Podcast Overview
“You see 10 minutes on Dragon’s Den. What you don’t see is the two-and-a-half hours in the Den, months of forensic BBC due diligence, and the fact you’ve only got about a 1% chance of ever making it onto TV.”
In this episode, Richard sits down with Helen Lord, founder of Rehome, a marketplace dedicated to giving kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and interiors a second life.
Helen shares her honest insights on what it really takes to make sustainability work in retail, discussing the challenges of building trust in a high-value resale category and the complexities of making reuse accessible for both buyers and sellers.
The conversation also explores Helen’s memorable experience on Dragon’s Den, the behind-the-scenes reality of due diligence, the critical role of partnerships and practical lessons learned from developing a purpose-driven brand and marketplace.
Whether you’re interested in sustainability, marketplaces or founder-led growth, this episode promises authentic advice and inspiration from a trailblazer in sustainable eCommerce.
Time stamps:
00:00 Sustainability in retail challenges
04:43 Preparing for TV appearance
09:11 Maintaining authenticity in business
11:20 Challenges of Reselling Kitchens
14:05 Handling leftover renovation materials
18:19 Marketing strategies for unique businesses
20:35 Preparing for item photography
26:03 Building a sustainable partner network
29:29 Developing and Growing the Website
31:46 Getting government funding advice
35:48 Choosing the right business partners
39:29 Evolving business and networking journey
41:15 Brand name change motivation
45:07 Improving tech and branding strategy
46:53 Book recommendation Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Helen Lord [00:00:00]:
Sustainability in retail, I believe, is not quite there yet.
Richard Hill [00:00:05]:
I'm just getting flashbacks to when we changed our kitchen and bathroom and everything over lockdown sort of thing a few years ago. And yeah, we had a lot of stuff left.
Helen Lord [00:00:16]:
People genuinely don't know how to progress with that.
Richard Hill [00:00:21]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:00:22]:
You know, we say they haven't got the time, but they haven't got the knowledge either. And it becomes quite scary. Scary.
Richard Hill [00:00:27]:
You got into the probably homes of so many million UK and worldwide listeners some time ago on Dragon's Den. What really happened maybe when the camera stopped rolling.
Helen Lord [00:00:37]:
There's lots that go on after the camera is rolled, but there's also an awful lot that goes on before you even get there.
Richard Hill [00:00:49]:
Hi, everyone, it's Richard Hill here.
Richard Hill [00:00:51]:
Welcome back to the eCom@One podcast. Today I'm joined by Helen Lord, founder of Rehome and a marketplace built around helping homeowners and businesses give kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms and other interiors a second life rather than seeing them go to waste. In this episode we talk about what it really takes to make sustainability work in retail, how Helen has built trust in a high value resale category, and why making reuse easier for both buyers and sellers is a much bigger challenge than it might look from the outside. We also get into the re home journey, which is what happened after Dragon's Den, the role partnerships play in growing the business, and some of the lessons Hearns has learned around brand marketplaces and
Richard Hill [00:01:32]:
technology along the way.
Richard Hill [00:01:33]:
What I like about this conversation is that it's honest. It's not sustainability as a buzzword. It's a grounded look at what it takes to build a business that's commercially viable, operationally sound, and still rooted in doing something genuinely better.
Richard Hill [00:01:48]:
So if you're interested in eCommerce
Richard Hill [00:01:49]:
marketplaces, sustainability or founder led growth, this episode is well worth a listen. Now do me one quick favor, hit the subscribe or follow button wherever you're listening, so you never miss an episode. Let's dive in.
Richard Hill [00:02:05]:
Hi, Helen, how are you doing?
Helen Lord [00:02:07]:
I'm great, thanks. Good to meet you.
Richard Hill [00:02:10]:
Nice to meet you too. Looks very sunny where you are in the world.
Helen Lord [00:02:14]:
Yeah, don't hold your breath. We're in the Northwest, so it's known for being a bit gray in these
Richard Hill [00:02:20]:
parts, so it could be hailstone and snow before we finish the episode. Yeah, well, thanks for coming on the show. Really looking forward to getting stuck in. So a lot of brands talk about sustainability, but I know re home is a business that's built on it. You know what actually makes sustainability sell Rather than just sound good, would you say?
Helen Lord [00:02:41]:
Okay, I mean, I will start with probably what is quite a controversial answer for you. So sustainability in retail, I believe, is not quite there yet. I believe, and we'll get into the bones of this later in terms of consumer research and positioning, but it's still a nice to have. It's still an add on. It's not necessarily a key driver, especially when we look at higher value. Purchasing sustainability, if you think about it with the car industry, is linked to cost saving and it's the cost saving they tend to drive more than the environmental aspect. So, yeah, the decision, the purchasing decision is normally made in a. In a twofold position with sustainability coming as an add on at the end, which is disappointing.
