At All Eco Design Center the mission is simple. Make the home remodeling process a win-win for both homeowners and the environment. Whether a client needs new flooring, countertops, or a completely redesigned home, All Eco Design Center brings affordable and sustainable design/build solutions to any home or commercial remodeling project.
While this Maryland-based, family-owned and operated business has been around for over a decade, when it comes to promoting their business, they rely on word-of-mouth and deep connections to the community. To do this, they turn to Nextdoor.
“Nextdoor is the perfect match because of how it’s rooted in the neighborhood.
This is important for All Eco Design Center because our business
gives so much back to the community.”
Our team spoke to founder Dave Taghipour and his social media manager Deb Leopold to hear more about All Eco Design Center and their experience with Nextdoor.
Tell us your business story.
Dave: The concept behind All Eco Design Center is based on respect for each other, doing the right thing, and making going green easier for homeowners.
When it comes to home remodeling, construction materials are big contributors affecting how healthy air quality is. As a company, we wanted to do something to help change that. All Eco Design Center is one of the first Montgomery County Certified Green Businesses. All of our materials and finishes are sustainable. Lighting is provided naturally by a solar tube or through energy-saving LEDs. We reuse and recycle shipping materials, boxes, paper, junk mail, plastic, and metals. In our offices, all of our paper is 100% recycled.
Helping the environment has been our mission from the beginning and we always strive to reduce our impact.
Describe your experience with Nextdoor.
Deb: For our business, many people in the community recognize Dave and his family’s faces. Nextdoor is the perfect fit for us because we’re so connected to the community. It’s a good mesh between what is happening in real life and online.
As a business tool, our Business Page and Business Posts are extremely user-friendly and easy to navigate. Nextdoor is one of the most trusted sources in terms of referrals. We really believe people have a positive experience with Nextdoor, in terms of trusting their neighbors who are posting.
Nextdoor is also really helpful for us in spreading the word about our sustainable and non-toxic products, especially during COVID when people were very conscious of maintaining a healthy home. One example is when we ran a Business Post about quartz countertops and how they’re naturally antimicrobial. We had over 1,300 views and six actions (calling for information, website visits) that were taken on that post.
How do you define success on Nextdoor?
Deb: For us, it’s about awareness. We look at post views and any actions taken on it. And if we can elicit a positive response from former clients, then it's a total win for us. It’s even better when we get a direct request to handle a project - we’ve had about three projects we can attribute to Nextdoor. One of those leads came across our Nextdoor Business Page and saw we had a good reputation. He reached out to have us turn his unfinished basement into an entire living quarters.
How has COVID impacted your business?
Dave: COVID was truly devastating. If we weren’t as strong of a company, we wouldn’t have survived it. It was a very challenging time for us because our clients had put work on pause until further notice because of concern over the virus. While we had some projects to keep the team busy, it was a huge expense because it was out-of-pocket. We had to use all resources and reserves to stay in business. Luckily, things have turned around and now everyone is looking to remodel. So now we’re as busy as ever.
What does community mean for your business?
Dave: As a small business that is heavily involved in the community, they’re extended family. We’ve been in the neighborhood for a very long time so for us, everything is all about the community and being a good and trusted resource for our neighbors. We volunteer our time and expertise at numerous community organizations including Green Wheaton, Community Forklift, Kensington Wheaton Chamber of Commerce, and the Hispanic Business Foundation.
“At the heart of what we do, it’s all about having respect for each other and the environment and working with the local community is
the most natural part of that ecosystem.”
All Eco Design Center turns to Nextdoor to help grow word-of-mouth buzz about their sustainable remodeling business. If you’re looking to reach more local customers, start with Nextdoor. Claim your free Business Page to get started.
