This March of 2022 Staged by Design celebrated fifteen years in business. We became an official registered business in Loudoun County on March 31. I started as a one woman show back then with big ideas. Dr. Seuss said it well when he penned the words “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” in his infamous book Oh the Places You’ll Go. As a small business owner, I have learned a ton through failures and successes, and I felt I should spend a moment reflecting back on fifteen years of business. Our business has grown and changed for sure, but one thing has remained - our commitment to our core values and how we serve our clients.
Why did I start Staged by Design?
I wanted to have a creative outlet. I loved interior design and I was looking to do something different, coming away from the corporate world after working with Marriott. I stumbled into home staging when we had our home staged in California way back in 2005. The seed was planted then but I couldn’t figure out how I could channel it into a job or a career unless I started my own business.
How has Staged by Design grown in the last fifteen years?
We have grown by leaps and bounds over the past years. We have grown in our capacity to serve more clients. We have also grown internally through services that we can offer aside from home staging such as AirBNB’s, redesign and even adapting during a global pandemic through virtual services. We’ve grown from a one woman show to a six person team and looking to add more staff soon. We’ve always liked to act like a much bigger company than we are, and we maintain that to this day by thinking as big as we can, while staying small at heart with the personal attention we provide to our clients.
What has changed?
Well one change is that I’m older (and wiser). Our branding and logo has also changed three times due to the fact we want to stay as current as we can with our look as a company and with the staging we provide. As a company, we are always looking for ways to improve our systems to better serve our clients. Stay tuned….we are so close to improving our consultation process so that it can better serve clients in the tech-driven world we live in today!
What drives me?
I am driven everyday to work with my amazing staff. As a small business owner it is a tremendous responsibility knowing that you have people on your payroll. It motivates me to go past what I would normally hold myself accountable for because people are relying on me. It drives me to set big goals and hit those numbers so we can create an environment where every one is fulfilled and happy. Doing what you love with people you like is really what you want in your work environment.
What attributes to our success?
I attribute a lot of our success over the past fifteen years to tenacity, perseverance and more so a willingness to please. I try not to say “no” very often, in order to provide a level of customer service that we can sustain. Obviously there are times we must say “no” but we can do it confidently knowing its not going to hurt our business. Our systems have also provided a strong foundation for our success. We are poised for continued growth and expansion whenever we need it, as part of our strong infrastructure. Another huge factor was allowing my business to grow slowly so I could still be there for my family was as much out of necessity as it was good planning, but it served me well. Slow and steady wins the race!
I am so thankful to all of our clients that we currently work with and those we have worked with in the past. All of you have been building blocks for this company and we are so grateful for the chance to work with you. Home staging truly is an ever-evolving business and we want to make certain our processes and our services evolve with it. The heart of our business is to help our clients make the most money on the sale of their home by giving them solid staging recommendations and creating beautiful looks. Here’s to another 15 years!