July was fantastic month for media exposure about home staging as a result of several media opportunities that the I received through PRES Staging. I believe that any exposure anyone in our business and/or related industries gets, is good for all of us. By getting the media to take notice of us and to write about us, or interview us, it gives more credibility to our business. It also 'educates and informs' our potential and existing clients about the benefits of home staging. And we know staging makes a big difference!

My first 'free' PR exposure in July was with Global TV where I talked about my book 'Start & Run a Home Staging Business' but more importantly to educate the public on the necessity of having their home staged! I had a live interview with Fanny Kiefer on the Studio 4 show. I was then interviewed for one of our major newspapers the Vancouver Sun for the article 'Staging to Sell'; this article was published at the end of July. While almost all of these opportunities came through my Self-Counsel Press publicist, Sarah Yu, I did some of the work myself and I am going to share some tips on how you can get some 'free' media exposure in this ezine/enewsletter!

On another note I had the pleasure of talking to a Meet Up Group Vancouver Island Stagers, Stylists & ReDesigners giving them business advice on how to grow their business. They said that I had inspired them and given them some great ideas that they could incorporate right now to move forward. How good is that!

This was a great opportunity for more of us to connect and to continue to support one another in spreading the buzz about the importance of sellers staging their homes!

Wishing you success getting free MEDIA for your business,

Dana J. Smithers
PRES Staging Resource Centre
Founder & Creative Director
Empowered Women In Business Coach

PS: I am SO EXCITED! I am in the process of getting ready for my FALL 2011 launch of the NEW PRES Home Staging Home Study Program 2.0. This will be a 7 part teleseminar and webinar series targeted for the entrepreneur who wants to take my PRES course in the comfort of their home!

PPS: If you would like to invite me to come and talk to your group just email me. If you are too far away we can always do a live webinar!

Getting MEDIA exposure will help you grow your business...getting 'free' media exposure is even better!

Having been in the business for over a decade now I have had some great media exposure. I have paid a PR Media consultant to find media opportunities for me, and I have also found my own 'free' media opportunities. As I mentioned before, since I wrote my book Start & Run a Home Staging Business I have a publicist who finds media opportunities for me now.

I actually had my very first article on Redesign published in 2004 and I found this opportunity by contacting the editor of a local decorating magazine. You can do this too. If you go my website and click on the PRES Staging MEDIA tab you will find most of the media exposure (appearances and published articles) that I have received over the last 7 years but not all of it.

Here are some TIPS to getting 'FREE' MEDIA:

1. Research other people who have media opportunities that you want to have and decide which ones you would like to be part of. If they can be in it or featured so can you!
2. Have an article ready with a 'hooky or catchy' title that he editor of a newspaper or magazine would notice. Write it from the perspective of what their readers or audience would want to know about.
3. Write your 'Pitch' that focuses on 'why' your article should be published and/or why you should be interviewed. Many websites will tell you specifically what they want to hear from you and you just need to follow the template that they have prepared for you.
4. Check out www.HelpAReporter.com as they are always looking for good articles and specialists in certain fields. Get signed up so you receive their requests on a regular basis.
5. If you get contacted and even if the timing is not right for you – just say 'YES' I am available, of 'YES' I can write that article in the time frame you have given me. This is a priority because you may not get a second opportunity!
6. Blog several times a week and you may just get noticed by a media person. Write great content that readers would really want to know about, and want more of your expertise!
7. Write a lot of articles and submit them to www.ezinearticles.com and become known as an expert in your field.
8. If you do hire a media consultant be very specific about what kind of media exposure you are looking for, and it's great if you know exactly where you want exposure.
9. If you are not a good writer then hire a copy writer. All you need to do is give them your ideas and they will write the articles for you. This is a small investment for a big return!

Something for you to know...once you submit your materials you have virtually no control over the outcome. If you are interviewed and misquoted in the article, let it go...if they use the wrong 'Before & After' photos during an interview, let it go... My advice is to send in the best written article you possibly can, send only a few of your very, very best 'Before & After' photos and then let it go...it's all good!

Make a list of newspapers, blogs, magazines, television or radio shows you would like to be one. See what has gone before you that grabbed the public's interest. Find the contact person for each media type and write a pitch about yourself that would intrigue them and make them want to contact you.

This is a time to 'brag' because you need to convince someone to want to give you and your expertise media exposure. Now is a good time to 'think outside the box' - what's different and yet connects you with your audience.

Every home stager will have his/her own staging or redesign style which can become their 'trademark' staging style. Over time you will start to notice there are certain design parts of the styling that you love to do more than others. For staging I have always had my own small accessory packages that I rent out. I love adding the accessories at the end of the job because they pull the entire look together. Here are a few examples of some very low budget types of accessories that you can incorporate in your staging styling. What's your trademark style?

The glass vases and rocks are purchased at Dollar Stores. Most of the other accessories were purchased at Home Sense or anywhere I could find a deal!

