HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Publication
JANUARY 2022
COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF: VOILA STAGING & DESIGN PREMIER HOME STAGING FOR NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND DC METRO.
e u s s IN iTHIS 03
FROM THE DESK OF JANA USELTON HSRA FOUNDER: JANA USELTON
12
THINGS I'VE LEARNED IN 2021
HSRA FOUNDER: JANA USELTON
20
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT HSRA XL GROWTH MEMBER: VICTORIA STRATMAN
BOOK OF THE MONTH
09 STAY READY
HSRA DIGITAL DIRECTOR: JILL JOHNSON
18
4 SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS YOU NEED HSRA SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR: JOY GACAYAN
24
PREPARATION IS KEY HSRA STAGING BUSINESS ADVISOR: JENNIFER GAINER
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
From the desk of n o t l e s U a n a J
Well, happy 2022!
This is something we want to continue to make you aware of; you must always, always
Are you ready for this incredible year that is
celebrate those wins.
upon us? We often look at the things we need to We are so thrilled along with you. We're super
excited
about
all
of
accomplish and the things left to do.
the
accomplishments from 2021 and cannot
But we must take time - take a moment -
wait for what is to come within this
and celebrate those wins.
upcoming year. As we move forward, this is the time to think This is a time to re-purpose, re-strategize,
differently. We know during the COVID crisis
and re-invent. When you look back at 2021,
we were stretched, we were strained, and
what
we were forced to reinvent ourselves.
would
you
have
wanted
to
accomplish? What did you accomplish? Have you celebrated the wins with yourself and your team?
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Perhaps 2021 was not your best year ever,
As you break down your numbers for this
but the best is yet to come. And with your
past
2022 Strategy, you can make that dream a
accomplish. If you haven't yet, go ahead and
reality.
take a moment to get those numbers
year,
you
know
what
you
did
updated, and then you can set your goals In this months publication, I'm going to be
with your Strategy for 2022.
sharing with you my top 10 “learns” from 2021. I know you have your own lessons
After that, come up with a theme or a word
learned, you have been through training,
that really describes your mission; your
and you have joined us for events. I would
vision or theme for this year that you can
encourage you to put that list together and
grab ahold of.
share it with someone. You may have a personal word, as well as a We are thrilled about the new projects and
professional word or phrase that your
partnerships coming in this new year and
company gets a hold of and just runs with.
we hope that you will be on the journey
For us, we know Infinite is our big word.
with us.
When it comes to HSRA for me, the words are impact and influence.
It won't happen alone; we need dedicated people and companies that understand the
I want to make sure everything we do aligns
big vision of what we can accomplish
with those phrases - impact and influence
together. We've said it before - we do not
for infinite results. We are going to be taking
want "staging" to be an obsolete word or
you on the journey with us, with our HSRA
service.
family, as well as giving you guys new opportunities
to
continue
to
reinvent
If we want to preserve the value of our
yourself, reminding you the best is yet to
space in the Real Estate Industry, we must
come.
come
together.
We
must
reposition
ourselves and educate our clients that we
We believe that! I know that you believe it.
are a viable business and that we're here to
And we cannot wait to move into this new
stay.
year, this new season together alongside you
with
accountability
and
You guys know we talked a lot about Short
encouragement. When we can do things
Term Rental in 2021. It was a large part of
together, we're going to be stronger
strategy within our own staging business. It
together, we're going to make more of a
will be even more integral as a strategy
difference together.
concept within our 2022 goals. So have an incredible season of planning, strategizing, and getting everything into alignment, and be ready to roll out into an incredible new year. You guys have a blessed day.
n o t l e s U a n xoxo-Ja
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLINACE
MEET THE TEAM
2022 JANA USELTON & o e c nder fou
MY FAB 4:
Training Authority within the Real Estate Service Industry representing Staging and Re-Design Business Owners - focused on attending events and learning from the experts! Partnerships & Collaborations - Growing relationships in and out of Every so often, We like to do a formal introduction, so hello and welcome! 2021 was a year of exponential growth for
the Staging Industry in order to bring about solutions, opportunities, and growth for our HSRA Companies
HSRA and our team so we wanted to take a moment to re-
Speaking & Events - By sharing on other people's stages, I am able to
introduce ourselves. We have added some team members
educate and spread awareness for our industry
and elevated some as well. As I discussed in last month's
Content Creation - By investing in educating myself and partnering
publication we are focusing on our FAB 4 this year and
with others in Real Estate, we can then create products and services
wanted to share our team's "fab 4"with you!
