business

10 Top Business Books for Success

August 9, 2019 by Naomi

Reading has been noted as one of the primary habits of ultra-successful people and as business owners in the home staging industry, we seek this success in all it’s shapes and forms.

So here’s 10 business books from Entrepreneur’s top 20 that will change your mindset and inspire you to chase that dream that made you start in the first place.

1. “Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy,” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.

As the No. 1 New York Times bestseller, this book is by the Facebook COO and best-selling author of “Lean In.”

Sandberg has returned with Wharton School psychologist Grant to discuss how she persevered after the loss of her husband. This compelling book offers stories and tips on managing and overcoming hardship, and it’s excellent inspiration for overcoming any type of life hurdle.

2. “Superconnector: Stop Networking and Start Building Business Relationships That Matter,” by Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh.

“Superconnector” is the next stage in the evolution of networking, thanks to changes shaped by social media. It explores the set of habits where networkers should focus their energies, as superconnecting is about truly understanding the power that comes from building certain relationships.

This book aims to move you beyond bad networking habits and toward a “profit mindset” that involves taking a different approach to connecting with others.

3. “Leading Through the Turn: How a Journey Mindset Can Help Leaders Find Success and Significance,” by Elise Mitchell.

This book provides you with direction on how to become what Mitchell terms a “destination leader with a journey mindset.” To show you how to develop that mindset, she shares stories and interviews with successful leaders.

This is an excellent guide on how you can achieve personal and professional goals and also gain strategies for approaching the coming year.

4. “Surviving the Tech Storm: Strategy in Times of Technological Uncertainty,” by Nicklas Bergman.

Bergman offers a framework to help you understand why technology is causing uncertainty, how to look past the ambiguity and see the opportunities, and how to track the megatrends that will continue to change business.

The book provides a step-by-step approach to analyzing emerging technologies, assessing business implications, and adapting to a new and uncertain environment, potentially putting you ahead of others in your industry.

5. “They Ask, You Answer,” by Marcus Sheridan.

The book relates the story of how Sheridan’s company used content marketing to rise from the brink of bankruptcy during the 2008 economic crisis. Sheridan’s success has turned him into a highly sought-after speaker and a trusted voice in digital marketing and sales. The book will help you get a complete picture on how to integrate marketing and sales for an effective content strategy.

6. “Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity,” by Kim Scott.

Do you manage a team? “Radical Candor” is an important book that helps put the role of a boss into perspective, especially for those who run virtual teams and don’t often see the talent.

The book includes practical suggestions and tips that will yield positive change for you and your team.

7. “You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth,” by Jen Sincero.

Sincero’s fun-to-navigate finance manifesto will challenge you to think differently about how to make money and to develop a mindset of wealth.

So many people want to do better with their personal finances or reach better financial decisions for their businesses, and most fail. But this book will make you address the mental obstacles standing between you and your desired income.

8. “The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams,” by Sam Walker.

This book enhances how you develop, manage, or work on a team. Walker devised and applied a formula about teams that has been tested and has worked on teams all over the world, from Olympic teams and the NBA to the English Premier League.

In looking at team captains, Walker realized how successful teams worked and used that to devise a winning formula. You can leverage the insights here to become a captain or identify those who fit that description so they can lead your company to greater success.

9. “Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age,” by Jeff Goins.

This book is made for the freelancer or those considering moving into business for themselves. Originally, people thought you couldn’t make money from creative careers. However, creativity is now embraced and rewarded financially.

Goins provides a number of strategies that those in the freelance economy can embrace, including to steal from your influencers, collaborate with others, and apprentice under a master.

10. “Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything,” by Ulrich Boser.

Our approach to learning usually involves memorizing facts, dates, and details — but this approach doesn’t always work. Instead, better learning comes from simple techniques described in this book that will help you become an expert in your field.

The experience and advice from these books will give you the push you need to be successful in business over the next year. Start with one and make your way down the list – with the right mindset, the possibilities for you and your business are endless!

How To Develop Business Policies

August 8, 2018 by Naomi

By Tracey Archer

In part one of the HR compliance series I discussed employment contracts, the importance of having a written contract and clauses outside of the Fair Work Act that may be relevant for your business. Equally important is ensuring all staff understand their responsibilities and company processes by way of policies.

