Today we’d like to introduce you to David Steadman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am originally from Toronto Canada. I moved here in 1996 and have called Houston Texas my home ever since. I always loved to work and keep busy. I was never was a lazy kid. At the age of 12 years old I started working in restaurants as a dishwasher. I also delivered newspapers and Sears’s catalogs and in the summer sold ice cream from a 3 wheeled cycle. I continued to work in restaurants as a cook throughout my high school years. I had aspirations of being a chef on cruise ship. This vision changed in my senior year as I got more involved in theater arts. I trotted down the path of becoming an actor. I took some extra classes at a school named TV Sound stage in Toronto and planned on pursing an acting career, upon graduation of high school I auditioned at a local college for their theater program and planned on going to college after the summer. I continued working in restaurants as a line cook. During the summer of 1985 at the age of 19, I took a few weeks off and did some sole searching. I didn’t want to be Chef and wasn’t going to be an actor. In fact I had no idea what I wanted to do. One morning I was having breakfast with mom at the kitchen table and she was looking through the paper and was circling some jobs that she thought I might like. She found one job that she thought I might like. It was at Furniture Store, not just a furniture store but an import store that specialized in wicker furniture. Well I knew nothing about furniture but as my Mom often said, don’t knock it until you try it! So off I went and applied for the Sales Job, I figured I might be able to put some of my acting skills to use. I was hired on the spot for $6.00 per hour… I’ll fast forward here a little…. 6 Months later I was promoted to store manager and 2 years later to chain store manager. At 21 years old not a bad gig. At the age of 23 I decided to venture out on my own and opened up my first company. It was a free shop at home furniture concept that evolved into a Rent to Own company which I later sold when I moved to Texas. So here I am today, 32 years later providing specialized rental and sales services to everyone.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Oh, my goodness. No it was never smooth. I hit every possible pot hole, red light, detour and road block that ever existed. Everything was challenging. Employees, Finances, Losses, Relationships, Vehicles, Floods, You name it. At some point though your become an expert in handling it all. You start to see problems and issues as opportunities.
Please tell us about Houston Furniture Rental and Sales/ Furnish Your Needs.
In 2013 I started this company with the thought of providing a higher standard of product and service. My goal was to be able to provide the services and products that were being requested from the consumers. I wanted to furnish their needs. I better one stop shopping experience. A welcoming environment and touch of class. A customized solution and a price that save them some money and even contribute towards their bottom line. The ability to evolve based on the markets needs is our greatest advantage. We are not set in our ways, we are a let’s find a way to make it happen company and will happily go that extra mile. We are best becoming known to be one of the best places to come to rent furniture for Temporary accommodations, Home Staging, Special Event Furniture and for Offices. In addition to this we have recently launched a new website that is exclusive to the Greater Houston Area. This website offers brand new furniture to purchase at incredible savings. We are less than any other online store or option. In addition to this we deliver and install the furniture. It’s a complete service and we are committed to providing only the very best experience. We cannot do this alone though. If were not for our dedicated staff we would not achieve our goals. I am going to say that it is my work family here that I am most proud of.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
No, I don’t think so. You cannot plan for mistakes, you must learn from them though.
Contact Info:
- Address: 6125 West Sam Houston Parkway N
Suite 501 - Website: www.houstonfurniturerentals.com and www.furnishyourneeds.com
- Phone: 7139830833
- Email: david@houstonfurniturerentals.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houstonfurniturerentalsandsales/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/houston-furniture-rental-and-sales-houston
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/homeandtheoffice/
Image Credit:
Houston Furniture Rental and Sales, Furnish Your Needs, Invision Interiors
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