Mayor Jacobs’ Small Business Series Features Knox Upholstery.

Mayor Jacobs’ Small Business Series Features Knox Upholstery.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn.— Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs interviews Rachel Fletcher, the owner of Knox Upholstery, as part of his small business series.

Fletcher opened Knox Upholstery in 2010 after learning the basics of the craft as a props assistant at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville at the Clarence Brown Theatre where her husband is a set designer.

“It was very hard starting out,” she said. “There were only a couple of upholstery shops here but I was the first one who had a website in the Knoxville area and that helped – it was really key.”

Throughout the past year, the Mayor has conducted interviews with small business owners, offering them the opportunity to talk about what they do; to highlight their work; and share any future plans. This month, the series focuses on women-owned businesses as the Mayor recognizes Women’s History Month. A new vignette runs each week on the county and Mayor’s various social media platforms.

In this week’s interview, the Mayor and Fletcher talked about the business’ history, the changes in the textile industry and the potential struggles of operating a woman-owned business.

“I find that a lot of the pushback I get is from male upholsters,” she said. “They say I can’t do the job; I can’t lift that sofa onto the table – which I can because it’s all about leverage. The most important thing is persevering and going forward with it and draining out the noise.”

She also addressed what sets her business apart. “I can make something completely unique to you and to your lighting and to your walls,” she said. “We do have some larger operations here and that’s fabulous and they do great work, but you really want someone who is going to pay attention to your specific needs and that’s who I am.”

The Mayor agreed: “One of the most important things that you’ve gone through is taking your craft and then realizing as a small business person, it’s not just about the product, it’s also bookkeeping, marketing, all those different aspects.”