We met Isabelle Lamy who tells us a bit more about IDea for your space.
How long have you been living in London?
We moved to London in February 2012, just in time for the London Olympics.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself? Neighbourhood, family, children, hobbies…
After living in West Hampstead and Willesden Green, we bought a house in Wembley when the Winston Churchill High School opened. My three children are now young adults and are all students (in England and France). We are all very active and enjoy the great outdoors around us (in nature or even in London) walking, running, cycling… Our recent challenges include a 50k walk on the Isle of Wight and the Edinburgh Marathon for my husband, and a 10k run for me. Every Saturday morning, we take part in the local Parkrun (a timed 5k run).
When did you start your business?
I created IDea for your space in 2014, but I really started the business, working with my first customers, in January 2015.
Can you explain the uniqueness of your project?
After spending 15 years working in market research, I wanted to do something more meaningful, where I could see the immediate benefits of what I was doing and that would be more compatible with my family life. Once I had chosen to specialize in interior design, I did a 6 month training course in Paris and ended up working for IKEA for a while. Shortly after, my husband was transferred to London. It became impossible for me to pursue my career in England as it was a different job, I lacked the technical vocabulary and had no support team or suppliers I could rely on. I then looked for similar ideas still within the interior design industry and discovered the profession of Home Organizer. I did some research and realized I had, with every house move we had made, naturally acquired organization skills that would make our daily family life easier and significantly reduce my mental workload. I thought this could benefit other people. This profession is still relatively unknown today and yet the benefits are enormous for everyone’s well-being. Moreover, decluttering and implementing organizational solutions are long-lasting. Once they are in place, I don’t need to come back regularly. Setting up these solutions from the start of moving into a house is an excellent way to reduce stress at the time and start off on the right foot. I will unpack the moving boxes, tidy up, and organize logically from the beginning, making the settling-in process much easier and daily life much more serene!
Have you ever set up a business in France?
Yes. During my career transition to interior design in 2011, I created IDea for your space, but I didn’t have the time to develop it because our move to London happened shortly after.
In your opinion, is it easier to start a business in England or in France?
In England, without hesitation! Setting up a business (as a sole trader) can be done with just a few clicks on the HMRC website, and the paperwork is much simpler here compared to France.
Have you encountered any difficulties? If so, what were they?
Setting up the business structure is straightforward, but the most challenging part is to make yourself known. In my case, it’s also about raising awareness about the Home Organizer profession, which is still relatively unknown.
What do you enjoy the most about what you do?
It’s witnessing the psychological transformation of my customers. Over the course of our sessions, the weight of their environment lightens (both physically and mentally), the stress dissipates, they gain clarity in their daily lives, and they regain control of their environment. We often achieve results in terms of decluttering, home organization, and space optimization that they hadn’t imagined. The final outcome and the impact on my clients’ mental well-being are my greatest satisfaction.
What does a typical day look like in your life as an entrepreneur in London?
If I work with customers, I will go to their houses and we work together to sort and organize their environment. They make decisions on what to keep or donate, and I am here to guide, reassure, and advise them. If I work from home, I will mainly be looking out for storage or organizational solutions for my customers or will do my business admin. I can also spend a lot of time at IKEA Wembley (next door to where we live) purchasing storage or organizational items for my customers. I also network in the evenings or during the day to meet other entrepreneurs and promote the business.
What kind of clientele do you target?
I don’t really have a typical clientele, but I particularly enjoy working with families who may sometimes feel overwhelmed. As a mother of three children myself, I have seen the impact that an organized lifestyle can have on our daily lives. Life is so much more simple! This leaves more time to manage everything else and, above all, to enjoy a peaceful family life.
What is the typical profile of your customers and how has your clientele evolved?
I don’t really have a typical profile of clients, and that’s a good thing because it makes my business more interesting as I need to adapt and respond to the customer and their specific requests. More than my customers, I’m the one who has had to evolve over the past 8 years. My skills, understanding and knowledge of organizational solutions that I can offer to customers have greatly expanded.
What can we wish for you in 2023?
Lots of varied projects, many customers I may support to simplify and streamline their daily lives, and beautiful collaborations… including with French Touch.
Finally, what advice would you give to future entrepreneurs?
Believe in yourself, invest in education and training, network, talk about your business everywhere and to everyone, and don’t hesitate to work with specialized service providers for aspects that you may not be able to do yourself (website, accounting, visual design, photography…).
Isabelle Lamy
IDea for your space
isabelle@ideaforyourspace.co.uk
07503025784
Instagram : ideaforyourspace
