Client Corner

Lila Deutmeyer
Lila's Frame Studio
Manchester, IA

Lila Deutmeyer - Lila's Frame Studio
By Rob Williams

Lila Deutmeyer's journey as an entrepreneur began while working at a floral shop. She quickly saw opportunity to do the business better as a self-employed owner rather than an employee and seized the moment. Although being young and recently married, Lila entered the realm of entrepreneurship by starting her own venture of custom floral design. Lila's business has now evolved into a uniquely successful custom frame shop.

Today, Lila's Frame Studio focuses on unique frame options. In her studio you will find a wide variety of customizable options to framing your memories. She has done everything from military shadow boxes for loved ones to a 32" by 76" banner poster of the famous Warren Holloway catch in the Hawkeye Capital One Bowl. One of her favorite projects was a shadow box she did for a local priest. "He brought in a skull cap from Pope John Paul II, a picture of himself with the Pope and a certificate of authenticity, all of which I carefully framed for him."

Lila admits that it took her nearly two full years to finally pull all of the pieces together before she could open her doors, and added that "it took support from a variety of venues along the way." Her story is a tribute to her hard work and to the community in which she is an integral part. She explained how the majority of her customers come from around Manchester, IA. Lila loves building the personal relationships that come with working with individuals close to home and it is clear that her customers enjoy the personal attention that they get at Lila's. In a typical week, Lila averages anywhere from 10-12 projects and during the Christmas season she completes over 100 projects! Lila attributes her steadily increasing business to her ability to form and maintain strong customer relations.

During the start-up and growth process, Lila gained valuable insight from her local chamber of commerce, Iowa Social and Economic Development (ISED) and the MyEntreNet system. Lila feels that one of the best ways to grow her business is to invest time into small business training and one-on-one counseling. Recently, she participated in the FastTrac entrepreneurship course offered through MyEntreNet. Though she openly admits to loathing paperwork and bookkeeping, she found that the course helped increase her understanding of, and appreciation for, financial statements.

Lila's dedication to her business, clients and community is certainly a source of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Lila Deutmeyer
Lila's Frame Studio
103 South Franklin Street
Manchester, Iowa
Phone: (563) 927-6030

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