Jan Cavelle Furniture appeared on the scene more by accident than design!

Back in the early 90’s, I found myself a single parent with two very young children.  I had been neither educated nor trained to do anything remotely career orientated but all of a sudden had to find a way to make ends meet for the three of us.  I had some amount of telephone sales experience from a succession of temping positions and some knowledge of furniture and interior design.  It seemed a practical option to put the two together and sell furniture from home while looking after the children at the same time.

Finishing the furniture I was buying was an immediate problem and so I set up a small sprayshop in an old farm just down the road.  After a very difficult start, I began to make ends meet and things ticked over for a few years in a small way while I was able to enjoy quality time with my children.

They say there is always luck involved in business and it could not be more true in my case.  Just at the point the children were old enough, what initially appeared to be a major crisis hit.  The owner of my main furniture supplier arrived on my doorstep announcing that he was shutting down that day.  Taking a deep breath and an enormous gamble, I bought him out and overnight had two tiny cottage industries.

In 2000, we merged both small groups into a factory in Haverhill.  Since then, there has been no looking back.  We have expanded by between 30 and 50% every year, now have over 30 staff and a turnover in excess of £1.5 million.

All during those years, it has been a case of listening and learning by experience and I find it incredible to be now in a position to mentor other people newer to business.  I have had the good fortune of being supported by incredible staff, but in particular Steve and John, the two cabinet makers from the original business.