Think your business is too small to have documented policies? Ask yourself – how many times do your employees ask you if they can take time off? Even if you have only two employees, it could be in excess of six times a year! Or maybe they are late to work, who do they notify and how? Further what are the consequences?

Similar to employment contracts policies should be tailored for the industry in which they are applicable. For the Home Staging industry, you’d need details around company cars and what staff are liable for should they have an accident, also mandatory policies such as Bullying and Harassment, Grievance Procedures and Rehabilitation and Return to Work, just to name a few.

Your time is important, spend it on developing your business and exceeding client expectations, rather than making a fresh decision every time an employee asks a question or you are faced with a challenge. Key is setting the ground work early, getting compliance right and ensuing consistency across your team.

Making the Most of Xero Accounting Software

July 18, 2018 by Naomi

By Greg Logue

We all know the importance of cash in any business! It’s the lifeblood of what you do and without it, the doors close. Simple concept.

As business owners, you need to be thinking differently. In addition to the daily grind, you need to understand what’s happening behind the scenes. How is the business performing? Am I compliant with government and industry requirements? What do I need to do to push my business in the right direction? Why am I so exhausted and there’s no money in the bank?

A fundamental aspect of running any business is knowing the numbers. And I don’t mean knowing just what’s in the bank account! It goes beyond that. It’s understanding concepts like income, expenses, profit, assets, liabilities, equity, tax….the list goes on! To help you with this, it’s important that one of the first things on your business ‘to-do list’ is get some accounting software, and one of the best business accounting packages on the market is Xero.

We live in an age where technology is constantly changing. What we use today is out of date tomorrow. Gone are the days where a cashbook and receipts were used to track the finances of a business. We need real-time data to make real-time decisions. Without that you may miss an exciting opportunity. Xero is an amazing cloud based bookkeeping tool which gives you everything you need to know about managing your finances and understanding how your business is truly performing. As business owners, the key to making the most of your software is understanding it’s capabilities and working with your accountant to better educate yourselves on financial reports. I look forward to presenting on this topic at the 2018 National Home Staging Symposium – see you there!

Greg Logue is a Senior Accountant at DFK Crosbie and an advisor to business owners across a range of unique industries. Focusing on business growth and peace of mind for his client’s, Greg has over 10 years’ experience in providing solutions to everyday business problems. Whether it be getting a business off the ground, taking it to the next level or working towards a long-term goal, Greg tailors his approach to suit your needs. Using reliable financial data, Greg and his team can provide strategic advice to drive your business in the right direction.

If you would like to see Greg live, secure you place at the National Home Staging Symposium for 2018!

The Perks of Networking and how to do it

July 10, 2018 by Naomi

Networking is absolutely essential in running a successful business. While technology has made networking easier, this does not mean that you don’t have to work for success in business. Networking is a great way to get your name and business name out into the world, find new clients and expand your affiliates. Regardless of the type of business you run, networking is achieved in similar ways.

Putting yourself out there and going to events is a great way to network. Not only does this lead to new clients but it also has the potential to lead to affiliates and possibly even partner brands. Being around like minded people is great as it allows you to meet other inspirational people, expand your knowledge and your ideas.

Carrying around business cards is still a great way to network, especially at events. Dropping business cards off at cafes and restaurants is another great way to network as it means you have the potential to reach a wide range of demographics! Putting your key social media site usernames, phone number and email on business cards are absolutely essential nowadays. People want to be able to research your business without having any direct contact with the business first, hence the importance of social media sites.

Networking through social media is another great way to network without spending excess time out of your day chatting to people. This can be achieved through paid advertisements, using scheduling programs so you always have content going live across all platforms and live chats. These techniques will allow you to seemingly directly connect with your audience without leaving the comfort of your home! Social media networking allows you to reach completely different audiences depending on what site you are using. This will result in you reaching a much larger audience than what you could when dropping business cards off at a coffee shop or going to an event. Having the flexibility with different audiences on social media also allows you to trial different ideas and techniques on different sites to figure out what works best!

Clutter and Your Mindset

July 5, 2018 by Naomi

I wanted to share something with you today that I was reading on my phone earlier, so you’ll see me looking at it a little bit. It’s about clutter and money.