to help grow as service providers within the industry.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
LAURIE GRAHAM t n e d i s e pr MY FAB 4 ARE:
vice operations of
Integration of new products & programs for our HSRA Family
Staff Lead & Personnel, to oversee the day-to-day productivity and function of the HSRA Staff and to provide guidance, support, and motivation. PR & Branding developing brand strategies, promoting brand growth and expansion. New Business Relationship & Ventures ensuring that new partners and vendors understand the industry requirements of our members and is able to provide services that meet these needs
JILL JOHNSON l a t i ig d director MY FAB 4 ARE:
HubSpot "pro"! HubSpot is the best CRM tool for all Staging companies and I am here to help decide the best Hubs for your company. Platforms and Programs for a better user experience. I take care of any questions regarding getting logged into your member training center or any other programs. Marketing Ideas to increase Staging business knowledge and expand out sphere. Task Master. Give me a task and I'll knock it out or figure it out!
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
JENNIFER GAINER s s e in MY FAB 4 ARE:
s u b g n i stag advisor
Coaching and Advising - Need a shoulder, an ear, or a swift kick? Jennifer is your girl! Writing, Editing, and Content Creation - Jenn's favorite place is curled up with a good book, and her dream is to write many herself! Support at all Levels - for our HSRA staff and in our community - you need something done? She is on it! Speaking and Teaching - Jenn loves to share from her own life experience and knowledge - helping people to grow and expand as she does the same!
JOY GACAYA a i d e m l a i c o s r o t a n i d N coor MY FAB 4 ARE:
Social Media Creator- Responsible for developing Social Media Graphics to engage, educate and grow the HSRA Community Social Media Coordinator - Schedule and track performance of social media on all platforms Leads Management - provides customer service by acting as the contact between the Staging Community and HSRA membership Research
and
Content
Development
-
researches
industry
standards, pain points, new trends, and opportunities for education and developing content around them for HSRA Membership and Community
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
RAMON REYES MY FAB 4 ARE:
l a t i dig oordinator c
Website management and optimization
Website strategy to support: growing the brand, HSRA automation, possible knowledge base Website visibility of efforts and result in building new partnerships Facebook ads and lead generation
KIM DIAMANTE l a t i g di ditor e MY FAB 4 ARE:
Video Editor - Creating, Cutting & Repurposing footage to educate our industry Content Creator - Build new content and repurpose content for the purpose of growing our industry Youtube Coordinator - Grow, optimize and monetize HSRA's channel Social Media Assistant - Assist Social Media Coordinator in creating video content to distribute on social platforms
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
STAY READY Jill Johnson DIGITAL DIRECTOR
STAY READY Jill Johnson
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Welcome to 2022! The year of growth, expansion, and new opportunities! A new year is always my favorite because you have a blank page to work with. Of course, change can and should take place at any point during the year, but a new calendar year definitely makes things feel more accomplishable. As you begin this year, think about the things you are wanting to change or remove in your personal and business life, almost like spring cleaning. This is the perfect time to say “out with the old and in with the new”. As I think about what this year will bring, I see SO much change about to happen in my personal and professional life. As many of you know, my husband and I will be bringing a little one into the world in June and that alone brings plenty of change, so I’ve heard. Along with that, there is still professional life. At HSRA, we have TONS of ideas up our sleeves! I can’t share too much about now, but when we can, you will be the first to know.
Along with those secret ideas,
When
monetary
many of you know about our
increase, it affects your entire
virtual assistants. If you haven’t
company.
heard about them, they are
sometimes even warehousing. If
absolutely a game changer and
you are wanting growth, just be
have helped assist in so many of
prepared
our projects. We would not trade
members to your team OR
anything for them, that is how
increase pay for your current
amazing they are. They are just 1
team. Whichever you decide,
example of growth, expansion,
your team is going to be very
and new opportunities and if you
important to have for growth.
are wanting to accomplish any of
Always remind them of the vision
those, that is the route you are
and the mission of the company.
