Michele's Blog

ASP Course in Atlanta begining July 10th

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:46:08 -0700

ASP stands for Accredited Staging Professional. This is the only internationally recognized accreditation for Stagers. This is good for anyone interested in becoming a Stager, or any Real Estate professional who may want to add this to their list of value-added services. I believe it also counts toward real estate continuing education credit.

This link will give you some details of the ASP course coming up next month... If you decide to sign up for the three-day training, you can use my name as a referral to receive $100.00 off the cost of tuition. http://docs.stagedhomes.com/071007_atlantaagent.pdf

You can contact Ann Marie Hidalgo for more information.
ASP Course Marketing Specialist
Toll Free: 1-800-392-7161 x 104
Outside US: 925-686-2414
Fax Number: 925-686-6386
Email: annmarie@stagedhomes.com
Address: 4807 Clayton Road Suite 200, Concord, CA 94521

Stage® is a Federally Registered Trademark of StagedHomes.com.

See http://www.stagedhomes.com/ for more information.

Historic preservation

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 23:08:49 -0700

Has anyone ever been involved with a historic preservation project? If so, did you enjoy it?

The reason I'm asking is because I am just getting involved with a Better Hometown Community project in historic Flowery Branch, GA. I am extremely excited for this little area of Georgia. I absolutely love historic districts when they've been preserved and think they offer much needed character to otherwise "typical" cities and towns.

If you live in or know of a historic district that may have a website I could visit, I'd love to know about it. I'm sure I could just google it, but I like hearing first hand what people think about these little areas of history.

Thanks!

Where do you find the time?

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:49:34 -0700

I find myself so busy lately, trying to be productive but feeling like I'm not getting anything accomplished. I guess I should consider putting together some sort of daily agenda to keep myself on track, but where to start??? I am in the final stages of having my corporate identity package finished (just waiting on my business cards and such to arrive in the mail). Once I have that, I should be able to really start marketing my business full force, but how should I begin??? I've been approached about marketing through certain Real Estate "Preferred Vendor Programs" but have also been told that may not be the best way to get started. I've also considered just cold-calling all the agents who have properties for sale in my subdivision and asking to meet so I can offer my services to their clients.

For any of you agents out there, how do you prefer to be contacted? Do you mind receiving unsolicited calls about partnering with your local Stagers? After all, the investment is usually made by your clients and you reap the benefits of faster sales for more money... (Some agents offer to make the investment in Staging if they have a good relationship with their client.)

Or would you prefer email or regular mail to be introduced to new Stagers in your area? Have any of you ever used a Stager? How did you feel about your experience?

Also, for those of you who are also full-time parents or hold another job outside the home, how did you make time to start your own business on the side? Did you find that creating a weekly agenda was helpful or did you do something else to keep yourself on track? I'm still debating on whether or not to put time into creating a detailed business plan, marketing plan, etc. Have you done that and has it helped you?

Thanks for listening and for any advice you may have :)

Advertising on your business card

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Tue, 22 May 2007 00:30:03 -0700

I'm in the process of designing my new logo and corporate identity suite... I know I want to use as much space on my business cards as possible to market my business and services. Over the years, I've collected hundreds of business cards and finally thought they were going to come in handy. I wanted to go thru them all to see how others have used the backs of their cards. I went thru each and every card I ever saved, only to find that NONE of them used the back of the card to list their services! Some used the flip side of their cards for Appointment forms, others used them for a little quote like "Your biggest compliment is a referal to your friends" blah, blah... But I was shocked that no one put their services on the card!

I've learned that the back of the card is a great place to list all of one's services. What if a customer only thinks you provide service in one area, and wouldn't think of you for something else even though you offer a wide range of services?

How many of you actually use all that space? If you don't, why not? If you do, have you found it to be beneficial?

Advertising on your business card

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Tue, 22 May 2007 00:06:35 -0700

How many of you actually use all that space? If you don't, why not? If you do, have you found it to be beneficial?

Some tips to remember when hiring a decorator...

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Sat, 19 May 2007 22:01:11 -0700

I've recently written this article to submit to a website for publishing, and wanted to keep it short... Do you think it's too short? Let me know your thoughts, thanks!

Thinking of Hiring a Decorator? Here are some things to keep in mind when considering using professional decorating services:

I have found, in my experience with starting my own decorating and Staging business, that more times than not, the general public is unaware of what to expect when considering to use a professional decorator or Stager, (not to mention a licensed designer.) I've written this article to give people a better idea of that expectation when hiring someone to help with a decorating dilemma.

First of all, I want to point out that a decorator, designer, Stager, or whatever professional you choose, is not just someone with artistic abilities, that person is also a problem solver. When you choose the right person, you are choosing someone who will be using experience, talent, and hopefully education, to help you get exactly the result you want, whether you know what you want or will be figuring it out as you go. That professional's job is also one of a psychologist, someone who will have to help you sort through all your indecisiveness and eccentricity to steer you in the direction in which you want to be.

