If twenty years of running his own business has taught Johnny Bacigalupo, the owner of Edinburgh-based Napier Interiors, anything it’s that you have to learn from your mistakes and face the challenges head on.
Twenty years have flown by, but I still remember the early days and sleepless nights worrying about whether we’d make enough to pay the wages and bills.
We’ve survived various challenges including two recessions, Brexit, Covid and a showroom flood. As a business owner, there’s no university, no rulebook, you just have to get on with it.
I remember registering the business at Companies House in 2004. I’d agreed a three-year lease on premises in Brandon Terrace in Edinburgh. I distinctly remember thinking, “three years, I hope I can last that long.”
My first product introductions were Roca, Ultra-Finishing, Ceramic tiles from Paul DiRollo and various other offerings from supportive suppliers. In those days our distributors were usually owned by the senior management and the reps became extended family. I warmly recall people like Sandra Gettie, Ian Cram, Alan Dodds, John Gilmore and Ian McAdam, who were all there for me from the beginning with regular visits and support.
Rewarding journey
There have been very challenging and hard times but I’m so proud that Napier Bathrooms is the very same limited company today as it was on day one.
Johnny’s 10 survival tips
1 – There is a solution for everything.
2 – Be helpful and kind to all enquiries – small requests today could be large projects tomorrow.
3 – Invest in your showroom – it is the greatest evidence of what you can achieve.
4 – Be careful who you trust and hold onto those who you know have your back.
5 – There are excellent reps and there are hopeless reps – they’ll stand out very quickly.
6 – Be an expert on your brands and services – keep learning and developing your knowledge, it’s so important to be interested in what you do.
7 – Support those who support and invest in you and your business.
8 – Embrace innovation and change.
9 – Look at what others are doing – but only to see how much better you can be at doing it yourself.
10 – Retail is hard work – be kind to yourself and take a break. Life is too short!
We’ve always paid our way honestly and ethically. We’ve not played the ugly and dirty games of so many in our industry who keep the misleading signs above the door whilst playing the ‘limited company game’ behind the scenes.
In 2011, growth and investment came to fruition when we moved the business 40 metres down the road to a derelict bakery in the heart of Edinburgh. This was a serious move that meant we would own our building and would be able to make it exactly what we wanted it to be.
When I think back to what I took on, I cannot believe it. The energy and the passion for creating my showroom was like a drug to me. We did it, and on October 19, 2011, The Lord Provost of Edinburgh visited and officially opened the new showroom.
Since then, we’ve continued to grow and develop, and we’ve won many awards, including being named as kbbreview’s Bathroom Showroom of the Year in 2022.
But what has been the biggest reward to date? It has to be the people – the clients, the suppliers; the community we have become part of.
Owning and running this business has changed my life. Despite the pressure, struggles, sleepless nights, and worry, it’s also brought me so much fun, laughter, love, and experiences.
Today I celebrate the knowledge and experience I have in both the bathroom industry and in running a small business and the confidence in knowing that every challenge has a solution.