Women in Business Advocate

A commitment to excellence and customer service spells success for Renee DeMichiei-Farrow, whose business, Decorating Details, was launched in 1992 with zero start-up dollars.

“I never needed credit until three years ago,” Farrow says. She encourages all new business owners to “get to know your banker and secure your line of credit” as soon as possible.

Farrow kept her customer base small until the opportunity to work on a nursing home arose in 1999.

“I needed $60,000 to secure this job,” she says.

Through her networking and contacts with the National Association of Women Business Owners, she obtained the necessary funding overnight.

The Regional Women in Business Advocate award is especially sweet for this woman who nearly ran out of her first NAWBO meeting before getting encouragement from Lucille Treganowan of Transmissions by Lucille. Now, as the local president of NAWBO, Farrow spends much of her free time mentoring high school and college students in the ways of business, teaching them things such as the importance of a strong handshake and how to network.

She also helps start-ups by sponsoring select businesses and paying their first year’s dues in NAWBO because, she says, networking is so vital.

“People have helped me in the past, but if someone would have been there for me (to explain these basics), the path would have been easier,” she says.

Farrow believes she was nominated for the SBA award because of her customer-first philosophy, her innovation and her ability to take on challenges, especially when advocating for small business.

“I’ll do whatever I can to help anybody,” she says.

Amanda Lynch