"I believe each house has a soul, an essence that one connects with. I have a passion for decorating and designing which began when I was a child. I would drive my parents …
“I tend to procrastinate by doing LOTS of research before making any moves—and often, I end up not doing anything. But as I’ve gotten older, that very fact has spurred me to stop spinning my wheels and take action, since ‘time’s a-wastin’,’ as my grandma used to say!”
“It’s very hard to make a jump into a new field, but I am SO glad I started home staging 3 years ago, because I’m proud of myself for ‘going out on my own’ in a business I love but had no experience in. (Unless you count decorating my own home and an investment property we bought, plus watching thousands of hours of HGTV and reading tons of design magazines!) The Staging Diva reports by Debra Gould were very helpful in helping me overcome the fear of making my first visit to a paying client as well!”
~ Amy Bly, Great Impressions Home Staging and Interiors, LLC (New Jersey)
Tips for researching home staging training programs – courtesy of Debra Gould
Since home staging is a completely unregulated industry, anyone can offer home staging courses. The first step is to do a Google search for the name of any training company you’re interested in and also the name of the person who will be training you. You’re looking for:
- A track record in the industry (did they just pop out of nowhere within the last year?)
- Reviews from home staging students who have taken their programs
- Evidence that they’re an expert beyond what they say on their own sites (for example, have they been featured in the media?)
- Evidence of contributions to the industry (for example do they share lots of information to educate real estate agents, home stagers and the public about home staging?)
It’s important to do your due diligence, but be careful not to research the topic to death. This is just a way of procrastinating when the next step is a little “scary”!
You may spend countless hours looking at home stager websites or reading posts in home staging groups on Active Rain, Facebook or LinkedIn. It may feel like you’re moving forward with your home staging business because you’re gathering information. But eventually you will realize that you haven’t actually done anything!
When you’re tired of spinning in circles, Debra Gould will guide you through the first 20 steps to getting your business started. Find out more about the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program now!