Helen Lord [00:03:43]:
But for a business like ours, you know, you have to keep your core vision and mission. And as you know, we're a marketplace, so we're a B2B to C marketplace, which means sustainability is perhaps more crucial and important with regards to our B2B relationships than it is with our B to C relationship. So it's a fine balance for Curry Home.
Richard Hill [00:04:14]:
Yeah, isn't it just? Isn't it just? So we'll get into that a little bit more as we seduce the one as we go. We'll break that down for sure. So obviously, I think you got into the probably homes of so many million UK and worldwide listeners some time ago on Dragon's Den. So what was that like? What was it, you know, what really happened? Maybe when the cameras stopped rolling and I know obviously Deborah invested. How's that? How's that gone?
Helen Lord [00:04:43]:
Oh, well, there's lots to say about that because I did go into it kicking and screaming. I've got to say, I'm not a natural exhibitionist and it's a very unnatural, very unnatural situation to be in. There's lots that go on after the camera is rolled, but there's also an awful lot that goes on before you even get there. So you've got about 1% chance of actually being shown on the TV when you look at all the different stages. So we were approached in January 25th and that due diligence process with the BBC is very, very centered on are your marketing claims correct? Can you use this image? That image? Your whole website is pulled apart, all the claims you make are pulled apart and you have to evidence all of them. So that is an awful lot of work.
Richard Hill [00:05:41]:
This is before you're on the show. Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:05:44]:
So the due diligence for the BBC is forensic. Then you have to go through the Pain of screen tests, which are hilarious and really unnatural. Throughout this entire process, no promises are made and you only find out about. Well, they say two weeks before the show is recorded, but we've got four weeks notice, I think, that you're going to be on the show, so you're doing it in the hope that you're going to get there for the entirety of that time. We got notice that in between all of this, our son had a wedding booked in Italy. So the day before we were recording, we were traveling back from Italy. So we were practicing our pitch, walking around the swimming pool and getting strange looks off the Italians. So that was a complete whirlwind.
Helen Lord [00:06:44]:
The show itself is heavily edited. Heavily edited. So I think I timed it and they gave us about 10 minutes of screen time on Draggings Den. But we were actually in the Den recording in front of the Goggins for two and a half hours. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:07:09]:
So afterwards you asked what happened afterwards. So there are lots of things that happen afterwards. You have to go back in and do some of the B roll filming. But we were very fortunate in that Deborah was quite excited. So she actually came out of recording to meet with us. Had a lovely chat with her. She's a very generous individual and very, very warm. Very warm.
Helen Lord [00:07:34]:
Instantly likable and friendly. So we had a lovely chat with her. But then the hard work really started after that. So even though you've gone through your due diligence with the BBC, it's very different then. So it's a forensic, big, deep dive into business and that's still ongoing. So we've had a number of conversations with her. She's very busy and her commitment to the investments she takes very seriously and she does them one at a time.
Richard Hill [00:08:13]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:08:14]:
So it's a watchful space, really.
Richard Hill [00:08:16]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:08:18]:
Emailed her recently and we got some ideas on the table to help. Yeah, the, the. The main thing that Deborah is interested in is not necessarily the investment with us. She loves it and loves what we do and is very keen to put her name to the fact that she supports Lee Home and what Leeholme is trying to achieve from the sustainability perspective. So it's. It's a very authentic arrangement that looks like it's going to be moving forward. A friend of Lee Home, shall we say?
Richard Hill [00:08:57]:
Yeah, that's a very exciting, genuine, authentic sort of somebody that you want involved, isn't it? Which is great. So we'll watch this space. We'll get you back on in a few months time or. And have an Update on, on that.
Helen Lord [00:09:11]:
It is, it is a. You know, I might sound a bit cheesy here, but authenticity and we'll talk about grand later. I know we will, but I just want to say that as individuals, myself and Phil who founded the business and we have done it from an authentic position. Our journey is about us buying a pre owned kitchen, realising that there's a lot of money to be saved here, but also it's a good environmental decision too and seeing that opportunity to help own Holmans. So we have maintained that level of authenticity not just with regards to our own journey, but trying to support people to do the right thing in the right way, but also to commercially benefit. And that's very strong. That's within our DNA.
Richard Hill [00:10:17]:
That's brilliant. Brilliant. So I think, you know, I'm thinking about the last maybe four or five years we've been going through different renovations and in our house and you know, a little bit of rehoming I guess is, you know, what we've been doing as well. And I wish I'd met you a little bit sooner to be fair. But something that strikes me is you've got obviously quite. These, quite, you know, we're not buying a pair of socks online, we're buying something that's quite substantial. We're buying a, you know, pre owned. Obviously you've got various products now, but say, say for example, a pre owned kitchen, it's not a small decision, it's not something, you know, people are used to going to maybe half a dozen or so showrooms and so forth in a traditional way.