going to want to take. The moral
This will encourage them to
of the story, there is a lot that is
continue and to push forward
about to happen, so just be
even in the hard times. And just
ready… which is exactly what I
remember, virtual assistants, are
wanted to share with you how to
a wonderful way to add staff that
do!
isn’t required for fieldwork! Send
That
to
numbers
means
add
staff,
additional
us an email if you are interested As
we
think
about
new
in learning more.
opportunities and growth, we want to be ready for those things
2. Get comfortable being in
to happen. The way to do this is
the spotlight:
by always staying ready. I wanted
This one is an interesting one.
to share a few tips on how to do
Growing up, I have never been
this for the coming year:
one that wants to be in the spotlight. I, of course, am not a
1. Remind yourself of what
spotlight lover now either, but I
growth means for you and
definitely have been pushed out
your company: Growth is more
of my comfort zone within the
than
last 3 years.
just
increasing
monetary numbers.
your
STAY READY Jill Johnson
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
I have always thought of myself to be a humble
4. Listen to experts and align with the right
person, thinking humility meant you sit in the
people:
back and stay quiet, which is not the case at all.
If you are reading this article, you are doing this
According to C.S. Lewis, best-selling author,
already. You have aligned yourself with an
humility is not thinking less of yourself, but
organization here to help you grow and achieve
thinking of yourself less. I think this is perfect
your personal, professional, and financial goals.
when it comes to being in the spotlight because
Continue to dive into the “members only”
when that is happening, it does not mean that
Facebook group, your publication, the resources
you are not being selfish, it means that you are
that are given to you, and the events you are able
being selfless - sharing and being willing to help
to attend. If you are not fully plugged into each of
others. So if you have ever had a fear of the
those, we highly encourage you to make this the
spotlight or think the spotlight is for the selfish, I
year you dedicate time each day to your
would challenge you to change your thought on
education within the business, even outside of
that.
Staging. We have mentioned plenty of times how important it is for Stagers to get their Real Estate
3. Make sure people are in the right place:
license this year. So many amazing benefits come
This is a big one! Have you ever applied for one
along with this.
job position but later realized you would be better in a different one? Or do you currently have an employee with average performance in one
Make 2022 the year you focus on your business.
position, but you see potential in them in a
You have the ability to grow as big or as little as
different one? I encourage you to sit down and
you want. But I encourage you to do something
figure out a game plan to move them to that
different this year. Be prepared for anything to
position where you believe they would excel.
happen. Now let’s make 2022 the best year yet!
When you are preparing for growth, everyone needs to be in their perfect position. If you do strategy, this is the perfect time to hear your team’s updated goals and skills.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
n o t l e s U a Jan
10
TOP 10 THINGS I LEARNED THIS YEAR Moving forward into a new year, it’s always a good practice to reflect and see how you have changed personally, professionally, and financially. How has your business changed? What are the lessons learned? How have your team members changed? When we can reflect on these concepts separately and as an organization, big things happen. In my personal reflection on this past year, I quickly discovered it was a time of growth and learning. I forced myself to get uncomfortable. I went to several conferences by myself, where I was surrounded by numerous professionals in their own sectors of real estate. My key lessons definitely come from some of those pivotal moments.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
n o t l e s U a Jan
SOME LESSONS LEARNED WERE BRAND NEW, WHILE OTHERS REINFORCED CURRENT PRACTICES BEING PLAYED OUT IN PARTICULAR SCENARIOS. SO, HERE GOES...
CREATED WITH LOVE BY SILVERSTAG
n o t l e s U a Jan
This applies to business as well as our personal approach to accomplishing goals. Iron truly sharpens iron. People have been gifted; investing years into perfecting their craft with knowledge and experience. Finding the right people to partner with continues to be our focus.
My "TOP 10" list in no particular order:
3. Go find a deal. I have to laugh at this one. It is a concept
1. Don’t think too small. Throughout
the
constantly
multi-family investment. He talks about finding
reminded of this concept. As I met people like
a deal, doing a deal, and learning from the
Elena
Dawson,
deal. Conversations about multi-million dollar
professionals from Clubhouse, as well as
investments can seem a little stressful.
several doctors that mastermind with my
Reverting back to tip #2, Power in Partnership
husband, I was constantly forced to think
is key to achieving success. I love learning the
bigger
concepts
Cardone
based
year,
Grant talks about all the time, particularly in
and
on
I
was
Brandon
their
current
of
multi-family
investing,
and
accomplishments and new goals shared with
understanding it’s not as complicated as we
me. We should all dream so big that it scares
may think. In Real Estate, why close on 1 door
us, and find people who have accomplished
when you can close on 100? We are excited to
similar goals who are willing to help us get
grow our investment opportunities in 2022 in
there ourselves.
multi-family, and share the knowledge that stretches us all.
