Suzy Minken

Interior Redesign: Changing Your Life One Room at a Time (edit/delete)

Suzy Minken, professional home stager and redesign expert of Best In Showing.com (www.bestinshowing.com) will be conducting a workshop about interior redesign in Westfield, New Jersey on October 3, 2011. With the widespread popularity of HGTV, home redesign is one of today's fastest growing trends in home decor. According to Suzy Minken, "by repositioning your existing furniture, you will be amazed at the profound impact this change has on how you "feel" in your home." Workshop attendees will view "before and after" photos of rooms that have been redesigned and obtain key redesign tips for transforming any room into a more inviting space. If you have a room in your home that is in need of a design makeover, you won't want to miss this fun-filled and inspiring workshop at the Westfield Adult School (www.westfieldadultschool.com).

Date: Monday, October 3, 2011
Time: 7:30 to 9:00 pm
Where: Westfield Adult School
Cost: $24
To register: www.westfieldadultschool.com

May 8, 2009

AT HOME WITH FENG SHUI

Westfield resident Suzy Minken of Best In Showing.com (www.BestInShowing.com) will be one of the featured speakers as part of the educational component for the upcoming 2009 Tour of Notable Homes, scheduled for Saturday, May 16^th in Westfield. Ms. Minken, a certified Feng Shui practitioner and expert home staging consultant, will present "At Home with Feng Shui".

Feng Shui (pronounced "fung shway") is a Chinese ancient science that has been around for over 4,000 years. Ms. Minken will discuss how the principles of Feng Shui can be used in home design to increase harmony not only in your house, but in your daily life as well. (see article in The Westfield Leader -http://www.goleader.com/09apr30/22.pdf )

With the current shift in our economic climate, there has never been a better opportunity to explore the art of Feng Shui. According to Ms. Minken, "Feng Shui is all about change and recognizing the effect our surroundings have on us. As we change, so does the interior environment we inhabit, and vice versa."

By understanding Feng Shui and its unique "art of placement", workshop attendees will discover how to restore an overall sense of balance to the many different aspects of their life. Making a change in the home, however small, will create room for a more positive energy flow, thus resulting in a healthier sense of well-being. In addition to Feng Shui tips on redesign, Ms. Minken will highlight for homeowners and Realtors, home staging techniques that will maximize a property's appeal. For ticket information contact the Westfield Symphony Orchestra (http://westfieldsymphony.org/index.php).

Suzy Minken is the founder of Best In Showing.com, A Home Staging Performance ^TM which provides a fresh perspective to getting homes sold faster and for top dollar. Going beyond traditional staging measures, Ms. Minken blends the art of Feng Shui into her design solutions for the home. Ms. Minken's home staging consulting advice includes practical steps, both easy and affordable, that anyone can use to make their home more inviting and create a "WOW" first impression. Her recommendations for solving space dilemmas in the home have been featured in both local and regional media, including industry trade publications. Ms. Minken currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Westfield Area Chamber of Commerce (WACC). and is a frequent speaker on Feng Shui throughout New Jersey. For more information or to schedule a home staging consultation, contact Suzy Minken directly at 908-239-9261 or email:Suzy@BestInShowing.com.

While enjoying a cup of Starbucks the other day, my colleague Mark Riesenberg of Human Resources Unlimited (www.hrugoals.com) and I were talking about growing one's business given the depressed housing market and the tremendous volatility in the stock market. With my marketing background and current focus on Feng Shui Solutions for Realtors (www.SellYourListingsFaster.com), I thought you might be interested in my perspective. So go ahead and grab your favorite beverage, read my views on the subject and let me know your thoughts. And be sure to visit Mark's blog for his viewpoint on Thinking BIG: Focused & Organized- - - he is an extraordinary business coach!

When the economy is growing and businesses are doing well, it is easier for us to attract new customers and grow our revenue base. Businesses tend to "ride the wave" of prosperity that permeates the marketplace. But in today's economic climate of financial uncertainty, both at the business and individual level, customers are thinking twice about spending their money on services and products. Today's customers are much more selective. So, now more than ever, savvy business owners recognize that they need to get focused about making their business be "relevant" to the changed needs of their customers. Just as customers are "shifting to a new set of financial priorities", businesses need to respond and think smart about how they can deliver a service or product that is in alignment with these priorities. For example, families are rethinking their "entertainment" budget and as a result, may choose to spend more time at home. As "at-home" family time increases, companies may re-position themselves to provide products and services geared for the new "stay-at-home" family.

Now more than ever is the time for companies to strengthen their focus and market their business. As some of your competitors take steps to cutback on their advertising expenses, their less visible presence creates the opportunity for your business to take center stage by thinking smart and staying in front of your customers. Now is the time to actively market your business and remind potential customers that they have a need which your company can meet. And it is through marketing that customers realize that they even have a need. Did consumers even know they needed an iphone, for example, until it was invented?

Let's turn for a moment to residential real estate. As a home stager, I work closely with the real estate community in New Jersey. Now more than ever, selling a home in today's housing market demands a strong marketing campaign, including home staging to showcase the home as being "best in class", as well as a healthy dose of realtor enthusiasm. "Even in the Great Depression", according to one member of the North Central Jersey Association of Realtors who recently said to me, "people were still buying homes".

The opportunity is there for the astute realtor and other business professionals to think creatively. Advertising generates revenue and revenue is precisely what companies need in an economic downturn. So now more than ever is the time to re-evaluate your marketing efforts and target your advertising to the changing lifestyle, demographics, and financial circumstances of today's customers. And for realtors, of course, this means an investment in home staging to generate that needed interest to get potential buyers in the door. The time is now, more than ever!