When Seeking Education

When Seeking Education, be sure you check out your options before you make a decision.

Look out for:

1. Be leery of any organization that insists on trying to mandate YOUR business.
2. Read any agreements they ask you to sign and if able have an attorney look at it.
3. If they have a code of ethics that boils down to anything more than play nice in the sandbox, rethink joining.
4. NO ONE has the right to tell you that you can not accept or give a referral fee for business. Staging IS NOT governed by the government, owned by one person or organization. You may exchange referral fees. It is a private transaction between two people. RE agents also exchange referral fees and so do many other trades.
5. When choosing your training and looking into associations really check these out as well. Trade Associations are an organization formed to represent the collective interests of a number of businesses in the same trade.  They should be run from a non-profit status and not owned and ran by your training resource.
6. If your trade organization insists on playing "big brother" don't join.
7. If your training resource "removes", "takes away", "seize", "strips" designations from people that have earned them for Frivolous reasons don't join.
8. If you do research you can compare trainings. Really check out the websites of each training. You can tell a lot about the company by their website. Look at their promotions and the main focus of the site. Is it about a person? The training? Product sales?
9. Don't be fooled my mesmerizing people that can manage to hold a little bit of charisma together for a small period of time. It has no bearing on training.
10. Check out credentials and claims. Dates and timelines.

Look for:

1. A comprehensive program with substance.
2. Really read about the program and what to expect.
3. Ask questions about how much it costs to start a staging business. If you get told just your course fee and some business cards RUN.
4. Look at the site and make sure it is focused on the industry.
5. Look for training those partners with someone reputable. And not just partners with people they are making money from.
6. Look for a reputable endorsement.