Richard Hill [00:11:00]:
You know, have you overcome some of those barriers and create confidence in this sort of high end, secondhand market, rehoming market?
Helen Lord [00:11:06]:
We could talk about that for a very long time. But I will try and not be a stuck record throughout the entirety of this conversation. So if I become repetitive, please, please
Richard Hill [00:11:19]:
let me know you're fine.
Helen Lord [00:11:20]:
Fundamentally, our journey when, when we looked for pre owned kitchen, it was a stick. Suck your finger and stick it in the air. Because the resale market is driven by the buyer and the seller normally in the standard marketplace without, without expertise, stuff in the middle to support those buyers and sellers. And we identified this as a nuance, but something that was absolutely vital to pushed a sustainable approach to renovation, I. E. People need help. People who are selling, you know, people who are renovating their home and they look at their kitchen think, you know, this. Actually I feel a bit guilty about this, you know, if it was, if it was a load of CDs for instance, you'd stick them in a box and stick them in the loft, wouldn't you? Because you know, they cost you a lot of money when you bought them.
Richard Hill [00:12:19]:
You've been in my loft,
Helen Lord [00:12:23]:
however, with a kitchen, you can't do that. So this is why, regrettably, a lot of product, be it kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc, ends up in the loft because people genuinely don't know how to progress with that.
Richard Hill [00:12:39]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:12:39]:
You know, we say they haven't got the time, but they haven't got the knowledge either and it becomes quite scary. Likewise the purchasers in a lot of the traditional marketplace scenarios there it's, it's a lucky bit at best, you know, and if you, if the seller doesn't know what information you need and doesn't understand the importance perhaps of some of the damage, whether it's real damage, whether it's something that can be solved. So, you know, that's where re home was born really, in this understanding the sustainability, true sustainability. For you and me living in our homes, we needed a help. It's not just putting, putting the bin out, the green bin out on a Thursday.
Richard Hill [00:13:33]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:13:36]:
It's a commitment and that's how we've done it. So building trust and I know we'll go into how we market rehome, but at the end of the day, trust and support and ensuring everybody gets consistency of information if they're going to make a purchase is how we've done it in a, in a short form.
Richard Hill [00:14:05]:
A real sort of education help piece where, you know, I just, I'm just getting flashbacks to when, you know, we changed our kitchen and, and bathroom and you know, everything over lockdown sort of thing few, a few years ago and yeah, we had a lot of stuff left. You know, it's like what, what to do with it? Didn't know, you know, didn't really, you know, I think, you know, we did or I won't probably list exactly what we did exactly on the podcast. But you know, we, you know, it's like just don't know because it's not something you do very often as a. Changing your bathroom, changing your, changing your kitchen. In this instance, you know, it's like a once, twice in a lifetime. Yeah. What to do, how to do the right thing. Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:14:46]:
It's hard to be objective when you've owned the product for a number of years and unfortunately it is human nature and superlatives exist. So, you know, you can make something sound absolutely outstanding, but if you are creative with the, with superlatives. So we ban Superlatives in the office, you're not allowed to use them in a. Because super. Superlative. Set an expectation. So you'll see when you look at our website, we are very factually driven and we use plain language that people can understand and we also offer solutions. So it's about.
Helen Lord [00:15:35]:
If I was just going to give you a very short answer to that question, it'll be. It's all about building confidence and being transparent and unfortunately standard route to market for most pre owned items doesn't have that.
Richard Hill [00:15:55]:
Yeah. Yeah. Well thank you for that. I think what, what I'm quite intrigued about is, you know, I think you know, we talked to a few marketplaces. Well I have over the years and you know with some lot of different struggles around, obviously you've got both sides, haven't you? Obviously you're trying to get obviously people to listen their products.
Helen Lord [00:16:11]:
Yeah.
Richard Hill [00:16:12]:
But then obviously ultimately you've then got to sell those products for those customers of yours. You know what's the sort of. How do you approach that balance from a. Yeah, because that must be really tricky.
Helen Lord [00:16:24]:
It is tricky. And you can add to this dilemma that I had never had never bought a kitchen in my life and I fell into this. But I think this is where the fairy got comes from. My background is recruitment and recruitment is really, really similar if you think about it. You've got a company wanting to find somebody, you've got a person who's wanting a career, an income and an opportunity and you have the inanimate object which is the job. So it's a three way dilemma. Yeah. Now I applied all the principles from my understanding of the needs in the recruitment world into how we designed this marketplace and operationally how we support it.
