I used to race around like a mad woman trying to fit 10 home staging consultations into a week, always afraid to put a client off who needed me and fearing if I didn’t see them right away they’d disappear and find a home stager somewhere else.
Then I realized that if you’re good at what you do and in demand, clients will actually wait for you to be available.
This realization allowed me to look at my business in a whole new way. I thought about ways to cut the stress of home staging appointment scheduling and how my previous approach had me trying to get to too many places in too little time. After all, we started our own home staging businesses to be in control, we should try and set things up in a way that will make us happy too, right?
When I’m booking home staging consultations (or full blown home staging appointments), I only book one per day. Yes, even the home staging consultations are all paid appointments, I don’t do free estimates.
Somewhere in my second year as a professional home stager (I should have done this much sooner), I made a list of all the things that were driving me crazy about the home staging business and tried to figure out solutions to each.
What I learned from this exercise is built right into the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program so my students avoid the trial and error I went through.
Right near the top of that list of “things that drive me crazy about being a home stager” was the sheer panic I felt anticipating the race from one client appointment to the next on the same day when there were so many unknowns:
- How long will the first appointment take?
- Will there be time to eat before the next home staging consultation?
- What food can sit in my car for three hours and not make me fat (or lose control of the car) as I gobble it down while rushing to the next house?
- How long will it take in traffic to get to the second client’s house?
- How long will the second appointment take?
- Will there be enough time in traffic to make it to after school pick up or do I need to arrange childcare?
- When will I figure out what we’re eating for dinner and buy it or make it?
Perhaps you’ve read that we all have blind spots. Things we can’t see that maybe others can?
Well after lots of pondering and writing in my journal about what was stressing me out, the answer finally came. Suddenly what should have seemed obvious to me but didn’t was, “what if I only agree to see one client per day?”
Having one client per day gives me leeway if the appointment goes longer than expected and leaves me time for all the other things we have to do running a home staging business (shopping for clients, going to the bank, paperwork, etc.) and keeping up with home and family demands.
With that one simple change my whole outlook on being a home stager changed. I was having more fun, I was calmer and paradoxically my income actually went way up!
Home stagers, how do you handle the stress of back-to-back appointments? What works for you? Do you have a set policy of how many homes you’ll stage or consult on in any given week? Have you tested out whether clients will wait for you if you say you’re all booked this week? Please share by leaving a comment below.
Debra Gould, The Staging Diva®
President, Six Elements Inc. Home Staging
Debra Gould knows how to make money as a home stager and she developed the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program to teach others how to earn a living doing something they love.
Debra, I only wish I had the stress of constant back-to-back appointments. But if I do have them in a given day, I will make sure I give enough time to a consultation depending upon the size of the home, as well as travel time, lunch etc. If there isn’t enough time to do two in a day, I won’t schedule it. I have found it works both ways for me – sometimes they will wait for me because they want ME and other times they just want any home stager. I find the latter happens mostly with home staging consultations, not with vacant stagings. I think homeowners feel that I’m replaceable when it comes to giving advice (especially those that shop around to save $50 on a consultation), but not replaceable when it comes to staging their vacant house or apartment. In that case, they either really like my style or have been referred to me by someone they trust,or both, and feel I am worth waiting for.
Yes I totally agree. Occasionally, I have to do 2 consultations a day (for example, if a real estate photographer is already scheduled) but I find it stressful and tiring. When I have full stagings, I can only manage one – for sure! I understand the dilemma – we want to get as many clients as we can…. the business is growing and scheduling it tough. One of my tricks is to try to space clients within a week so I can have some ‘FREE’ time which is never free but for unpredictable events and my weeks always get full. With all that being said, I think that is a good problem to have – means the business is doing well LOL.
Yeah, I WISH I had that problem! I’d love to do more consultations and more vacant staging. But what I’m running into is 2 things:
Realtors want to meet with you to discuss “becoming their stager” and then they ask you to do their stagings for a flat fee (usually $100). One even thought I should do it for vacants: put nice towels in the bathroom(s) and some “stuff” in the kitchen, and maybe a few more items here and there! That should only cost $100 as well!
