Stress reliever

Indra Books has an eye for color and style, and it shows.About a year and a half ago, Ms. Books was shopping at an Ann Taylor store when another customer turned to her and asked for help.

Ms. Books offered some advice and wound up helping the woman find all the right clothes.

It was a sign, and one of the driving forces — along with encouragement from family and friends — that helped Ms. Books start her personal-shopping and concierge service called On the Go 4 U.

After less than a year in business, Ms. Books, based in Leesburg, Va., is busy with ongoing projects in the Washington area.

She is consulting one client on her wardrobe and has three decorating projects, including a family room overhaul at the Curtis home in South Riding, Va.

“It’s not about shopping,” said Ms. Books, 35. “It’s about taking stress and burden off people so they can do what they want to do.”

Ms. Books recently met Kevin and Robin Curtis at the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries in Sterling to find furniture. Although Mrs. Curtis enjoys shopping, she needs another pair of eyes — a professional — to help with mixing and matching colors, patterns, fabrics and woods.

That is where Ms. Books comes in.

With ease, Ms. Books points out colors that connect and textures that complement. She also gets some assistance from another designer, an independent contractor, to help pull the room together.

In less than an hour, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis had selected a sofa, two ottomans, a chair, a leather recliner and an end table.

Ms. Books and Mrs. Curtis continued shopping in the Sterling area that day for items to accent the room. They were successful, buying pillows, lamps and knickknacks at Kirkland’s and Pier 1 Imports.

Ms. Books’ decision to start her own business was not as easy as the Curtis’ shopping spree.

“My main concern was not having financial stability,” said the former government information-technology manager. “I couldn’t give up a steady job.”

But Ms. Books was so unhappy at that job that she took the plunge.

During a visit with her sister in Philadelphia in April, they hashed out a plan detailing her business.

Story Continues →