The professional organizing field is expanding even in the midst of 2020’s difficult circumstances. Here are the questions I hear most often from prospective organizers, along with my brief advice…
1. How do I get experience?
First, offer your services to family and friends to build skills and confidence. Collect photos and testimonials! These will be helpful when it comes to creating your website. Also consider working for an established organizer or organizing company. Once you’re ready, start taking clients of your own.
2. Where do I find clients?
Create a website and social media profiles. Don’t let perfectionism stop you! Any web presence is better than none. Attend networking events in your community and with colleagues in the organizing industry. Consider paid advertising — experiment with different platforms to find the best fit. Consider paying for leads with services like Thumbtack or Porch. I found some great clients through Thumbtack in my first year of business.
3. Do I have to be Certified?
The short answer: no. Certified Professional Organizers® have 1,500 hours of documented, paid, hands-on experience and take a computerized exam. The credential is independently accredited and held by fewer than 500 CPOs worldwide. If you’re just getting started, and might be interested in Certification down the road, track your work hours on a spreadsheet.
4. Do I have to start a business?
It’s not legally required, but along with your business insurance and your client agreement, helps to limit your liability. Also, a taxpayer ID number will be needed to open a separate bank account in your business name, so you can keep your professional and personal finances separate. In my area, the least expensive way to start a business is by filing a DBA (“doing business as,” or fictitious business name), which I did before becoming an LLC.
5. How do I know what to charge? Should I charge the same amount for different types of work? For consultations? For cancellations?
There is no one-size-fits-all pricing, which varies with geography and level of experience, among other factors. Take a look at the websites of organizers in your area — some will list rates. (In NAPO, we don’t discuss pricing, which is a violation of our anti-trust policy, but whether or how to charge for consultations and cancellations are topics we can and do discuss.) What’s best for you and your business will change over time!
6. Are organizers working during COVID?
This also varies company to company. Some organizers are only working virtually, some are working on-site with new COVID safety policies and procedures. It’s up to individuals/ businesses to follow the laws, assess the risks, and adapt to local conditions. My team has been working masked during the pandemic. In our experience, demand for organizing and move management services is higher than ever!
7. Will clients work side by side with me for the whole session, or part of it, or not at all?
My clients want all different degrees of participation in the process! Decide for yourself to what extent you will require their involvement, and make sure to communicate your expectations upfront. It may vary by the type of projects you do (i.e. unpacking vs. decluttering.)
8. How do I know what to bring?
A lot of organizers have basic supplies that they bring on all jobs like trash bags, post-its and Sharpies. You can find blog posts and videos about what’s in their “kit” including mine. When it comes to “product" like containers, you will want to communicate clearly with clients in advance about whether you are bringing these or plan to use what they have, and whether and how you are charging for shopping time and returns, or passing along trade discounts.
9. How do I know how long a job will take?
If only there were a magic formula! While you’ll get better at estimating with experience, there are a lot of unknowable variables — especially the the pace at which the client will make decisions. The challenge of judging the duration of projects is one reason many organizers work on an hourly basis.
10. Should I pay for training?
First check out lots of great, free resources and then I highly recommend joining NAPO and taking the NAPO University “Going Pro” Professional Practices classes. Once you’ve joined the national organization, you’ll be eligible to join your local chapter, which is where you’re most likely to gain hands-on experience with other organizers. My NAPO training and connections accelerated my career path by years!
Best of luck and let me know how it goes!
