An Intrepid Entrepreneur, gleans a valuable business lesson from President-elect Barack Obama. Here she shares what she’s learned with other entrepreneurs. Stepping out of your comfort zone to do something big with your life takes more than just “know-how”; you also need courage, determination and a very good game face.
When you decide to hire a home stager to decorate your property to sell faster and for more money, you need to make sure you’re investing in the right person. After all, you’re trusting someone with the sale of your largest asset, your primary real estate, so you have to be careful to put that trust in an experienced professional
Many mothers wait until their children are in school before going back to work. Sometimes that’s not the best option for a mother used to having complete freedom over her schedule. For mothers craving a change and a way to contribute to the family’s income, a home-based ‘House Fluffing’ business provides the ideal solution.
Home staging is an extremely lucrative career if you know how to properly charge for your services. It makes me cringe when I hear figures as low as $31.45 per hour being touted as ‘great income’ for a home stager. That is an impossibly low rate for any independent professional to charge, but an expert home stager should actually be making at least double if not four or five times that amount.
The pricing structure (and items you charge for) you set up for your home staging services can either make or break your business. Good for you to follow your heart and get into a career you enjoy, but if you’re doing something you love and not making money, it’s not a business – it’s a hobby. Even if you’re the best home stager in your city, if you charge a flat rate for your services, you could end up broke faster than you think. In fact, you could be setting yourself up to “flat-line” a business that could otherwise be extremely profitable.
When a real estate investor sinks tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of labor into renovating a home, it’s puzzling when the renos are complete and they decide to list the house before the paint has had a chance to dry! The house will often go to market without furniture or accessories of any kind, drastically lowering its full profit potential.
One of the easiest ways to catapult your business to success is to act as though you are already successful. Do you play the part of a very successful home stager? I’d like you to keep this in mind as you read through this article – are you portraying the image of a professional expert home stager, or a rookie?
Finding secure and steady employment when you're an army spouse can be a challenge when you're faced with frequent and sometimes unpredictable moves. A home-based business is a great option, but a home-based career that is portable is even better. There aren’t very many easily portable careers to choose from but if you have the ability to transform a room by moving around its furniture or get frequent requests from people to help pick out paint colors, a career in home staging could be perfect for you.
Maybe you're one of the many trained interior decorators who have ended up working in retail for a 100 per cent commission. If the economy gets worse and you're working purely on commission, where does that leave you? Even in good times, if you work for 100 per cent commission you might as well be your own boss and have the freedom to market yourself to new clients rather than being tied to any one store.
If you are one of the over 2 million real estate agents in the United States, there’s a good chance your business is struggling. Agents across the country are feeling the pain of today’s slow real estate market. I hear similar complaints from agents all over - from Florida to California. Their commission checks come so intermittently these days that they’ve taken to staging their clients’ homes for free, hoping to sell their listings faster and for a better price. They think this will lead to more listings. Does anyone else see a problem with that?
A professional Home Stager will look at your client's home through the eyes of a highly critical buyer and make recommendations that will create the best first impression for potential buyers. Their services allow a home to stand out from the crowd and that benefits both the seller and real estate agent. It is a clear win-win situation.
As with any problem, the key to avoiding foreclosure is to be proactive. Many people facing the prospect of foreclosure will decide that the best solution is to sell their house. It might seem counterintuitive to hire a professional stager when you are facing the sale of your home to avoid foreclosure; however it has been proven time and time again that staged homes sell faster and for a higher price than homes that are sold "as is".
I receive many emails from people who are completely confused by the various home staging training programs available. With so many options, I can understand the frustration. However, once you know the right questions to ask, you can make a well-informed decision.
Expert Author: Debra Gould | Category: Business It's been a difficult journey toward becoming fit, but it reminded me of a few lessons that apply equally to building a business. The following are a few of the lessons I have learned from the gym.
House hunting can often be a lot like "speed dating". If you've ever been house hunting, you can see the similarities. Your agent takes you to six or more houses in a single afternoon. Within minutes, you'll reject most choosing possibly one or two properties to go back to for a second look. And Home Staging is all about creating the best first impression and paving the way for potential buyers to fall in love.
The spring months are traditionally the busiest time of the year for the residential real estate market. The weather is more cooperative and many families like to move while the kids are on their summer break. How can a home stand out from the competition when there are several homes for sale at similar prices in the neighborhood, or worse on the same street?
As more informed homeowners hire Real Estate Stagers and more buyers have the chance to view homes that have been staged, other home sellers will realize they too have to follow the practice otherwise their un-staged homes will look even worse by comparison.
Have you been thinking about starting a home staging business? With the economy slowing down, you may be wondering if this is a good time to enter the field. In this buyers housing market, home staging has become one the most sought out services in the real estate industry today, and the future looks even brighter.
Uncertainty rules in real estate and will most likely continue throughout 2008. Homeowners who are desperate to sell are looking to gain a competitive edge in the market. A professionally staged home makes a great first impression and can help the home sell fast.
When selling your investment property, are you tempted to leave a room or the entire house empty? Don't decide to save money when it comes to furnishings and accessories. Taking the time to do these final details will ultimately translate into a higher return on your investment.