CSP® Home Stager Success Stories"I am a SUCCESSFUL Certified Staging Professsional...
Martha Stanton-SmithCCSP®,Kingston Q. Everyone's definition of success is different; what does being successful mean to you?
A.It means being able to continue to help people and to enjoy doing it. Q. What do you feel is you or your company's biggest achievement since taking the CSP Course?
A. I think the biggest achievement has been survival. As I go into my fifth year of business no one project really stands out head and shoulders above the others. I see the biggest achievement as being able to stay in business and continuously improve. Q. What did you do before embarking on the life of a Certified Staging Professional?
A. Immediately before entering CSP(TM) I was in direct sales with a ladies knit clothing line, but, my main career for the previous 30 years was with The City of Winnipeg where I had been an accountant working in the finance department, budget bureau. Q. What did your friends or family think about your decision of starting a staging business?
A. They were quite supportive. They could see I had a real passion for the work and a bit of natural aptitude. Q. If you could give advice to someone considering entering the staging industry what would it be?
A. I often do advise people who contact me about entering the industry. I usually start flippantly with "Don't quit your day job!" But what I go on to explain is that they should treat it as seriously as they would in starting any other business. Make a realistic business plan that includes a worst case scenario. Make sure you have adequate expert support and training, including start up funding and income replacement until you get rolling. Take advantage of the training and support offered by reputable professional associations such as Canadian Staging Professionals. Q. If you could give advice to a Certified Staging Professional who hasn't quite made it to "success" yet, what would you tell them?
A. It's 90% marketing. Find every possible way you can connect with people and listen to their needs. If your business can solve their problems, let them know how enthusiastic you are about being able to help them. Repeat daily. Q. What would you tell a potential student as the BEST thing about being a CSP is?
A. The best thing about being a CSP is the attitude of support between members that Christine promotes and teaches in class. It would be easy to be petty and competive as we struggle on our own, but, by supporting our fellow CSP's we are all given a boost towards success.  Name: Martha Stanton-SmithCompany Name: Rearrangements CSP Since: August, 2006 Phone: 613-539-3233 Website: http://rearrangements.ca Email: martha@rearrangements.ca << Back to Success Stories |
   
 
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