Each day, Huynh monitors Interior Secret’s sales and part of his initiatives to instil a positive, enjoyable company culture is to celebrate their achievements.
“We look at our sales on a daily basis and every time we hit a level we’ve never reached before we celebrate somehow. That’s the corporate culture that we have here.
“Every day we’re looking out for that figure and there was one time we celebrated four times in one week and that’s the message I like to send,” he says.
The Interior Secrets team are all young with no one over 30 and Huynh says you don’t need to have a strong tertiary education background to be part of the team.
“They need to know how to look for things and learn quickly and just a basic use of Google. Marketing knowledge is also essential in any position we have here.
“I think my passion for furniture and my passion for success has been contagious within the workforce. Sometimes I can see the staff working harder than me and our culture encourages this idea of working hard,” he says.
The inspiration for Huynh’s range comes from European designs.
“We’re constantly on the lookout for new trends and what’s hot and not. We look overseas and at our competitors both here and internationally. It’s just like finding your perfect designer bag – it’s usually found in Europe.
“Our products use natural timber and Scandinavian designs have proven to be very popular. We have minimal designs and practical furniture because Australians are really open toward open living spaces,” he says.
Huynh first travelled overseas for work when the business was just starting and at first he had a difficult time engaging suppliers.
“I would tell the supplier we were an online business and they just didn’t take me seriously. The manufacturers I was talking to stocked high-end brands like Gainsville and it really came down to selling my idea, but a lot of them didn’t respect any online businesses.
“Nowadays the tables have turned. Manufacturers are respecting online businesses more and we’re no longer limited with the ranges we stock,” he says.
In order to differentiate its products from “the competition”, Huynh says he “stalks his competitors” to ensure he knows exactly what else is on offer and for what price.
“We study our competitors on a daily basis as if we actually work there. We know who they use, what warehouse facilities they operate in, the staff they have and the products they sell.
“We offer promotions such as coupons, loyalty programs and give customers the best offerings. It’s the value of the offerings which will affect your long-term market share growth. We do all types of things to win the customers. We don’t match prices, we beat prices, but without compromising on quality,” he says.
Dedication is necessary to grow any business and Interior Secrets is no exception. Huynh works a six day week, although admits the work never really stops, and doesn’t get home until about 7pm on a nightly basis.
Although it doesn’t leave much time to relax, Huynh still makes time for family and friends.
“Spending time with family and friends, nothing beats that. Every time I have experiences with people, it doesn’t matter if I know them or I don’t know them, it helps to relax me,” he says.
When starting Interior Secrets Huynh didn’t have any mentors, something he found to be one of his greatest challenges, but he was brought up in a business environment with his Dad owning an Asian grocery.
“My father started the first Asian grocery store in the western suburbs in Melbourne. He made it on to the front page of one of the big newspapers back 30 to 40 years ago.
“I think from him the lessons I learnt were more about business ethics. In terms of actually setting up and running the business, it was a totally different ball game,” he says.
Looking forward, Huynh’s attention is on finishing the Derrimut warehouse and expanding the product range.
“The new warehouse facility just takes my breath away. It will enable us to expand our product range and just really take off.
“We specialise in office furniture and we will be tapping into outdoor furniture and more commercial furniture because we’re gaining a lot of attention there,” he says.
Already Huynh is receiving interest from overseas, but for the moment the focus is on the Australian market.