Helen Lord [00:17:22]:
And I believe that has made it what it is in that there's an understanding that you need a different voice, the government people and different people need different things. However, I will caveat that by saying the emphasis on the website is bioleg. So within the marketplace itself it's bioleg but outside of the marketplace we can offer the necessary support, guidance and comfort to a seller. It's not the. The job of the marketplace is to sell and the magic is providing that intermediary between the two and understanding what each party needs. And I believe that's where Rehome sells. Yeah.
Richard Hill [00:18:19]:
So I take note listeners look at what rehome were doing, I think with, with this sort of. Yeah, it's quite a. You know, I think about the probably 255 episodes of podcasts we've done here on our two podcasts. It's very sort of unique business that you've got very, you know, maybe I can think of one other company that I know we've spoken to on the podcast. But it, you know, very different industries to be fair. Very, very unique and I think, you know, is there anything maybe you could share practically from a, you know, from a getting as I refer to it, getting people to list their products. How is there anything practical day to day, marketing wise or you know, how you, you know, is there a specific little nugget you can maybe share? How, how some of these, you know, I'm just thinking as a, you know, if I was redoing my house right now, I'm not doing that again. We've just, we've just come out of about a two year renovation but.
Richard Hill [00:19:16]:
And we're about to list. Yeah. So we're about to, you know, we've got our, you know, our old kitchen now and we're deciding what to do. How are you getting in the minds of people like me?
Helen Lord [00:19:26]:
Okay, where.
Richard Hill [00:19:27]:
What sort of things are you doing? Just to get a bit, a bit of a specifics maybe if you don't mind sharing maybe some of the things you don't.
Helen Lord [00:19:34]:
No, no, no. So what I will say before I get into it is we probably reject about 70% of the product that is sent to us. So that again is another change in the standard market price. So I mean I can use the password, I can save of curate, but actually we don't create curate. What we do is we ensure quality and condition and that's. That's different that.
Richard Hill [00:20:07]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:20:08]:
And when we do reject somebody, we always give them advice on how to ensure they do the better listings. So we do that naturally. Anyway. So the first thing that's important for a marketplace is quality of imagery. Clean up before you take a picture. Make it look as best you can. Clear off all your surfaces. You know, think about would I buy this? Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:20:35]:
So we're not saying edit your images or anything like that. Natural living is absolutely fine. But do wash up, empty the dishwasher and take extensive photography. That photography should also include close up pictures, be a quality for people can groom in and also is transparent in terms of any damage. So if there's a piece of damage or a scratch, put a finger against it as a point of size reference and take a photograph, use a ruler, use one piece if they still exist, a pen, anything. So you know, a bit like the old Kirby Kirby cleaner advertising. If you take a picture of A bed bug. And it fills a whole.
Helen Lord [00:21:21]:
A four sheet. It looks like it's. It's from. From a horror movie, didn't it? So get, get your. Get your scale. Right. And then it's about measuring. So give people the measurements they need.
Helen Lord [00:21:35]:
Yeah, it's really common sense. You know, you're going to want to know how, how wide seeking is, how high something is, how big something is, and make that really clear. Don't use superlatives, as I've said, you know, be factual. If there is a brand, put that on. And if there is a price that you originally paid for it that helped a purchaser position the value of the price you're selling it at. And that, I believe, is absolutely crucial. Because here's. Here's a T shirt.
Helen Lord [00:22:11]:
I want five quid for it. If you bought it from Primark and it was 9.99 and. Or you bought it from Armani and it was 200 quid, there's a big difference, isn't that?
Richard Hill [00:22:22]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:22:23]:
So that, that's some simple stuff. But, but, you know, most, most marketplaces have a template which helps guide you. They do, yeah. And the more information you put on that template, the more success you will have. And answer any questions that somebody gives you. Answer them really quickly, don't wait three days and respond because they cool off.
Richard Hill [00:22:51]:
Yeah. So I'm convinced, you know, do a. Do a very, very thorough job of listing. But if. How am I finding. How am I finding your. How am I find as a, as a consumer, how am I finding re home? How would I know what. So what I'm sort of asking is, you know, what is probably some of the best marketing channels that you've got? What's working well for you to market Rehome? So people are listing.
Helen Lord [00:23:15]:
Okay, so the beauty of rehome is everything I've just described to you. Pig me 18 and SDB for you. So that makes it really, really simple. You just open the door, let us in, and we'll do the whole lot for you. In terms of marketing, re home, I am 15 years into this journey. 15 years. And what I will say to you is, there's no magic wand here. So word of mouth is the strongest and the cheapest to do.
