You’re Invited to Join Our Monthly Home Stagers Coaching Call!

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on December 13, 2011

Staging Diva DialogStaging Diva DialogStaging Diva Dialog
On the third Thursday of every month, I set aside about 90 minutes to speak with home stagers (both new and established) answering questions that will help them move forward in their business. Sometimes it turns into an in-depth lesson on a specific topic, like how to start a blog or what to do if your client doesn’t like your recommendations.

This program is called Staging Diva Dialog and it’s open to people who have never taken my courses as well as Staging Diva Graduates. You’ll have a chance to share your triumphs and challenges in a small group coaching setting. We all get to know each other as we share opinions and ideas.

Membership in this program has been running at the introductory rate of $47 per month for 2 full years and when you join this month, you will be able to stay at that rate for as long as you remain a member! In January, the cost to newmembers will be $57/month.

Why not get in now and guarantee the Introductory Rate. Try it out for a month, or as long as you like! Your rate will never increase as long as you beat the end of the special this month.

Your membership fee in Staging Diva Dialog includes the live call with me, plus a recording. If you can’t make it live to any of the sessions, you can submit your questions in advance so you’ll hear my answers on the live call!

Our next live call is: Dec. 15 (7pm Eastern / 4pm Pacific) — your membership includes the recording!

If you could ask a staging expert absolutely anythingabout your staging business, what would it be? Here are some recent topics:

  • BUSINESS TYPES – Pros/cons, accounting and taxes: Sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, C-Corp, Provincially Registered Corp.
  • KNOW WHAT’S BEING SAID ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS – Time saving and no cost ways to stay on top of the staging industry.
  • CLIENT SERVICE – Managing expectations, shopping, finding your niche.
  • PUBLIC RELATIONS – How to write a good press release, story ideas.

> Join us this month + get the recording too!

This is your LAST CHANCE to get into this program at the Introductory Rate! You can become a member for as long as you like at the current price, as long as you sign up in December! It’s totally worth it even at the regular price, because you’ll get at least 10 times that amount back implementing a single idea you get in a single call.

There’s a reason people pay me $300 per hour for business coaching — now you don’t have to!

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Backstage with Staging Diva on December 2011

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on December 6, 2011

If you’re one of the 350 new members of the Staging Diva community this month, welcome!

December marks 7 years since the creation of the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program, which I first mapped out from my laptop at Starbucks while my 10 year old was on a playdate! At that point, I’d been a home stager myself for 2 years and was anxious to share what I’d learned along the way about making this a successful business.

I had already been contacted by about 100 struggling home stagers at that point who had found my home staging business online after reading about me in a decorating magazine, newspaper or website. I had been on HGTV and caught the attention of CNN, the Wall Street Journal, National Post, Readers Digest and others.

Many of these stagers had taken hands-on courses but had absolutely no idea how to make a living as a home stager. They really didn’t understand the business of it, so I set about creating my program to answer that need.

It’s been quite a journey since then and I’ve derived more joy than you can imagine from helping others succeed as home stagers and redesigners. You all break your way past the same fears, only to discover you’re capable of far more than you’ve given yourself credit for.

Helping people reinvent their lives has always been my mission.

Even when I first started as a home stager, I got the biggest kick out of the difference it would make in someone’s life when I helped them sell their home faster or for more money. Both of these outcomes gave them freedom, whether it was financial or emotional.

In this month’s posts you’ll learn how I conquered one of my biggest fears and picked up a huge sponsor (the world’s largest real estate company!), tips for staging for new parents, how you can take on holiday decorating projects, and you’ll meet 7 inspiring home stagers!

As Wayne Dyer says, you will SEE it when you BELIEVE it! The time rushes by whether you’re living your life’s purpose or not, whether you’re miserable or happy, whether you wake with a sense of dread or filled with hope. The best time to put aside the doubts and fears and move forward with your life is the beginning of a new year. If not now, when?

Warmest wishes for the holiday season and I hope you set aside some time to enjoy your achievements of the past year and that you plan to grab hold of even bigger dreams for 2012!

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Home Stager: Prove You’re The Right Expert to Hire

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on November 28, 2011

One of the ways people decide which home stager to hire is they look for “proof” that the person is an expert in their field. What might that “proof” look like?

For example:

- An impressive portfolio of before and after pictures
- Testimonials from satisfied clients
- Success stories demonstrating results achieved for clients
- Being featured in the media
- Followers on Facebook or Twitter
- Articles written by the stager in printed media
- Articles written by the stager online, for example in a blog
- Being featured on leading websites, example: Staging Diva, Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers, Real Estate sites, Active Rain, etc.

