Yes, I have been laid-off my regular job. As I mentioned in my previous post, I see it as a blessing in disguise! On Friday I called Monte Gibbs and told him that I am ready to "pull the trigger" on my design business and he said my timing couldn't have been better because he had a meeting scheduled with the rest of the Ames Construction Team on Tuesday afternoon! He asked if I would like to join them and introduce myself to the rest of the team. I had already met Brian of Thompson Electric and Oren of Geisinger Construction when I had them come out to talk about remodeling my kitchen, but I hadn't met David of The Flooring Gallery or Jack of Winkler Painting. The meeting lasted over 3 hours! I think it was very productive and I hope I made a good impression on everybody. After the meeting Oren told me he might already have a kitchen remodel for me! I hope to hear back from him this next week sometime. I also have a lead on an interiors remodel. I've met with the client once already, but have not heard back from them since. I hope they will call soon. This whole week has been a bit of a blur. I did some window shopping for my staging business to see if I could purchase a nice contemporary sofa, dining room set, end tables and accessories that would be useful in staging a vacant home. I found the perfect sofa, but it was still out of my price range. I am going to check back on Monday to see if it has been marked down or if they will take a lower price for it. The company is going out of business, so who knows if it will still be available. If I am meant to get it, God will provide it for me. I am still trying to figure out how I would store these furniture pieces, but may have a solution at my fingertips. After the meeting with The Ames Construction Team, Monte took those of us that were fairly new to the group on a tour of their facility. We had talked about setting it up so we (ACT) would offer kitchen cabinetry and, if so, we would need a show room. It so happens that they have a very large second story space that is empty right now, that just might be the perfect location. I got to thinking later this week that maybe Monte would allow me to store my furniture in that space. I haven't talked with him about it yet, but plan to do that next week.
I am still amazed at how this all started. I have always dreamed of owning my own home-based business designing kitchens, but never truly pursued it until this past year. It really started to click one day when I was at an interview with Life 107.1 as Mrs. Iowa. It so happened that as I was heading out of the recording booth I heard the receptionist welcoming a woman named Kendra. I asked Dave, the DJ, if that was Kendra Smiley (she does shows on their station) and he said no, but asked if I had her latest book. I did not, so he gave me a copy. You will never guess what the subject of the book is!?! How to organize your time & priorities to successfully run a home-based business for mothers! What are the odds?? I can not deny that this was a sign from God!! To me, the latest "nudging" is that I have been laid-off from my regular job! Not only does it give me time to organize myself, but I can collect unemployment to help cover our bills while I am actively pursuing my dream! And then to have the meeting with the ACT was too coincidental for me to see it as anything else but the work of God! I thank Him every day for this opportunity and I also pray that He will give me the courage I need to push on.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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!!!
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!!!
Friday, January 16, 2009
The New Haircut is Here!
Well, here it is! And I LOVE it!! I had over 14" cut off and donated to Locks of Love in honor of my mother, who is fighting breast cancer. It's so nice to not have hair always in the way and dealing with all the static! The biggest surprise is that Louis actually likes it!!...for now, he says. :) I am thinking I will keep it short for a while this time. It is definately a big change for me, but I am enjoying it. I'm actually a bit of a trendsetter in my area, as a couple of my friends have now followed suit. Thanks for all your input!
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