Friday, April 16, 2010\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a0\u00a0Modified: Monday, April 19, 2010, 10:56am MST<\/p>\n
Startup<\/strong><\/p>\n Web site connects contractors with homeowners<\/strong><\/p>\n PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL – BY\u00a0Lynn Ducey<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>“ISEARCHDECOR IN PHOENIX BUSINESS JOURNAL”<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n A conversation about home remodeling and decoration led Michelle Maxwell and Alicia Guerrieri to launch\u00a0iSearchDecor<\/a>, a Web site that connects customers with independent businesses and service professionals in the field.<\/p>\n The women are self-financing the venture and <\/strong>have recruited some investors,<\/strong> which they spent the past year developing. But iSearchDecor isn\u2019t their first enterprise together. They launched Decoratours in 2007. The personalized service offers clients one-on-one trips to select home boutiques and decorating businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cBut after that, we still had people coming to us for referrals, and that\u2019s how we got the idea for iSearchDecor,\u201d Maxwell said.<\/p>\n The women hired a company to develop their new Web site, which features home decor, lighting, flooring providers and installers across the region.<\/p>\n The site is free for consumers, but businesses pay fees based on the number of leads they receive from the site. Maxwell declined to share financials, but said the goal is to turn a profit while also supporting local companies.<\/p>\n She said the site is more than a listing service because participating businesses are vetted before earning a spot on the site.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call them the \u2018hidden gems\u2019 in the Valley. We go out and actually visit the stores and meet with the service professionals,\u201d Maxwell said. \u201cWe really scour the Valley to find these great places.\u201d<\/p>\n Even though the women live in the same Scottsdale neighborhood, Maxwell said it was important to expand the breadth of the site to reflect the entire Valley.<\/p>\n \u201cWe find that our clients want to venture out and explore and see what is out there. We also think it\u2019s important to expose people to different options and ideas,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n For more:\u00a0www.isearchdecor.com<\/a> ;\u00a0www.facebook.com\/isearchdecor<\/a>;\u00a0twitter.com\/isearchdecor<\/a><\/p>\n