Making the best impression and how to provide that proof is what I cover in the Staging Diva Ultimate Portfolio Guide. I’d like to share another opportunity with you and it won’t cost a thing.

Imagine saying you’re featured in a book about staging, written by one of the 5 top home stagers worldwide?

Life as a Home Stager

I would love to feature your experiences in my latest printed book, Life of a Home Stager. This book (available through Amazon and bookstores in print, as well as for the Kindle, iPad and other readers), will explore what it’s really like being in the home staging business.

Part instruction and part inspiration, this is your chance to be showcased in the book. All you have to do is think about an experience you’ve had with a client. It might be heartwarming, funny or scary but we want examples in the life of a home stager that will grab an audience’s attention!

Don’t worry— you don’t have to be a professional writer to participate! We will edit your story if it chosen for inclusion in the book.

> Learn more about how to be part of my latest book, Life as a Home Stager.

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3 Tips to Choosing Your Home Staging Business Name

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on November 25, 2011

how to pick a company name

There’s no doubt about it, choosing the right name for your home staging business is key. Much of your business image rests on this decision and it’s also one of the hardest choices you’ll face in the early days of your home staging business. Many aspiring home stagers get stuck trying to make this one decision.

Aside from finding a name that isn’t already in use, here are 3 tips to choosing the right name:

Is your business name easy to pronounce and easy for people to spell?

Since so much of our information now comes from the Internet, you don’t want a name that no one can spell when they hear it.

It’s also really frustrating to have to constantly repeat your name for it to be understood. Clever puns and mis-spellings might seem like a good idea, but they’ll pose problems in the long run.

If you plan on using your business name as the domain name for your website you’ll want to keep the length fairly short.

Is your company name memorable?

You’ll be amazed how much easier it is to get “brand recognition” when you have a memorable name. Just imagine how much more credibility you’ll have from the “get go” when you meet someone new and they say, “Oh, I’ve heard of you before!” Think about which companies come to your mind based on their memorable business names.

Does your company name convey the right image for your home staging business?

Would you hire a carpenter who calls his business, “Nine Fingers Left”? Or how about “Splish-Splash Painting”? These are real examples I’ve seen on vehicles in my morning commute for school drop-off.

> Read the rest of this article on choosing a staging business name.

Related articles:

> Stage Yourself to Sell – Part 1

> Stage Yourself to Sell – Part 2

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Teacher Turns Bakery Project Into a Home Staging Career

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on November 22, 2011

Bakery to staging

Jackie, an elementary school teacher, recently shared her story about how she turned an opportunity to decorate a local bakery into a new career in home staging.

> Read Jackie’s story here.

Her story reminded me of something I had read. Back in the 1800s, Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” His words are just as true today.

Ten people can be presented with the same opportunity but only one recognizes it and has the discipline to take action.

Or, like me, you might hear or see the same information multiple times over many years, before the lightbulb finally goes off. I was very surprised to discover an old file with a newspaper clipping about home staging that I had kept for 5 years before “discovering” the idea of becoming a home stager! I just wasn’t “prepared” the first time I stumbled on the concept!

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Staging Success Spotlight Shines on Imogen Brown and Melissa Goulet

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on November 18, 2011

Home Stager BrisbaneCongratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Imogen Brown of Home Staging Brisbane (Australia) on a recent home staging consultation. She says, “I consulted on a cluttered townhouse last Wednesday evening. The photographer was booked for Friday morning! The owner used nearly all my suggestions and completed the work (and shopping) in a single day (with two kids under 3 in tow). I love it when sellers listen and act on my advice. Well done to both of us.”

Never under estimate how much impact you can have (or how much you can make) doing simple home staging consultations. Many clients want to do “the work” themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you’re making sure you’re paid well for your advice.

> Click here for tips on building your portfolio from staging consultations.

> Click here to read about homes actually “speaking” to you!

Stages of Success

A further “congratulations” is due to Imogen as the November winner in the Stages of Success™ Contest. If you’d like an early Christmas gift, post one of your Stages of Success on The Staging Diva Facebook Walland you could be the December winner. Each month, we’ll draw one name at random from our Facebook Fans who have posted. If you don’t post, you can’t win. Really you have nothing to lose!

The winner receives a $25 coupon redeemable on any purchase of $25 or more from the Staging Diva Store.

You don’t have to be a Staging Diva Graduate to enter! My goal is to give the Staging Diva community a chance to help you celebrate a milestone in your journey as a home stager. All you need is a sentence or two, not a whole long story. In fact, it couldn’t get much easier than this!

