Marcyne Touchton
of Domaine Staging & Design
Publicado em:
December 31, 2022
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Articles.
by IAHSP®
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The International Association of Home Staging Professionals is proud to highlight business owners and companies in an around the business of Home Staging, Real Estate, Design, and Short-term Rental, though our IAHSP Articles Features.
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Let's dive right into our latest IAHSP Article.
P. Obrigado por reservar um tempo para se sentar conosco para compartilhar sua história com nossos leitores. Você pode começar compartilhando um pouco sobre você e sua empresa?
I started back in 2006, when nobody knew what Home Staging was. I spent all year educating realtors and homeowners about what it was. Now that Home Staging is a household term, I differentiate myself from the others, and educate them on the importance of Accreditation, as Home Staging Industry is not a regulated industry.
P. Todo mundo tem uma história sobre como começou, qual foi a inspiração ou o catalisador para você começar seu negócio?
I told my husband, "I was told that I'd be great at home staging... there's a company out West that started it all, I'd like to train with StagedHomes." We decided to wait til our daughter was a little bit older. It was a God thing,... a few months later, my husband ended up working w/Barb Schwartz! After working and getting to know her better, he summoned the courage to tell her that I was really wanting to take a course, to which she replied, "send her out here, and I'll train her myself!"
P. Quais serviços você oferece? E por que você escolheu oferecer esses serviços específicos?
In this market, you really have to diversify services. Introducing Design Services right after the Pandemic, was what not only saved my business, but help it thrive like never before! I'm sure as we are heading toward a tougher real estate market, home staging will be in even more demand. And luxury services, such as design, may shrink. It is important to keep up with what's going on in the real estate sector, as well as the economy.
We do stagings, full service design and consultations. We even started a furniture rental business, in the middle of a pandemic, because the need was so desperate. Now it is two distinct different companies. I use the staging furniture business for all my vacant stagings, and it has revolutionized the way I do stagings. I literally get to be the HGTV designer that points and wave my hand, and I've got a company that delivers and installs it with a white glove service.
P. Você já teve um projeto ou cliente em que tudo estava dando errado ou o projeto era desafiador? Você pode compartilhar sobre aquela época e como você encontrou uma solução ou superou o desafio?
We had a challenging situation. The client was upside down on his house. He was depending on selling his home to get any money out, but in the meantime, his house was in deplorable conditions. His family left to the West Coast without him, so he could sell the house. He was in poor health, and did not have the funds to do what needed to be done in order to sell for top dollars.
I did a consultation telling him everything that needed to be done, including remodeling his kitchen, which included knocking down a wall. Of course, he couldn't pay for it but I could tell he really believed in my vision, and was convinced that that was the only way he could come out on the other end. We went back and forth, and I was very empathetic to his condition, so much so, I decided to invest and fund the project. I never have done that before. Business is business, and I did make a percentage for the loan in order for us to do all this, and the ending was beautiful. He sold for top dollars, got his money back from the house (and then some), we got paid at closing, realtor was extremely happy, and most importantly, he could move out West to be reunited with his wife and daughter.
marcas que todo home stager deveria conhecer
P. Administrar um negócio nem sempre é fácil. O que você aprendeu sobre você e sua empresa, desde o lançamento de sua empresa?
I have learned that we think businesses are a reflection of who we are, therefore, we sacrifice everything for it losing ourselves in the process. It is TOUGH to get a healthy work/family balance having your own company. We went through growing pains as a company, as a family. Since then, I put God first, Family Second, and then business. Being a mom entrepreneur, I try to make sure I wake up extra for myself in the am, try to knock out everything in my day and wrap up for evening time. I let it slip last year as it was a very busy year, but that's my New Years resolution.
P. Todos nós já tivemos um funcionário ou um cliente que fez o que estamos fazendo valer a pena. Você pode compartilhar conosco uma história sobre um funcionário, fornecedor ou cliente que realmente o impactou e tocou seu coração?
I had a client who has had me design for her many times. The last time was for her son. I am not hip, so I don't know what a 14 year old is into, but he educated me on what's in and what he wanted. This was years ago before colored programmable lights were popular. I created a moulding for him so it wouldn't look too bachelor and modern like, mixed in with some basic PB bedding and wood furniture, and it is one of my favorite projects. The best is that his mom videotaped him jumping up and down yelling how much he loves it.
P. Se você pudesse voltar no tempo e dar a si mesmo alguns conselhos sobre como gerenciar ou expandir seus negócios, que conselho você daria a si mesmo?
When you are too busy to sleep or eat, get help. It is hard to ask for help because you think you are going to catch up, "one wkend" or "one night" but it turns into a lifestyle. When you are missing out on everyday things, you need to determine where you need help and outsource it or hire someone to do it.
P. Se um cliente em potencial estivesse lendo este artigo agora, o que você diria a ele sobre você, sua equipe ou sua empresa que o convenceria a escolher sua empresa?
We love what we do and everyone in our team embodies that and are easy to work with. I used to be at a point in my own company where my one employee made it so miserable to come to the office, I wanted to quit. I found out my clients were treated in the same light, and they didn't like calling on my company in case they'd have to deal with her.
Now my criteria for hiring is, (assuming their talent and skillset is top notch), do I like being w/this person? Are they easy to get along with?
P. Qual é um fato sobre você ou sua empresa que a maioria das pessoas pode não saber?
I was selected as one of the MyKirklands, National Designer. I won that award along w/other designers from all over the country. We had fun, going to their headquarters in TN and did a few design workshops and PR stints.
P. Para onde você vê sua empresa indo nos próximos 5 ou 10 anos?
I see the business being a well oiled machine with teams and systems in place, and braced for scaling up. I always dreamed of franchising, but now, I think I would like to just grow it.
P. Foi ótimo sentar com você para aprender mais sobre você e sua empresa. Como as pessoas podem saber mais sobre você e sua empresa?
They can go to my website to see all that I do. I hate to admit it, I have not regularly kept up with the photos - it is on my list for next year to be more consistent with that.
P. Muito obrigado por compartilhar sua história com os artigos da IASHP!
Thank you for taking the time with me.
