Staging Success – How Long Does it Take?

Staging Success – How Long Does it Take?

by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP-Premier, SRS, REO, BTS

Owner, Sensational Home Staging

Starting a business is exciting because at the start we are full of possibilities and hope for success.  We get started and for some that have never owned their own business before – we realize that it is a lot more work than we realized.  We think, “I am creative – can’t I just Stage?”  Why do we have to do all that other business stuff?

Why?  Because without it – there will never be the Creative Side that we love to do. 

To be successful we have to be not only passionate about being creative, we have to be passionate about building our business.  It starts with our attitude and having huge perseverance to get us through the growth stages. 

 

The key is how PASSIONATE you are about your business and being a Stager.  If you have left yourself an out, then you have a “fallback” position and really have not committed 100% to your goal of owning a successful Staging business.  I teach, “Burn the Bridge” and don’t give yourself an out.  Have a motivating factor that is large enough that you don’t consider giving up and going back to a W2 job.

 

When I teach others about being successful in Staging, I am honest and share that you have to plan at least 5 years out with your vision for business.  To expect a thriving business in one year or even two is not realistic.  It is a minimum of 3 years to see your business begin to mature and at least 5 years to really see the big dollars coming in consistently where you are in the 6 figure or higher income category.

The typical growth of a Staging Business looks something like this:

Year  1: Getting established, setting up the business framework, and planting seeds of success by initiating relationships with Realtors.

During this year, many Stagers will give up because they get discouraged at how difficult it might be to overcome objections and get a client to say, “Yes” to Staging.  They have no idea what Marketing is and how to use it to get business.  The fantasy of having a significant income producing company in the first year vanishes as they realize that the first year is really all about laying the groundwork for a growing business, Marketing like a maniac and cultivating relationships.

Year 2:  Your business is established and you have clients calling you when you have been out marketing consistently.  You are able to manage the existing relationships you have and continue to cultivate new ones – and now you can actually ask for referrals from existing clients because you have a track record. 

During this year, there are still hurdles to overcome as mistakes can be made with business set up and strategies.  Achieving a nice 5 figure income is definitely achievable and being able to reinvest some of the proceeds back into the business is happening.  You are still marketing because that never stops.

Year 3:  Your business is established and you are maintaining your client base.  You should be getting enough consistent calls that your calendar is full.  This is the year that you might have to add a team member to help you keep up with demand whether it is a part time assistant or other Staging colleague to whom you can refer business.    You either go the employee route or have independent contractors. Marketing continues – to keep your name and brand in the forefront of the Realtors and sellers in your market.

Years 4 and 5:  You are growing your business and handling your established client base.  You probably have a team in place to help you including movers, assistants and other Staging colleagues that help on projects as needed.  You might be turning away business because you cannot handle the volume.  You might have diversified and acquired inventory and have set up a storage facility or warehouse to house your items.

 
Give yourself enough time to really see your business mature – and keep your passion fully engaged and you will be in business for many years to come!

Going Green - Tips to be more Eco-Friendly in Life and Business by Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP, Owner - Sensational Home Staging

This is a great link for multiple tips on how to "Go Green." 

http://living.msn.com/life-inspired/living-green/slideshow?cp-documentid=32873246


Home Staging has been "green" all along because our goal in truth is to "repurpose" or "re-use" items in a client's house.  There are those that are of the mind-set that things should be removed and brand-new items brought in - and to me that is not Staging.  That is decorating.  When a Seller has furniture and accessories, and things we can use in their home already, the challenge is one of creativity - not money.

People that sell their houses and want to bring in a Stager need to know that Staging is NOT decorating - and Stagers that recommend removal of ALL things are really doing a disservice to the client.  Even dated furniture can be repurposed with a coat of paint or a skillfully placed slip cover.  There are times when it is necessary to bring in more updated things or supplement the items a seller may have to achieve a look that will help best sell the house, but it should be the exception, not the rule.

Green or Eco-Friendly Staging can be as simple as reusing what is in the house - or making a headboard out of a fire place screen (rather than rent or buy one).  It can also be using eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, jute rugs, natural materials, real plants, cotton linens, and so forth - sustainable materials.  It can include the use of low VOC paints.  It can be the recommendation to replace lightbulbs with LED lights that are more energy saving.  So Eco-Friendly Staging can be just about the furnishings in a home or take it a step further to painting and lighting.

I have done projects for builders with green home staging - using natural materials when making choices for furniture and decor.  The goal is to showcase a sustainable and energy efficient home. 

The focus of the eco-friendly movement is about reusing things in our homes and going from a disposable society to a society that repurposes and reuses things in the home so that we reduce waste.  And that takes me back to my original premise - Home Staging - where we use what a homeowner has, repurpose, rearrange, revive - is GREEN - and has been all along!

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For help preparing your house for sale in the Denver area - call Jennie Norris, ASP Master, IAHSP - Owner, Sensational Home Staging 303-717-7918. www.SensationalHome.com
Over 2,500 houses Staged - licensed, insured, and Accredited

Green or Eco-Friendly Home Staging

Green Home Staging

By Jennie Norris, ASP Master®, IAHSP® President, President Denver IAHSP® Regional Chapter and Owner, Sensational Home Staging

The trend across the country is to have eco-friendly everything – “Green” is the buzz word to identify those people or industries that want to do more to conserve resources. People and companies are “going Green” in an effort to help protect our planet and our futures.

Did you know that ASP® Home Stagers have been doing this BEFORE the word “Green” was even in fashion? I was reminded of this during a leadership call with the Creator of Home Staging®, Barb Schwarz – who really has been teaching the idea of using what someone has or “repurposing” – which is really what the Green movement is all about – for nearly 40 years.


Home Staging with a Green focus or eco-friendly focus can be about using natural materials, cotton, bamboo, jute rugs, real greenery (instead of silk) which is so easy to do. . . I have done some of these projects and it is really simple to adapt to that type of Staging by thinking about what we are using and how we use it in Staging. (go to http://www.sensationalhome.com/ and link to eco-friendly home staging to learn more).


We even have an eco-friendly “star” in the ASP® Family that has developed a whole line of eco-friendly furniture to use in Staging houses – that is made from recycled materials and this genius was born from a need in the Staging industry and finding a way to fill it. (go to http://www.nextstagefurniture.com/ to find out more).


But when it comes to the average person’s home and selling – an ASP® Home Stager is already in the mode being Green – which is about using what is in the house – repurposing and find new uses for items that otherwise could get thrown out or as others in the industry that don’t have the same training might do – have the homeowner go purchase MORE stuff. . . that they don’t need which then causes even more wastefulness.


This philosophy has been taught for nearly 12 years and used in successful real estate sales for nearly 40 years! As the original Home Staging training course, Accredited Staging Professionals (ASPs) have been doing “Green Staging” since the beginning and that makes me really happy to know that I am part of an industry that does care about the environment and the future of our planet, and that we were doing a service for clients and the world before it was “trendy.”


So if you want a Green approach to preparing your occupied house for sale, look no further than your local ASP® Home Stager. Give them a call – and then sit back and watch in amazement as they transform your house using your things – and put the focus on selling your house – not selling you on purchasing a bunch of stuff you don’t need. If you have a vacant house – give your ASP® Stager a call to get an honest assessment of what you need to showcase your house working with your budget and timeframe to make the most impact for Buyers.