There’s an amazing, good friend of mine, as well as an amazing business woman, called Denise Duffield-Thomas from LuckyBitch.com. Go over and check her out. You’ll find the stuff that she does absolutely amazing.

I was reading the morning about this really great piece she wrote about decluttering. I see a lot of home stagers doing some of the things that she talks about in her blog.

You’ll see in here that she talks about clutter and decluttering is great for money manifesting. She goes on to talk about all the different things that maybe we are doing with our clutter.

For example, in our office spaces, are we holding onto a desk someone gave us when we first started our businesses because we feel that we need to have more money or be a bigger business before we then give ourselves another desk?

A little like – and this is a phrase that Denise talks about, as interesting as it sounds – beggars can’t be choosers. “Someone gave me this when I first started business, so I’m going to keep using it.”

I really want you to head over and read this blog because this is absolutely amazing. It speaks about if we’re holding on to some of the things that we were gifted and we feel we have to be grateful for in our businesses, we aren’t opening up opportunities for new energy, new money and new abundance to come in.

I see this a fair bit in home staging. I see it with people’s stock. When I first started and I was getting stock in and I was like, “Wow! My business is growing!”

Then, as I got more and more stock and I wanted to turn it over, there was this ridiculous attachment to the stock that I had first because, “Oh, gosh. I need that. I need to be grateful. That’s where I can from.”

It wasn’t until I had the most epic garage sale that suddenly my business started to flourish. I got rid of all that old stock that was tying me down and that I wasn’t even really using. I was getting a warehouse full of clutter.

This is something that’s really important in home staging.

Look at your stock, look at your inventory and avoid it becoming clutter. It is the main commodity for many home stagers who have higher for making money.

Why do we allow a money making item to become a cluttered item?
Why don’t we cut it loose and allow more space in our warehouse, more space in our energy, more space in our business for abundant stock, customers, clients and agents coming in.

This is one way that I find a lot of the home stagers that I mentor and that are on our memberships are a bit attached to clutter. But I want to share with you from my phone here. I love reading Denise’s stuff.

She had some other great top tips and I wanted to read you some of my favorites about decluttering in the business because it’s so important; just as it’s important in life, it’s essential in business.

The first one is a really great one about unsubscribing to emails that you don’t want anymore. Deleting old contacts out of your phone.
Backing up and cleaning off your computer. If your desktop looks like a mad woman’s breakfast, clean that up. You’ll be amazed at how good it feels.
Shred old documents. Old documents that you don’t’ need, get rid of them. There is no need to have that clutter and store them.
This is a really interesting one: clean up your Facebook feed. It doesn’t mean you have to defriend people or unlike people, but if there’s someone that’s on your feed and you just don’t want to see their stuff anymore, make sure you remove that from your feed.
The other one that I love, which is really interesting is deleting websites and getting rid of the histories in your browsers. That can be really interesting.
Then, one of the last ones that I want to read to you – and this is a great one – is say no to networking groups that have become an obligation and not a joy.

I believe massively, guys, in the five people that we surround ourselves in are the people that we’re going to become and the people that we’re going to be the biggest reflection upon us.

That could also be said for networking groups. Many of us got involved in networking groups, which can become clutter in our calendar and clutter in our life.

Take Denise’s massive inspiration. Head over to LuckyBitch.com. I want you to get on and read this because it’s a really amazing blog.

I want you then to have a look in your warehouses for cluttered stock; I want you to look in your offices for all those things that you feel you should be entitled and that you’re really gifted to have and you need to keep and I want you to look in your computers and in your phones.

Rid yourself of that clutter and that will open up the energy for abundance and more business, more wealth and more opportunity to come your way.

Thanks so much for listening, guys. I’ll be back again soon.

Financing Business Growth

July 5, 2018 by Naomi

By Greg Logue

There comes a time when your business will get to capacity and 24hrs in the day is not enough! This is when some decisions must be made. These decisions usually revolve around:

Staffing – do I need to hire someone?
Financing operations – can I borrow money and how do I use it?
Internal systems – what can we do more efficiently?

All three of the above have one thing in common – they come at a cost!

