Building a Business with an Exit Strategy – Interview with Tanya Nazariya
Creative Business Mindset™
<p> How to Start and Scale Your Home Staging Business </p>
<p><strong>Host:</strong> Joké Durojaiye<br><strong>Guest:</strong> Tanya Nazaria, Founder of Brilliant Staging and Home Design</p>
<p><strong><br>Episode Highlights:<br>Introduction to Tanya’s Journey</strong></p>
<ol>
<li>
<ul>
<li>Tanya shares her unexpected path from law enforcement to home staging, starting Brilliant Staging in Seattle, and recently selling it after eight years.</li>
<li>Background in business, marketing, and accounting set Tanya up for success, helping her transition into a new industry.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>The Unexpected Start in Staging</strong>
<ul>
<li>Tanya’s passion for design was discovered as she staged her own home for sale, receiving overwhelming positive feedback.</li>
<li>After quitting her job and researching home staging, she decided to start the business, focusing on growing her skills and learning along the way.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Key Advice for Aspiring Stagers</strong>
<ul>
<li>Understand your “why” before starting a staging business. Decide if you want to focus on design or on running and growing a business.</li>
<li>Emphasizes that staging can be a creative career without owning a business by working for established staging companies.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Importance of an Exit Strategy</strong>
<ul>
<li>From the start, Tanya planned to build a sellable business, structuring processes and systems to support an eventual handover.</li>
<li>Highlights the difference between running a business and creating a job for oneself, emphasizing the value of becoming an absentee owner.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Building Operational Systems</strong>
<ul>
<li>Documenting processes, creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), and planning for scalability.</li>
<li>Intellectual property, branding, and team building as foundational aspects that support smooth operations and eventual sale potential.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Challenges in Selling a Business</strong>
<ul>
<li>Professional appraisal helped Tanya understand the market value of her business, balancing emotional attachment with realistic numbers.</li>
<li>Insight into how assets, inventory, and intellectual property are valued differently by buyers and brokers.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Navigating Emotional and Practical Hurdles</strong>
<ul>
<li>Tanya explains the importance of detaching emotionally and focusing on profitability to attract buyers.</li>
<li>Leveraging intellectual property, unique branding, and explaining these aspects directly to potential buyers to convey business value beyond the numbers.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Building a Reliable Team</strong>
<ul>
<li>Discusses the significance of hiring team members who share the business vision and contribute positively, sharing insights on making difficult personnel decisions when necessary.</li>
<li>Tips for finding employees who bring fresh ideas and support growth, reinforcing that staging businesses cannot thrive alone.</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>Fun Closing – To Chop or Not to Chop?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Tanya and Joké share a fun, light-hearted debate on the popular design question: “To chop or not to chop pillows?” Both agree – they’re on Team Chop!</li>
</ul></li>
<li><strong>How to Connect with Tanya</strong>
<ul>
<li>Tanya now offers business consulting services to help other home stagers plan and execute an exit strategy for their businesses.</li>
<li>Find Tanya’s services at<a href="http://nazariadc.com" rel="nofollow"> NazariaDC.com</a>.<p></p></li>
</ul></li>
</ol>
<p><strong><br>Key Takeaways:<br></strong><br></p>
<ul>
<li>Approach your staging business with an end in mind; have a clear exit strategy, whether it’s selling, handing down, or retirement.</li>
<li>Building a sustainable business requires well-documented processes, a reliable team, and strategic growth.</li>
<li>When selling, focus on bottom-line profitability and market valuation while also emphasizing the unique brand and systems you’ve created.<p></p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><br>Quotes from the Episode:<br></strong><br></p>
<ul>
<li>“Know your ‘why’ before starting a business – are you in it to stage or to build a business?”</li>
<li>“Hiring the right people is crucial; one good team member can elevate the business, while one wrong hire can bring it down.”<p></p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong><br>Connect with Us:<br></strong><br></p>
<ul>
<li>Follow Joké and the Business of Home Staging Podcast for more insights and inspiration.<p></p></li>
</ul>