It's Official!

I have officially launched my home-based business!! It's been about a year in the making and with many clear signs & "nudgings"(sometimes a strong push!) from God, I have followed my heart & intuition! Like any new venture, I am a little nervous (ok....a lot nervous!), but I think I am more excited to finally be realizing this dream! The name of my business is ReD Staging & Design. You may wonder why ReD is the way it is. Let me explain........
I had it down to 2 names; ReD Staging & Design and Main Staging & Design. I talked it over with my kids & husband and we decided on ReD. Now how did I come up with ReD, you ask? Well, I wanted the name to reflect/include my family because they will all be a part of this venture with me. Obviously, "red" is not any of our initials (Louis, Laura, Nala, Caisha, Zach, Wyatt) so where did it come from? ReD stands for the three birthstones in our family. Ruby, Emerald, & Diamond. Since there are 3 of us (Myself, Nala & Zach) with the ruby birthstone, it was the logical choice to put first. The "e" is for the emerald birthstone, which Caisha is the only one with, hence it is a small "e". The "D" is for diamond, which Louis & Wyatt share, making it a capital "D" since it is the 2nd most represented stone; But it didn't make sense to put it 2nd in the arrangement of letters. RDE just didn't seem catchy enough. So, "ReD" was born! The kids are excited about this and have volunteered to help out. Nala has said she will be my Webmaster, Caisha will be my Marketing Manager, Louis will be my business partner (of course), Zach will be my "muscle" when I need help moving furniture & all-around "go-to" guy, and Wyatt...well, he'll just be the cuteness factor for now!
You may be wondering what services I offer at ReD Staging & Design. Well.......The Staging part of the business is Home Staging. Basically I will stage your home for sale. If you have watched the news or, better yet, any of the HGTV, DIY, TLC networks, you are familar with what a home stager does. Why would you want to pay someone to "stage" your home? Because it is proven that your home will sell 33% faster and anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 more! It is definately worth the money! I have talked with a few Realtors in my area and they are excited to offer my services to their clients. I will be charging $50/hour for my services, plus the cost of renting furniture, if needed.
The other large part of my business will be Kitchen Design. (that is the Design part of the name ;P) Designing kitchens has been my passion for over 10 years! I will consult with the client on what they are wanting with the space/how they are going to use the space and then I will provide them with, what I call, working drawings. You will be able to use these drawings to show your electrician, plumber, carpenter, etc. as to what you plan to do with the space. The cost of these drawings will depend on the size, or scope, of your plans.
Another aspect of my business will be decorating/design consulting. If you just need some advice on what to do with a space......furniture arrangement, paint colors, flooring, etc......I will be more than happy to meet with you. One consultation session is $50 for the first 2 hours and $50 for each hour there after.
So there you go....that is ReD Staging & Design in a nutshell!
Some of you may be wondering why I am starting my business now, with the economy the way it is. Based on what I have been reading and hearing in the news, now is the perfect time for me to offer the kinds of services I do. The housing market is pretty soft, and your home needs to stand out from the "crowd" of houses on the market. And a lot of people are remodeling instead of buying a new home, and we all know that updating your kitchen/bath is the best investment you can make in your home. Better yet, if you make those changes now and live in your home for a couple more years, not only will your homes value increase, but you will get to enjoy the "fruits of your labor"! And it doesn't look like you made the changes just to sell the house!
I also have a couple of great people in my corner to help me get started. My current boss, Mike, has generously offered to send, what he considers, small projects my way. As a larger firm, he just can't make money on these small projects without charging almost outrageous prices. I can't tell you what a confidence boost that has been! Another person that will be "sending" me projects is the plumber I consulted with to remodel my kitchen, Monte Gibbs! He has helped out another lady with her design business and she now has so many projects coming her way she can't take them all! I feel pretty confident that Monte and I will be able to build a great working arrangement.
Another aspect that I consider a blessing in disguise is that I may be getting temporarily laid-off my current job, starting March 16. I won't know until this Friday or even Monday (the 16th), but if I am laid-off I will be able to collect unemployment while I am getting my Design business off the ground. I will have more time to concentrate on networking and making appointments. Once I am called back to my "regular" job (which I really enjoy) I can still continue with ReD Designs in my "off hours". I currently work 8:30a - 2:30p, so I will have some flexibilty on when I can meet my clients in the afternoon and early evening, if necessary. I know God blessed me with Mike as a boss. I remember when I first interviewed for this job and wasn't too thrilled when it turned out to be the one I felt fit my needs. Being from Minnesota, I really didn't want to move to Iowa, but I can say now that I am so glad that I did follow my instincts. Mike has to be one of the best bosses in the country! He allowed me to take 3 months off after Wyatt was born and then when I came back from maternity leave, he has allowed me to work until 2:30p so I can pick the older kids up from school, and get Wyatt from Louis on his way into work. Wyatt does not have to be in daycare! That was a burden off my mind! Mike has also been VERY understanding about my pageant pursuits and never has a problem giving me the time off I need to pursue my "hobby". He's very supportive and understanding. If my business really takes off and I just can't continue at Stott & Associates, I would be more than happy to recommend his company for anyone looking for an interior design, architectural drafting, or architect position!
Ok.....enough with the gushing! :) This is getting pretty long, so I will sign off for now!

Keep thinking positive and great things will happen!!!