Start Your Home Staging Business

When first conceiving the idea of starting your own home staging business,  there was no doubt something in your head telling you that you would be good at this, it is a viable business and something you should pursue.

The first step you may want to take is very simple.  Grab a notebook, sit down with a cup of tea and record what it is in your head about this "product" of home staging that compels you to consider it as a career, full or part-time.  How did I come to discover this as potential business opportunity?  From where has my knowledge base of this industry eminated? How deep is my knowledge base? Is that knowledge experiential or intellectual or something else? On another page, ask yourself and record the answers to questions like; what do I know about starting a business, where can I go for guidance, what does a home staging business actually do and how do they know what to charge?

The point of this exercise is to write down what you think you know about the "product" and the "business" right now.  You will be able to use this for honest reflection of what you know AND to determine what you still need to know.  You will notice I said "honest reflection."  I can tell you with certainty, if you are not honest with yourself  about what you know about this "product" of home staging you intend to sell, you will likely fail. If you are not honest with yourself about your knowledge in business start-up, you will likely fail.

Next, consider the reality of time.  Record how much time am I able to commit to this business, and then embark on research to determine the time requirements, estimate  the elements.  If you do not know the elements, research the answer. Step back and again make an honest reflection of whether you have not only the time to develop the business model and plan, but also the elements of execution.

Now, set this aside and do not look at it again for 7 days.  In those 7 days, research, research,research. Come back to those same questions and answers you have recorded after those seven days and see if you have improved your knowledge base  and if so how much.  If your knowledge base did not increase ask yourself if it was because you did not spend the time doing the research. If you believe your research was a benefit, you learned enough, then the next cup of tea exercise is to create a Gantt type chart or table of sorts that defines each activity in which you need engage and the order in which that need happen.

If you didn't have the commitment to research, your chances of starting up a successful business are significantly hampered.

After honest self-reflection and research to understand the "product" and "business" of home staging, you may choose to engage in a real estate home staging training program.  There are many from which to choose.  Next week I will continue this series with a short article about what to look for when you choose a Training Program.