Smart50 rank: 28
Revenue: $2,600,000
Growth: 59.09%
Founders: Neil Singh, 30, Candida Stephens, 29
Head Office: New South Wales
Employees: 10
Industry: Retail trade
Website: www.fidarsi.com.au
An uninspiring retail experience prompted Neil Singh and partner Candida Stephens, to start an online furniture business that reflects their belief that furniture is fashion.
“In my view, the experience in a furniture store should have been similar to that of a fashion clothing store: bright colours, lively music and most of all, inspiring, creative furniture designs that would complement my modern lifestyle, on a budget of course,” Singh explains.
Fidarsi – which sells designer furniture, and allows people to design their own, down to the colour of the stitching – takes pride in its pricing, products and customer service.
It makes good use of social media too; Fidarsi says Facebook serves as a useful platform for testing products among fans, and the company was inspired by search-engine giant Google’s idea to allow employees to spend 20% of their time on a project of their own choosing.
“Anything goes! We often find the team sitting at the water’s edge frantically scribbling, drawing or locked in animated discussion about new initiatives, many of which we have successfully implemented or are further developing together.”
The company turned over $2.6 million in 2010-2011 and plans to expand beyond its Australian and US market very soon.
