First Choice Decor About Us

To profitably build a giving and serving business that will earn enough to also help with our own minor health needs which, by God's grace, are minimal. To create income for the purpose of sharing with organizations that aid needy children and their families and those who spread the Gospel of Jesus

Goals:

To provide retail and wholesale markets for quality, handcrafted products made by struggling artisans primarily from economically depressed areas worldwide; To do so in such ways that bring honor to our God, the artisans, and each individual involved along the process, which includes you.

Location:

This business is currently, and has been since conception in February 2004, located in my home in Kalispell, Montana, USA, at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. I currently sublet a small area in a local consignment store, Red Neck Chic, located at 3167 Hwy 93 S., Kalispell, MT.

Who am I?

I completed 2 years of college in 1968 receiving an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts with a strong background in English and Home Economics. My actual work history has primarily been in accounting and bookkeeping, I am a 60ish, Christian woman happily married to the same man for 40 years. I am pretty sure he has been happy for just as long. We have 3 grown children, 6 grandchildren and my wonderful parents, all who live in the same area and with whom we are blessed to spend much time. In fact, there are four generations living under the same family tri-plex roof. All of them have supported me in my "stretch" to build this business and I love them for it.

Thanks for checking me out,

Irene Zuehlsdorff, DBA First Choice Decor

(if you are really inquisitive and have a lot of time, read on for the l o n g version)

MORE DETAILS ABOUT US

Location:

We are located at the foot of the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Kalispell, Montana, USA! Yes, this is the view from our back windows (thank you, D.C.Beattie, for the photo!). We praise God daily for allowing us to live in such beautiful surroundings. Just 30 miles from Glacier National Park and not much further from the Canadian border with the beautiful Canadian Rockies, this area abounds with inspiration for artists, authors and craftsmen of every kind.

How & Why This Business:

I came to this business by the long way around. In my retirement years I wanted an at home business that would turn enough income to help with some minor medical issues and to provide "giving" income. I wanted to be able to help support the work of several charitable organizations as well as give more to the missions and missionaries from our own church. I am particularly interested in organizations who share the gospel of Jesus Christ and those who help children, in my own valley and abroad.

My husband and I were, and are, associates with the USANA Health Sciences, a company who distributes the #1 quality line of nutritional supplements and skin care products through direct marketing. My original intention was to create a website to sell those products and expand our business and its earnings to provide sharable income. We already had joined with many other associates in supporting the Children's Hunger Fund through USANA's program of giving monthly supplies of children's vitamins to be distributed in countries and neighborhoods where poor nutrition leads to so many other diseases and problems.

I researched and located a program to learn Online Marketing from a group that I felt were probably trustworthy. They probably are, but I think they charge way too much for their services. I went into debt, which I do not advise any of you to do. However, I must say, that because I had so much invested, I wouldn't give up when the going got tough. They taught me how to build a website, how to market products, how to be found by the search engines etc. This was six years ago. It took two or three months just to get to the point of choosing a product.

I had not done all of my homework, however, and found out at the last minute that I was unable to market the great USANA products over the internet with my own website. Company policies, that were established to protect the integrity of the company and its associates, required that an associate be at a certain accomplishment level before they could market the products with their own methods. (USANA now offers a very professional personal website for all of its associates to take advantage of and we have now added that to our multiple streams of income)(www.irenez.usana.com). However, at that time I had invested a lot of time and a considerable amount of money in a different website and tutorage and had no product to sell. So I had to pick a new product to sell.

They had taught that you should sell something you are "passionate" about. They sent me some catalogues with leather jackets, baseball hats and T-shirts. Certainly not passionate about those. In fact, I would probably only apply the word "passionate" to my faith, my husband, my family and my desire to build a successful "giving business". Amid some tears, fears, regrets (certainly could not afford to throw away $10,000), and prayers, my dear husband came beside me and said, "You loved the African Baskets you saw at the Children's Hunger Fund booth at the USANA convention. Why don't you see if you can sell African baskets?" As it turned out, I could not arrange to sell anything for the African Renewal Ministries who sold baskets from the CHF booth at the convention, although I am still hoping to do so. But I began to do the research and God provided other opportunities.

