I do too, but I'd perfer it on the other end of the property. Is that a rabbit-pen I spot in the background?
Apologies to HomeGirl and Pickle...we somehow skipped your responses, sorry! HomeGirl, we can certainly host a color seminar that would give time towards the end for the designers and/or guest speaker to evaluate your specific project. We think a lot would depend on the size of the class....and the smaller the class = more individual attention but we imagine a small group seminar would be charged at a slightly higher fee than a larger group. It definitely is something for us to consider! Thanks and please send more recommendations as we are offerring our first seminar free to 25 that post informative ideas or answers to our questions in the original poll! Pickle, thanks for your poll responses and we would like to offer you a slot for the free seminar and also, from a ? posted earlier, here's our firsts thoughts on pricing: By using a range of professional designer consultation rates of $75 - $350 per hour (which have many variables as well) as a "starting point" to determine seminar charges, we were considering that our seminar rates would range from $5pp - $35pp depending on the group size and the time/research etc. needed to address the topic. Based on our ideas for the rates, would you consider treating yourself to a class if the "right" seminar topic for you came along? Thanks again for your response!
As an added note, make sure you contact local realtors and provide them with promotional material about your business. My realtor gave us a big basket of promotional material when we purchase our house and, since this was someone we had built a relationship with during the home buying process and who's judgement and recommendations we trusted, I have deferred to that material a ton and have contacted most of those businesses as I found needs for their services. Since recent home buyers would be a large group in need of decorating knowledge, this might be a great way to get new clients. You could also look into advertising in some of the subdivision newsletters and maybe a few church bulletins. Some additional topics you might want to consider could involve "green" decorating. I know that I've jumped on that bandwagon and it's been a big topic of discussion at most of my networking and business functions. And everything is being made with bamboo now, from flooring to blinds to bath towels. And how to pick tile would be something I'd pay for, especially since it is so versatile and there are like a billion choices and price ranges. Oh, and I'm available if you need some accounting consulting (I specialize in tax, but have a broad range of experience). I have some marketing background as well, so feel free to PM me if you want to discuss demand generation or some great internet marketing strategies.
Would you be interested and attend a decorating workshop or seminar? Yes If yes, here's our other questions: What decorating topics? How to arrange wall decorations-Hanging Pictures etc- just built a house and walls are bare! What size groups (5-10 people) (10-20 people) (20+)? Do you prefer "hands-on", "question-answer" or "guest speakers"? What would you pay for a one hour seminar/workshop? Yes, but not tons What days/hours are best for attendance? Sat am or 7pm weekdays Snacks? no Anything else? Have clients bring pictures of home for personal ideas- not just generic
save Me a Seat!!!! Would you be interested and attend a decorating workshop or seminar? YES What decorating topics? Maximizing small spaces What size groups (5-10 people) (10-20 people) (20+)? 5 - 10 people Do you prefer "hands-on", "question-answer" or "guest speakers"? Hand-on and Question-answer What days/hours are best for attendance? Week nights after 6:00 pm. Snacks? Not needed - maybe some water. Anything else? Some of the topics our staff has discussed for presentation are: How to choose a paint color. Yes How to decorate bookcases and fireplace mantels. Yes How to choose the right flooring. Don't need it. How to start your remodel project. Where to find.... How to arrange furniture. YES - PLEASE!!!! Window treatments. YES!!!!! Decorating for a party. YES - something simple yet stunning!!!
And SavannahAnna seat #7 is saved for you. Thanks for your response. BTW: So far we are amazed (quite frankly) at so many "Yes" responses to party/holiday decorating. We love to create amazing atmospheres for entertaining but honestly did not think it would be a "hot" seminar topic. Please clarify for us....Are you guys more interested in "party planning" or "party decorating"? (Oh, and there is no "right or wrong" answer). Again, thanks to all who have posted so far....and yes, we should mention that our thanks extends to Redneck Rich and CraigSPL... for the laughter. :lol:
I would NOT be interested. I AM the painter/decorater in this hizzhouse. If you would like to use some of my Pottery Barn/Ethan Allen furniture, let me know, I'll e-mail you pictures. Good Luck girlfriend.
I am new at this mobile posting stuff so I can't do the copy and paste thing yet. Hence all the typos bc of the litte buttons on my phone's keyboard! I am going to give my thoughts based on what I remember! First off, I love the decorating for holidays idea. I would def be interested in a seminar if the price was reasonable. Along those same lines maybe a theme class would be interesting. For ex, decorating a nursery for your new arrival or making the most out of specific areas of your home (LR, Kitchen, etc). I am also "color-challenged so painting various color mixes would be great for me. With everyone trying to cut back on expenses, decorating on a budget is a great idea bc home decor is a luxury not a necessity. Possibly using older items u already have and creating something new, beautiful and up-to-date. I am so not a DIY type of person but would be interested in learning. I've been reading a lot lately about lately about makinh your back deck/front more "homey" because more people are turning to entertaining at home due to $$$. That is interesting. I need organization help! I still want the areas to look nice...not just putting up shelves. I watch various shows on redorating and such and they create the coolest storage areas out of everyday things that look great. I also like the idea of bringing pictures areas or items that u would like to change. For me, weekends would def be better. Sunday afternoons would be ideal. I also thing a small group would be optimal like 10 people. Snacks are not necessary but a beverage would be nice!
