine explained proudly.
“They just come to one place and choose everything they could possibly need for their renovation.”
Strong foundations with the SBDC
In Josephine’s previous career, a colleague had left the company she was working at to work for the Small Business Development Corporation. She filed the information away for later, so when she started her own small business, she knew who to call for support.
“We’ve been using the SBDC since day one, they’ve really helped us through so many situations,” Josephine explained.
“There's been occasions where I've just called them up on the phone and they've answered my questions straight away or given me some direction to where else I should look for the information.”
With this support behind them, the team at Luxe have felt prepared to weather the storms that small business ownership can bring.
“There was another occasion where one of our clients was really struggling to pay the bills and we saw signs that there was possibly some insolvency happening there,” Josephine said.
“We phoned the SBDC and they gave us some advice on what we should do, and eventually, yes, that client did fall into administration, but the SBDC helped us stay protected and feel prepared.”
Building customer trust
Josephine and her team credit the growth of their small business to their unwavering commitment to their customers.
“The best part of running a small business is the connection you have with your clients. You get to know them and you're with them every step of the way. It's very rewarding,” Josephine said.
“Our customers have come to learn that that we are trustworthy, that we deliver on our promises, that we are sourcing quality tiles and that we can carry out top quality work on all our innovations.”
With a strong focus on their customers, high quality products, and the SBDC with them every step of the way, the Luxe Ceramics team will continue to thrive for many years to come.
More information
- Understand the basic steps for importing goods to WA
- Learn what is involved in selecting a business premises
- Connect with an SBDC business adviser to help on your small business journey
- Check out our range of free business templates, tools and guides
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