I love what I am doing! I am learning so much and making so many aquaintenances. I have not made a lot of money, but I have certainly dispersed more money to good causes than ever in my life. And I have encouraged and been encouraged by people I never would have met. And people I have known for years have come beside me to encourage me and help me in various ways, including investing to make the final payment on a container load of baskets from Ghana.

My first consideration when I set up my African basket website was to attempt to market quality, handmade baskets and crafts from artisans worldwide by using the "drop-ship" method. I would advertise and sell their products over the internet. They would ship them to the buyer from their location. I did not make a lot of sales over the internet, but enough to keep me encouraged (although no accountant would have advised me to keep going, I am sure.) Drop-shipping, however, does not work really well when working with 3rd world countries and artisans who are out in the boonies with no means of shipping, comunicating, or banking. So I have evolved into carrying inventory, wholesaling and retailing at all kinds of functions. One of my favorite things to do is hold fundraising events.

My two major African products are the Bolgatanga Baskets from the Upper Eastern Region of Ghana and the Zulu baskets from Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa. Both are supplied by villages that rely heavily upon the basket industry to supplement their income. They are primarily subsistence farmers. The baskets are sent directly to me from Africa by exporters who are personally connected with the villages. The prices are such that I can wholesale as well as retail them. I am acting as an Agent for the Bolga Basket company which was established as a cooperative about 8 or 10 years ago to create a market to help mothers fill the needs of their children. I have a lot of information on this organization and have grown quite close to those who operate it. I have also been asked to act as agent for the South African company, but I am not comfortable taking on that additional task.

I am currently importing a container full of product from Ghana, but it takes a lot of capital and it will be 6 months from the time I paid until I have anything to sell (end of June?). That is not a great deal for me, but the costs of the baskets are greatly decreased and the freight also. I hope the difference will pay for the interest on the borrowed money it took to purchase them. I used to order these baskets shipped by post, and my supplier was actually able to drop ship for me, but Ghana's postage went up by 300% in February 2007 and it squelched many of our possibilities, so we determined to try a container. Ask me later how that has worked.

There will be just fewer than 4000 baskets plus a few other items in this shipment, so there will be a great deal of work to do when it arrives. Sorting, boxing, invoicing and shipping wholesale orders doesn¿t turn much of a profit, but provides for quick cash turn around and a market for the artisans' products. Most of the baskets will have to be wetted and reshaped before retailing them, then comes tagging, displays, storage, booking sales. I may have to resort to hiring some help, but am hoping my family will be able to help do what is needed. I thank God for the wonderful friends & family who have pitched in at various times to help.

I also buy Fair Trade Items through a couple of American Importers on the coasts. These provide my customers with product variety that I can get in 10 to 14 days time. I cannot get these at a low enough rate, however, to include them in wholesale offerings.

I am also trying to become more involved with Children's Hunger Fund ( www.childrenshungerfund.org ) because of their work with children and families through churches in depressed neighborhoods both in the US and abroad. Their giving program includes food and school packs accompanied by a minimum of 5 visits to a home to help identify further needs and point the family to real, lasting solutions. That includes spiritual help and connecting them to local churches. CHF also works with orphanages and street children in various countries and provides disaster relief. They meet all the criteria for an honorable, efficient charitable organization and I am honored to be able to join them in their efforts.Why don't you consider helping too? Currently I am too far away from their headquarters in Los Angeles, Texas, or Minneapolis, to actively volunteer in their distribution warehouses. So, for now, I hold at least one basket sale a year just for Children's Hunger Fund. It is not a lot, but I am convinced that when each of us does a little, it amounts to a lot!

Testimonial:

"Irene, the baskets arrived in plenty of time. Thank youfor your concern and assistance. They are beautiful and the kids are very much in awe that they came right from Ghana, so they have taken great care to reshape and keep them nice. I'm quite pleased with the colors and the quality. Thanks again for your help." (Donna, high school theatrical group who used eight Bolga baskets in their school production of "Aida.")

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