As a self-employed entrepreneur who works at home, Beth Shontz doesn't fit the stereotype seen in television commercials - sleeping late and eventually working on a computer in bedroom slippers. "Everyday I dress and go to work in the morning as if I were going to an office and put in a normal workday. Certainly it's nice that my office is in my basement, but I have to keep the discipline of keeping my work routine on a stable schedule." A Tussey Mountain High School graduate and Saxton native, Beth owns Cove State Kitchen & Designs in James Creek, just inside Bedford County's northern boundary with Huntingdon.

She's built her business over the last four years combining interior design with kitchen planning. Interior design came naturally to Beth. "When I was in high school I enjoyed doing strange things to my bedroom - painting my ceiling black, tie-dying my curtains." After high school she moved to Florida and began attending college. "I started college as a psychology major, but soon found that wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. Fortunately St. Petersburg Community College had an excellent Interior Design program and I did find my life's work." She moved back to Bedford County 21 years ago and found it tough to find a job in her field. "Twenty years ago there wasn't much work for interior designers in the area," she says. "I sold blinds, worked for the post office and then worked for furniture stores - the last 10 years at Long's Furniture in Roaring Spring as part of their interior design consulting service while also having private clients."

When Long's closed in 1998 she decided to strike out on her own - combining interior design with kitchen design and selling custom kitchen cabinets. "It's a good mix and allows me to be multifaceted and provide a broad service to clients," she says. She's built her regional clientele through word-of-mouth. "Ninety percent of my work comes through referrals," she says. "I'm very fortunate to stay very busy." She says she enjoys the different challenges she faces every day in every project and especially enjoys working with clients. "You need to like people and communicate well - especially listen well," she says. "You also need to be very organized. I often have 10 to 15 jobs all in different stages going on at one time. You've got to be able to wear a lot of hats, but that's one of the aspects of my business that I love."

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