Would you be interested and attend a decorating workshop or seminar? No, my undergraduate degree is in Interior Design and I have an MBA; are you hiring? If yes, here's our other questions: What decorating topics? As others have said, choosing a paint color can be intimidating. What size groups (5-10 people) (10-20 people) (20+)?5-10 so that folks can get their own questions answered. Do you prefer "hands-on", "question-answer" or "guest speakers"? hands on and question-answer What would you pay for a one hour seminar/workshop? probably no more than $20 What days/hours are best for attendance? Snacks? Anything else? Also, we are getting ready to post an online store to our website next month which will list upcoming seminar/workshop topics, the hours and costs. So far we have had a great response from our vendors and associates that are willing to participate in presentations, free samples, discounts for attendees, etc. depending on the "topic"...so we are not just talking about a home improvement store's type of "class". Some of the topics our staff has discussed for presentation are: How to choose a paint color. How to decorate bookcases and fireplace mantels. How to choose the right flooring. How to start your remodel project. Where to find.... How to arrange furniture. Window treatments. Decorating for a party. We need your ideas and what topics should be "priority". Thanks again! Given the state of the economy, I don't think too many folks plan to do any major projects. If you are trying to stir up business, then I would focus on some of the suggestions such as holiday design, low budget makeovers, and color selection. I have other ideas, but you would have to hire me for that information. Family, friends, and neighbors always tell me that I should start a holiday decorating business.
I would definitely consider the seminar for the above rates. I would think there would be a great deal of interest in something like this with these budget conscious times.
Thanks for your response, harleygirl! Though you would not attend we would still love to hear any of your thoughts regarding beneficial topics for decorating seminars that would be of use to those who are not blessed with your painter/decorator talent and of use to those who are gifted or work in our trade that are still interested in learning "new stuff, tips or ideas". (Heck, we've been designing homes for over twenty years and still can and like to learn new "tricks of the trade")!....but that doesn't mean we'd pay high fees to listen to someone speak/teach about something that we already know... so we understand those who post "NOT interested" and why we are polling here as well. It would also probably be a good idea to mention that we are not "new" to hosting, speaking, teaching or demonstrating! However we are "new" to offering our seminar services on a local "homeowner" level. We have been presentors at decorating/color seminars, trade shows and corporate events along the East Coast, hosts for business to business seminars, guest speakers for builder/realtor luncheons, judges for nc parade homes, mentors to high school students, writers for nationally published magazines, etc. etc. etc. for some time now. (And just recently judged senior design presentations for Randolph College's School of Design; the LLI owner/designer currently sits on their Advisory Board) so the idea of "bringing it home" with your feedback here is an opportunity for us to learn what services and talents will prove beneficial and affordable, right here in our local community. Please understand that we have just "joined" here and we are not familiar with your painting/decorating expertise (career or hobby) but please keep in mind that we will also be looking for other designers/ guest speakers/ demonstrators to be a part of our presentations. Since we are confident in our experience and creative abilities we are always appreciative and honored to work along-side other designers and experts that are gifted in our field/trade....not competitive attitudes like some designer tv shows lead people to think. In otherwords, simply put, we like to hear ideas no matter if an opinion differs from ours or other posts. (Many of our clients have heard us say "Good designers do not have "strong feelings"... they just have "strong good opinions"!!! What our clients don't hear us say is the second half... "Bad designers do not have "strong opinions", they just have "strong bad attitudes")! Also, thanks for your offer to use furniture, but since we already stage and/or furnish homes, we have stock readily available in our showroom and warehouses (which we would probably just use for furniture arranging seminars anyway). Again we appreciate and welcome your opinions and would love you to take part in our first seminar by grabbing a free seat in exchange for contributing more answers to our poll questions, whether you'd take the seat for yourself or a friend! Thanks again, girlfriend!!!
Thanks to both Pirategirl and Slate for your responses to our poll and we would like to extend our offer of a free seat to both of you to participate in our first seminar! Hey PirateGirl...you did good from the mobile! And BTW...you don't have to do-it-yourself.... learn from the seminar ideas/concepts then you can implement them someday (whether you hire someone, bribe some friends or add to the honey-do-list)! PS: Thanks for responding again Pickle!
Please clarify for us....Are you guys more interested in "party planning" or "party decorating"? I would say that the two shouldn't be mutually exclusive. Decorating for a party is a great theme for a seminar, but can limit your audience. If you broaden the topic, you can attract more attention and hopefully more attendees. So if you advertise 'decorating for a dinner party' you may not get as much buzz as 'hosting a dinner party' or 'planning and decorating for a dinner party'. Meanwhile, the only difference would be offering some tips on menus, which can be very broad and take up little time (although the option is still there to spend more time discussing cool menu options). You would probably have already included some discussion on buffet versus sit-down and who to invite (since the food arrangements and number of guests has a big impact on how you will decorate and arrange furniture) and cute little tips on matching your decor/theme to the invitations. Conversly, if we're talking about decorating for a holiday party, I don't think you would need to include any mention of 'planning' the party, since holiday decorating is such a big topic in and of itself. Plus people tend to put more value in making the holidays extra special than a regular dinner party or even birthday party. It wouldn't hurt to put together a website with some brief information on each of the topics your considering for a seminar. The ones that get the most hits should be the ones that you focus the most attention on. This would probably be more beneficial than doing a lot of surveys, and will enable you to 'poll' a moving target, as you come up with more ideas and find ways to tweak the ones you already have.
