*If you are interested in a possible staging career or you wish to enhance your existing decorating or staging business, you are invited to attend our Staging Crash Course webinar showing some of our latest projects including a $2,000,000 house.

  Sign up for Sept. 29^th or Oct. 27^th from 7:00PM to 8:30PM

  Limited space available

  $20 for our grads 

  $50 for agents or designers

  $75 for anyone else

  *The demand for certified stagers is accelerating exponentially. One of our real estate investor client/students just sent an amazing testimonial on August 25th…

  Becky,

I’ve been meaning to drop you a note and let you know how successful your staging course has been for us. We had two houses, a 4BR 2-1/2 BA and a 3/2 rehabbed and ready to go.  We put them on MLS on a Saturday and I staged on Sunday.  We had offers on both houses on Monday and signed contracts by Tuesday. Presto! It was worth the price and being so successful so quickly helped boost my confidence!

Thanks so much! 

Melissa Sargent, Riches 4U2 Investments, Inc.

  *Sandra Millis of Southern Comfort Redesign, just got good news that her 2^nd staged oceanfront condo sold in record time… around 30 days. Way to go Sandra!! www.scrjax.com 

*Anyone interested in jumping on the Staging Business Fast-Track program needs to speak up now. We have a few spots left in our Labor Day week Online Certification Class and 2 spots in our September 3-day local class. Our 3-day class dates in September changed to accommodate several people… the 15^th – 17^th, Thursday through Saturday.

To quote John Steinbeck “Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen” so please join your fellow stagers/friends and share an interesting idea or staging tip with the group or just come and network.

We are excited to announce a representative from Big Guy Movers is our guest speaker for Friday. One piece or a house full of furniture!

The meeting is Friday, the 5th at 10:15AM till 11:45AM at 10599 DeerPark Blvd. 32256, just off Gate Parkway.

Please RSVP at SCRjax@att.net.

   HAPPY 4^th of July! I love this holiday. What a great opportunity to be with friends and family to celebrate our national birthday. Hope you day was full of fireworks and sparkle.

We are also celebrating the school’s 5^th birthday… Hoo-ray!!! For this special occasion, we are offering 2 special gifts:

1. A “What’s New on the Staging Front” teleseminar. No charge for my VIP subscribers. If you are reading this, you are on my A-list. All others are $19. So tune in to the call to hear the great news about all the latest staging opportunities available. There is yet another untapped business opportunity under the staging umbrella. You will flip when you hear about this. We’ll share the “how to” and much more. All you need is a phone. If you send a “yes” e-mail to me, I’ll send you a reminder e-mail. becky@beckyharmon.com

The number is 213-342-3000 and the access code is 884624. It is Monday, July 11^th at 8:00PM EDT. Please join us for some fireworks and enthusiasm.

2. Our popular new Online Staging Certification Class is offering a BOGO-Buy One Get One- for a short time only. You must register by July 31^st. This

7-hour class is still at the introductory price of $750. If you bring a friend, they

are free. So basically, it would be $375 each. Wow! This is for our August and September classes.

The class includes 7 DVD’s, 5 CD’s, a new space-planning kit and

comprehensive manual. An added bonus is an additional professionally produced DVD of an actual staging job. We also include a power point CD

showing the best of our before-and-after pictures. Both extra products are worth $225. The class has a money-back guarantee. If you decide the class was not for you, your investment will be refunded but you can keep the

bonus products.

Read more about the online class:

http://www.transform-us.com/online-home-staging-training.htm

We love what we do. I am so thankful for 5 years of teaching new business owners how to stage and redesign homes across America. We have de-cluttered thousands of over-pillowed and under-decorated homes everywhere. We have thrown out thousands of “dead” silk ivy plants and

dust-caked ficus trees. We have beautified personality-starved, lifeless homes and added color plus style back to neutral, beige America. We have earned our cape and super-hero status.

When I started, many well-meaning voices suggested that it was probably a fad and not worth the investment of time and money… certainly not worth leaving a thriving interior design job. But they were all wrong.

Read below about how to fight for your dream and not let the voices of discouragement defeat you before you even start.

While visiting Williamsburg a few years ago, I realized how fragile our country’s freedom was in the first few years after the Declaration of Independence was signed.

On our last day in the area, we toured the Yorktown village. The monument in the square dates the battle at Yorktown, the deciding battle for our freedom, at 1781. This was five years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Vastly outnumbered, George Washington prevailed with the assistance of the French and this battle ended the war.

What can we as business owners glean from this history lesson?

When we launch our business, get the paperwork done and tell our friends, sometimes the initial enthusiasm wanes. We must stand firm and fight for our dream.

When I started in Interior Design many years ago, one of my co-workers, a super-star, prima-donna designer told me that I was not cut out for this business. I obviously felt a wave of fear and doubt. As it turned out, I was inspired to prove her wrong. My long commute gave me an opportunity to listen to CD’s on success.

Business owners all need to fill their spare time reading and listening to motivational speakers and leaders. Some of my favorites:

Brian Tracey

Zig Ziglar

Jim Roan

Les Brown

Joel Osteen

John Maxwell

I will end by saying how much I appreciate all of you who faithfully read this newsletter and love the business of Staging and Redesign. I salute all those working in this wonderful industry. I still keep pinching myself after a staging job… getting paid so well for doing something I love. It’s a dream job.

Our RESA meetings are always the first Friday of each month. Mark your calendar for August 5th from 10:15 till 11:45AM. The place is the SouthEast Branch of the library at 10599 Deerpark Blvd. 32256 904-966-0325

Make your reservations through Sandra Millis at scrjax@att.net.

