A Modern Take - Studio Knowhow
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Mathieu Leclerc, designer, and co-founder of Studio Knowhow, located in Montréal, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I run a design studio specializing in interior architecture and custom furniture for restaurants, cafés, and other food-related shops. In parallel, I also have another business called Full Room, which is an online shop of pre-loved designer furniture and objects from the 1960s onward.
Tell us about yourself
As far as I can remember, I have always wanted to become a solopreneur. I grew up with my father being an entrepreneur and then a freelance consultant, so I guessed it must have influenced me in this pursuit. Then it was just a matter of finding what type of business I wanted to start, which was a pretty straightforward process: I studied architectural design, and while being in university, I worked in many positions in the restaurant industry, so it seemed very natural to me to start a design studio specializing in commercial spaces in the restaurant and food industry.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment was and still is expanding my skillset on many subjects I don't have a natural inclination towards (e.g., planning, negotiating, finance and accounting). I'm also very proud of having been able to hang in there the first few years of the business when it wasn't all smooth sailing. After nearly five years, it ultimately got easier to run the business.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
One of the ongoing challenges of owning a business is having to deal with many layers of uncertainty. As an entrepreneur, you can plan as much as you want, but there will always be a surprise or an unexpected turn of events popping out of nowhere now and then. So, while planning is essential, I think there is also this need for a certain flexibility that allows you to respond to the unknown.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Talk to other entrepreneurs, and don't be afraid to ask questions about their experience as business owners. This has been, for me, a tremendous way of getting fast answers on things I had been bouncing around in my head for a long time.
- Think about setting up boundaries between your professional and personal lives; otherwise, they start spilling into one another, and it gets messy.
- Surround yourself with a strong support system that you can rely on whenever you need to.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
The Instagram profile of Full Room, my other business ;)
https://www.instagram.com/fullroom.designs
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://studioknowhow.ca/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studioknowhow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studioknowhow/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathieustudioknowhow/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.