Looking around your room all you see are dull walls, an empty floor, and a boring bed. A rug made by Senior Josh McFadden could just be the thing to tie your space together. With the help of a Millard West student, he runs a small business that sells decorative rugs. They can add a pop of color and dimension to your space, whether they’re used to decorate your floors or walls.
McFadden was inspired by the internet trend of rug-making. He used YouTube throughout the trial and error process of creating his first rug.
“It was stressful because of the fear of messing up and a lot of things went wrong like it not looking great, the fabric ripping, and et cetera,” McFadden said.
McFadden finally completed his first rug in December of 2021 and started his business in January of 2022. A month after starting his business, he sold his first rug.
“Selling the first rug was a great experience because it gave me hope that selling rugs was possible and profitable. It gave me the excitement to make and sell more,” McFadden said.
After over a year of making rugs, McFadden has sold over forty of them.. His rugs range from $120 to $150 depending on material, size and time.
“His rugs are worth it. I have mine hung on my wall like a piece of art. The rug is exactly what I needed in my room,” senior Javy Luzarraga said.
McFadden sells a variety of rugs. He makes cars, album covers, football team logos, popular characters, phrases, and also accepts custom orders.
When it comes to personalized and custom orders McFadden wants to guarantee that every detail is correct and the customer is satisfied with their rugs. Senior Shalom Manyara bought a personalized blue rug that spells her baby nephew’s name, Coast, to put at the foot of his bassinet.
“[Josh] wanted to ensure that the rug was exactly what I wanted and even sent me the colors of the yarn at the store,” Manyara said.
McFadden wants to make certain that the needs and the satisfaction of each and every customer is met. In order for this to happen there has to be constant communication between him and the customer.
“The consistent communication between me and Josh helped with the outcome of Coast’s rug. It was exactly what me and [Coast’s] parents dreamt of and was exactly what he needed in his room,” Manyara said.
A high level of communication helps develop trust with clientele. It also helps customers articulate their needs and expectations, as well as any challenges McFadden may face during the rug-making process.
“[The selling process] was good, it was pretty easy. I just texted him what I wanted and we worked out a price based on material and how much time it took. The whole thing took about a week or so,” Luzarraga said.
McFadden works out of his house all year round, and advertises his rugs on Instagram and TikTok. His rugs take up to anywhere from three to eight hours to create.
“I get to work whenever I want from my house and I can stop whenever I need if I have something else to do. My hours for my business are as flexible as I need,” McFadden said.
Day to day, McFadden balances his business, school, work, and soccer. He is on the varsity soccer team and plays for Sporting Nebraska FC.
“For me soccer always comes first and I can work whenever I want to. It usually fits right around my soccer schedule,” McFadden said.
McFadden plans on majoring in entrepreneurship as well as business and minoring in art. With college comes busy hours studying and enjoying the new experiences.
“In college the business will go away but I will try to find something new to do wherever I end up,” McFadden said.
McFadden’s business taught him about how the real entrepreneurship world works and overall helped him decide what he wants to be and do in the future.