2. There’s power in partnership. I can’t do everything. I can do some things,
4. One person can make the difference.
while others do some, and together we can do
This one person could be a client, team
everything.
member, or significant other. We are all one person away from our next opportunity.
This also can have a negative twist. One person can bring you down, get you off track, or ruin all that you have created if you let them. Let’s focus on the right people that make the right difference going into this new year.
WE ARE ALL ONE PERSON AWAY FROM OUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY. 5. Fight the good fight. Whatever you believe, stand up for it. The time has come for us to speak truth and love; to a badgering client, a friend that is talking negatively, or to support a mission or cause we believe in. Yes, we can all be sweet, but we also need to know there are moments in our lives destined for us to stand up and speak our beliefs - whether it is popular or goes against the grain. We must know who we are and why we do what we do. I know each of us at our core wants to make a difference, and we will continue to do so in this coming year. 6. Don’t give up before the blowup. This Covid crisis has definitely tested and challenged us all. With the constant pressure of uncertain times, some people have chosen to readjust their plans. For many, it was a good decision, but others needed encouragement to stay the course. On many occasions, we were part of discussions and reach-outs about their options. As we all continue to assess and adjust as needed, I am constantly reminded to press forward through the uncertainty, gaining more ground. I believe we are more abundantly blessed in the choice to continue to grow, rather than retreat or remain in neutral.
DON'T UP DON'TGIVE GIVE UP BEFORE THE BLOW UP BEFORE THE BLOW UP 7. Be OK with being uncomfortable. I
learned
new
concepts,
terminology,
I always try not to burn bridges and want and
everyone to thrive in their own way. We must all
processes over this last year. In reactivating my
be OK with catching people with talent and
Real Estate license, I am learning more about
releasing them at the right time for them and for
commercial properties, finance structure, and the
us with no ill will or regrets.
Short-Term Rental business, and am pushed in greater ways to understand more about the
9. Expect greatness in others.
opportunities around us all. I also understand that
Setting the bar high for your team members
a company primarily specializing in Staging
because you see potential only does them a favor.
services is only a vehicle to bigger opportunities
Anytime we create an environment that doesn't
within the Real Estate world. It’s not the main
promote growth and excellence, we must readjust
business; it’s a way to gain an advantage Into
immediately. We have had to do this several times
investment properties and build multiple streams
throughout the year as we continued to focus on
of income using this vehicle.
the day-to-day activities that make us great. Having tough conversations is part of the deal. In
8. Catch and release.
the past, I wanted to avoid them, but have learned
People come and go and it's OK. It doesn’t mean
to go ahead and ask questions that help people
we’ve done anything wrong, although there could
understand and get more clarity behind a
be lessons learned. It’s up to us to see what is in
problem or situation. I fell many times, but when I
front of us and grow through it. People may be
can
with us for a season, a reason, or a lifetime - I
empowerment to others, I’m not only helping
think that’s a Justin Bieber song. Not everyone
them, I’m helping our entire organization. Instead
currently in your life will remain, and we must not
of me being so busy and expecting greatness of
be dependent on them in an unhealthy way. They
myself only, I must continue to pause and see
do not define us. We can love others from a
greatness in others and speak it. They may not
distance but it doesn’t mean they continue to stay
see it in themselves, and the reminder can
in our inner circle. We must always assess and
definitely help.
take
a
moment
to
speak
life
and
reassess, and give permission for those that are contributing, supporting, and pouring into us as
10. Fall in love with math.
we are to them, to remain in our life. We all must
Yes, it’s true. My love for math has a new purpose.
ask the question, "am I better or worse if this
Unlike in school, where I solved problems for a
person is in my life?“ Team members will come
grade, math has a whole new meaning - money.
and go, and hopefully, we have deposited some
Yes, math to me means money. Money is not a
wisdom, greatness, or value they can take forward
bad thing. The love of money is the root of all evil.
into the next opportunity.
