Starting a business based on home remodels in the midst of the worst economy in modern times may seem like a bad idea, but it’s worked out well for Dana Wolk and Laird Laabs.
The two, along with Laabs’ son, Blake, and Steve Corey, founded Discount Tile Outlet a little over a year ago. And business is booming.
“We thought it was a good idea; everybody thought we were crazy,” said Wolk, who has been in the business for more than 25 years. “Everyone was asking us why we were doing this in a market where nobody is spending.”
Laabs said a home remodel was always an easy sell. Any cost of an upgrade to a kitchen or bathroom would get repaid when a house was sold. But with real estate flattening out, and people only spending on necessities, it looked like the wrong to get into this kind of business.
Their secret lies in their name. Discount. That’s what everyone wanted, and that’s what they gave them.
Wolk said the name originated from a web search. He found the three most searched terms were tile, tile outlet, and tile discount, hence Discount Tile Outlet.
The early months were difficult ones, as Wolk said the store was unable to achieve financing because banks weren’t lending. They caught a big break when their landlord on 132nd Avenue Northeast and Bel-Red Road gave them three months of free rent to start. They started with $5,000, and 15 tile selections. Through working with vendors and getting good deals, the founders say they haven’t had to invest another dime of their own money in the store.
“Those are the things that happen when people are trying to figure out ways to make the world work,” Laabs said.
The space has been expanded, and the showroom is adorned with all kinds of tiles, though not in the typical way. Discount Tile Outlet does not feature model kitchens and bathrooms. Wolk said giving the customers the ability to view the tiles in isolation makes choices simpler. The store also features glass products, and other elements of bath and kitchen remodels.
Now, a little bit of luck and a lot of determination later, Discount Tile Outlet has become a customer favorite. Customers shuttling in and out of the store are greeted on a first name basis. The owners said their curiosity and excitement for the projects has led to them becoming very involved in customer service.
In a business such as this one, which Wolk compared to fashion because of the ever-evolving trends, customer service is everything. One bad review can cripple business.
“I personally want to treat my customers like I want to be treated,” Wolk said.
It was that excitement for the business that led to the partnership between the four main founders. Laabs and Wolk are both from Minnesota, and both went to Arizona State University, but their paths never crossed. But after a few meetings it became clear that the four of them filled all the needs in an upstart business. They got along, too.
“When I saw the fit…you just don’t find many people in your life where you can get up and say ‘I can be around these guys every day,'” Wolk said.
More information about Discount Tile is available online.
Nat Levy can be reached at 425-453-4290.
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Discount Tile Outlet
425-358-5497
1405 132 Ave. N.E. #3, Bellevue
