Designer grows business through referrals and social media savvy
Any business owner looking for an outstanding example of how to organically build a business based on word of mouth and referrals should look no further than Jean Stoffer. Her designs have garnered a great deal of interest on social media – indeed, her Instagram followers number over 70,000. Stoffer attributes her social media success to a combination of high-quality original content and engaging captions, along with an Instagram Story featuring personal updates and progress shots. This combination of visually attractive original content and a personal touch puts potential clients at ease before they ever reach out, Stoffer says.
The owner of Southwest Michigan-based Jean Stoffer Design has been focusing primarily on kitchen and bath design for more than 25 years, but she has more recently started moving into whole-home design projects. According to Stoffer, this expansion of her business’ offerings has resulted in an influx of new clients and greater social media attention.
2018 is bringing more exciting changes for Stoffer’s business. In December, she will be opening a Stoffer Home in Grand Rapids, MI which, in addition to carrying accessories, lighting, furniture and custom cabinetry, will function as a workspace and showroom for her growing design business.
In 2017, Stoffer’s design for the kitchen in her own 1930s brick cottage was named one of the 25 finalists in the Sub-Zero Wolf Kitchen Design Contest. Additionally, her home received an “Editor’s Pick” nod for the “Dramatic Before + Afters” category in the HGTV Faces of Design awards.