We must only focus on what money can bring and do for others, as a vehicle. Money can mean impact, influence, and the ability to make a difference.
I’ve learned the concepts of "napkin math" for multi-family
and
commercial
purchases
based on occupancy, with Cap Rates and NOI. I have learned how many Short Term Rentals it takes to earn 1 million in revenue annually, I have fallen in love with knowing the critical numbers needed to run our Staging business, as well as dialing in the profit and loss statements. I’ve learned about creating a pricing matrix and how to pitch corporate structure deals based on results. We also better understand the financial health of a company based on a comparison of full-time team members and revenue in the door. Yes, now I love math because math equals money, and as business owner's we must understand the numbers that drive our companies. If numbers don’t add up then we go back to our KPI‘s and client relationships. Money is the result of providing products and services the public uses because they are making a difference.
. There you have it - my TOP 10 list. I would love to know your list as well. Please go to our HSRA members-only Facebook page and put your list of lessons learned throughout the year. It may just inspire others to do the same
n o t l e s U a n a xoxo-J
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MY TEAM GREW
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HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
4 Types of Social Media Tools Every Staging Business Must Have
Joy Cecille Gacayan | Social Media Coordinator
It's the time of the year again where most
1. Content Curation Tools
business’ are strategizing for the coming new
Social media isn’t just all about unceasingly
year. So whether you have done your 2022
feeding your audience your own content, but
Strategy or not make sure you set some time
more about what you believe brings value to
aside to strategize on how to grow your company
them.
through social media. Content curation entails finding content relevant We can't dispute that using social media to
to your audience from a variety of sources and
market products and services is one of the most
adding value through your social media. For
efficient ways to do so in our current time.
example, sharing a post from your favorite
However, it can consume some of your valuable
furniture brand with your own context is an
time when you don’t have the right tools to use.
example of content curation. So, what’s up with content curation tools?
So, here are four types of social media tools as well as recommended apps that are user-friendly and may help you optimize your productivity.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
CONTINUE READING ON PAGE 25
With content curation tools, you not only can
If you need help in designing your branded
gather content for later use, but also you can
graphics and videos, check out Canva. It has
share it right away across your social media. If
ready-made templates with a variety of elements
you are just a newbie content curator, you can
that can help your social media posts be
try timesaving free curation tools such as Feedly,
optimized.
Pocket, and Elink.io Aside from Canva, you can also try mobile apps 2. Social Media Scheduling Apps
such as Adobe Spark and Ripl App for content
Impromptu posting of your content is okay, but
creation.
how about on your busy days when you don’t have the time to create content?
4. Social Media Analytics Tools Exploring social media platforms is great, but it
If you want to be consistent in your social media
should serve the purpose. If the platforms don’t
posting, you will need to organize with a strategy
work for you, it’s okay. You can just focus on
and a content calendar. Once your content is
growing your audience on your outstanding
figured out, you can start scheduling.
social media platform.
Remember, scheduling content doesn’t mean
By using social media analytics tools, you will
you can run away to do something else already.
determine not only the numbers but also the
You still have to give time to your audience
activity, engagement, and information of your
engaging in your posts by engaging back.
audience. Make sure to check on the analytics tab of each social media platform or you can also
For starters when scheduling, you may try
explore more progressive analytic applications
Hootsuite, Buffer, Edgar, Sprout Social depending
that
on what you need or you can explore the free
Followerwonk, Iconosquare, Sprinklr, etc.
give
you
precise
results
such
as
scheduling option of Facebook Creator Studio and Facebook Business Suite.
To avoid becoming overwhelmed, decide what data is actually relevant to your business and
3. Content Creation Tools
focus on that data. The analytics you track and
Creating a consistent brand for your social media
measure should be in line with your overall social
platforms can be challenging. Yes, you may just
media goals.
create whatever, but establishing your brand can also help entice prospects to follow your business on social media.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
VICTORIA
n a m t a r St
Voila Staging & Design Premier Home Staging for Northern Virginia and DC Metro.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Voila Staging and Design is a multifaceted home staging and interior design company founded by Victoria Stratman in 2013. Victoria melded her lifelong passion for interior design and her 20+years of business
experience
in
mortgage
banking
and
construction lending to build a dynamic growing company that specializes in staging homes to sell and staging homes to live. Along with her business partner and designer Wendy Etheridge, Victoria and Wendy have grown Voila Staging and Design from a garage startup to designing and staging more than 250 homes for clients in 2021. Victoria has a finance degree from the University of Maryland, and masters staging certification from the International Professionals. include
Association Her
Luxury
of
additional
Staging
Home
Staging
certifications
Specialist
and
also Senior
Relocation Specialist. Voila Staging and Design plans to expand its interior design business into the different areas of the real estate market in 2022 while continuing to build its home staging and design business.
