Home Staging Newsletters & Articles

There's something special about starting a new year. It's a time of reflection, consideration and hope. Like you, I made my "resolutions" to eat better and do the dreaded exercising but I spent considerable time thinking about my dreams and what I love to do. Did you do this exercise as well?

In the movie, "We Bought A Zoo" my favorite quote from Matt Damon is, "All you need is 20 seconds of insane courage, and I promise you, something GREAT will come of it!" As I pondered the dreams and goals in my past that became a reality, I realized there was five essential ingredients to making them stick. Take your 20 seconds for 2012 and see what great things happen when you read my five essentials:

1. Clear Your Mind and Dream BIG - I'm afraid that what most of us consider "big" pipe dreams, the few courageous folks know as reality. I know these courageous few because they are the nurses, corporate managers, stay-at-home moms, scientists, teachers etc. that decide to drop their "life-long" careers and follow their passion for design by becoming a home stager. I talk to people daily who know in their heart, that their "big" dream is design but can't seem to "pull the trigger" out of fear.

Did you know that over 71% of women wish their work was more spiritually and emotionally satisfying? Did you know that 100% of the people I've interviewed who "pulled the trigger" and followed their dream into staging had no regrets about that decision except for one...they wish they did it earlier.

Do me a favor and get a cup of coffee and go to your favorite seat in the house with a notebook. Write down your dreams and wishes. What would make you feel more spiritually and emotionally satisfied? Now follow my next essential steps to discover how to make your 2012 resolutions really stick...

One of my new 2012 business resolutions was to have expert speakers and "next steps" live, webinar training every month in our HSR Members Area. This excites me because I LOVE to learn new things, have an extremely talented and generous group of veterans and have the technology to easily make this available to our members (which is the beauty of online training). I want to make sure that no stone is left unturned in the training I provide, so that members can reach their goals and dreams with no lingering questions.

I was surprised to discover recently that a staging training company/trainer charged for additional support and assistance AFTER someone had already spent the full amount on their training! I don't mean to sound critical of my peers but that made no sense to me. If someone pays to be a member of my company and wants to talk to me personally because they have questions that I didn't answer in my training...I'm available and at no charge! I love that part of my job best and would not consider charging extra for it.

At HSR, we provide ongoing support via phone (888.563.9271) and email (audra@homestagingresource.com) and free access to our private social network, Stagers Connect. Stagers Connect is a place where people can ask questions and get answers on any topic. In fact, there are over 50+ discussions going on at one time from email marketing to model home pricing, to best cameras to purchase NOW. There are also tons of photos, albums and ideas that stagers have posted with their tips for others to enjoy. Ongoing support and training...it's just what we do!

I have had the privilege of speaking at all the RESA Conferences and can honestly say it's an event NOT to be missed! The conference starts January 31 and it's not too late to get your ticket, so sign up today before it sells out!

Sign Up and Get Details Now!

I will be speaking on "Alternative Income Streams" for your business and while it was only supposed to be 15 (in 30 minutes), I easily got to 20! There are so many wonderful directions and income avenues that one can take in this industry, I can't wait to share them!

One of my favorite things about the conference is meeting my HSR Members face-to-face. In fact, last year one of the largest contingents of attendees were HSR members, so we had a blast! In fact, drinks on me for HSR Members at the downstairs main bar before the conference at 4pm!

Why are the HSR agent partners so prepared when they give their listing presentation to sellers? It's because HSR Certified Home Stagers listen to their needs and provide the resources (videos, handouts, guides) needed to educate sellers on the necessity of staging in today's market! We value the agents we work with and know how difficult it is to convince sellers to spend money on the home they are leaving! If you're an agent having trouble selling your listings, contact an HSR Certified Home Stager for your FREE Staging Partnership Plan. Staging provides agents more listings, sells them faster and for more money!