HOW DO YOU TAKE A BUSINESS FROM YOUR GARAGE, TO THE TV SERIES THE BLOCK?
HOWSTHATHOUSE, 13 CORNWALL ST, TAREE
HANDCRAFTED TIMBER FURNITURE AND DETAILED JOINERY
How do you take a business from your garage, to the TV series The Block, and set up an upmarket Taree factory/showroom with the latest machinery in less than four years?
Meet Brad Caldon, from HowsThatHouse, part of the new face of Taree Business. Brad is only too happy to share his formula for success.
Together with partner Tori, Brad and the team at HowsThatHouse have successfully filled a gap in the market for locally made handcrafted furniture and detailed joinery. With orders coming in thick and fast they’ve created extraordinary demand.
“What’s old is new again, this time with a contemporary twist,” said Brad, who trained locally as a carpenter, then went on to study a Bachelor of Construction Management at University of Newcastle.
The first big break for Brad and his team was being invited last year by The Block’s local contestants Deb and Andy Saunders to fit out their bathrooms in the ever-popular renovator’s TV show. While in Melbourne on the set, they met TV personalities Keith and Dan who praised their workmanship and got them a deal on The Block Shop, a national web outlet selling the show’s best products.
Now, 30% of their business comes out of the Block Shop, 50% from local builders/home owners on the Mid North Coast and 20% from national customers reached through social media, mainly Instagram and Pinterest.
And what makes HowsThatHouse succeed?
• A ‘can-do’ attitude – Young and energetic, Brad and Tori spend most nights following up customer queries. This means no enquiries or follow-ups go unanswered.
• Social media – The couple constantly upskill, learning the latest in social media and posting daily. This has resulted in more than 2,000 extra Instagram followers during the Covid-19 period alone. Many people have used the social isolation downtime to upgrade their homes and plan new building projects.
• Quality product – HowsThatHouse use quality coastal hardwoods, machined by skilled tradesmen with highly precise, expensive equipment imported from Italy. This produces unique staircases, vanities, shelving units, doors, tables, chairs, desks and entertainment units that last.
• Quality local builders and other suppliers – Brad has great faith and incredible results working with locals who also provide other services like building and refining the website, taking professional photos and videos or fitting out their new showroom.
• HowsThatHouse has an ongoing 5-year strategic plan for growth and development. Never could they have predicted a global pandemic. Now they recognise the need to have enough resources spare to sustain workers for at least three months.
Where to from here after such an upbeat start?
“We’re considering expanding from Cornwall Street to an industrial area so we can be right near other businesses we work with regularly,” said Brad. “This will give us more synergy with suppliers and save time and money.”