Hi Slate, As far as a holiday decorating business/jobs: Realizing the many facets of design and decorating, it seems you are fortunate to have found your niche in holiday decorating and that others have recognized your talent as well. Many companies employ designers/decorators expecting them to fit into "the company's" niche (which may or may not be the area the designer/decorator enjoys working or where their abilities and talents are best suited). If you are seriously pursuing employment and you like holiday decorating, we encourage you to contact firms or businesses that "specialize" in your area of interest. Many businesses hire designers part-time and/or seasonally for holiday decorating... like florist shops for instance, though many people think about their services covering only weddings and flower arrangements. Many years ago we worked with clients to decorate their homes for the holidays. After a few seasons, we simply could not handle the overload of clients that desired our services during the Christmas season while we also provided our routine services. It didn't take long to realize that though our staff designers were talented in many aspects of design and decor, holiday decorating was not our "main" business and we were working ourselves silly outside of our company's focus and niche. So we re-evaluated our services and chose to work hand-in-hand with several local florists and event planners. We feel that we have achieved the best results for ourselves and our clients by not only recognizing our talents, but our limitations as well. You certainly could create a favorable niche for yourself even if seasonal! As far as generating business income by offering seminars in this economy: We are blessed to work at a firm that employs a staff that specializes in several areas of architectural and interior design, furniture/space planning, color application, model home staging and general interior decorating (windows, floors, furniture, accessories, etc.). Our company has three "main" divisions: Residential new construction & remodeling, Commercial new construction & remodeling and Retail decorating for customers in their home or our showroom. Thus the blessing... The current economy has certainly impacted our residential new construction division but contrary to some beliefs, the volume of our typical residential remodel projects has more than doubled and our commercial projects have increased as well. We do agree that there are decorating needs (or wants) that still can be addressed, even in this economy, without feeling guilty! As we are always creating new ways to generate business income, (that's what every business does or should do, right?) we think the seminar idea will benefit many. Yes, including our business, especially in this economy! As far as our hiring new employees: We receive resumes weekly from talented and educated people like yourself, whether we are hiring or not. When we are hiring designers or decorators, not only do we review resumes and flip through portfolios, we also search for those whose talents and experience supports our company's focus. We search for the "right fit"! Also, we don't hire just to get ideas... however; we do pay for certain design seminars that present even the "smart old dogs" in attendance with new tricks! :lol::lol: We wish you lots of success and hope you will join in at our first seminar at no charge! We appreciate the thoughts and input you posted for us and let us know if you start that holiday decorating business and need some referrals! Thanks again!
I would be VERY interested in a seminar! I too would love ideas reagarding color, furnture placement (do's & dont's), and other ideas. For instance right now I am really interested in a new backsplash idea in the kitchen and trying to find a paint color for my kitchen since you will see it from the front door. OOH and window treatment ideas!! Sat or evenings would work best for me as well. A staging course for sellers/agents would be great too
Thanks MamaApe! We would love for you to join us during our first seminar and we will save you a free seat. As you probably know, we already participate in/speak at realtor functions/events in the Triangle area and we are excited about bringing our business to business classes (as well as our DIY seminars) "home" to the 4042 area....and yes, staging is on the B2B "menu"!!! Thanks again!
For those of you just joining in after the holiday weekend, please post your thoughts on our home decorating seminar poll (see page one of this thread) in exchange for a free seat during our first class. We will be checking the poll this week and we plan to post our conclusion shortly after business hours on Friday or sometime over the weekend. We appreciate your thoughts, ideas and comments as we try to personalize our services to meet the decorating needs in our 4042 community! Thanks!
Would you be interested and attend a decorating workshop or seminar? Yes If yes, here's our other questions: What decorating topics? How to maximize small spaces, choosing paint colors, kids rooms, etc.... What size groups (5-10 people) (10-20 people) (20+)? doesn't really matter Do you prefer "hands-on", "question-answer" or "guest speakers"? hands on What would you pay for a one hour seminar/workshop? Probably not. Unless you were able to work with local merchandisers for discounts on products and services with a paid reciept for the seminar. You know, like, come to a paint seminar and get 10% off your paint purchase at Lowe's What days/hours are best for attendance? Sat am or 7pm weekdays Snacks? no Anything else? I'm trying to figure out how to say this without sounding horrible. Although I think your idea is great, I think that to charge for the service, when in essence what you're hoping is that after the class, people will either hire your experts, or purchase something from you, is going to be your idea killer. There are too many *free* workshops at Lowe's, Home decorating shows, and ideas on the internet for me to justify paying to attend a seminar UNLESS there were a big incentive involved (like a discount on products and services)
