LiveWorld Transcripts

Women.com presents

Entrepreneur, Michelle Golding
Running your own business

August 2, 2000

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RareEarth: What differences are there in pillows, from cheap to very expensive, and what advantages in buying an expensive one?

MichelleGolding: The variables are great from what they are filled with, which can range from foam to fine Hungarian goose down. In decorative pillows, the prices vary based on both the fill and artistic design. Perhaps more importantly, the artistic design, which in most cases can be hand done, is the reason for the cost, as well as the fabrics such as silk, cashmere and finally the trims, which are usually on a better pillow imported from France and Italy, or hand beading.

Kheyala1: I am looking for a computer program that allows you to build a virtual room with the colors, furniture, etc.--something that you can input the dimensions of the room and then select wall colors, furniture, etc. "Faux Like A Pro" has something that gets a start on this, but doesn't have all the components I am looking for. Please tell me of any programs you may be aware of for sale to the public.

MichelleGolding: I am looking for the same thing, so you will be able to scan in your room and select from my collection placing it in your room. This way you will know, before you purchase it, how it will look. When you find the answer, I'd love to hear from you.

Dovela: How long did it take to build your business base? Do you think there were things that affect the building process that any person considering their own business should take into consideration?

MichelleGolding: I'm an exception to the rule. I, basically, say that I built the base of my business--my building, design, and creativity--for more than 20 years. I've applied those skills to several businesses, but the most important thing to consider when building a base is focus--what aspect you feel is the priority of your new business. It's very easy to be distracted by numerous concepts and ideas in order to insure success. Often, one is forced, particularly in the beginning, to choose one direction over another. So I would spend a great deal of time analyzing what are the important aspects of my product, or my business plan.

RareEarth: I guess to really complete a great bedroom, you really need to do the whole room. Can you describe your ultimate, personal bedroom scheme?

MichelleGolding: To create the perfect room, it's best to begin with the bed. I always choose down comforters to begin the process, and then decide on the fabrications by color scheme to do the covers. I prefer working in silk, because down is at it's best with this fabrication. I'm a person who likes diversity, so I would use silk on my bed and something so unexpected such as blanket weight wool for my window covering--the type of thing you might see in a villa in Europe. Lighting is a very important aspect of any space, but more so for a bedroom. I would choose lamps and shades that allow the room to have a warm glow. One way to achieve that is to have shades that are lined with surprising color that effects the lighting, such as red or hot pink. It's hard to verbalize something that is so visual, but I hope that this will give you some food for thought.

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