To begin with, it will help to know what kind of budget you are willing to spend on professional services. Someone put it to me in this perspective: Unless you are hiring a Stager, you are hiring a decorating professional as a personal luxury. You do not need a professional decorator to help you live your life. This is not a service you can't live without. You should expect to pay accordingly. Not all decorators charge outrageous fees, but don't expect to pay someone minimum wage for the services they will be providing. Most decorators probably start their hourly fees at $75.00, and some may not charge hourly at all. Some decorators may charge per job, square footage, or another method they've found works for them. You'll want to keep this in mind when figuring out an initial budget. If you don't know where to begin when creating a budget, think of a figure you definitely would not want to spend, and then you can work backwards with the help of your designer. That also works well for those of you who think money is no object... When it comes down to it, everyone has a limit.

When you make the decision to start interviewing decorators, Stagers, etc., you want to find out certain things over the phone or through email before taking the next step towards meeting in person. This will save both your time as well as the designer's. First, you want to make sure that the person you hire has both talent and education. Find out what kinds of jobs they have worked on, where they may have received education, and if they are members of any professional organizations. Do they have any certifications or specialties? You want to be sure that this person keeps up to date on all building codes (if working with a designer) and is up to speed on all the latest trends. This will help when deciding if you want to go with the what's-in-now or tried-and-true classic style of décor. Being a member of at least one organization (such as DANA) can help a decorator stay informed. Check to be sure the professional is licensed to do business and also has insurance. Don't feel shy about asking for proof. You can even ask for personal and professional references. You may want to make a list of questions to ask before you place the first call. The decorator will have questions for you as well, so be prepared to answer questions about the job you'll be hiring them to do, as well as what your budget may be (yes, they will ask this). They will probably ask you a few personal questions, too, such as: are you married, who will be the final decision makers, do you have kids, pets, etc. (Some of these questions may not come up until a face-to-face interview.) Also, it never hurts to let someone know if you decide to go with another designer or firm, or if you just decide not to use a professional at all. This is more for someone who comes out for a face-to-face interview as opposed to a telephone interview. If a designer takes the time to come meet with you and you decide not to hire them, a simple phone call or email letting them know is appreciated. You don't have to go into detail as to your reasons, unless you are comfortable doing so.

And finally, you want to feel comfortable with the person you decide to hire. After all, many friendships are formed between a decorator and a client. You tend to learn a lot about each other throughout the whole design process so you want to be able to trust this person. But you also need to realize that this is a professional relationship first. Don't take advantage of your decorator just because you've become friends. This person has worked very hard for the knowledge and experience they've gained, so try not to ask for free favors or opinions.

Good luck in your search for the perfect decorator. I hope this article has helped shed some light on the process!

My First jobs...

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Mon, 07 May 2007 08:13:36 -0700

I've been in Interior Decorating and Home Staging professionally for a short time, but have been studying and learning for several years. Recently I started my LLC and began actually charging for my services. I've done free and volunteer work up until now to gain knowledge and portfolio credentials. Well, here's my dilemma... I'm a talker. I'm very friendly and tend to get along with most people. I also LOVE this industry and enjoy my work, meeting people, and sharing my knowledge. The problem is, most of the people I've been meeting are also talkers! So instead of a quick visit to a home to learn about the project and come away with information to provide a quote or bid, I spend hours chatting (on and off) about the job, the person and basically making a new friend. Now, I have no problem becoming friends with my clients, but I'm having trouble steering the conversations back to business and leaving small talk for some other time (like when I am actually getting paid!) I'm sure it comes with inexperience as well as my background in customer satisfaction and support. Prior to this career, I was doing financial software support for several major banks and with that comes "relationship management".

I am betting as real estate professionals, this happens to you all the time. I mean, obviously you don't get paid till the deal is done, so is there ever a time when you know you really have to focus on business and put "personal" relationships on hold? How do you keep your clients on track? How did you start out in the industry with no income but a lot of time spent until you made you first deals?

I don't know if this is making any sense to anyone, I feel like I'm just rambling. But I'm treating this particular blog post more like a diary than a searchable knowledge base anyway. I'm just hoping others will share my growing pains! Thanks for reading!

UBuildIt

Michele Kiefert, ASP, IFDA (Welcome Home Interiors, LLC) — Mon, 07 May 2007 03:51:10 -0700

Is anyone here associated with or have ever used the company UBuildIt? My husband and I are contemplating finding some nice land and building our next home but we'd like to be involved as much as possible. I'm in school for Interior Design so I am planning on customizing a home plan. We've gone to a UBuildIt seminar and I've spoken with a contractor there. It seems like a great thing to do, but I want to hear from others who may have gone this route.

Thanks!