Why a Certification Class or any class
Simply stated, taking a class that gives you a certificate is mostly for the benefit of your clients. It tells them that you have completed a course on how to use a specific tool or product correctly. It can distinguish you as a professional and not a diyer.
I think anyone who has been in the decorative (faux) finishing industry for many years can remember in the early 2000’s when the diy shows came out and gave the people watching the shows a sense of, decorative finishing is easy and anyone can do it. Sure, to some degree anyone can. But there is a vast difference between the quality of their work and the quality of a professionals work.
Epoxy is another example. When I first learned how to use epoxy it must have been around 2007. I had to take a class before buying any epoxy product. I’m glad I did. I can imagine I would have spent more money on product then on a class trying to figure out on my own the proper way to use it. Nowadays, anyone can buy it and I read a lot of posts people make saying “______ is the worst epoxy. Look at all the bubbles and there are sticky spots.” The majority of the time it is not the epoxy brand, but error with the person using it. They have just spent hundreds on product only to have to redo the surface and now they have also given the epoxy brand a bad name.
What made me write about this topic is because of a post on Instagram from a liquid metal distributor. In his post he was saying he has never taken a class and questioned classes and companies that give a certificate. I found this both funny and a little irritating since he teaches classes. Way before I started teaching I have been a supporter of classes and the many benefits, including advancing your knowledge and skill level and networking. I started Faux Retreat and ArtFusion Event mostly to be able to promote other instructors. (full discloser, Faux Retreat is a for profit business and ArtFusion is a not for profit.)
Most of the time when you cannot buy a product unless you take a class. It is not a get rich scheme, it is so people use the products correctly and as such protect the products from people that don’t know how to use them properly. I think most instructors would tell you that they make very little money from teaching and even less when they are taught remotely.
Adieu
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