When it comes to running a successful small business, one colour Suzanne Mansell avoids is being in the red.

It is a philosophy which has served her well in the decade since she launched Effects Interiors, a specialist provider of bespoke decorative paint and plaster finishes.

In the last 12 months, while many companies are struggling for work, her business has doubled its turnover to reach the £60,000 mark. It may not have her enjoying a millionaire’s lifestyle, but it is a satisfying figure to have reached in the face of the economic downturn.

She is particularly proud, because the success was achieved through a determination to self-fund the Littlemore company, and she has exciting plans to double turnover again over the next two years and employ more staff.

The firm’s increased workload has also seen her take on Tracy Owens, a qualified painter and decorator, full-time.

She credits part of her success to the region’s Business Link team, in particular adviser Graham Hall, who helped her develop a much more business-like approach.

“Although I launched Effects Interiors in the late-1990s, a lot of the projects I worked on were small-scale and I tended to go from one job to another, without much planning or thought about how to develop the company,” said Ms Mansell.

“I met Graham in January 2008, and he provided me with a great deal of advice in terms of business planning, marketing and price structuring. He encouraged me to think in much more serious business terms about the type of work I was taking on, and how I wanted the business to develop.

“Since then, it has really taken off. I’ve been able to invest in a new website and marketing activity, and taken on a much wider range of jobs in both the domestic and commercial sectors.”

Originally a printer, Ms Mansell decided to pursue her passion for colour and creative skills by studying to become a specialist paint finisher and applicator in polished plaster.

In a mostly male-dominated profession, Ms Mansell and Ms Owens are quite unusual, but Ms Mansell believes her printer’s eye and ability to tap into the female psyche are a big plus, especially when working on private commissions.

The specialist paint and polished plaster techniques she uses work equally well in the commercial and leisure environments — for example in reception areas or restaurants — and in homes where owners are looking for something a little different.

Most recently, Effects Interiors worked with restaurateur Clinton Pugh on the refurbishment of Oxford’s new Café Coco, creating a warm, palm court style with specialist paint effects on the walls and ceilings, and polished plaster in the bar and restaurant areas.

Ms Mansell said: “The flexibility, colours and wonderful textures of paint and polished plaster allow us to bring a room alive and transform it into something special.

“We see it as a real work of art and it’s very satisfying to use our expertise to bring a client’s ideas to life right in front of them.”

o Contact: 07976 403 252.

www.effectsinteriors.co.uk