| Partner up. While many of us choose to go into | | | | others, volunteering your services gives you visibility |
| business for ourselves, by ourselves, partnering up | | | | and can lead to unexpected connections. Career days |
| has huge benefits for your staging business. You may | | | | in local schools, or job shadows, are also a great way |
| being thinking "but then I'll be splitting the income with | | | | to give back to your community while increasing your |
| someone else!" When you work with another stager, | | | | presence. |
| you are adding someone to brainstorm with, an extra | | | | Set up a Facebook Fan Page for your business. If |
| pair of hands on the big jobs, and the ability to | | | | you already have a personal Facebook page, you're |
| create even more income by doubling your marketing | | | | halfway there. Setting up a Fan Page on Facebook is |
| efforts. Many clients see a staging team as more | | | | relatively easy. It's important to set up a Fan Page as |
| successful, and more able to respond to their needs. | | | | soon as possible so that you can direct clients and |
| Whether you choose to formally partner up, or | | | | vendors to the Fan Page, not your personal profile |
| create specific joint ventures to snag larger accounts, | | | | page. There are many tutorials on the internet with |
| a partner could be just thing to jump-start your | | | | information on setting a page up, to get you started. |
| staging business right now. | | | | A fan page is a wonderful way to share new project |
| Expand your services. You've done your training, you | | | | news, communicate business specials, and get to |
| may have a strong portfolio already, but you'd like to | | | | know your clients (and potential clients) better. Be |
| ramp up your business and increase your income. As | | | | sure to use the Facebook fan page box on your |
| more stagers come into the market every day, a | | | | website, and add a link to your fan page to your |
| savvy stager looks for ways to attract new clients, | | | | email signature, so that people can find you there. |
| and build the business. With a stager's training and | | | | Social media is becoming mandatory for small |
| experience you can easily approach stores in your | | | | businesses to get noticed, but the secret is to use in |
| area to offer display services. Many small stores | | | | in addition to personal networking for great results. |
| would love to have a display consultant come to the | | | | Actively seek Referrals. If you haven't set up a |
| store once a month or more to give the store a | | | | system for encouraging referrals from your happy |
| fresh look. Watch for new offices, and office | | | | clients, you're leaving money on the table. I always |
| relocations, in your area for opportunities to provide | | | | hand out two or three business cards or marketing |
| set-up services. Networking with commercial real | | | | postcards at the end of a consultation. If you're |
| estate professionals can give you an inside line on | | | | working directly with a homeowner, they are usually |
| these opportunities. There are many other ways to | | | | more than happy to keep a few cards in a drawer to |
| expand your services. | | | | hand to friends and family that compliment your |
| Postcard marketing. There are numerous, and | | | | work. Much of my work has been through referrals. |
| inexpensive, postcard printers that can provide you | | | | Many real estate professionals are also happy to |
| with a memorable marketing tool. I have had great | | | | refer you, unless you're considered their "secret |
| success in using those postcards as a calling card, and | | | | weapon!" |
| marketing leave-behind at real estate offices, and | | | | Pursue additional training. With your staging training, |
| other target market hot-spots. While mailing | | | | and business background, you are perfectly |
| postcards can get pricey, these glossy cards are | | | | positioned to add a specialty to grow your service |
| much more effective than a simple business card | | | | offerings. Whether you're choosing to specialize, or |
| (and can be passed along to home sellers by the real | | | | add additional services, countless stagers have |
| estate agents.) | | | | successfully moved into complementary careers as |
| Volunteer your services. If you aren't already doing | | | | decorators, event designers, and photo stylists, while |
| this, now is a great time to start. Find compatible | | | | still providing staging services. All over the internet |
| organizations that could use your services. Your | | | | you see the phrase, "stagers are not decorators!", |
| assistance may not be in the form of traditional | | | | yet a love of decorating and HGTV shows are what |
| staging, but perhaps helping to spruce up and | | | | drew most of us into this business, and most stagers |
| organize a tired office, assist with decor and set-up in | | | | have a natural talent for decorating that would shine |
| a project for Habitat for Humanity or similar | | | | in any of those fields. |
| organization. In addition to the reward of helping | | | | |