Meet Connor Butterworth | Chief Rug Slinger

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

Hi Connor, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting a business can offer many different things to different people. Whether or not to start a business depends on your priorities. For me, my main priority has always been freedom. I wanted a business where I could work when I wanted, where I wanted, and I didn’t want anyone telling me what to do. From childhood, I’ve always had a problem with authority.

My favorite aspect of running a business now, though, is how your effort is directly tied to your results. If you want to work really hard, make smart moves then there’s no ceiling on what you can accomplish. If something isn’t working out, though, you know exactly who to blame. It offers clarity.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
At Southwestern Rugs Depot, we offer unique, area rugs that are designed and manufactured completely in Georgia. We offer a humane working environment for our employees. We also make sure that our product is as eco-friendly as possible. We are obsessive about recycling and have sent zero waste to landfills since we started our company.

We became all too familiar with rug manufacturers from overseas that were selling over-priced rugs with poor materials and retailers that didn’t care about their customers. It’s been difficult because our products are a much higher price than a lot of the inferior rugs on the market. We’ve also had our designs constantly stolen from online counterfeiters, but I realized that customers are a lot smarter than I originally thought and they can sniff out a quality product.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There’s a great little Thai restaurant on the outskirts of Athens called Mama Ning’s. The food is amazing. Mama is super sweet. Everyone should eat there and try the Tom Kha. It will warm your soul!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When I was in high school, I interned with a rug designer that was just launching his business, Mark Ford. I got to see what it looked like to start your own business from the ground floor. He’s been a great mentor along the way and we still work together closely today.

Website: https://www.southwesternrugsdepot.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/connorbutterworth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southwesternrugsdepot/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvgOgp0i6Ekt_FJZxKxkcKg

Image Credits
Southwestern Rugs Depot