Back in 1999, Beverley made a change from working in Nursery Nursing to owning a market stall selling lamps and shades. Little did she know that over 20 years later, First4Blinds would be one of Northamptonshire’s leading blind, curtain, and shutter independent retailers. Kingsley Park, Northampton, has been home to First4Blinds from the very start and boasts an impressive showroom with a full catalogue of textile design houses.
First4Blinds is the very definition of a family-run business. Beverley and her husband, Allen, have owned the business since the beginning and hold active day-to-day roles such as visiting customers, fitting blinds, delivering quotations and office administration.
The office manager, Natalie and senior fitter, Barry, are also married, plus are immediate neighbours and close friends of Beverley and Allen.
There are a further three individuals who are long-term friends of Beverley and Allen to complete the team. Belinda is an exceptional curtain maker and window furnishings dresser. Kate is the showroom coordinator who hosts showroom appointments with customers and curates the shop displays. And to second fitter Barry, there is Garry, an experienced fitter who has also been a long-term team member.
Over the last 21 years of being a family and friends run business, it has leant First4Blinds a natural warmth and honesty customers return to again and again. It must be said without doubt that those redeeming qualities of the business have garnered one of the most successful years for First4Blinds; despite not only facing competition from larger national chains and regional businesses, but against the tour de force in battling against the effects of Covid-19.
In an age of decreasing independent high-street retailers, it is comforting to see the successes of the previous year to leave much anticipation of exciting new plans in the pipeline for 2021. But with those plans aside, it is important to highlight and embrace the strength being a family run business holds up against ‘e-tailers’ and large national chains. As previously mentioned, being a business built on the foundations of not just industry trade experience, but spouses, friends, and family is an invaluable tool to not just survive, but to blossom.
