Building a Business from a Side Hustle: Olivia Caplan’s Colourful Success Story

I'm Olivia, a Chartered Surveyor turned Interior Designer, and I run Olivia Caplan Design. We are an end-to-end residential interior design studio operating in London and the South East. We offer bespoke interior solutions to our clients and also work with numerous E-Design clients around the world. I was working full-time in property while running the design business on the side for quite a while before taking the leap into it full-time. I'm passionate about colour, so you won’t find me recommending white walls and beige furniture any time soon! I’m also quite opinionated on social media...

The early part of my career was spent at a large property firm working on residential development in central London. While I loved the buildings and the idea of housing growth, the job itself didn't truly inspire me. One day, it dawned on me that I was more captivated by the interiors of buildings than their exteriors, and that's where my obsession with interiors began.

Success in general: Honestly, I don't think I've fully figured this out yet. I suppose it's about reaching a point where you have the freedom to do what you love and spend time with the people you care about, so I'd probably define it that way. Of course, being self-employed and managing multiple branches of a young business simultaneously doesn't leave you with much time (or money) to enjoy those things, but I'm working on it!

Success in business: I believe personal success and business success are closely intertwined. But what do I know? I'm only 29! For me, business success would be the satisfaction of genuinely helping people create homes they are proud of and love spending time in. Beyond that, making enough money to achieve the freedoms I mentioned earlier would be the icing on the cake.

I wish I'd made better use of social media earlier on. I was so caught up in imposter syndrome that I didn’t utilise it properly. Over the last few weeks, since I started posting regularly, I've gained tens of thousands of followers. I’m kicking myself for not getting on with it sooner! I also wish I'd saved more before leaving my 9-to-5. I prepared as best as I could, but I was naive about the start-up costs. I also didn’t fully consider the short- to medium-term impact of being self-employed on things like mortgages, where your first few years often don’t look great on paper. Otherwise, I think you just have to throw yourself into it and learn as you go.

I came into this field from a somewhat unconventional background, but I did get some formal education in interiors, which has been fundamental to building a strong core understanding. The rest comes from asking countless questions. So, I'd say, educate yourself, but then get out there and get stuck in.

Come and follow me on Instagram and Tiktok or get in touch via our website: www.oliviacaplandesign.com