A B.C. couple has turned an idea they had during the pandemic into a successful business and will soon appear on Dragons’ Den.
Paige Sandher and Harrison Gordon went looking for a couch nearly four years ago. When they couldn’t find what they were looking for, they decided to make their own.
“We had a friend that was in the furniture industry and he gave us one of their contacts for their manufacturers,” says Gordon. “We just ended up ordering samples for our own house.”
Having a background in e-commerce, he instantly saw an opportunity.
“Wow, we could turn this into a business,” he remembers thinking.
Sandher thought the idea of them running a furniture business was "absolutely crazy."
Using Facebook Marketplace, they posted their couch creation online and within one weekend they had four people wanting a couch.
“They were ready to pay us a couple thousand dollars [for] a product that they’ve never ever seen,” she says.
People would come over to their Langley house, sit on their couch and be able to order a customizable modular couch of their own.
“Everything is made to measure. It’s fully customizable to the inch: the fabric, the depth, the comfort and adding storage,” says Sandher.
This was the start of their B.C. business CouchHaus. The pair has sold $5.5 million over the last three years and even opened a store on Granville Street in Vancouver.
In May, they went to Toronto to film Dragons’ Den, which was a dream come true for the power couple.
“To be watching ourselves on Dragons’ Den, being a show that we grew up watching, admiring, it’s cool to see,” says Gordon.
Sandher says the first time they ever pitched was on the show.
“It was such an experience. It was very nerve-wracking, a little bit scary and intimidating,” she says. “But also, really inspiring to get to pitch in front of these amazing Canadian entrepreneurs, too.”
The couple is sworn to secrecy and can’t reveal if they got the deal, but say the experience was great.
"It's really great to see support for Canadian businesses and local businesses as well,” says Sandher. "Obviously, with us being on south Granville, there's a lot of competition so when people do support local companies, it really goes a long way to help us.”
There won't be any sitting back and relaxing as they are working on new ideas for 2025, including couch dog beds and an accessory line to furnish an entire living room.
In November, they will also be having a CouchHaus pop-up in Toronto for six months. They also have their eyes set on opening a store in Calgary.
“I don’t think there’s anyone else I’d rather grow my business with,” says Gordon.
The Dragons’ Den episode is set to air on Oct. 24 on CBC.