Staging Design Tips for Accessories

Accessories: 3 small vases, 1 faux orchid, art, cushion & throw, tray with candles and rocks & glass vase with brown plastic grass	Accessories: 3 clear glass vases with rocks & plastic brown grasses
Accessories: faux hydrangeas and faux leaves with 2 placemats placed together	Accessories: faux green apples on sink with white faux hydrangeas and rocks

RAVING FAN STAGING TRAINING HOME CLIENT TESTIMONIAL!
A busy working stressed-out divorced mom with 2 teenage daughters wants to get top dollar for her condo...

Want to use this article in your next ezine or on your website? Please do! Here's what you need to include:

Dana Smithers is founder and creative director of the PRES Staging Resource Centre, a company devoted to teaching entrepreneurial women how to start and run their home staging business. Through her workshops, courses, mentoring programs, and products, Dana shows her students how to live their dream of becoming a home stager whether part time or full time.

PRES HOME STAGING HOME STUDY KIT
COMING FALL 2011!

If you prefer to take the NEW PRES Home Staging Training Program in the comfort of your home...it's coming in September!!!

At the PRES Staging Resource Centre we realize that not everyone can take our hands-on course instructed by Staging Guru Dana J. Smithers. Since we are getting so many requests from people throughout North America and Australia, we have started writing our new PRES Home Staging Home Study 2.0 Blueprint! Become a Certified PRES Home Stager from the comfort of your home!

This program will be give you all the information you need to start your own home staging business from branding, determining your ideal client, creating marketing strategies to attract your clients, relationship selling and defining your home staging services and pricing them right! You'll learn the 10 Step PRES Formula for creating beautifully staged homes and how to turn your home staging clients into home decorating clients.

The PRES Home Staging Home Study program will be full of high content high value materials in the form of a 7 teleseminar series, plus webinars and a BONUS Q & A call!

'FREE' Telecall at 11am on September 8^th – 'Taking the Fear Out of Selling - Relationship Selling Made Easy!' Contact Janice@PresStaging.com to reserve your space

Professional Development: Client Colour Consultation Course
Saturday October 15, 2011 – Vancouver Area

Dana J. Smithers Professional Real Estate Staging (PRES®) offers accelerated learning opportunities for people in the interior decorating, interior styling and home staging businesses.

1-2-3 Paint Colour Selection - Client Colour Consultation Course

Learn how to conduct a professional colour consultation with your clients. You will be introduced to decorating guidelines for colour schemes and learn the latest colour trends and colour schemes that work best with the 4 design styles.

This course will boost your confidence in adding to your existing services list! Receive all the forms you need to professionally conduct your client colour consultation. Click here for more information and to register. Space is limited.

This course is also being offered in Victoria BC – Saturday November 19^th. For more information contact Janice@PresStaging.com

HOW TO START & RUN A HOME STAGING BUSINESS BOOK IS HERE!

Dana J. Smithers' NEW book How To Start & Run a Home Staging Business has finally hit the bookstores. This book is jam packed with home staging business tips and proven strategies to propel your business forward. Whether you are an existing home stager or a newbie or a want-to-be this book will guide you to success...
Click here to order

PRES 2011 COURSE SCHEDULE – ONLY 2 CLASSES LEFT FOR 2011!

Our PRES Staging & Redesign Training Program offers accelerated learning techniques so that when you leave the course you can confidently start your home staging business. You will be given templates, no-fail staging formulas, a step-by-step business start up process and learn insider secrets shared by industry leader Dana J. Smithers. If you are serious about wanting to become a home stager this hands-on training course is for you. For more information about the PRES 5 Day Professional PRES Staging & Redesign courseclick here.

NEXT COURSE DATE: September 12^th – 15^th and is already filling up!
Register Here

Check out PRES Staging Training to see our SPECIAL OFFERS

Dana Smithers is founder and creative director of the PRES Staging Resource Centre, a company devoted to teaching entrepreneurial women how to start and run their home staging business. Through her workshops, courses, mentoring programs, and products, Dana shows her students how to live their dream of becoming a home stager whether part time or full time.

Dana has launched her new website Empowered Women In Business. She has been mentoring women entrepreneurs for years and has now taken on a new client base in addition to the home stagers she has worked with. She says it's thrilling to see women move forward so quickly getting the results they are looking for whether it is setting up a marketing strategy, defining ideal clients or having a negative mindset shift into positive action. To get your 'Free' CD on her 7 Destinations Road Map to Success just go to the site and make sure you sign up for her Empowered Women In Business ezine.

Believe it. Pigs DO Fly!!!

You may absolutely share this newsletter with people you think may enjoy it. When doing so, please forward it in its entirety, including our contact and copyright information. Thanks and enjoy!

The PRES® Entrepreneurs Newsletter is written by Dana J. Smithers of www.PresStaging.com. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to info@PresStaging.com.

405 - 170 West 1st Street
North Vancouver, BC V7M 3P2 Canada

www.presstaging.com