This is my 8th spring as a professional home stager and my 6th since starting the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program.

It is with much joy that I watch so many Staging Diva Graduates celebrate their 1st, 3rd, 5th and even 6th years in business! I also realized last week (when I finally decided to count) that we have Graduates in more than 20 countries!

This is something I would not have imagined when I started out in a new city as a struggling single mom who had never studied interior design and who was surrounded by people who had never heard of home staging. This is a testament to the power of sticking to it, even when you have doubts and fears that your dream will never work.

Real estate “for sale” signs are starting to sprout on lawns marking the beginning of spring, even though the daffodils are still a month or two away in my neighborhood.

Inevitably spring brings to my mailbox tons of “free market evaluation” flyers from real estate agents. Each one is the same as the next, which is why it takes more than 1,000 flyers to get even one person to call (and that doesn’t mean they’ll actually become a client). I know this because I worked in direct response marketing for years, long before I became a home stager. This low response rate is why I teach my staging students not to bother with this marketing tactic and give them more profitable alternatives.

Last month the new Simple Marketing Plan Companion came out after close to a year of development. I was determined to get it just right and tossed out many drafts before releasing the final one. I tested it out on Pat McArthur of Home Definition (ON), who had this feedback: “The Simple Marketing Plan Companion is terrific for both new and experienced home stagers. Debra’s trademark style shines through—interesting, inspiring and educational—based on her real world experience in starting and growing a staging business!” You can pick up your own copy in the Staging Diva Store.

This month you will see articles about how real estate agents can make you crazy, and I invite you to test your staging savvy on a kitchen which is one of the most important rooms to stage. You’ll also have a chance to “save the date” on some great learning opportunities coming your way and meet several successful home stagers.

I hope you enjoy this month’s posts. Please keep your opinions and story ideas coming! My goal for this site is to share inspiring ideas and tips that will help you in your staging business— whether you’re totally new at this or you’ve been a home stager for a while.