Helen Lord [00:23:52]:
As soon as you go into the realms of public awareness, the cost is exponential and it's basically what you want to pay. So we spent a lot of time developing our Instagram account. I kind of see Instagram as a foyer of a posh hotel. It's there to invite you in it's there to make you feel at home and it's also there to show you what's possible. What's possible, possible from if you stayed at this hotel, whether you choose to stay there or not will be how good a job that reception does and whether it's right for you or not. Yeah, so Instagram is my love. You've got about 168,000 followers on there and quite a good little community going. The rest of it is straight digital.
Helen Lord [00:24:47]:
As everybody. There's your paymax, your, your SEO. I'm doing a lot of work at the moment on aeo, so understanding how question based optimisation and answer based optimisation is working. So that's become really important. But from a B2B perspective, we have something that's really unique in that we set up a referral gateway. So if you go into your local kitchen company, they may, if they're getting a job offer, you re home for your pre owned kitchen, a new one. Now that has huge ramifications and it reaches up to manufacturers who have now begun this ESG sustainability and waste reporting situation. But I've been writing about him contributing to white paper.
Helen Lord [00:25:52]:
So we're on the precipice of something very new. But it's not a new concept because the car industry have been doing it the least.
Richard Hill [00:26:03]:
Yeah, now that's, I, I'm liking that a lot. So working with partners that are obviously on a similar, ideally similar journey around the esg, the sustainability, you know, like it's a bit like, you know, I think it's like the, I mean there's so many industries in there, but when you go and get your tires changed, ultimately, you know, they, they slightly different, you know that they should offer to take your old tires off you and then obviously they get used in the right way rather than not getting taken off you and they maybe end up somewhere they shouldn't and not getting used. But so you're working with partners, which is something we talk about a lot on the podcast, to build. And so you're building that network of partners that are in this, in this instance, you know, kitchen companies maybe that are, then they're getting inquiries for new kitchens but obviously those, those consumers have got kitchens they're replacing and those partners are then offering. Well, did you know, re home do this, this and this. Oh, okay, yeah, that's. I like that a lot. So any, any tips around sort of building that partner network then? Because obviously that's very, very powerful.
Richard Hill [00:27:07]:
That's like a little bit of secret sauce there, I think Building. Yeah. If you share maybe any ways to sort of really build that partner network. You know, obviously getting a handful of partners, but is. Is okay, but you know, building a, maybe a fairly large partner network now actually have. Is there any tips you give to some of the listeners that are maybe looking to build partner networks across their businesses?
Helen Lord [00:27:32]:
My biggest tip to all of this is patience, resilience and consistency. Because changing behavior is so difficult and to be in the forefront of a business's mind as an added service is. Is. Is tantamount to virtually impossible. So it's constant hen pecking. Is. Is. Is technically the only way to do it, but we are trying to do it.
Helen Lord [00:28:10]:
We are trying to do it in a more professional. Yeah. And softer way. So giving, giving them the right assets but also continue to build awareness for the public. So stay. They understand there's a value in pre owned kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. And I want you, Richard, when you next develop something in your house to go in and say, what are your reuse options? Yeah, and then that'll prom them to go, oh yeah, that, that woman can be home. She sent me all those, she sent me all those QR codes.
Richard Hill [00:28:46]:
That lady who sent 15 emails and
Helen Lord [00:28:48]:
she's always popping, she's always nagging me. What, what's her name?
Richard Hill [00:28:53]:
She's been on about this for years.
Helen Lord [00:28:54]:
Yeah, that's the one.
Richard Hill [00:28:57]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:28:58]:
So it's, it's really challenging and this is the main reason, this is the fundamental reason that we went on to Dragons Den. It wasn't about investment, it wasn't about personal, personally being on the TV or the thrill of it. It was, this is an opportunity to get into households and build awareness and we cannot say no to that. Even though they have to drag me kicking and screaming into it. Literally.
Richard Hill [00:29:29]:
Yeah, no, and it just sounds like a, you know, a fantastic business, you know, fantastic business to be, to, to be part of, I think. Yeah, Challenging. Yeah. Well, I think if it was a straight line, you know, everyone would be doing it, wouldn't they? So, you know, good, good on you. I think something you, you know, obviously you said, you know, been doing this for a lot, quite some time and you know, obviously listening to the episode on Dragon's Den, I think it'd be good to talk about maybe the, a bit of the journey you've had with the sort of website and the development around the website. And I think, you know, a lot of people that will be listening, you know, they've got, they're going through this process of quite often, you know, Businesses start with an idea and then we, we need a website, you know, and we get a base website up and running and then before we know it, we need a, a lot more substantial website and then so on. Before we know it, we've gone from one order to maybe 10,000 orders or depending on the listener. And obviously then we then have to go through the process of deciding and choosing a digital partner to trust and to work with.