On the vacants, we are running into the problem here in Denver of the fly by night stagers who offer 3 months of staging for a ridiculous price. (Example: I just bid a job for a small condo at $800 for the 1st month-a great price. The other stager came in at $900 for 3 months!) I’ve run into this numerous times and usually lose the job because it’s so much cheaper. We know this person won’t be around long term, but it cuts into my business at the time.
I find that people who search on the net for any old stager, will almost always choose price. It would be nice if we “educate” them that we are long-term, quality stagers, but most don ‘t care.
Any comments or input?
Debbie Fiskum, Perfect Home Staging Denver.com
I wish I had that problem consistently! It is usually feast or famine for me. During feast time, I try to do no more than one a day because my consults are very thorough and my kids need the taxi afternoons. During famine time, I don’t put much off and will 2 if necessary.
Debbie, I feel your pain. I know I lose a lot to stagers around here who do free consults and estimates because I get lots of fishing calls. It stinks to lose out over price and schedule. I had one call on a Monday wanting to stage a property that same Wednesday….really? Oh and yes…quote a fee over the phone without seeing it first. Hmmm..those types get what they pay for:)
Ana Hitzel
AccentPositives
“Putting Your Best Space Forward”
Hi Debra,
Interesting you brought this up. I’ve had a good number of projects come in and I have established a one job per day policy.
I do this for a number of reasons;
1) Staging is a creative process and I find it can be both creatively and physically draining. One project a day is enough and means I can give my clients the best.
2) I have a young son who needs to be taken to and/or picked up from school. Having just one job on allows me to do that.
3) Staging appointments have variables as you mentioned. I like to have a little flexibility left over for the unexpected.
4) I plan to back this up with other sources of staging related income.
Great post!
Thanks to everyone for good insights on scheduling staging consultations and staging projects. Sounds like the feast/famine nature of home staging has more influence on how stagers schedule their work than an “ideal” schedule. From the reading I have done and the small business courses I have attended, running your own business is stressful and demands on your schedule are part of building a business in the first year or two. It sounds like everyone posting here is trying to do what will provide them with an income while striving to keep business from interfering too much with family and the rest of life. Maybe it depends on how much stress each of us can handle and what we consider to be more stressful – too much work, or not enough?
Interesting that you bring this up. I recently discovered that my clients will wait for me to “fit them in”. They know that what I bring to the table is important in helping them get their listings sold. And yes, it is a big relief, in more ways than one.
That’s fantastic Debbie, I’m so glad you shared your experience with others here! Related to this, watch your email from me later this week as I have a special gift coming your way with tips for juggling business with family.
In my opinion it comes down to- is staging a hobby for you or a business? My biggest client is a Team of top producing Realtors, I do minimum 4 appointments a day, 6 days a week! no joke. Very hectic getting to and from on time, but once I am there with the client, be it a consultation or a showcase appointment- I forget about how busy I am and I put forth 110% effort and creativity like it was my only appointment of the day. I’ve broken down scheduling my business and busy family to a science, that’s for sure! I’m expected to see new listing clients with in 2 days for the initial consultation-that’s with new listings coming in daily. Sink or swim- so I hired an associate:)
Lesley, I’m so glad you commented and shared your experience. That does sound incredibly hectic, and one of the reasons I didn’t choose to build my business around real estate agents.
Clearly you are building a very busy business and getting lots of great projects to use your creativity. I hope you’re making a high six figure income to match that level of activity.
I don’t agree however that you have to work 6 days a week/4 appointments a day to build a business. My staging was never a hobby for me because I had to support my family with it. Yet, I did find a formula that kept me in control of my schedule and allowed me to pay off my entire mortgage within 3 years.
We each have to find what business model fits for us and I congratulate you on your success. Thanks again for sharing!