Write an article based on this "Look at consumer reports for home buyers. Contact local real estate offices. Write for the community realty publications. Contact reliable contractors in the area."
You want to get a sense of what potential buyers are looking for in their homes. This could vary quite a bit by neighborhood. Check out area business commentary, surveys, reports, and talk to realtors if they are willing to discuss buyer general interests. You want to get sense of consumer tastes. Think about asking people close to you what they would be interested in seeing for a new home--especially if a friend or family member is actually in the market. You can do this to either see if they want to hire you as a stager, or at least get information on potential clients. Offer to do a couple of free stagings for the realtor to demonstrate your abilities. Get permission to put your business card or a small sign with your name and contact information on an early display when you do them. This will showcase your skills for the realtor and customers in addition to perhaps getting the realtor's reports on buyer interests and referrals. Many cities have a local real estate publication or might allow a contribution on matters of decoration in the local newspaper. Look up the real estate publication's submission guidelines, and do the same for the newspaper regarding contributions. Contact the appropriate editor saying something such as: "I am a local home stager, I would like to write for your publication about my strategy for making a room look warmer." or "I would like to submit an article about home decoration." Proceed according to the editor's instructions. If they are not taking any submissions then you should move onto another venue. Ask the realtors you network with about cleaners, repair crews, painters, and other similar workers they recommend to homeowners when trying to improve a house for sale. You may want to check the contractors against the Better Business Bureau reports to see if any problems come up. Look for reviews online and/or from other realtors and homeowners that used the contractors to get a reasonable idea of each one's cost, speed of service, and capabilities in case you need them to help with your staging projects later on. For example, if you find a painter that is fast and can do large homes, but is too costly, you may not get many customers when you start-up with no established reputation. On the other hand, a handyman that has a reputation for cheap, safe, and efficient electrical work might be useful if you need to alter lighting in a room.