On the 11th Day Before Christmas IAHSP Gave to me…

On the 11th Day Before Christmas IAHSP Gave to me – amazing SPEAKERS that have committed to share at our 2018 IAHSP Conference & EXPO! We have 23 talented industry experts coming to share with YOU!  Here is a look at a few of them!

Fred Berns is among the biggest names in the business of interior design.  He’s an award-winning coach, promotional copywriter and professional speaker who trains and creates promotional materials for design professionals and real estate stagers worldwide, helping them promote themselves more effectively and dramatically increase sales and profits.

His training and coaching sessions for interior designers, stagers, window fashion professionals, kitchen and bath specialists, and other design professionals from Dallas to Dubai focus on how they can double their sales, connect with better clients, and make a maximum marketing impact for a minimal investment of time and money.

Debbie Boggs left her career as an investment broker to pursue a more creative path.  With her business background, she and Julie Young build BY Design Home Staging, which caters to luxury clientele.  Debbie has earned numerous awards for her interior design and staging work, including Top Ten Vacant Stagers, Top Ten Staging Teams, and Top Five Staging Companies.

Staging Studio, co-founded by Debbie, provides accredited staging certifications and training.  Through Staging Studio, Debbie trains stagers and Realtors, helping them build profitable businesses.

 

Mary Jo Camp is currently Partner in DesignCamp, RLLP, a Kitchen and Bath Design Experience in Denver, NC, consulting with residential and industry clients.  Her kitchens are featured in the Bosch Kitchen Design Guide App and she is the author of Kitchens with Confidence, a training program designed for Lowe’s.

MaryJo is an award-winning designer who has built a career on providing expertise for clients to live and work well.  For over 30 years, she has practiced her skill in a variety of positions including Principal of Great Kitchens in Menlo Park, CA, Vice President of Marketing and Lead Designer for Standards of Excellence’s (now Monark) State of the Industry appliance showrooms and Adjunct Professor at Canada College.

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IAHSP Welcomes Home Staging Network Polska as our newest Affiliate Association!

IAHSP is on the grow around the world!! Many sister association are joining IAHSP as the preferred Home Staging Industry Association serving the globe!  Our newest affiliate member is Home Staging Network Polska – from POLAND!  We are thrilled to welcome them into the IAHSP Family and hope you join in saying, “Witamy,” or “Welcome,” to their members!

What’s Your Story – Featuring Edi Keech!

Name: Edi Keech

Company:  Staging Puget Sound

From:  Auburn, WA (near Seattle)

Here is Edi’s Story – ENJOY!!

I am uniquely both a graduate architect and an award-winning home stager, with over 40 years’ design experience, located in the Seattle area.

I trained at Syracuse University and the Architectural Association in London.  My design portfolio includes commercial properties in Philadelphia, offices in California, and innumerable private homes throughout the United States. 

I am certified in Mathematics Education, and taught for many years at the Performing Arts School of the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. Leaving the world of private education, I moved on to the Hopewell Valley School District (Princeton, NJ) where I developed the middle school computer science program and curriculum.

I honed my administrative talents in both New Jersey and California as Chief Operating Officer of a world-class medical practice. With my oversight, the company grew to be a multi-million-dollar enterprise.

Relocating to the Greater Seattle area (in 2009) allowed me to return to my first love: design. I used all my prior career experience to develop a full-service home staging company, Staging Puget Sound. I am a Lifetime Accredited Staging Professional Master, and a Premier Member of the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP). In 2017, I was honored with Best Vacant Staging and Top Stager awards by IAHSP at the annual International Conference.

My greatest trial has been developing contacts and becoming a viable, productive business. Stubborn perseverance got me through those days.  I love working with people. Each project brings a new set of challenges and demands.  Stick with it! If your heart yearns to help others, if you enjoy design and if you are not afraid of hard work, then Home Staging may also be for you!

THANK YOU Edi for sharing!  We love learning about the backgrounds of our members and how they have grown and succeeded in Staging!

IAHSP® welcomes the AUSTRIAN Home Staging Association – ÖGHR

IAHSP® continues to expand our affiliate partnerships with Home Staging Associations in Europe.  Our latest partner comes from AUSTRIA!

Please welcome ÖGHR – Österreichishe Gessellschaft für Home Staging und Redesign!  Our IAHSP® European Director, Sanja Radovanovic, has done an amazing job working with these sister associations to bring them on board as approved IAHSP® Associations!  Their members can join IAHSP® as well – and we hope to see many of them at our IAHSP® European Conference in April, as well as in Charlotte next October for our big international IAHSP® Conference & EXPO!!

What’s Your Story? Featuring Joan Inglis

1. Your name – Joan Inglis
2. Business name – Carolina Spaces
3. How long you have been in business? – 13 years
4. What you did before getting into the Staging Industry? – I was a government and features reporter for a major city newspaper while I freelanced at interior design for homebuilder’s model homes.  Simultaneously I began three home-based businesses while being a devoted homeschool mother of three – Herbalife; Storytime Books (my own line of children’s personalized storybooks); and I did home services management with a friend.  Prior to my children I was a full-time cat lady.  I had a cattery – Majun – and bred and showed Turkish Angoras all over the country.  I was the first breeder focusing on black smoke Turkish Angoras and my cats and kittens won many first-ever awards.
5. What made you decide to start a Staging business? – I knew it would be a good fit with my design background and Realtor license.  I intended to have the Staging enhance my real estate business, but the Staging took on a life of its own.  Early on I received requests across three states to furnish homes priced up to $10 million.  
6. What has been one of the biggest challenges for your success? – Earning trust from fellow Realtors.  Because I am licensed in the states I serve, fellow Realtors did not want me to come into contact with their clients.  After many years of having the door slammed in my face, Realtors suddenly came knocking at my door.  Now I work with the topmost Realtors in my region, consulting on all of their listing, and physically Staging many of those homes.  
7. What has been one of the best aspects of having your own business? – Though it is a great deal of responsibility and all issues fall back on me to solve, I enjoy a challenge and keeping my wheels spinning.  The very best aspect is that I help people get out of their current situation and move on with their lives.
8. What is your top tip or piece of advice for someone looking at getting into this industry? Get educated, then do not let the customer dictate your price. Price your services with all expenses and profit in mind.  Don’t be afraid to walk away if the customer can’t meet your price.  There WILL be others who can.