> If you already have a success to celebrate, click here to post it to the Staging Diva Facebook Wall. Please do it now while you remember. You could have $25 next month in return for the minute it will take you to post this now!

Home Stager Hamilton ON

Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Melissa Goulet of In The Details Home Staging(Hamilton, ON) who took the Staging Diva Program in the last 6 months. She wrote to update me on her business progress:

“Yesterday was a good day! First a call out of the blue for redesign, then a wonderful agent I know hired me for two high-end properties: $700,000 and $1,200,000. Then an email for an interior design, wow! You were right on the money when you said people need to see your ad and face and they will remember you! Slow and steady goes the tortoise! I also have two existing redesign clients. So the best advice I would give someone entering a new venture would be keep on plugging along because somewhere, sometime, things happen for the better! And lastly, taking the Staging Diva Programreally did propel me into a thought process that has more than paid off!”

I LOVE that Melissa wrote me right away with her news as I get such a buzz hearing about my students breaking through the early days of getting established and seeing their marketing efforts pay off!If you’d like to learn the exact business and marketing formula I taught Melissa, these products will help you:

Staging Diva Training Program – Download Plus Package

Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers – Profile Listing with Free Brochure

Staging Diva Ultimate Portfolio Guide

Staging Diva Sales Script

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Events for Home Stagers in November 2011

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on November 14, 2011

Check out these events for home stagers happening this November 2011. Please note, times indicated are Eastern (NY time) so you’ll need to adjust for your own time zone.

Staging Diva DialogStaging Diva Dialog

Nov 17th (7pm)

Open to all beginner and established home stagers.

Ask Debra Gould questions and get semi-private business coaching in a small group. Here are some topics from last month’s call:

  • Tips and pitfalls to avoid when setting up domains and emails.
  • SEO considerations when choosing a domain name and key words.
  • Logo pitfalls to avoid.
  • How to use Google Adwords (costs, techniques and tracking results)
  • Marketing to home sellers and building a database – why you want one, how to grow it and how to use it effectively for marketing.

You are guaranteed to make back 10 times your $47 investment in this event if you implement only one idea from the call! If you could ask Debra Gould absolutely anything about your home staging business, what would it be?

> Join us this month + get the recording too!

Open Coaching Day

Nov 15 (11 AM to 4 PM)

Staging Diva Challenge Winners get a 15 minute one-on-one coaching session with Debra Gould, valued at $75. One winner per week, drawn from submissions from the Discover Your Staging Savvy Quiz.

Staging Diva Graduates get a 15 minute one-on-one laser coaching session with Debra Gould, valued at $75. Invitations sent to members of the Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers.

Staging Diva Accelerator CoachingStaging Diva Business Accelerator Coaching

Ongoing Mon., Tues., Wed. by appointment

Open to anyone who wants one-on-one business coaching or a marketing strategy session with Debra Gould.

> Learn more about getting coaching from Debra

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Backstage with Staging Diva in November 2011

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on November 9, 2011

I stepped out of my comfort zone and all things Staging Diva in October and entered an international competition for Women in Business, the first time I’ve done anything like that in 22 years as an entrepreneur. Much to my surprise, I’m a finalist in 4 Stevie Awards categories:

* Best Mentor/Coach of the Year

* Best Entrepreneur of a Service Business Under 100 Employees

* Best Blog of the Year for Home Staging Business Report

* Best Canadian Entrepreneur

Does it sound silly to say that if I actually win, I’ll be bringing home a statue made by the same company that makes the Oscars? Even though winning is a long shot since I’m competing with much larger companies all over the world, I confess I’m a little bit giddy about the whole thing!

Thanks everyone for your thoughtful birthday wishes; turning 52 barely hurt a bit! Actually, so many of you rightly pointed out that we should be grateful for our birthdays, after all it means we’re still here!

Steve Jobs, who I’ve long admired, died the week before my birthday and was only a few years older than I am now. It’s amazing what he accomplished in so little time and it’s hard not to think of how much he still would have wanted to do had he lived another 30 years.

In a poignant eulogy, his sister remarked that we all “die in the middle of our stories.” I really took that as a powerful reminder that we need to be living OUR stories, not someone else’s, and we need to squeeze all the juice we can out of it.

As you look over the past year, how much of it was spent doing what you love? How much of it did you spend on autopilot? Does how you spend your time let you feel you’re making a difference in peoples’ lives? Are you so focused on money/security that you are willing to sell your soul for it? If you’re not happy with your answers to these questions, it IS within your power to change it.