Most small to medium sized businesses will experience some cashflow pressure throughout their business lifecycle. During these times, how do you get ahead? How do you keep the ball rolling? Ultimately, financing the business will come from debt or equity, but is it a good idea to take on this financial risk and is your business:

Able to access finance; and
Capable of handling growth opportunities

All too often business owners look to get finance but are not in a position to do so. Whether restricted by limited trading history, poor financial performance or existing finance being at a maximum, you need to be aware of your eligibility and how you plan for expansion! If you’re unable to access finance, what are the steps you need to take to ready your business for finance. In other words, what is Plan B and how do we implement this strategy effectively?

I look forward to presenting on this topic and other key cashflow considerations for home staging businesses as part of the DFK Crosbie presentation at this year’s National Home Staging Symposium.

If you would like to see Greg live, secure you place at the National Home Staging Symposium for 2018!

How to Better Yourself by Questioning Yourself

June 30, 2018 by Naomi

In life we constantly question ourselves and if the decisions we make are the right decisions. Depending on your family and friend situation, the decisions we may can also influence their lives. We question everything from if we really had the best dinner we could have, if we exercised for as long as we could have, if we were as productive at work as we could have been. All these things are questions we ask ourselves all the time. Depending on our answers, we might try harder the next time, or we could have pushed ourselves to the end limit. Regardless, when we keep questioning ourselves over the same thing, at some stage, we will begin to see change.

When it comes to running a business, you question yourself and the decisions you make all that much more. Not only does the decisions you make influence yourself, but it also influences your family, your finances, your career and those you employ. Discovering an effective strategy and way of questioning yourself which always results in successful decision making and successful results is of utmost importance. So, what should you be asking yourself to better yourself as a business owner?

“What am I doing?” I know, this is a big question, but it needs to be asked. What is your business, what is its motto and what is it achieving? If these questions and answers aren’t what you want to hear then it is time to make some changes.
“What are my goals?” This is a great one as we enter the new year! What do you want your business to achieve in the next year, 5 years and 10 years? Where do you see your business going and what changes do you have to make to achieve your goals?
“Who are my competitors and what are they doing?” Knowing your competitor’s business inside out is just as important as knowing your own business. What do they do that is highly successful? Is this successful because of who they are or because of their demographic? How can you incorporate this into your business?
“Who is working for me?” Finding your A-team doesn’t happen over night! Don’t be afraid to reevaluate jobs and those you employ, if someone isn’t doing their job properly then find someone who can.
“What can I outsource?” As the business owner you don’t need to be doing tedious tasks that someone else can do! You can outsource locally or you can look for someone to outsource tasks to from elsewhere, this all depends on what you are comfortable with.

While it is important to constantly be asking yourself these questions, it is also important to sit down every three to six months and have a long think about these questions and what the answers actually are. Doing this regularly to ensure that your business will stay on top of its game and in front of all its competitors.

Must-Have Home Staging Stock

June 15, 2018 by Naomi

When you reach a certain point in your home staging business, acquiring stock and inventory is an essential step up. At first purchasing this stock might seem like a bit of a leap, and depending on what stock you purchase it might be. However, if you are smart about what stock you purchase and how much of it you purchase it could make all the difference to your home staging business.

When it comes to stock there is typically two types of stock, soft furnishings and hard furnishings. Soft furnishings include items such as pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. The way I like to think about soft furnishings is that, if I needed to, I could pack them in a box and put them in my car. On the other hand, there are hard furnishings. Hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, arm chairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed into a box and loaded into your car.

Depending on what level of your business you are in you could be thinking about acquiring one of these two types of stock. Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, and then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. However, as everyone is at different stages in their business, it is important to be able to look down the track and consider what sort of stock you should be acquiring.

SOFT FURNISHINGS

When it comes to soft furnishings, these items can be purchased relatively cheaply and in bulk.

Pillows: sure, pillows can be expensive, but purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environment is a great way to get the most out of your money, and add texture in a range of environments. Purchasing pillows in a few colours and designs is a great idea as they can be used on their own or grouped together.
Faux flowers and plants: Faux flowers and plants are great as, when the right ones are purchased, they can look amazing, can be used in a range of spaces and styles, and can last a long time.
Books: there doesn’t have to be a theme to this, and they can be purchased from a op shop, but books are a great way to add texture and a lived in feeling to any space. These are the most cost-effective soft furnishings and can be used in any environment, from a study, a bedroom to a lounge room or even an outdoor setting.
Knick-knack accessories: by this I mean small accessories that can be used in a variety of environments, anything from vessels, small bowls, candle holders, or any other small accessories.
Linen packs: this isn’t absolutely necessary, but having at least coverlets and toppers is necessary as it can transform a room from something dull to something amazing.