Thank you, Joan, for sharing your background and insights!  We love how this industry attracts people from all walks of life, and so great to see how you have achieved such great success!! Those of you reading, Joan is a multi-award-winning ASP Master Home Stager and has really helped pave the way for Staging in her market!

If YOU would like to be featured in this ongoing series, simply answer the questions above, send in your headshot and company logo to Jennie@iahsp.com and we will feature YOU and your business!

What’s Your Story? Michelle Armstrong

We are pleased to feature Michelle Armstrong, owner of Armstrong Home Staging & Design!

1. Your name:  Michele Armstrong
2. Business name:  Armstrong Home Staging & Design
3. How long you have been in business?  Became an ASP and started my staging business this year!
4. What you did before getting into the Staging Industry?  Retail Operations Director for Fashion Brands.
5. What made you decide to start a Staging business?  It was all timing!  The retail industry has been on a steady decline and I have always loved interior design, as my grandparents were “flippers” in the 40’s & 50’s, restoring early California Spanish-style homes with excellent craftsmanship and beautiful finishes… it’s in the genes.  I wanted to get accredited and a Realtor friend spoke very highly about Barb and the ASP course.
6. What has been one of the biggest challenges for your success?  The start-up process, trying to quickly learn from tenured staging professionals on the in’s & outs.
7. What has been one of the best aspects of having your own business? For the first time in 25 years, my schedule is my own!
8. What is your top tip or piece of advice for someone looking at getting into this industry? Find what makes you unique, whether it be a style-aspect such as “clean minimalist”, or excellent customer service and project management skills.  This will help to set you apart from the staging pro competition if you are in a saturated area.  Also, stay current with current decor trends colors… Less is always more!

Thank you, Michelle, for sharing with our members!  I appreciate that you recommend developing a unique differentiating factor for business as that is what sets us apart from others!  Great info – and we value having you as part of our IAHSP Association!

 

Viberent Inventory Management coming to CHICAGO – Oct 27th!

Viberent – the most comprehensive INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM in the industry – is coming to CHICAGO on Oct 27th!

Join VIBERENT from 3-5PM – at the OHI Showroom 106 Garlisch Drive, Elk Grove Village IL 60007.

REGISTER NOW FOR THIS EVENT – there is NO CHARGE to attend!!

If you want to learn more about this cloud-based system that will make business process much easier and more productive, join Viberent for an introductory seminar that goes over the details of their Inventory Management System. For those that sign up for the program, you will receive 4 hours of COMPLIMENTARY in depth training (valued at $400!).  Special pricing will be offered to those in attendance!

This event is open to ALL business owners in the Home Staging Industry – regardless of designation or association affiliation!

For more information, call 800-392-7161 or email Christa@iahsp.com

What’s Your Story?

The International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) is starting a new series where we would like to feature our valued members as we find out “What’s Your Story?”  Please submit the following information to us:

1. Your name
2. Business name
3. Your photo and company logo
4. How long you have been in business?
5. What you did before getting into the Staging Industry?
6. What made you decide to start a Staging business?
7. What has been one of the biggest challenges for your success?
8. What has been one of the best aspects of having your own business?
9. What is your top tip or piece of advice for someone looking at getting into this industry?

Please send all submissions to Jennie@iahsp.com.

We are excited to hear all the wonderful stories from our members worldwide!

Earn Your Buyer Trends Specialist (BTS) Designation – June 20

Earn the newest industry designation offered by the International Association of Home Staging Professionals (IAHSP) and taught by Stagedhomes.com, the World Standard in Staging Education…

Buyer Trends Specialist (BTS) on June 20, 2017 – 4PM-7PM MST – $175 investment

Your BTS Designation will allow you to speak confidently with Sellers to advise them on what to do to prepare their houses for sale.  Not only will you be able to share what they need to do based on the target buyer for their house, but also be able to advise them on any modifications/updates based on trends that are buyer and budget friendly.

Topics:

• Population Demographics – 5 generation groups and who comprises them
• Understanding who is buying what type of property
• Understand how to appeal to specific demographic groups
• Current trends are for property interiors
• Current trends for furnishings
• Current Color Trends to use for paint recommendations

 

To register go to http://www.Stagedhomes.com or call 800-392-7161.

IAHSP Business & Marketing Bootcamps now at 6 PM MST – Sign up NOW for your POWER HOUR to Success!

You shared, we listened.  Our Bootcamps are now moved to “after hours” so that our members that are productive in their Staging businesses or cannot attend during the daytime can now attend at POWER HOUR from 6 PM – 7:15 PM MST (except for the Business Planning & Goal Setting sessions that is a double session from 6-8:15PM)!  We have 11 different Bootcamps created to help YOU succeed, grow and thrive in your business!  Sign up for the Bootcamp Bundles and save $$!  We are developing more topics that will be rolled out soon!

To register go to www.iahsp.com or call 800-392-7161!