Q: TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHERE YOU ARE IN BUSINESS TODAY. I started the business on a part-time basis as others have or are doing now. I was a mortgage banker for 20 plus years and just wanted to do something different. My banking experience helped me from the very beginning in organizing and starting my business. I soon became so busy I brought in a partner, Wendy Etheridge. She had the marketing experience along with the design eye. This has made our business successful as we both have different strengths. Q: FROM THE BEGINNING UNTIL NOW, HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED? We have gone from my garage and 5-6 storage units to sharing a warehouse and then moving to our present warehouse of 6000 sq ft. We rented trucks from Penske and after a couple of years, they came to us and offered us a lease on a new 16’ truck totally wrapped with Voila Staging and Design. That has been great advertising for us. People see our trucks everywhere in Virginia, Maryland, and DC. We started with only contractors and we now have seven employees. All our management is in place and we have all our procedures, job descriptions, etc completed.
Q: WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE STARTING OUT? Start slow, take your first stage and buy what is needed for that home. Don’t go into debt for furniture and accessories immediately. Add these things as your business grows. Q: HOW ABOUT SOME ADVICE FOR THE PERSON DOING MOST EVERYTHING IN THEIR BUSINESS? Hire contractors first and build your business to a point that they can become employees Q: WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE ON MANAGING INVENTORY AT AN EARLY PHASE AND
MOVING
TO
A
MORE
SEASONED
BUSINESS? (if you have inventory) Start with a good basic inventory program and hopefully you will grow with that company so you won’t
need
to
change
inventory
programs.
Inventory management is a very expensive and time-consuming task but absolutely necessary for cost management. Q: WHAT PROCESSES NEED TO BE IN PLACE IN A BUSINESS SUCH AS YOURS? A business plan first and foremost is the most important piece. You can’t start a business without one. It is your road map and just as you are using your GPS for each appointment, you will use your business plan in the same way.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Change it as needed but always follow that road map. We put procedures in place for stagers, warehouse people, movers, and our accounting firm. Make sure you have someone or yourself to do the business side because of its importance to your viability as a business.
e h t y o j En Business You need to be looking at your books each day and when paying invoices, review completely what you are paying. When I started the business, I used only Excel and I would run reports showing the profit per stage after inputting all sales and costs per job per invoice. Then I would look to see where we could improve our procedures or adjust our pricing. We also had a small proprietary program for pricing in Excel. This was very helpful to make sure we were adding all the costs for each job to our pricing
for
each
stage
or
design
consultation.
Q:
ANY
LAST-MINUTE
ADVICE
FOR
OUR
MEMBERS? Q:
WHAT
ARE
SOME
LESSONS
LEARNED?
Enjoy the business and understand it’s not just staging; the business side is as important or more
We learned to have our warehouse
important than the stagings. If you don’t have the
properly organized to reduce costs and
money under control you can’t stage properly
to properly train movers to avoid costly
because you will run out of money and not
repair costs to inventory or for clients.
understand what happened.
PREPARATION IS KEY
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Got your STR signed, sealed, and delivered? Awesome! Now you are “rolling right along”, ready to begin setting up. You set a day to hit your local garage sales, maybe hit up Walmart, possibly check FaceBook marketplace...WAIT!! Full. Stop. Right. Now. “What's wrong?”, you ask. Well...just about everything if you are wanting to create a highly profitable, competitive, and interesting space
JENNIFER GAINER
for people to stay in!
staging buisness advisor
Now, don’t get us wrong...we LOVE a good deal, and we are comparison and bargain shoppers right along with you. However, you
The quality is less-than-stellar, so you are going to
cannot sacrifice quality for cost savings if you
have to replace items much sooner. That means the
want to receive the highest return on your
photos you took to list your unit are no longer
investment!
current. The design is not the same, the items have changed, and the look and feel is not consistent. Your
I will say that again...you CANNOT sacrifice
“ideal client” shows up expecting to see what they
quality for cost savings for the best ROI!!
liked in the photos; instead they feel highly disappointed because everything is different.