Richard Hill [00:30:33]:
Any advice? I think from listening to the episode you could probably write a book on this piece. But any advice you would give to those that are looking to re platform, looking to invest more into their of builds and marketing.
Helen Lord [00:30:50]:
Okay, so this is a reflective learn, all right, Because I'm going to be really, really honest with you. We thought we were the mut nuts when we walked into Dragonstone and we were completely blindsided. We genuinely believed. And yeah, if I'm not passionate about it, I wouldn't have been doing it for this long. We thought, this is a great idea, they're going to love it, it's not going to be right for all of them. But we didn't expect the level of criticism that we got from Peter Jones who was, I mean, the edit has changed it, but he pounced on us on the first questions. He was the first start. So we were stunned, to be honest with you.
Helen Lord [00:31:46]:
And just because I have the opportunity, I will just say in the two and a half hours they did cut an awful lot out and we were a different position with regards to the advice that we received. We received government funding for scale ups and that funding was to pay for experts to come into our business and analyse the best route forward. And one of those people was in charge of technology. So this person wasn't paid for. This person was supposed to be completely objective and have a very clear view on our vision and our forecasting and give us a solution that was correct for us. And we've fundamentally, we believe it probably was the right decision at the time because those decisions were made in 22, 23 when nobody was using Shopify, nobody was using it. And I wish I knew that when I was in front of Peter Jones, because I would have said, Peter, no. So I think to be reflexive, a platform isn't forever.
Helen Lord [00:33:04]:
Your platform choice isn't forever because technology changes. It's a bit like your car. You buy a car and it's not forever. Even though it costs you a thinking fortune when you buy it, you know your head's turned by something that does something else. So the key learn platform Isn't forever. But on the subject of Shockify, it has changed so much over the past four years since we were looking at platform choices. And it would be silly to ignore such passionate criticism from Peter Gaines, even though I said, thank you, Peter at the end of it and smirked at him and, and thought, God, I've got a good poker face.
Richard Hill [00:33:53]:
So what are you doing now then with the platform? What's the decision? Can you share or.
Helen Lord [00:33:57]:
Some of the decisions you've made, I can share because it's pertinent to your question. So we've gone at it this time from a totally different perspective. So I've analysed in my very pragmatic brain. Okay, we're not experts. We weren't experts in 2022 and we're certainly not experts in 2026 in technology. And I don't believe that's ever going to change. So my advice when you're choosing anything is be an expert in your own business. You don't need to be an expert in the technology, but what you do need to do is stand firm in your questioning.
Helen Lord [00:34:37]:
And it's your questioning that is key. And that's the bit we missed really pushing the decision making and asking your competency based questions of the technology you're looking for, not just for what you need now, but what you need in the future. Don't be afraid to dig because, or show me how will this look as of visual proof because you're not going to be an expert and, and that, that can generate inertia in you. You just, you panic and the anxiety of having to make a choice because ultimately the other mistake we made was giving accountability to a consultant. Now in our case, this consultant potentially should have been giving us the right decisions rather than wanting commercial gain from it. However, we gave complete accountability to them and went, okay then.
Richard Hill [00:35:48]:
Yeah, so you trusted them completely. Where should have probably questioned more research more. Yeah, and I think, yeah, it's a, it's a tricky one, isn't it? I think that's what I'm sort of driving at is, you know, you obviously as a, as a, you know, an experienced business owner, you go to somebody that's been recommended maybe in this instance by the, you know, was it the grant company or the, you know, the, the scheme and so forth and they've in theory vetted these people and then he's recommending somebody that's maybe not worked out. So you think, well, how, why is that the case? Should I have done this? Should I have done that? You know, it's is, you know, that due diligence that have people, have the people that they're recommending work with people in a similar industry. And that's quite a tricky one for you, but I would imagine because market, there's not hundreds of marketplaces where there's hundreds of stores selling furniture, but not the way you're selling it, you know, so it's no trying to find, trying to find. If you were to, if you're able to speak to customers of these people that have been recommended, I think. But I think if you had to do it again, well, obviously you are doing it again, you know, what advice would you give to the listeners around picking the right partners, the right digital partners.
Helen Lord [00:37:04]:
I just thought quite a funny analogy there. I agree with what you said and that should be appropriate. But I think choosing a consultant or a technology is one little bit like choosing a life partner. You always go into it thinking it's right. You always go in, nobody's going to get married thinking this isn't wrong and I'm going to get divorced in five years.
Richard Hill [00:37:30]:
What's the percentage of divorce on in marriages in the uk? I don't know. It's probably quite, quite.
