Meet Jon Bailey | Atlanta Used Furniture Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon Bailey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon, how do you think about risk?
I’m a strong believer that entrepreneurs have to take many risks to get to where they want to be. You aren’t a true entrepreneur if you aren’t ready to take a risk. I’ve taken many risks to get to where I am today. The first major risk I took was leasing my first warehouse in Chamblee when I was 1 year out of college. The warehouse was 5000 square feet and $2000 a month. I knew at the time that in order to fully build a furniture business, I needed a lot of space. $2000 at the time was a lot of money for me, but I believed in myself and slowly started building Atlanta Used Furniture. The most recent and largest risk I’ve taken was buying a building for Atlanta Used Furniture. Buying a commercial property is very risky, but I know that it is the best decision for my business and my future.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Atlanta Used Furniture has grown tremendously over the past few years. I am so proud of what is has become but it hasn’t been easy to get to here. I’m a firm believer that a good product and customer service will take you very far in business. I believe AUF stands out from its competitors because our furniture is lower priced compared to other retailers. My business model is built on volume. I make less profit margin than other retailers but I sell more pieces. Customers come into AUF and furnish their entire home because of how good our prices are! I’ve faced many challenges on the way though. The main challenge is not having a steady paycheck. Most people know exactly how much their getting every two weeks but as an entrepreneur you never really know. Businesses are constantly evolving and owners have to figure out ways to keep the train moving. As a business owner, you are always thinking of ways to grow your business. Business has never been better than it is now, but I know Atlanta Used Furniture has plenty of room to grow. I want the world to know that AUF is more than just a furniture store, but its a community. I have met thousands of amazing people from the city of Atlanta over the past few years. My customer base is so supportive of AUF and I feel so blessed to have them. My niece got brain cancer a few years back, and literally thousands of people reached out to me. At one point I felt like the entire city of Atlanta was praying for her. I received constant messages telling me that everything will be ok and that they are praying for her. Abby, my niece, is doing great now but I will always remember how much random messages on Instagram meant to me and my family. So, come on and join the AUF community!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta is such a fun city to explore! There is always something going on in Atlanta. I would first take them to a United game. The games are very exciting and the energy level is always high. One of my favorite things about this city is if you drive 20 minutes outside of the perimeter you can go explore nature. I would take them to float the hooch if it was a hot summer day. Nothing better than cracking a 6 pack and floating down the river with your best friends.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to give a shoutout to my parents. Atlanta Used Furniture would not be what it is today without the support from my parents. I started reselling furniture when I was a junior in college. I asked my parents if I could use their garage for storage and they loved the idea. Slowly over time, their garage started to fill to the ceiling with furniture. My dad used to go on buying trips with me out of state. We would drive around 10 hours a day picking pieces up off of craigslist. It is very hard work but my dad never complained and he loved being there. Still to this day, my dad will come with me on a trip occasionally and drive back a 26 foot truck! I own Atlanta Used Furniture but I consider this a family business because my parents are always around helping. Even if its taking out the trash, or blowing the leaves in our parking lot..they are always there and I love them for that.

Instagram: @atlantausedfurniture