You have spent all of this time planning the BEST unit ever! You have nailed down your
What if we told you there was a better way? Not
avatar - so you know what they are going to
necessarily the lowest cost upfront, but a better way
need AND want to see in a unit, and where
to set up your units?
they are going to want to stay. You landed the perfect spot and now you are ready to set it
The standard we have found for most units would be
up. Why would you consider cutting corners
starting around $18-20 per square foot if you have a
now? We know...we know - the budget is what
professional company come and assist you with the
it is. And believe us...we get it! With 6 of our
design and set up of the property. Most of you are
own units for Model Stay, LLC, and more
already running a staging company, so you have the
coming soon, we understand the pain of
design aspects on point! There are some amazing
making these up-front investments. But you
standards of setup that can assure your guests have
have to maintain the long-term vision! You
everything they need, and even some of the extras
cannot just look at today...you need to see
they want, and you still don’t have to break the bank.
where you could be 3-6 months from now! Let’s get hypothetical for a moment. You invest
First off - why not look in your own garage,
all this time on the front - find the perfect
warehouse, or storage unit! You likely have some
place, plan it out, etc. Then you go in with the
amazing pieces in your own inventory you could “buy”
bare minimum, a mismatch of the right “items”,
from yourself, and let those be your foundational
and nothing feels cohesive.
pieces.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
WE WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND GOING WITH SOME DARKER TONES We would definitely recommend going with some
DId you just want it to have a particular vibe? Are
darker tones for the primary pieces (sofa, accent
you creating a “hashtag space” for people to
chairs, etc) just to minimize wear and tear. The next
share on social media? Have you thought about
stop is accessories - and in this, you are going to take what you would put in a “staged to sell” property and cut it by about 30% - especially in areas like the bathroom. Think of a hotel room - what types of things do they place, and why? In a short-term rental, think function over form in most aspects. The guest is likely going to be bringing a lot of their own personal items and will need places to store and display what they are bringing in. In addition, the more small accessories
including an accent wall, inspirational area, or special decor to make sure your unit tells the story for itself? These extra steps may add a bit on the front side, but will pay off in a major way with your occupancy rates and Average Daily Rate. Your goal should be to set your unit up in such a way that you can receive a full return on your upfront investment within 6 month! Thinking of
and items increase the ability for things to “walk
how long you will likely keep your unit listed, that
away” in between stays. The final step is thinking
is not a bad situation to be in!
about the “wow factors” - how have you designed this unit? Is it based on a theme park, sports team, movie, or some other ideal your avatar would have?
- Jennifer Gainer
2- Day Interactive STR Master Training Workshop
LIVE STR tour with Jana Thursday | March 3, 2022 - Attend the interactive portion of the workshop. Tour live short-term rental properties and get ideas for your own
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ATTEND THIS 2-DAY INTERACTIVE SHORT-TERM RENTAL MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP WITH HSRA, THE HOME STAGING, AND REDESIGN ALLIANCE.
THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2022 - 1:00 PM TO 5:00 PM FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2022 - 8:30AM TO 4:30PM HSRA TRAINING CENTER: 2550 114TH ST #170, GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75050
THIS MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS OF HSRA. MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE $100 OFF, USE CODE: STRMEMBER
MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP Friday | March 4, 2022 - Attend the Master Training Workshop all day with the best of the best
ELEVATE YOUR HSRA MEMBERSHIP
ASHLEY FUENTES OWNER: STAGING THE NEST HSRA EXECUTIVE LEADER XL GROWTH MEMBERSHIP
I am so loving being a part of the XL Growth Membership program!
During our last meeting, we did a high-level check on our business growth over last year and I am excited to share that Staging The Nest's revenue is up over 77% over last year - year to date! I am so proud of our amazing team!
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CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS HSRA INC. 2550 114th St. Suite 170 Grand Prairie, TX 75050 855.85. STAGE myhsra.com | info@myhsra.com