Colours By Design | reflections on the Business Certificate Program

Patty Maggard Prediletto, owner of Colours By Design, an interior design firm based in Yakima, Washington, reflects on the value of the Business Certificate Program offered by the Consulting & Business Development Center. This program wrapped up this May with more than 100 graduates since January of 2015.

My name is Patty Maggard Prediletto and my business is Colours By Design.  As a sole proprietor of a home-based interior design business, I was surprised when the Consulting & Business Development Center asked me to tell the story of my company.  My initial thought was that a larger firm, due to their higher number of employees, crews, and supervisors to manage would make a better story about the impact of this program.  Then I realized just how diverse the mix of my fellow classmates was in the Business Certificate Program.  These included owners of small businesses (like mine) as well as employees from large companies.  I’ve come to realize that although we have different perspectives on business, the tools that we learned can help us all in different ways.

I may not have a staff or a board of directors, but I do have clients and subcontractors that I work with; I make decisions with and for my clients on a daily basis; and I have to brainstorm how to approach a project and how to make snap decisions to keep jobs flowing.  It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is.  We all work on the same principles, we are here to make a profit, and I’ve realized through the BCP that companies both big and small use the same tools to accomplish these goals.

BCP teaches three major subjects: marketing, management, and finance & accounting.  Here are my takeaways that I was able to bring back to Colours By Design.

Marketing: I know my name is long, but that is part of my brand.  I was Maggard for the first 20 years of my career and built up that name recognition.  When I remarried I knew I needed to keep that name as that is my brand and how I am known.  This class has helped me to put that into focus and helped me to better understand how important identity or branding is.  I knew that branding was important but BCP showed my why.

Management: When I am dealing with a couple, many times there are differences of opinions and tastes. It is my job to bring both sides together and come to a decision that everyone is happy with.  I joke that I have a marriage counseling degree!  With this course, I now have more tools in my toolbox to help me mediate the decision-making process.

Finance & Accounting: I have written a business plan and I readily admit that I am more creative than a financial whiz.  However, I know it is a very important part of any business to have an understanding of how money flows and how to adjust to changes.

I would like to thank Domex Superfresh Growers for bringing the UW Foster School of Business to our community.  I found the instructors were very engaging and entertaining.  The teamwork exercises were fun, creative, and really helped me understand the concepts.  It doesn’t matter what size your business is, this course is for all businesses, large or small like me.