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Just-in-Time Home Makeovers |
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Written by Sandy Larson
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 | | home business |
Home Stagers Increase the Purchase Prices of Homes
Let’s face it. Not all of us have Martha Stewart’s knack for interior design. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you can make a clean and comfortable living environment for you and your family. However, when it comes time to sell your house, know that not everyone will appreciate the eclectic magnet collection on your fridge or grandma’s rainbow sherbet-colored afghan strewn across the family room couch.
Fortunately, for those of us who lack interior design sense, there are professional home stagers out there that specialize in making homes more attractive to potential buyers, which results in quicker sales and more money earned. Audra Slinkey of Vista, California, is one such person who can make any home more beautiful with the use of minimal funds and some creativity. Previously the owner of an Internet research and recruitment company, Audra started Home Staging Resource (www.homestagingresource.com) in 2005. “I spent the first few months setting up shop, creating forms, walking through guides, strategizing my consultations, building a web site, and creating marketing materials,” she shares. “I remember all the work I put in those first few months, wishing there was a ‘business in a box’ or franchise I could purchase to save me the time.” Feeling that there were inadequate resources to help people get started in her industry, Audra began specializing in the education and certification of Home Staging Professionals. “I was more passionate about helping others start a home-based business than doing the staging itself,” says Audra. “My true heart is in empowering those with a natural talent and eye for design to start a home-based business they love, are good at, and that gives them flexibility of time.” In six months, Audra has recruited over 150 Home Staging Resource Certified Members nationwide. This year, she looks forward to further expanding her business and helping others become successful home-based entrepreneurs. She says, “By giving someone the opportunity to work from home and be with their children and family while making a fabulous income, I have ‘passed on’ the gift I was given when I started my first company from home.” HBM Previously published in the April 2007 issue of HOME BUSINESS® Magazine, an international publication for the growing and dynamic home-based market. Available on newsstands, in bookstores and chain stores, and via subscriptions ($15.00 for 1 year, six issues). Visit www.homebusinessmag.com |
