Minnesota, the North Star State is incredibly beautiful. From the lakes and forests in the north of the state to the Red River Valley in the south, it’s no wonder that people flock to Minnesota for a peaceful life and a high standard of living. Once the home of celebrities such as Judy Garland, Bob Dylan and Prince, Minnesota remains a popular place to live, particularly for families looking to be close to nature.
If you’re thinking of becoming a home stager, you’ll be pleased to know that the percentage of homeowners opting to employ a home stager has increased over recent years. A couple of decades ago, home staging was thought to be something that only the very wealthy would bother with, now all homeowners can see the benefit of having their home staged to perfectly showcase its benefits and highlight the strong points of the property.
With so many people now looking to hire home stagers, there is a lot of work out there for anyone with the skills and credentials to become a professional home stager in Minnesota.
Could Minnesota’s next professional home stager be you?
So, how do you become a home stager in Minnesota?
We’ll look at this from the point of view of starting your own home staging business. If you want to start with getting a home staging job, read our articles on resume tips, how to get a home staging job, and our overview of home staging careers.
Many people don’t follow their dream of becoming a home stager because they feel it would be too difficult and that there would be too many barriers in their way. Don’t be one of these people. Believe in your dreams, and you can make them come true. When you look at the facts, you’ll find out that if you’re motivated and love being creative, becoming a home stager is not actually very hard at all.
So, what if you don’t have any qualifications? That’s no problem, home staging certification in Minnesota is easier to achieve than you may think. Read on to find out more…
Steps to becoming a home stager in Minnesota
You’re full of ideas, you love working with home design and you’ve got an instinctive eye for interior décor projects. You’re going to make a great home stager, but where do you begin?
Step 1: Take a home staging certification course
Achieving home staging certification in Minnesota is an excellent way to kick-start your home staging career. When you don’t yet have a client portfolio or testimonials to impress potential clients, home staging certification is the perfect way to build credibility and confidence.
Just ask Danielle from Rochester. She signed up for the Professional Course at the Home Staging Institute while working part-time in a furniture store. Three weeks after completing her course, she landed her first staging gig with a local Realtor and has now staged more than 15 homes – all from word-of-mouth referrals.
With home staging training through the Home Staging Institute, you can earn a certificate that proves you’re ready to take on professional work. You’ll learn both the creative and business skills required to launch and grow a home staging business in Minnesota.
Step 2: Understand the local Minnesota market
Getting a good understanding of the local market is so important. Now is the time to get some local knowledge, learn more about all the different areas of Minnesota and consider the environment. When you’re staging houses in Minnesota, you need to accommodate the climate too. Many properties here have gorgeous exterior spaces. We love the great outdoors in Minnesota, so you’ll want to focus on the outdoors as well as the interiors but don’t forget that winter can be very harsh in Minnesota so creating warm, welcoming, cozy spaces is also so important. Potential buyers need to be able to imagine themselves happy and content in the property all year round, so fuel their imagination and stage the rooms for year-round family life.
Step 3: Learn from other home stagers in Minnesota
It’s understandable that you want to dive in and get your business up and running, but it pays to do some research, especially before you’ve spent money on a website or brochures. You’ll no doubt have lots of ideas, and you must get them all down on paper so you don’t forget any details, but you should also look further afield for more inspiration.
You can learn a lot from other home stagers in Minnesota, and perhaps avoid some mistakes. Head to Google and type in ‘Minnesota home stagers’. Now carefully check out each result and take notes. Read through the websites and click through to any blog posts or social media feeds. Think about what most grabs your attention with each website. It may be a particular color scheme, it could be engaging content, or maybe the images are particularly high quality. Look at the services they offer. Perhaps it will give you ideas for enhancements or extras you could offer.
Step 4: Start a home staging business in Minnesota
Armed with a wealth of great ideas, it’s time to get serious…
The practicalities of setting up a business – some things to consider…
- Register your business and learn about your tax liabilities.
- Learn how to manage your accounts.
- Develop a robust pricing structure and learn how to take client payments.
- Define your services and service area.
- Ensure you have all the relevant insurances in place.
- Create a website or hire someone to develop it for you (Unlock 40% off at StagingWebsites.com with voucher code HSIDiscount).
- Set up social media accounts for your business.
- Consider a separate cell phone number for your business, so you know whether a call is business or personal.
Step 5: Begin marketing
Now it’s time to get the word out that you’re in business and start getting the work in. Many people will head straight online when searching for any service, so while advertising in local publications etc. can be useful, you’ll want to concentrate your marketing efforts on the internet. There are many routes you can take, and it’s a good idea to explore them all, even if it’s just an information gathering exercise for future reference.
Look at social media channels, publish regularly, and ensure your content offers something of value to your followers. Consider paid advertising such as Google Ads, to get your business to the top of the list when homeowners and realtors are searching for home stagers in Minnesota. Don’t forget to register your business with any local or national business directories you can find, and if you have a talent for writing, why not share your knowledge on a blog, or write guest posts for home staging or interior design blogs? There are so many different ways to market your business, and it’s definitely worth giving them all a go to see what works best for you.
If you’re serious about starting your staging career, take the next step with us. Our Professional Home Staging Certification Course will guide you through everything you need – from design fundamentals to launching your business. Your first staging job might be just a few weeks away.
Other facts about becoming a home stager in Minnesota
How much do home stagers make in Minnesota?
Our analysis shows that home stagers in Minnesota generally earn between $38,000 and $58,000 per year, with hourly rates ranging from $19 to $29. Experienced professionals or those in high-demand areas may earn over $68,000 annually. Income can vary depending on location, client base, and the number of projects completed.
Do I need a license to become a home stager in Minnesota?
Home staging in Minnesota is not a profession that requires a license. You can set up your home staging business without having to pay for a costly license or go through a lengthy process to get one.
Do you need a degree to become a home stager in Minnesota?
There is no need to spend years of your time and a whole lot of money taking a degree level course if you want to become a home stager. You can gain home staging certification in Minnesota with a short course with the Home Staging Institute. It’s the quicker, lower-cost solution to becoming a certified home stager.
