November 30, 2012
When Michelle Madden was considering starting her own business, she had several enterprising ideas – but a location was never in question. Downtown was the only destination she had in mind.
“To me, downtown is the heart and soul of a city,” said Madden. “I love the feel of our downtown.”
So when the chance to purchase the already established and popular Saturday Afternoons Home Store presented itself, Madden jumped at the opportunity.
“I definitely have a flair for anything related to the home and interior design, so Saturday Afternoons is a great fit for me,” said Madden.
And the timing was impeccable. While researching some entrepreneurial ideas, she spoke with Pete Bowen, whose wife, Beth, owned Saturday Afternoons. In relatively quick fashion, Madden decided to purchase the downtown home décor shop.
However, after 11 years as a stay-at-home mom, she did not want to go into business blind. One of the first things she did was to contact the Orillia Area Community Development Corp. (CDC), which has a 28 year history of assisting small businesses with resources such as free counselling and resource materials and direction on how to apply for seed money.
“I worked closely with the CDC to develop a financial plan and business plans,” said Madden. “They also provided a start-up loan and some excellent advice along the way. I can honestly say that without them, I wouldn’t be here today. They gave me the confidence to buy the business.”
Madden officially took the reins of Saturday Afternoons – a franchise that started in Midland 10 years ago and now boasts six Central Ontario locations – May 1.
“I love what I do,” said Madden. “I am proud to have invested in downtown Orillia. The downtown represents your history and your future and I am happy to be part of that future.”
She welcomes both long-time and new customers to come check out Saturday Afternoons. “We offer unique products for the home, we have some great gift ideas, we have a baby boutique – there really is something for everyone.”
“Our buying team works very hard to provide excellent value so that our goods are priced for everyone – from the first-time homebuyer to the retiree and everyone in between,” Madden says. “So many people who come in for the first time say they can’t believe how affordable it is. It’s really important to us to keep our costs down as much as possible.”
But there is no compromising quality, she insisted. “This is not disposable furniture,” she noted. “Much of it is custom-made for us. This is not the type of goods you will find in a big box store. We genuinely care about the customer and the product we deliver.”
In fact, the “delivery man” has a stake in the business, notes Tony Madden, Michelle’s husband. “I love to be there when a customer gets that first look at the furniture in their home,” said Tony. “We make sure the customer is completely satisfied; that’s important to us.”
Saturday Afternoons also offers custom upholstered furniture and has catalogues of samples to order from. In addition to its eclectic mix of home furnishings and wide range of home décor items, the store also has bedding and an ever-changing inventory.
“The idea is that when you walk through Saturday Afternoons Home Store, you will be able to find that something special for every room in your home whether that’s an apartment, house or cottage,” Madden said. “We promise unparalleled customer service. You can come in here and deal with the owner – a real person that has invested money here.”
Saturday Afternoons Home Store can be found at 141 Mississaga St. E. in downtown Orillia. For more information, call 705-325-1117 or visit saturdayafternoons.ca
The CDC is a federally supported not-for-profit organization, working with community partners to develop and sustain the local economy through: business financing; business counseling; and community economic development projects. For more information about applying for a loan with the CDC or any of the other programs and initiatives that the CDC is involved with, please call 705-325-4903 or visit www.orilliacdc.com