Helen Lord [00:37:36]:
Richard, if I was looking to get married to you, would I phone your ex wife up for. I wouldn't, would I, would I get the right answer?
Richard Hill [00:37:47]:
You'd probably find out I was a bit of a sausage if she did that, wouldn't you? Yeah, I haven't got an ex wife,
Helen Lord [00:37:52]:
just to be clear. Oh, so. And I'm not proposing to you Richard either.
Richard Hill [00:37:57]:
Okay, this is a concern, Helen, this one.
Helen Lord [00:38:02]:
But I mean, it is, it is, it is a really good analogy because with best intentions, etc, when you're working with anybody, you know, you've got. I come from recruitment, so we stick to study human behavior. We study the halo effect and it and it and it's there, you know, so if somebody is very personable with you and, and makes you feel heard and makes you feel it's very hard not to believe them. It's a human instinct. And this is why I said my best advice is have. So this time we've gone at it with a structured approach, very structured. And we've made them work from our documentation, but rather than work from there, so we've given them not a framed scope. It's we want to do this, we want to do that, we want to do the other.
Helen Lord [00:38:55]:
This is what's important to us and this is how it affects us operationally. So it's really important and more, more of a discussion document rather than your standard, standard business proposal. And currently it's working quite well because we honor a lot of information which helps with this infamous mvp, which I've never heard of until last year.
Richard Hill [00:39:29]:
It's a journey, isn't it? Yeah, I'm sort of, you know, I think it's, you know, we, we Obviously we've had 100, 150 founders on the, on the podcast and ultimately everybody starts selling one thing all to most, most businesses. And you start, you know, and what's this, what's this Internet thing, you know, back in the day, if it's, it's a business that's been running for, you know, 10, 20 years. And then the next thing, we've got to make these decisions and we meet people along the way and, and mostly sometimes we have some expensive lessons, don't we, along the way. But ultimately we sort of then start to build as we get established sort of trusted advisors and maybe some advisers we don't then use again. And, you know, and building that sort of network of people that we can draw on, that sort of, you know, and no doubt, you know, you, you, you've now built, building that stronger and stronger than ever. Those sort of people that you can, you can draw on and trust and so, but quite a journey, but very exciting. And I think, you know, when I look at the website now and the offer now, obviously you've got a, you know, you don't just do kitchens. You know, you don't just offer kitchens.
Richard Hill [00:40:35]:
You've got a lot of other products showing that. You know, how do you decide? You know, I think that's, you know, we talk about this quite a lot. You know, how do you decide? What other sort of categories have you decided? You know, the categories there, you know, the growing the catalog and growing the, the offer. So maybe step through that for us.
Helen Lord [00:40:54]:
Yeah. Again, could be a book. So we used to be called Used Kitchen Exchange, though our decisions were all based on this. Yeah. So Used Kitchen Exchange is, was absolutely great for SEO purposes. Direct Match perfect does what it says on the.
Richard Hill [00:41:14]:
Yeah, yeah.
Helen Lord [00:41:15]:
But it became apparent that the opportunity for us is much broader than pictures. Plus the fact there was controversy about using the word used. Is used a nice word? Probably not. Not when it comes to a beautiful picture. So that's what prompted the brand name change was to diversify and be positioned to offer a lot more to both our industry and to home only. So you asked the question, what drives us is the why? And we always look for A reason why you should sell it. That's the first thing. And the second thing is opportunity and supplies.
Helen Lord [00:42:03]:
So within the interiors industry, Rehome is set up now where we can sell anything from, you know, an online return for a business who sells furniture or something like that, who can sell through eCommerce on the platform. And we can sell appliances, we can sell used sofas, beds, etc. But it's the whole interiors. But our key skill is dismantling as well, which is a big thing. A big thing for, as you can imagine, a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, etc. So it's opportunity based. But we do very much stick to our why. So our why is sustainability.
Helen Lord [00:42:53]:
So if it helps a homeowner financially, fantastic. And is there a stain of the. With me story around it? And that's where we, where we come from.
Richard Hill [00:43:06]:
I love it comes back to the roots of.
Helen Lord [00:43:08]:
Right.
Richard Hill [00:43:08]:
Can we help in a sustainable way with a. That's, you know. And yes we can.
Helen Lord [00:43:15]:
It's. It's your guide, it's your compass, really. Yeah.
Richard Hill [00:43:18]:
It's your North Star, isn't it? If you can, if you can do. You can help in a sustainable way. You know, obviously I can see the, the B Corp behind you there and obviously that's, you know, it's a very ugly.
Helen Lord [00:43:30]:
There's a lot there. They're very colorful when you get them and when you put them together they're an interior design nightmare. Yeah. The court. We've also got the Queen's Award.