Once again I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your online class - I learned so much! As I mentioned Saturday, I previously took a 5 day staging class in

Thanks again,

Donna Jones,

Thank you!   I have really enjoyed your classes.   The materials you supplied are really so informative and user friendly.  Also, I must add this… I had my list of questions poised and ready to ask during class, but checked them off as we were going along and never needed to ask, as you just covered everything so thoroughly!!     So thanks once again for everything Becky.  It has really been a pleasure being a student of yours. I have learned so much and look forward to many a staging sensation!    (Did I just think of a name there?)    

Warm regards,
Deb Sherlock,

The May RESA - Real Estate Staging Association - meeting was hosted by Pottery Barn at the Town Center.

The beautiful presentation provided inspiration for stagers and redesigners in attendance. The morning meeting was well-attended at a total of 28 guests. Many thanks to the talented PB design team for an enjoyable experience for all.

Read the latest on the new Online class on the website “Classes” page or the read the March Issue below this post. www.transform-us.com

*Pottery Barn, Town Center will host the May meeting of the Jacksonville Chapter of RESA - the Real Estate Staging Association . It will be at 8:45 till 10:15AM on Friday May 5th. The event will be catered by William Sonoma and the program presentation is courtesy of the PB designers. RESA is a non-profit organization designed to promote excellence in the staging industry and support the Real Estate community. All stagers and agents are welcome to visit a meeting, as well as, anyone interested in staging. Reservations can be made through Sandra Millis at scrjax@att.net or Becky Harmon at becky@beckyharmon.com. The meetings are $5.

I am euphoric about 2 important additions to our class.

Just this month, 2 student grads took advantage of our new source for stylish but reasonable websites. I think they are gorgeous.

If you look online, you’ll see that stager’s websites have been mediocre, at best. Since it is a visual business, the website must be exceptioal. Now we have a source for quick, reasonable sites. Tell me what you think:

http://www.firstimpressionsbyelizabeth.com

http://www.valentistaginganddesign.com/

 Our big news is that the much anticipated online class is finally 99% ready. We will have our first classes in late March and April. We have a waiting list and a few openings for our inaugural classes. Contact us if you wish to be on the list.

These classes will be reduced in price as we tweak and revise. We

 are still not sure which is best… an intensive Friday/Saturday or a few nights a week for several weeks. Let us know what you think.

While we feel like the Jacksonville on-site class is the best way to get launched quickly, not everyone can get here. We have people in Canada, and various parts of the USA waiting for this… and closer to Florida, many mom’s who just can’t get away.

The DVD’s and CD’s are in production now and will be ready in

about a week. There will be more info on the website soon. We will send out an official announcement when all the ducks are in a row.

BACKSTAGE       *Our last meeting for the Jacksonville chapter of RESA - the Real Estate Staging Association - was a huge success. We again had many new attendees. Join us in March for our third meeting of 2011. We will be sharing “Staging Secrets of the Pros.” Bring a friend. The cost is $5. The next meeting is the first Friday of March, the 4th. Make reservations at SCRjax@att.net through Sandra Millis of Southern Comfort Redesign. See below for location and details.    The meeting is for stagers, designers, real estate agents and anyone interested in staging. Our objective is to promote excellence in our industry.   We have a new FaceBook page under RESA Jax. Please “like” us.    Join us at 9:30till 11:00AM EDT. The location for this is meeting is MiMi’s in the Town Center. Normally we meet at the SouthEast Branch of the public library. 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. Jax. 32256. It is just off Gate Parkway south of Butler. 904-996-0325.*

Favorite Resources     ~These vendors can give you designer pricing on their products. They are my favorite resources.   * Call Keith at the Carpet Man (new location on Phillips just north of I-95) for contractor pricing on carpet and  flooring. Installation in 24 - 48 hours. 904-803-7825  HUGE SALE NOW * Call the Floor Club for another great place for flooring and tile. 646-4400     * Call Martin Schramm for all your Computer tech needs. 904-910-3511 * Jerry Busche - Website SEO 992-6144 www.bizmotivation.com    * Call Kellyann Norton at Total Home Management for deep cleaning. www.affordablecleaningservices.biz 238-9040  * Jesse Preza of Nest Design Group for websites. info@nestdesigngroup.com     *Fabric and Tile Masters for Carpet and Tile cleaning. 221-9550

We are still celebrating our new website by offering special pricing on our classes. Yes, we are paying for your hotel for a brief time. Read the latest newsletter at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs001/1101601434862/archive/1104346982978.html E-mail for discount details. becky@beckyharmon.com.

The February RESA meeting details:

Friday, Feb. 4th at 10:15 to 11:45AM. The location is the same… the Deerwood Park Blvd. public library. Jax. Fl. 32256. It’s open to all stagers and agents and people interested in learning more about staging. Cost, $5. Join us.

Hope all is well for you and yours.  Stay warm.

The biggest news for us is the brand new, hot-off-the-press, website. www.stagehappy.com  It has been a long time coming and well worth the wait.

Also, check out the new FaceBook page for Transformations Staging School. I hope you “like” me.

The local RESA - Real Estate Staging Association - meeting was Friday, January 7th at the SouthEast Branch of the public library. From 10:15 till 11:45AM. We did a short presentation on Motivation and Goal Setting for Stagers. The next meeting is February 4th at the same time. The address for our meetings is 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. Jax. Fl. 32256. It is open to anyone interested in staging.  For reservations, contact Sandra Millis at srcjax@att.net  I hope to see you there.

We are still adding pictures, but it’s finally out there. Yay!

It’s been like birthing a baby. She’s finally arrived and I am celebrating with a BOGO deal. 1st student at regular price; 2nd student half price. Bring a buddy to staging school. 904-945-0093