229f1da3e9e8b569b0beceee69dce779 — Image via immyandindi.com.au

HARD FURNISHINGS

As for hard furnishings, these items are more expensive, and it is beneficial to go for quality over quantity.

Mattresses: often times clients do not have enough beds for how a property can be staged to show off the best of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them.
Dining chairs: not all dining chairs go with tables, or look good with them, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea so you can use the clients dining table and your businesses chairs.
Bedside tables: bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and transform the space into something amazing. Having bedside tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.
Lounges: when used everyday, lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour is a great idea as they can be used in a range of spaces in a range of different styled homes.
Coffee tables: Coffee tables are great ways to show off the space in a lounge room and add an element of homeliness into the space. Not everyone has a coffee table, and if they do it might be old and worn, having new, amazing coffee tables as part of your stock can transform and fill a space amazingly.

5512a478c1edcd04581dc6e05593f575 — Image via southernliving.com

What To Look for in a Real Estate Agent

May 30, 2018 by Naomi

As a home stager, creating and maintaining a strong relationship with real estate agents is an essential part of generating referred business.

When you have a strong relationship with a real estate agent you will constantly have business flowing and you will always have a direct line of call when something goes wrong if a property.

Selecting the right real estate agent for your business can be difficult though. You may have a great relationship with one agent in the beginning but as your business grows that agent may not fit with your business anymore.

When choosing a real estate agent to maintain a strong relationship with, always look for someone who is:

An established real estate agent. Agents who are not new to selling properties are more likely to develop a relationship with a home stager as they are always looking to expand their connections
You want to be able to trust your real estate! As a home stager you want to know if the agent has any relationships with other home stagers and if they are referring their clients to you or to other home stagers
A people person. A real estate agent won’t get very far if they aren’t a people person. They must be approachable, friendly and great at negotiating
As a home stager it makes sense that you would want to have strong relationships with multiple real estate agents but a real estate agent doesn’t need a relationship with more than one home stager.
At the same level as you. There is no point forming a relationship with a real estate agent whose clients would not be able to afford your service. Make sure your agent has the same client demographic as you do to ensure maximum results

Once you have established a relationship with a real estate agent it is important to maintain that relationship. This can be achieved through a variety of ways such as:

Referring business. If a client gets their property staged but they aren’t sure what agent to go with yet, encourage them to go with the agent you are affiliated with
Buying ‘Thank You’ gifts. If your affiliate has a big win, sells a great property or smashes a record, giving them a small gift is a great way to maintain a relationship and show the agent that you are about their successes
Providing statistics. At a milestone during the year, be it yearly, half-yearly or quarterly, providing your affiliate with statistics about how your business is benefiting real estate is a great idea and a push to ensure that the agent will want to keep working with you

Having a strong relationship with a real estate agent is a great way ensure that you are constantly getting business and referring business. Having grounded relationships and affiliations with real estate agents is the best relationship that a home stager can have as it means that you are the first point of call to help that agent with a property.

Must Have Home Staging Stock and Accessories

May 25, 2018 by Naomi

Acquiring a variety of stock and accessories is a must for your home staging business. At first, purchasing stock might seem like a bit of a leap. However, if you are smart about what stock you purchase, you’ll find you can use it over and over again with great results.

When it comes to stock there is typically two categories, soft furnishings and hard furnishings.

Soft furnishings include pillows, linen, lamps and small accessories. Soft furnishings are those items that, if you needed to, you could pack them in a box and put them in your car. On the other hand, there are hard furnishings. Hard furnishings are big items such as lounges, armchairs, dining tables, coffee tables, and so on. These are the items that can’t be packed into a box and loaded into your car.

Logically, soft furnishings should be acquired first, and then later down the track hard furnishings can be acquired. However, as everyone is at different stages in their business, it is important to be able to look down the track and consider what sort of stock you should be acquiring.

