Am I “Certified” - My Story

Last year after finishing courses in interior decorating I decided to open my own home decorating business.  This was going well.  I was looking for more to be able to add to my list of services and I sought out Home Staging.  Although I already knew how to decorate I thought “there has to be more to staging”  I was right. 

I researched many different training options looking for the one to give me the right tools and balance to get my business going.  I chose Canadian Staging Professionals(TM) or CSP.  I learned so much from my training.  We learned about real estate and how it works, what sells what doesn’t, business, marketing to name a few.  I even had to wright exams!!  Yes, I had to pass two exams to be able to call my self a Canadian Staging Professional.  Some might say it is a fancy, dancy name but I am truly proud of it and the organization I belong to.  The biggest thing I learned from my training:  “Staging is not Decorating”  and there is a difference. 

The question now being am I “certified”.  Well, no I am not.  As many of us know there is no governing body to which Home Stagers can look to for certification and accreditation.  This is not to say that there won’t be in the future.  We are just on the “ground breaking” ceremony of this industry and it will grow and prosper if we let it.  I don’t try to portray myself my company as something I am not and I don’t discredit anyone who has not taken a training course. 

It is buyer beware in the world of staging training.  My best training that I have had over and above what I learned in my three day course: the school of “hard-knocks” getting out there and learning first hand from my mentor’s and fellow stagers.

Staging is hard work and I applaud all of my fellow stagers for taking on this industry.

Just my two cents. 

Thanks for reading,

~Kimberly~

This post was found on StagingWeblog.ca
Follow the link to get to the orginal message.