"How I went from overworked mother of two to helping thousands of home stagers build a business they love."
In 2004 I found myself at a crossroads. My boys were in school and I had been working first part time wanting to earn some money, but also to have something to work towards. I’ve always thrown myself into my work, but I found myself constantly feeling torn. When I was at work in the office, I felt guilty for not being with my family and when I was at home, I felt guilty for not being at work. I hated it.
So, I took a deep breath and made the decision to open my own staging business. It was time to do things my way.
Little did I realize what I had started.
While I was able to determine when I worked and to prioritize my family, I was surprised by the direction my business had taken.
After three years of trying to figure things out on my own...
...spending MONTHS agonizing over my website (wait...what website?!)
...attempting to create marketing brochures, etc. when I didn't have any work to share
...trying to figure out my pricing even as I wasn't sure what my services would/could be!
but also creating lots of opportunities along the way - my company took off.
My two sons were even able to work alongside me within my business, watching them learn the ins and outs, I was proud.
My consultation based business took off and I found myself expanding into the vacant side without any real plan to do so.
But, that’s what you do as a stager, right?
You bring in furniture and accessories and that’s how you make the real money...right?
I started storing my inventory in my garage, transferred to storage units and then, finally, a real warehouse (…and then a second warehouse!)
I even remember purchasing my delivery truck, I was so proud because I paid cash for it a year ahead of my plan.
Then there was the search for good help to pack, load, transport, stage, destage, repack, transport and return everything to the warehouse. Oh, and the additional expenses; warehouse, insurance for everything and everybody, office help, inventory, cleaning of inventory, broken inventory, forgotten inventory, contracts, the list could go on and on
…and it did!
I was exhausted.
The decision I had made to live a life that would allow me to actually be available for my family was now overshadowed by my business - it seemed to have taken over every aspect of my life.
A trip to the grocery store for milk turned into a shopping spree of clearance bird houses and bistro sets being carted home, while I forgot to even pick up the milk!
I took a long, hard look at what was going on and realized I had created the exact life that I had run away from ten years earlier.
What had I done?
More importantly, what was I going to do about it?
I made the bold decision to close the vacant side of my business..to focus on the occupied side.
Going “straight occupied” was a bit unsettling but I took a deep breath and did it anyway.
And the results were amazing.
With lower overhead and a larger potential client pool, I realized my consultation-based business model provided a solid foundation for my company.
After all, when reviewing my numbers, I saw how the money the vacant side brought in was very satisfying, but how much of it did I actually get to keep after expenses?
Even more importantly, how much of my mind space did I give up to keep the hundreds of details I constantly juggled to keep things straight?
I quickly discovered the occupied consultation process I had designed and enjoyed answered an unmet need within the home staging industry.
An occupied consultation business is the most effective way to turn time into money, control my schedule, keep more of what I earned and actually think about something else besides business.
I found my life again.
And so, the Occupied Consultation Specialist® program was born.
After many years gaining experience through trial and error, devouring neuro-marketing research, and assessing the effectiveness of my client consultations, I've developed a pragmatic, systematic approach that allows YOU to provide an outstanding consultation each and every time.
The OCS® program teaches you how to move your client to action, considering their unique timeframe, budget, and needs.
It’s not about pushing rentals or upselling additional services.
Instead, it’s a high-quality service that can stand alone AND allow you the profitable business of your dreams.
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To get in touch with Bobbie, contact Team OCS at [email protected]