SOFT FURNISHINGS

When it comes to soft furnishings, you can generally purchase these items cheap and in bulk. They should include:

Cushions: Purchasing pillows that work well in a wide range of environments is a great way to get the most out of your money. Try buying cushions in a few colours and designs as they can be used on their own or grouped together.

Faux flowers and plants: When the right ones are purchased, faux plants can look amazing and be used in a range of spaces and styles. The best part is how long they last!

Books: Books are a great way to add texture and a create ‘lived-in’ feeling to any space. These are the most cost-effective soft furnishings and can be used in any environment, from a study, bedroom or a lounge room. Just purchase a few books from your local op shop or you might even have some hanging around the house.

Knick-knack accessories: By this I mean small accessories that can be used in a variety of environments – anything from vessels, small bowls, candle holders, or any other small accessories.

Linen packs: This isn’t absolutely necessary, but I like to at least have a few coverlets and toppers as it can really transform a room from something dull to something amazing.

HARD FURNISHINGS

Hard furnishings are more expensive so it’s usually beneficial to go for quality over quantity. The stock I recommend purchasing includes:

Mattresses: Often clients do not have enough beds to show off the best of the space, or they have moved and have taken their mattresses with them.

Dining chairs: Not all dining chairs go with all tables, so having some neutral dining chairs that work with a range of colours is a great idea.

Bedside tables: Bedside tables have the potential to open up the bedroom and create a space for your soft furnishings. Tables that are unique, yet work well in a variety of environments is essential.

Lounges: When used everyday, lounges can easily begin to look old, worn and unpleasant. Having lounges in stock that are a neutral colour is a great idea as they can be used in a range of spaces in a range of different styled homes.

Coffee tables: Not everyone has a coffee table and if they do, it’s often old and worn. Investing in a few coffee tables can help you to transform and fill a living space amazingly.

Purchasing stock doesn’t have to be a huge expense at first, in fact it shouldn’t be a huge expense when you first start accumulating inventory. As your business beings to flourish with the large amount of stock you accumulate, you will be able to stage more properties and further grow your business.

Get your FREE Crash Course in Home Staging below!

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4 Tips for Convincing Your Clients of the Value of Home Staging

May 20, 2018 by Naomi

So you want to increase your customer base and convince more clients about the value of home staging? A part of any professional home stagers job description is selling their services. Part of selling is showing how your services add value and create a win-win situation for your clients. So how do you show this value?

These are my Top 4 Tips for convincing your clients of the value of home staging:

Show them the stats

The majority of clients enjoy hearing and analysing the statistics around home staging and its results or return on investments for vendors. There is a lot of literature on the internet that is floating about to support the use of home staging and pre sale property styling – the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) has a yearly publication as do a few other American and Canadian Associations.

However presenting off shore data to clients that has been derived from what they may consider to be a completely unrelated market often results in objections and questions about the transferability of the data.

The best way to counter this is to collect your own data. When you collect your own rigorous and consistent statistics based on local sales and your workmanship, there can be little challenge to their relevancy.

2. Assess your business model

I constantly get asked how can I increase my customer base. Sometimes it is less about selling, and more about assessing your business model. The first thing you need to do is ask yourself the following questions!

Q1 – “Do you have a database, or a list of your customers?”

Q2 – “When was the last time you connected with your customers online and offline to re-build your relationship with them?”

Q3 – “Can you re-structure your payment options and make it more attractive for existing customers to pay upfront, in advance or on a monthly payment plan?”

Q4 – “Have you considered a low cost referral program that could reward your current customers who introduce their friends and family to your service?”

Q 5 “Are you testing and measuring your marketing efforts to gauge the best ROI on your marketing dollar?”

Armed with these five simple questions, you can now assess your current situation and take the appropriate action towards increasing the sales in your business.

Record your answers and have them ready for your next business planning meeting.

Network like a boss

Networking is a cost effective way to generate new business leads and make connections with other like-minded people. I strongly believe networking is an important part of having a successful business. Here are some tips I always follow:

Always have business cards with you. You can build your network anywhere! Waiting for the kids to finish school, at a birthday party or at the shops.
Listen! Even though networking is about you, it is important to listen to what somebody else is saying in case you can help them.
Be interested. Showing that you are interested in somebody is a vital part of networking.
When you have to speak, make sure you have a speech ready to go, introducing yourself smoothly and confidently.
Follow the top communication rule: giving eye contact!
Do not stay talking to the same person for hours at an event, make sure you make the rounds giving everyone a piece of your time, allowing you to meet new people and possible business associates.
Following up is essential – send everyone you met a card, email, Facebook message, tweet, text or even give them a call.
Make sure you stay in touch with people you felt like you could work with in the future because chances are, you probably will.

