So you love cleaning out closets. Nothing makes you happier than to rearrange a drawer. Order and systems are your bylaws. If so, you could become a professional organizer. This business will allow you to use your inner neatnik and those useful compulsive ways of your to help people, households and businesses get organized and efficient.
Be aware that this business is not just about tidying up, you will need to be able to communicate well with people. The need for compassion and understanding is paramount because some people are ashamed of their environment having become such a mess. Often they have underlying issues of undecided life changes or resistance to new circumstances.
Additionally, you will need to have excellent teaching skills to train people on how to work the organizational systems and maintain the order you create. Also, you will need to have good organizational skills yourself to manage various subcontracting businesses. You may hire complete the job correctly, such as moving companies, garbage haulers, storage facilities, and cleaning crews.
Professional organizing is a well-paid business that can charge $50 or more per hour. The job entails analyzing situations, doing needs assessments, developing workable solutions to meet those needs, and then implementing and training the homeowners and business people how to maintain the organization.
Professional organizers perform many purpose such as these:
- household clutter to de-clutter a home
- business filing systems
- environment space planning
- storage designs
- time management of family tasks
The average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items so cleaning, organizing and de-clutter in your home actually saves time. The industry group National Association of Professional Organizers, NAPO – the Organizing Authority has over 4000 members of both organizing and productivity professionals who help bring order and effectiveness to their customers
Get started right by learning how to become a professional organizer from actual successful organizers who wrote this how-to business guide: How to Become a Professional Organizer. Organizational experts such as the President National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the past president of the Professional Organizers of Canada share their hard-won knowledge of what it takes to succeed in this business They also share how to get started in your career of professional organizing.
Here are some of the chapters and information that is covered in this essential business start-up guide to becoming a professional organizer:
Starting a Professional Organizing Business
How to start a professional organizing business with little or no money
Information about business matters affecting professional organizers such as setting up a home office, licenses, insurance, etc.
How to decide on a name for your professional organizing business
Identifying potential clients for your professional organizing business
Pricing your services, with answers to questions you may have, including:
What is an average hourly rate for professional organizers?
Should I charge a project fee?
Should I charge different amounts for consulting and hands-on organizing work?
Should I offer a free consultation?
Who pays for the supplies my clients need?
Who pays for traveling costs?
Can I charge a deposit?
When and how should I get paid?
What you need to know about preparing proposals for professional organizing work
How to market your services to individuals and corporations
Helpful samples (such as what to say when talking with a prospective client of your professional organizing business, sample contract, sample invoice, and more)
PLUS, you will discover:
- How to increase your income by presenting organizing seminars or publishing a booklet of organizing tips
- Valuable resources for professional organizers (including links to associations and publications)
- How to develop the professional organizing skills that clients are looking for
- An overview of organizing specializations to help you decide what type of professional organizer to be
- Sample forms and worksheets to use with organizing clients including:
Sample task planning worksheets
Sample time activity log
Sample personal organizational assessment
Sample workplace organizational assessment
Home organizing tools including a sample room analysis form
Samples of what you need to launch your professional organizing business, including:
Sample rate sheet for professional organizing services
Sample invoice for a professional organizing business
Sample script for talking to prospective clients of your professional organizing business
Sample contracts for an individual client or a corporate client
Sample marketing materials, including a sample press release, organizing article and organizing tip for a booklet
Sample template for doing a presentation
Sample professional organizer client feedback form
