Southbury, CT - (USFranchiseNews) - March 25, 2005 - It's a gift not everyone has: knowing how to mix and match colors, patterns, furniture pieces and accent pillows to create a certain look and feel. That's why more and more people are turning to professional interior decorating services to transform a room - or even just part of a room - into something straight out of Better Homes & Gardens Magazine. "When we're done decorating a room," says Karen Powell, CEO and co-founder of Décor & You, "the client is often in ‘wow mode.' We regularly hear comments like, ‘It's better than I expected!' and ‘I never would have thought of these ideas on my own.'"

The decorating professional is equipped with expertise and a trained eye for what works and what doesn't, but Powell stresses that the client is always in control. "We've developed a décor system which is very client-driven," she explains. The process begins with a detailed, 20-minute interview where Décor & You learns a client's color preferences, décor desires, space available, and other pertinent details. The next step is going to the client's home or place of business for a longer brainstorming session that involves looking through magazines for style ideas, going over a budget, and discussing specific needs. Once there's a meeting of minds, the project begins. "We're happy to work with a client's timeframe and budget," Powell says.

Decorating wasn't always her line of work. She was as a high school teacher for ten years before deciding, as a single parent in the late 1970s, that she needed both a better-paying job and more time with her daughter. Powell started selling cosmetics on the side, and this career shift eventually led her to join a company that focused on art and accessories. Her current business partner and co-founder of Décor & You, Josie Cicerale - who serves as the company's COO - has a background in nursing. Both met while working for a national decorating company. There they became "accountability buddies," helping each other reach goals to become successful.

Powell and Cicerale began developing their business concept for Décor & You in 1994. Four years later they launched their franchise program. Today they have 60 franchises operating nationwide across 26 states. Every prospective franchisee first goes through a "discovery and exploring phase," which lasts anywhere from six weeks to four months. During this time both sides learn as much as possible about each other through phone interviews, teleconference calls, and face-to-face meetings.

Once somebody decides to open a franchise with Décor & You, she or he signs a franchise agreement and pays the initial investment fee of $14,500 for one unit. The fee grants the franchisee a region and includes all training materials. In addition to receiving an extensive training package complete with a comprehensive manual and detailed checklists, franchisees spend a week at Connecticut-based headquarters learning the ins and outs of marketing, sales, design, and finding clients. After 90 days out on the field, each franchisee comes back for five additional days of advanced training.

Each Décor & You franchise is home-based, which gives franchisees a high degree of flexibility. That's something Powell has valued from the beginning. "When I started in this field, my daughter was five," she says. "I was looking for a flexible schedule so I could spend more time with her. It's worked out well. When she played field hockey years later, for example, I could block out time in the middle of the week to go watch her games. I didn't have to ask permission from anyone."

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Staffwriter: Graciela Sholander

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