Surely everyone at least once in his life thought about his own business. It sounds good: you become independent in making decisions and implementing ideas, there is an opportunity to earn a steady income, and maybe even become famous in the market! The final picture is perfect until you realize how many steps you have to go through: work out a detailed business plan, including funds for investment, purchase the high-performance and efficient equipment, create a decent team, and find reliable partners… And each step is followed by another. Moreover, statistics show that about 90% of startups fail. This is even more disappointing. However, the road to success is fraught with risk! At some point, you just need to decide to act.
Evgeny and Natalia Nerobelov, young entrepreneurs from Balti, created a perfect tandem both as a couple and as business partners. He is a third—generation specialist in furniture production; she – a young student of the Faculty of Interior Design. Out of a shared passion 20 years ago came an idea that they turned into a successful business. Despite the fact that the DBM factory is located in the north of Moldova, with its unique interior design and furniture projects, it manages to create comfort in family homes from Briceni to Cahul. Evgeny and Natalia prove every day that it is possible to run a successful business anywhere in our country. How did they succeed? Find out all the secrets from this interview.
Evgeny, Natalia, how did the success story of the DBM family business begin?
We have been engaged in interior design since 2002. I got into design as a teenager, and my husband’s family has been making furniture for generations. From our first meeting, we realized that together we would be a good team, both as a family and as business partners. That is exactly what happened. Our portfolio includes dozens of grand projects for clients from all over the country; we offer a wide range of services – from interior design to furniture and decor. In 20 years we have managed to evolve from a small company with a small office, where we took orders for furniture production, and then carried out sawing at specialized factories, to a large company with its own equipment, design and engineering experts, a spacious showroom, which we ourselves have designed and equipped.
Where does the creation of the design project and furniture begin?
Any project starts with an individual idea and a burning desire to create a unique atmosphere in every home. DBM is not just furniture, but a creative concept of comfort and functionality. A mandatory point is to organize the first meeting directly at the site for which we create an interior design or furniture project, to understand and feel all the details. After that, we make measurements, create a 3D project and, of course, coordinate it with the client. We do not start production until we are sure that the created project is exactly what our client imagines it to be.
Who are DBM’s customers and how do you differ from other furniture manufacturers?
Our customers are people who need practical and high-quality furniture, adapted to their needs and considering the specifics of each room. Both in Balti and throughout the country there are many furniture manufacturers, each is good in its own way. However, we have different approaches. We create not just interior items, but a clear concept of how they will be integrated into it. In addition, we pay great attention to quality. We only work with fittings and materials from the best manufacturers, because we want to give customers the confidence that they are buying the best product by choosing us. We create any furniture for the house: cabinet furniture of any complexity, for residential and technical premises, we can even make decorations for the interior. We understand everything we offer our customers; we are constantly improving and we do our job with pleasure.
What are the trends in interior design this season?
Minimalist design and practical furniture are trending this season. And comfort has become the most important “accessory”. Furniture pieces with lots of details and too exotic shades have given way to ergonomic designs with natural hues that are easy to integrate into any interior. Combinations of materials and textures of natural stone, wood, granite, metal, glass are welcomed. We are inspired by the ideas of our customers and, passing them through our experience and knowledge, we always offer the best product that meets their expectations, needs and, of course, their budget. We also help them at the final stage of interior decoration with design tips and accessories selection.
About cooperation with Microinvest. How important was the support provided for the development of your company?
At some point we realized that we could not provide the range and volume of services that we would like to, and that we needed to make a serious step in development. Large investments from your own funds are not always possible and require time to accumulate, while you need to invest at the right time. Microinvest provided us with timely financial support and we managed to establish a sustainable and productive partnership. They listened to us, explained all the conditions to the smallest detail, without hidden nuances and “pitfalls”. We took the first loan to buy equipment, the second to build a showroom, and we are still working together. We have been developing with small but confident steps and continue to strive to achieve big goals. It is very important for any entrepreneur to have access to transparent and reliable funding, we can safely say that in this regard Microinvest is the best.
*Microinvest is the only non–bank credit institution in Moldova with an international Client Protection Certificate. This certificate confirms a responsible and transparent lending process based on the principles of respectful customer service, fair and equitable treatment.