Before I was old enough to read I had a few playing cards in my hands. Besides cards our house was always stocked with dominos, dice, and board games. My brother and I were introduced at an early age to both The Book of Hoyle and a Dictionary. 

While we didn’t play “a game” every day it was a sure bet that “some game” would be played at least once a week. We played Pinochle, 42, Parcheesi, Old Maid, Uno. We played “Regular” and “Mexican” Dominos. Our kitchen table was often covered with one board game or another. To this day, it usually isn’t difficult for me to learn a new game because I’ve spent so many hours learning the ins and outs of playing various games.

For years it was my thought that the reason our parents taught us to play games was because it was a very inexpensive way to entertain the children as well as themselves. Although I still believe that was a portion of the reason we were taught to play games, I’ve come to realize it wasn’t the only reason. Following are some of the things we learned which help me better understand the Home Staging Business Game.

Playing the Game The very first “rule” we learned was – you must follow the rules!

I remember Dad saying, “If the only way you can win is to cheat, then you haven’t won.” The other lesson we learned was that if you decide to not follow the rules you will soon be playing alone. Dad’s other words of wisdom? “No one wants to play with a cheater

 Home Staging Business A worst case scenario of not following the rules would be taking money to perform a service and then not following through. Another way to not play by the rules is to say things about your competitor which are not true. Try either of those tricks and you may find that not only are you playing alone but you may also be trying to figure out how to pay the fine or even serve the time. 

Playing the Game One of the more difficult lessons Dad taught us was that each game has one or more “strategies” attached to it. For instance, depending on which Rummy game one is playing he must decide whether to hold all his cards till near the end of the game or to begin laying them down from the first chance that arises to do so. Trying different strategies in each game will lead to different levels of results. Just because I decided to pull one peg from the Jenga game doesn’t mean I have to stick with it if I find the tower is tipping. I can choose a different rod. Discovering which strategy will most often give the best results takes time and practice. Sometimes the best solution is to use a different method or a different method or even a different method.

Home Staging Business Being in the Home Staging Business means one must discover which tactic works best to create income. There are different models for propelling the home staging business forward. Some Home Staging Business owners run a “one man” show while others hire several people to work for them. Some owners own accessories as well as furniture while others choose to own only accessories while renting furniture. Some owners focus on only staging to create income while others choose to diversify and add redesign or holiday decorating or other related services to their menu. If one strategy isn’t working a good business owner will know when to make the change to a different approach.

Playing the Game Dad taught us that sometimes one must take a calculated risk in order to move ahead. For instance when playing Yahtzee it is perfectly alright to try to get a yahtzee in ones when you have rolled 4 ones even if there is no other place to use those 4 ones on your score sheet. Yahtzees are worth the try. Further we learned that by watching what our opponent or even our team member played we would have a better idea of what still remained in his or her hand. When we were children we had a hard time figuring out how Dad could tell us exactly which dominos remained in our “hands.” We learned that we must pay attention to not only what we saw in front of us but also what the other players were doing. We could then take an educated guess concerning what our next move was to be. I remember one of the things Dad often said before making a bid, “My partner will have what I need.” We learned to trust our partner to help us to win the game.

Home Staging Business It isn’t enough to decide to be in the Home Staging Business because one is “good at making rooms look nice.” If one knows not only how to make rooms look nice but also how to “get the word out” it could be worth a try to pull that money out of savings and begin the advertising campaign. One must be able to see what is going on in the business world. One must know what one’s competition is doing. One should be able to count on his partners and his strategically aligned associates to do their part to help win the game. As a matter of fact if one finds he is trying to play the game with an associate or business contact who doesn’t care about winning it may be time to find a different “partner.”

Playing the Game Dad had very sensitive ears. At least I guess that was why we heard him say to us on more than one occasion, “Play the hand you were dealt and don’t whine about it!”

Home Staging Business If you are in an area where Home Staging is not well known then be glad you don’t have a ton of competition. Get out there and educate your neighbors. If you are in an area where the competition is fierce be glad someone has come before you to educate your potential clients. Find a way to set yourself apart – find a niche. If you don’t have a good source for furniture rental – consider buying the furniture you use or think about ways to help your clients purchase the needed furniture. If you are not good at marketing decide if you can partner with someone who is, hire someone to market for you or learn how to market effectively.

Playing the Game Dad said, “Do not be a poor looser. Worse yet – don’t be a poor winner!!!”

Home Staging Business  Some days you get the bid, some days you don’t. If you didn’t get today’s bid then try again tomorrow. Don’t ever, ever, ever act haughty and conceded because today was your day to receive the business which your competition also wanted. Not only is your competition watching you your client and potential clients are also watching you and they want to know you have poise and grace before they are willing to invite you to their properties. While no one wants to be around the whiny loser it is the tacky and graceless poor winner who turns out to be the loser in the long run.

However you are allowed and encouraged to do the whoopy dance with your colleagues, cohorts, family and friends. :) Besides that you are encouraged to give me a call and I will whoop and dance with you.

Playing the Game Challenge: What game am I playing if I bid 126 and am only allowed to do so if someone bids 84 before I bid? (Remember – I gave you lots of links.)

Home Staging Business  Challenge: What are you doing today to be better prepared to play the Home Staging Game?

Be sure to check out the new players on the rooms b.y. root team.

This information is brought to you by Yvonne Root with rooms b.y. root. The rooms b.y. root team helps home owners in Northern Arizona prepare their homes for sale in the real estate market. rooms b.y. root team members can be found staging homes in Chino Valley, Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Dewey-Humboldt, Mayer, Black Canyon City, New River, Anthem and all places between.