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If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, professional organizing is the perfect job choice for you. No formal training is required; the only thing necessary is that you have a knack for organizing. And answering “yes” to any of those questions indicates that you do!
Why Professional Organizing?
There are two main reasons people hire professional organizers: Time and Cluelessness. In today's world, people are often just too busy with work and the demands of life to take the time to organize their homes, no matter how badly they want it done. Others may have plenty of time, but have no clue where to start or how to organize in a way that will work for them
What a Professional Organizer Does
Basically, it will be your job to provide creative ideas, helpful information, and solutions for your client's individual needs. You will help them control clutter, separate junk from treasure, pinpoint their particular goals, and define their priorities, which ultimately results in the main objective: making life easier for them and reducing stress. You can do this by simply helping to organize a closet, garage, office, basement, or taking a bigger step into helping someone organize their time, or life in general.
Finding a Niche
Where do you want most to see people succeed at organizing? In their homes? Businesses? In their personal lives? Once you choose which aspect to hone in on, you can determine your target client. For instance, if your focus is “home,” you will want to target busy moms, working women, or new home owners. Advertise in DayCare centers, coffee shops, or leave fliers on doors of homes with “For Sale” signs in their yards. If you choose to specialize in business organization, including file systems, and paperwork solutions, your target will obviously be professional business people, executives, or people who work from a home office.
How Much to Charge
Most Professional Organizers charge between $35 and $50, plus materials. Of course, you will need to do some research to discover what the typical charge is in your particular neck of the woods.
Start-up Costs
In addition to applying for a business license and obtaining liability insurance, you will need to purchase a handful of tools to take with you as you assess your clients' needs. Main supplies to have on-hand include, a notepad, pencil, permanent marker, tape measure, calendar, digital camera, rubber gloves, and magazines or books with samples to show your clients.
Additional Resources
Before jumping in, do your homework. Besides continually brushing up on the latest trends, always be on the lookout for creative ideas and tips to bring to your client's table. Check into webinars, seminars, books and magazines that will help you in your business.
If you know how to organize your work well and have the capability and talent to assist others, then you can become a Professional Organizer (PO). A PO is one who takes on the responsibility of organizing events for clients, or acts as a consultant helping others to perform their tasks in a systematic manner. Professional organizing is not limited to select areas; it finds wide application in all walks of life - at home or at work.
To become a professional organizer, the first thing you need to decide is your chosen area of operation. Are you going to focus on corporate conferences, or will you be open to entertainment based events? Are you eyeing the big fish right away, or will you start small, catering to the needs of friends and acquaintances? Do you have it in you to plan and execute an event, or would you rather share your expertise as a consultant? The answer to these questions will determine the nature and size of your operations. If you innately trust your skills for organizing, but want to know what it really takes to be a professional organizer, continue reading.
The competition: At present, there are more than 2000 POs around the world, the majority of them located in the United States. The industry is also growing in other regions, such as Canada and Europe. Nearly all professional organizers belong to either the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) or the International Association of Professional Organizers (IAPO), depending on where they are located. You'll need to consider a membership too, in order to look professional and credible.
The expertise: Experts in this field say that people from any background can take up this profession. Remember, your ability and desire to “do things right” are prerequisites to become a PO. Although it is not easy to put together a complete list, some of the crucial skills include a passion for organizing, interpersonal skills, ability to generate and teach new ideas, sharp problem-solving ability and most important of all, the ability to organize your own business dealings. Do not panic if you don't have all the above; becoming an organizer is a continual process of growth - you will hone your skills as you run the business.
Marketing tactics: Word of mouth advertising is the best way to market your business, rather than investing a lot of money in expensive advertising. Also, your personal network will work wonders in getting you new clients.
Spread your wings: Your business may not run on serving local clientele alone; hence plan to reach out to other cities. Even if your clients are at a distance, make sure that you stay connected via fax, phone or email. Follow that up with regular face to face meetings, which is the best way to discuss further business.
Put it in writing: It is always sensible to have contracts with clients. Make sure they cover all areas such as pricing, purchasing of supplies, cancellation procedures, etc. This not only protects both the parties, but also clearly defines deadlines and payments.
Charge right: You can opt for payments on hourly, daily or project basis. The fee also depends on several factors like your level of experience, area being served, the nature of work and type of service you provide. The average hourly rate in the United States lies between US$ 45 and US$ 65. Also consider the clients' capability to pay and long term business prospects while fixing prices.
Use reliable vendors: If you want to do the actual organizing yourself, believe us, you can't do it alone. You will need a wide and varied network of suppliers of different products and services – ranging from caterers, stage decorators, artists and even entertainers. Ensure that you choose to work with people who share your professional ethic, and have a reputation for reliability.