Are your CD’s shelved alphabetically? Is you linen closet organized by size and color? Are your t-shirts in stacks of plain or printed?
Are your books shelved according to height? When someone asks where the hole punch is, can you find it blind-folded?
Not everyone was born with the “organizing” gene, but if you’ve got it—and you know who you are—you can turn it into a thriving business
as a Professional Organizer.
Professional organizing is a growing business. In fact, professional organizers are hired by both business and residential clients. And
if you’re an organized person, with lots of energy and discretion, it can become your dream job!
What Professional Organizers Do
Professional Organizers clear out clutter and make life easier for their clients. As business organizers, professional organizers work
with companies to make their space more productive. Of course, working with businesses requires knowledge of certain business practices,
in addition to good organizing, so it’s beneficial if you’ve worked in that industry before.
For now, we’ll stick with residential clients. The key ingredient to becoming a successful organizer is to understand how your clients
live. Just because you always do something a certain way doesn’t mean it will work for your client.
Observe Your Client
Watch what your client and his/her family does. Do they throw their clothes on the floor because the laundry room is in the basement and
the nearest dirty clothes hamper is three doors down? Do they toss their keys on the staircase as they enter their home or do they leave
their keys in various places, losing them on a daily basis? Do they have trouble finding a simple pot or utensil for cooking? Are there
toys spread throughout the house?
Create A Personalized Organization System
Once you’ve observed how your client and his/her family uses their space, it is time to create a personalized organization system. Don’t
be afraid to change things around. If your client called you, his/her way isn’t working. It’s your job to make things work.
Take, for instance, the laundry situation. One solution would be to place a laundry hamper in each bedroom thereby keeping the dirty
clothes off the floor. Another solution would be to place a laundry hamper in each bathroom. Don’t try to encourage your client and
his/her family to start bringing the dirty laundry right to the machine, people are creatures of habit and it will never happen!
The situation with the keys could easily be resolved by hanging hooks for their keys near the door they use to enter the house—or maybe
a little shelving unit if it’s more than just keys that are getting tossed and then lost on the stairs.
As for the toys, if the children are allowed to play in the dining room, the kitchen, and just about everywhere else in the house, don’t
try to change that. Instead, help your client find elegant storage solutions that will work with the décor of each room. That way, the
kids still have their toys at hand, and the adults have an enjoyable environment that doesn’t consist of tripping over toys.
Dump The Clutter
Besides finding a system that works, professional organizers help get rid of clutter. Usually, this “thinning” process can be quite
difficult for clients—that’s why their houses are disorganized to begin with.
When helping your client and his/her family to declutter the home, start small. Use the three box rule: one box for trash, one box for
donations, and one box for keeping.
- In the trash box, help them throw out anything that is broken and/or unrepairable.
- In the donation box, help them place anything they have not used or touched in the last year. Then suggest that the box be placed in
the garage for a period of three months before donating the items to charity. Typically, if a piece of clothing hasn’t been worn in over
a year, it’s time to donate it. If your client hasn’t started to use the salad spinner they received three years ago, chances are good
that they won’t start any time soon.
- In the keep box, help them place things that hold value: whether it’s memories or financial.
Your client and his/her family will most likely protest with the dreaded, “What if…” statement. Let them voice their feelings, then
remind them that in order to declutter their home and get organized they have to draw the line somewhere.
It’s More Than Organization
Initially, a client may contact you to help him/her do a little “spring cleaning”. But by the time you’re done with your client and
his/her family, their lives will be changed forever. They’ll feel more peace, they’ll be less stressed, and knowing where to find
something when it’s needed will stop many family fights. After all, it’s hard to enjoy a family week-end, or even an evening after work,
together if you’re literally rushing around trying to find things or simply sitting on top of a pile of junk that you know should be put
away. Finally, an organized home will give your client and his/her family more free time to enjoy each other’s company.
Do Your Homework
If you think professional organizing is the thing for you, visit your local bookstore and read books on organizing. Books like,
Organizing from the Inside Out
by Julie Morgenstern and Organizing Plain and Simple
by Donna Smallin. And don’t forget to check any of Martha Stewart’s publications for quick organizing tips for anything from the pantry to toy boxes.
Start Your Professional Organizing Business
Start-up expenses for professional organizers are relatively low. Besides the basics: a business name, a business checking account,
liability insurance, a business license, and client contracts, you’ll need organization and office supplies:
- plastic gloves
- garbage bags,
- organization boxes,
- pens,
- a calendar/address book,
- invoices,
- notepads for client meetings,
- sketch pads for sketching new layouts, and
- catalogues from home and office stores to help your client stay organized.
Apart from that, you’ll just need a constant supply of energy and enthusiasm.
Word Of Mouth Advertising
To help get the word out, start by doing a few volunteer jobs for friends and family with the stipulation being that you can take before
and after photos for your own advertising, and that they’ll have to provide you with a client testimony. Nothing will sell clients on
your organizational skills more than when they can actually see how you transformed a room. Once you have a few before and after rooms
under your belt, prepare a portfolio to show prospective clients.
Distribute Press Releases
Write a press release announcing your business to the local community and send it to local radio and television stations, as well as
your local newspapers. Use before and after photos in your press releases, as well as on your website.
Advertise Locally
The key to a successful business is to know your audience and advertise to their needs. Because you’re a “hands on” business, you need to
keep your advertising dollars in the local area.
Print brochures and fliers. Include before and after pictures, client testimonies, your business name, your web address, and your
business phone number.
Advertise in your local daily or weekly newspaper, and make sure you sign up for the local home shows to elicit clients.
Get Support
Ready to jump in? While professional organizing is just starting to gain popularity—which makes it a great time to get started—there
are several national boards that educate and support professional organizers. For online courses and workshop listings, visit:
About The Author:
Esme Sky Mills Esme is a writer who was born with the neat gene. Her book collection is organized by genre and by height,
but not alphabetically. When not busy organizing or writing, she spends time enjoying her island home with her two fabulous
boys.
* This article is available for your publication, for a F-E-E.
This article may NOT be reprinted without monetary compensation and written permission from the author.
For reprint rights or comments/questions about this article, please contact the author.
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