Time, place, and people right for Harleston businessman to roll out new carpet shop
The thought of reopening a shop had been nagging Richard Joselyn for years – but he believes he is in the right place, at the right time, with the right people to roll out a carpet store once again.
Harleston Carpets and Flooring opened its doors for the first time on Saturday. Situated in The Thoroughfare, owner Mr Joselyn, 54, previously owned carpet shops in Brentwood, Billericay and Stanford, before moving into the world of furniture restoration.
It will offer flooring from £8 to £140 a square metre, carpets, hard flooring, vinyl, bespoke designs and a range of customisation.
He said it is all about high standards customer service – and one of his fitters had recently completed a number of high-profile jobs, including work at the Royal Opera House in London.
“The recession in the 1990s forced the closure of my previous shops,” he told the Diss Express.
“The interest rate went up to 15 per cent by the early 90s, and I was forced to close the business.
It is all about making the customer 100 per cent happy with our quality of service, products and fitting
“It was always a nagging thought in the back of my mind that I wanted to open up a shop again.
“I love interacting with people and love the carpet trade.
“I think that starting any new business is a risk, but the situation here is it is 10 miles to Diss and Bungay, which is where the nearest carpet shops are.
“If you live Harleston or surrounding villages, you have to travel to either of those places, so I think I have the right shop and I have the right staff and fitters on board.
“It is all about making the customer 100 per cent happy with our quality of service, products and fitting.”