New Social Media Service for Staging Diva Graduates Susan Atwell
Staging Sells House Fast and Full Price Jackie Thompson
Save the Dates 5 Simple Secrets to a Home Staging Business, and Staging Diva Dialog
Hats Off To These Stagers Dolly Dewald, Cheyrl Ward, Jodi Whalen, Vidya Maharajh-Adams, Suzanne Otto and Darlene Parris
Did You Know?
All Staging Diva Graduates receive free artwork for their marketing and websites. This is one example:
Unlike most staging courses, Staging Diva Graduates DO NOT have to pay an ongoing fee to be a Graduate in good standing.
To Set the Stage
"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." - E.E. Cummings
Backstage with Debra
As this year comes to a close I'm realizing this is the 75th issue of Staging Diva Dispatch! It also marks the Staging Diva Training Program moving into the 9th year of offering solid business training for home stagers.
I'm very proud to celebrate this anniversary with over 7,000 students in 22 countries. If you're one of the more than 300 people who joined our community this month, welcome and keep your eye on your email for a special invitation to an event this week.
I was the first home stager to realize that spending days taking turns rearranging furniture was not the best way to teach people how to make money from their talents.
When you Google "Staging Diva" you'll discover that I've written more articles about home staging than anyone else.
That's because I've been focused on raising awareness of this field with the general public, as well as home stagers themselves, for more than a decade. I also created the only home staging job board in the world which lists over 400 projects.
In this month's newsletter I'll share how you can take advantage of a newly expanded Staging Diva service. You'll see a great example that proves home staging works in slow real estate markets, have a chance join me for two events, and meet 9 inspiring home stagers. Two of them are celebrating their 5th anniversary as stagers and 3 has been making money doing what they love for 4 years. Kudos to all 9 for having the courage to follow their dreams.
As always, my mission is to help you create your ideal business and lifestyle. Since studies show 80% of "New Year's Resolutions" are abandoned within weeks, I'm setting a challenge for you as this year winds to a close.
Sit down to think and journal about how you'd like your business and life to look a year from now. Realize that you'll never get there unless you change what you're doing on a consistent basis.
Don't wait for everything to be "perfect" or for a lottery win to drop in your lap. Instead, resolve to get the information and support you need to create the life you want. That's what I'm here for and together we can make your dream of success doing work you love come true. Happy Holidays!
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Voice of Possibility™ Group Inc.
When planting seasonal urns or window boxes for a home that will be going on the real estate market during the cold winter months, I try and stay away from anything that's too "Christmas" oriented. That way it won't look dated after the holidays.
At this time of year you won't be as busy with home staging clients but there are tons of opportunities to offer your services as a holiday decorator!
> Check out this holiday decorating project by Staging Diva Graduate Monica Bunde of Create Home Staging.
I avoid "Christmas" if the home is going to be on the real estate market over the winter. Here's an example of what I do for staging clients at this time of year.
New Social Media Service for Staging Diva Graduates
I struggle just like everyone else with balancing the time I put into social media with potential business return. I'm not counting the time we spend catching up with real Facebook "friends" and sharing photos of children or grandkids.
What we're considering here is the business use of sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, YouTube, etc.
These sites can be a huge time waster when you're not very strategic about how you use them.
The bottom line is that when you're doing it "right" being in social media will boost traffic to your blog, website, or Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers listing. This helps you with search engines and gives your potential customers multiple ways to get to know, like and trust you.
That's why social media can boost your business.
Thanks to Staging Diva Graduate and Directory of Home Stagers member Susan Atwell, Atwell Home Staging, for reminding me how important Pinterest is to a growing number of stagers.
I'm pleased to announce that we've just increased the Social Media Package to include all 7 social options.
If you're a Directory member, just let us know if you'd like to add any additional social icons to your listing.
This continues to be a free perk of annual membership and will help you connect with your potential clients!
You don't have to use all 7 social sites (who has time?!), but these are all available to you:
> While we're on the subject of Social Media, have you joined the Staging Diva Party over on Facebook? I'd love for you to stop by and click "Like" to join our community there.
"The Home Stager's Guide to Twitter is comprehensive, easy to read and way too much fun! I consider myself to be techno-challenged, but this guide actually made me feel smart. I adore you for that!
As I begin my journey into 'Twitter-ville' I feel confident that I can find the answer to any question that may arise in this Guide. I am also excited about following stagers and re-designers whose informative tweets inspire me." Jayne Steuart (CO)
One of the many reasons we should make sure we charge what we're worth is that our home staging advice and abilities can make a huge difference in our clients' lives.
Congratulations to Staging Diva Graduate Jackie Thompson of Staging By Design NY on her recent Westchester County home staging project. Despite the slow real estate market, the home sold within a month for full price, surprising both the client and their real estate agent. Especially since the house was right next to a kennel— a definite drawback of the property!
The client only had two weeks before the house was going on the market and called Jackie for a home staging consultation. This turned into a full day of staging and a repeat visit just before the open house. There was little budget for improvements so Jackie worked with what they already had in different rooms.
Solving a Jig Saw Puzzle
This project is a great example of how I've always described decorating a house to sell. When we arrive to do a home staging consultation, we're faced with a jigsaw puzzle. All the right pieces are there but they're mostly in the wrong place. Plus there are pieces that simply don't belong to the "puzzle" we're working on. These need to be removed to offsite storage, sold or given away.
"Staging Diva has given me the confidence to promote my business and to properly price my services to reflect the benefits my clients receive when they hire me."
Like you'll find during your own home staging consultations, this room had way too much furniture and lacked a feeling of being pulled together. Jackie artfully transformed the space using what the client had from other rooms. The end result is warm and welcoming. Plus it feels larger than the original— a key when selling.
Dec. 13 (7pm)
Staging Diva Dialog Coaching Call
Open to all beginner and established home stagers. You don't need to be our student.
Is there some aspect of your new, or established, home staging business that's got you stuck? Break through that barrier now so you can have an awesome 2013!
Ask me questions and get semi-private coaching in a small group for only $47. You're guaranteed to make 10 times that when you implement the ideas from our call!
Once you're a Staging Diva Directory of Home Stagers member, it's easy for agents and home sellers to hire you! PLUS, members enjoy F'REE project referrals, notification of guest speaking opportunities and media interviews!
Congratulations to these 6 new and returning Staging Diva Graduates! Visit their Directory Profiles and get inspired:
When you're the first stager to join the Directory for your chosen locations, your listing will always come out on top in a Directory search, no matter how many people join after you!
If there are others listed above you for certain cities or neighborhoods, your rank will move up if any of them leaves the directory.
The sooner you join, the higher up on the list you are for your locations.
Plus you can choose up to 3 states/provinces and 10 cities, town, neighborhoods or counties to be listed in!
Debra Gould has been a serial entrepreneur since 1989. She is president of Voice of Possibility Group Inc. with a mission of helping entrepreneurs create their ideal businesses and lifestyles.
An internationally recognized home staging expert, Debra created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program with 7,000 students in the U.S., Canada and 20 other countries. She is the author of 5 guides, offers a Directory of Home Stagers to help home sellers and agents locate stagers in their area. She is frequently profiled in the media and runs the only staging job board in the world.