Following these tips will has countless benefits including greater exposure for your business and further opportunities.

Use social media

Facebook… one of the most popular social media outlets on the internet. Most of us carry it with us everyday on phone and tablet devices. Facebook is a great way to market and attract more traffic to your business in so many ways, no matter how you run your business or what type of work you do!

Promote your business by getting friends and family to support your work and like the page, and also liking and talking to other business owners in a similar area of interest to you. While creating a social stir you may find that your page gathers more attention from different people/businesses, more likes and comments, and more general interest for what your business is really all about! (Eventually leading up to larger numbers of clientele!)

Ask your social media audience questions and engage them in your work! This is always fun and puts the spotlight on the audience, rather than only talking about the business itself. You can gain insight into what your clientele like and dislike through this method by asking the questions and getting the feedback, ultimately building confidence for your business due to the market needs! Always keep in contact with your clients and audience by answering any questions that they may ask – do not ignore them!

These 4 tips will help you on your way to strengthening your business and legitimizing the value of home staging for clients.

Want more info? Get your FREE crash course in home staging below!

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How to Find Your First Customer

May 14, 2018 by Naomi

You’ve decided to branch out and start your own home staging business but where are you going to find your first customer? It can be hard to get that first catch even if you’re great at what you do! No one wants to be the guinea pig for your business. Luckily, there are ways to legitimize your home staging skills so you can start building your clientele list.

Complete a course in home staging

The industry in Australia is currently unregulated and so there are no specific requirements in becoming a home stager. However, there are courses available like the IIHS course in Advanced Home Staging that are specifically developed for people wanting to start their career. A home stager must have a good grasp of core design principles, solid property knowledge, renovation and maintenance knowledge and be an extremely good communicator. If you are looking for a course make sure all these aspects are covered.

Create a portfolio

Once you’ve got your qualifications it’s time to develop an authentic portfolio that showcases your styling and also your ability to maximise ROI. You might need to offer some favours to friends and family that are selling to get this portfolio started. Never use internet images that are not your own, it makes your business look fake!

Build relationships

Staged a friend of a friend’s property for free? Know someone in the property industry? Use these contacts to build relationships rand make sure you always over deliver. This reputation will see your business get out there with a constant and steady flow of good clients that want to work with you.

Alongside this it is also important to remember some big dos and don’ts when being a home stager.

Get social

Creating a social media account for your business, even in the early stages, is one of the best ways to spread the word about your services. Work on getting your logo and branding looking professional, upload examples of your work and even your own home to showcase your skills. Then start reaching out to businesses in your area or in your industry to start networking and driving traffic to your page!

Believe in yourself!

While you may have a vision for your business, it can often be forgotten when you’re struggling to hook your first customer. So make sure you have a great support networks or even an objective business coach who can help keep you on track and make sure you have the best possible chance of kicking your goals!

Do you want to start building your network and learn how to connect with real estate agents to make getting your first customer so much easier? Click on the picture below for your FREE blueprint!

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1. “Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy,” by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant.

2. “Superconnector: Stop Networking and Start Building Business Relationships That Matter,” by Scott Gerber and Ryan Paugh.

3. “Leading Through the Turn: How a Journey Mindset Can Help Leaders Find Success and Significance,” by Elise Mitchell.

4. “Surviving the Tech Storm: Strategy in Times of Technological Uncertainty,” by Nicklas Bergman.

5. “They Ask, You Answer,” by Marcus Sheridan.

6. “Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity,” by Kim Scott.

7. “You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth,” by Jen Sincero.

8. “The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams,” by Sam Walker.

9. “Real Artists Don’t Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age,” by Jeff Goins.

10. “Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything,” by Ulrich Boser.

SOFT FURNISHINGS

HARD FURNISHINGS

Show them the stats

2. Assess your business model

Network like a boss

Use social media

Complete a course in home staging

Create a portfolio

Build relationships

Get social

Believe in yourself!

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