In this month’s posts you’ll learn 3 tips to choosing the right name for your home staging business, how to prove you’re the right home stager to hire, and meet inspiring home stagers, including Jackie, an out-of-work teacher who turned a bakery decorating project into a home staging career!

Thank you for being part of the Staging Diva community, and I hope to continue to be a voice of possibility for you!

I welcome your comments below. Share your opinions and/or new story ideas and I hope you enjoy this month’s posts on the Staging Diva Dispatch blog, and that it helps you grab hold of your own dreams!

P.S. Don’t forget that my group coaching program, Staging Diva Dialog, is now open to all home stagers, whether you’re just thinking about getting into the business or you’ve been at it for years. Learn how you can join us on the next call here! Hey, not only do I have 22 years experience supporting myself from a home office (9 of them as a home stager), I’m also a Finalist for the Best Coach/Mentor of the Year! Join us. We’ll have some fun, talk, and you’ll learn LOTS!

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Does Home Staging Competition Stop You in Your Tracks?

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on October 28, 2011

competition

Thinking about home staging competition in your area may make you feel intimidated. When you’re afraid to move forward with your home staging business, it’s easy to come up with all kinds of “reasons” that it won’t work.

For example, perhaps you’ve heard that 90% of businesses fail in their first year. That’s pretty depressing! I know it held me back when I started my first business 22 years ago. (That’s at least how long that particular statistic has been circulating as “truth!”)

Perhaps you missed the study by Home Business Magazine which actually found that a whopping 70% of home-based businesses succeed for at least 3 years! That’s a much more optimistic view and one that you’re not likely to see on CNN (aka Constantly Negative News).

Aspiring home stagers sometimes say, “There are already home stagers in my area. I’m sure there will be too much competition for me to enter this market.” This becomes a comfortable excuse for not going forward.

You can talk yourself out of anything with the right arguments, but you may be jumping to a whole bunch of conclusions that are not justified.

If you really have a dream of becoming a home stager, you owe it to yourself to find out the caliber of the competition. I don’t mean how well they arrange furniture (though this is important); I mean how well they market themselves. For example:

- Do they come across as real professionals?
- Do they sound confident about what they do?
- Are they persuasive when they explain what they do?
- Are they easy to find?
- Are they easy to speak to?
- Do they listen well?
- Are they likeable?

Don’t just look at their websites and assume all these great qualities if it’s a great site.

The competitive picture might look a whole lot different if you actually pick up the phone and speak to them.

There are a lot of “home stagers” who aren’t actually serious about their businesses. It’s more of a creative hobby for them, and you’ll be able to spot them as soon as they open their mouths to explain what they do!

> Read the rest of this article about Tough Home Staging Competition and how to determine if there’s enough potential demand for your staging services in your area.

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Celebrate Your Stages of Success on Facebook and Win $25!

by Debra Gould, The Staging Diva on October 19, 2011

Stages of SuccessI created the Stages of Success™ Contest because I believe it’s important to take time to celebrate our triumphs (both large and small) because each time we do we are proving to our internal saboteur, or voice of self-doubt, that we are moving forward. And this gives us the strength and motivation to keep going.

“Brag” about your success as a home stager on The Staging Diva Facebook Wall. You’ll give our supportive community a chance to help celebrate your “Stages of Success” and inspire others at the same time!

As long as you’re a subscriber to this newsletter, Staging Diva Dispatch, you have a chance to win $25 in any month that you share your success with Staging Diva on Facebook.

Simply post your success on The Staging Diva Facebook Wall. Perhaps you just landed your first project, were interviewed by the media, gave a presentation, or did a TV shoot. Maybe one of the homes you staged just sold, or you’re marking the anniversary of starting your staging business!

These are all important milestones in your journey as a professional home stager, and I want to give you a place to celebrate with a group that will truly appreciate your experience and success.

You don’t need to post the whole story—just a sentence or two like this: “I just finished my first home staging project, and I’m so happy to be getting paid for doing work I love,” or, “The house I staged just sold for 90% of the asking price in our slow real estate market,” or, “I can’t believe the local paper called to interview me for a story they’re writing on . . . ”

Each month, we’ll draw one name at random from our Facebook Fans who have posted their Stages of Success on The Staging Diva Facebook Wall. The winner will receive a $25 coupon redeemable on any purchase in the Staging Diva Store of $25 or more. Post as many times as you like, as long as you are only posting the same news once.

> If you already have a success to celebrate, click here to post it to The Staging Diva Facebook Wall for your chance to win $25.

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