Richard Hill [00:43:45]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:43:46]:
Which I had to go to booking. I went to Buckingham palace on my own for that. Which is very sad. Very sad. Because it was post covered and you used to be able to take it down to one.
Richard Hill [00:43:58]:
Oh, that's a shame. But obviously very exciting and it all rolled into one sort of thing.
Helen Lord [00:44:02]:
Yeah.
Richard Hill [00:44:02]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:44:03]:
I wish my mum had seen it, to be honest with you, because she was a real royalist and if she, if she knew I'd walked. Because you, when you go to Buckingham palace you go in the front door.
Richard Hill [00:44:15]:
Yeah.
Helen Lord [00:44:16]:
I thought you're going through the tradesman's entrance. You don't. So you know when they're, when they're getting married and you see them coming down the big steps and getting in the car, you go up those.
Richard Hill [00:44:25]:
Wow. Wow. That is incredible. That is incredible. Well, I feel, I feel like, I feel really bad because I feel like we should do a three hour episode because I've had to. I know, but, but it's. We're, we're, we're there. I think we've covered a lot of ground there.
Richard Hill [00:44:42]:
A lot of ground. And I do feel that we, you know, we could have done a lot, I could have questioned you a lot more there, but I think there's been some great, great insights. So maybe is there anything else you'd like to share with our listeners around the sort of roadmap for, for Rehome? Is there anything that sort of over the next 612 months that you, that you're launching, that you're excited for, that you want to share with our listeners?
Helen Lord [00:45:07]:
I think we're planning to do more of the same. The technology with Shopify is, has the potential to improve our ux, which can be done in a more cost effective way. So that is really quite an exciting prospect for us. We tweaked our brand a little bit because Stephen Bartlett was quite vocal in the gun as well, even though that didn't appear on the, on the message. But I suppose my, my, for my moment of fame, I'd like to say, you know, when you are renovating home, consider Rehome, because we've chosen that name because it's a verb. And yeah, I can re home that or let's go to Rehome Dick. We can re home something. Yeah, it's powerful.
Helen Lord [00:46:03]:
It's very powerful. Although it's a battle with Battersea Dog's Home, admittedly.
Richard Hill [00:46:10]:
Okay. Okay. Yeah. It's one heck of a domain, I have to say. I do. In a brand, you know. Absolutely. I really, really.
Richard Hill [00:46:18]:
That is an absolute find. If you like.
Helen Lord [00:46:22]:
Yeah. Two years of thinking that was, believe it or not, something simple, well done.
Richard Hill [00:46:28]:
We'll maybe get you on again and we can talk about the, you know, that, that one. But I think I like to finish every episode. Helen with a book recommendation. Do you have a bit to recommend wirelessness?
Helen Lord [00:46:38]:
I do. And I thought, you know, this is a professional, professional podcast. Mostly.
Richard Hill [00:46:45]:
Mostly.
Helen Lord [00:46:46]:
But you know what? I like ch. Trash. I like trash.
Richard Hill [00:46:50]:
Because you let us have the trash. Give us the trash.
Helen Lord [00:46:53]:
It's good trash. This one, this is called Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. Now what's beautiful about the book, and it's probably going to speak to your female listeners more than your male listeners, is it's the human story about an awkward lady who is quite isolated and had some quite serious trauma in her past which affects how she ease people. And as the story of Eleanor opens up, you then go down this journey of understanding how you can change people's lives through kindness so people that she wouldn't expect to be kind to her, Start to open up. And the Hue worm opens up for this lady. And it's warm, it's funny, it's got a very powerful message of human connection behind it. But it's great to read on a beach, it's great to read in the doctor's surgery. It's great to read before you go to bed.
Helen Lord [00:47:58]:
It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will make you think warm. It'll make you warm. And it shows that kindness changes lives.
Richard Hill [00:48:10]:
Isn't that a. Isn't that a way to end a. Kindness changes lives. I'm. I'm sold. I feel like I need to book a holiday just so I can read that book. It's been a pleasure for those that like to find out more about yourself, more about Rehome. What's the best way to do that?
Helen Lord [00:48:26]:
So our website is rehome.co.uk and any you. Any emails, info or hello.co.uk and then you can find me on LinkedIn.
Richard Hill [00:48:39]:
Yeah, well, lovely. I look forward to chatting again. Thanks, Helen. It's been a pleasure.
Helen Lord [00:48:43]:
Thanks for your time, Richard.
Richard Hill [00:48:47]:
If you enjoy this episode, hit the subscribe or Follow button. Wherever you are listening to this podcast, you're always the first to know when a new episode is released. Have a fantastic day and I'll see you on the next one.
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