A professional organizer proves time and space can be controlled.

A professional organizer is a “smooth operator”.

A professional organizer is a person who understands the principles behind managing time and space in way that makes life events run as smoothly as possible.  Busy professionals often find themselves being able to manage home or office, but not both as well as would be desired.  There’s only so much time in the day, but the professional organizer knows how to manage organizational tasks so that it actually seems as if more time is created which is impossible of course!  That’s the power of good organization.

What to Organize as a Professional Organizer

A professional organizer business can take several forms in terms of services offered.  The professional organizer can provide services to residential or business customers or both.  In addition, there are several areas of organization specialties a professional organizer can target.

1. Time Management
2. Space Planning
3. Clutter Management
4. Storage Space Design and Management
5. Paper Control

A professional organizer can operate a business which specializes in one area or market services in more than one specialty area.  This type of business will find plenty of opportunity for new clients in cities where there is a high proportion of busy professionals.

Deciding If Being a Professional Organizer is Right for You?

The professional organizer is a relatively new concept that is growing in popularity.  In order to start the professional organizer business, you need to have a particular set of skills and knowledge.  The skills you need depend on the services you offer.

1. Time Management:     Scheduling, Task Delegating, Devising Goal Driven Action Plans

1. Space Planning:          Furniture Arrangement, Human Traffic Flow, Efficient Space Utilization, Lighting

1. Clutter Management:  Managing clutter and placement of a variety of items in office or home

1. Storage Space:          Arranging closets and other areas limited in space

1. Paper Control:            Filing Systems including using computer software tools to manage information flows

You can choose one or more or even all of these services as a professional organizer. 

How to Get Started as a Professional Organizer

One of the advantages of starting a business as a professional organizer is the fact you are selling services and not products.  This means the start up costs for a professional organizer business are low.  For less than a $1,000 you can be in business as a professional organizer.  The initial start up funds will be used to buy the following.

1. Business license
2. Office supplies
3. Business cards
4. Flyer or brochure printing
5. Newspaper advertisement in classified ads
6. Cell phone and office phone

You will want to have a good computer with internet access also.  Many professional organizers create a website so potential clients can read about services offered, find information on references and have a means of quick contact through emails.

Before you get your first client as professional organizer, you will need to establish a fee schedule.  A professional organizer charges by the hour or on a per-job basis.

Finding Clients Needing Professional Organizer Services

The professional organizer can build a successful business through word-of-mouth or networking.  A good way to start finding clients as professional organizer is by handing out the business cards, running small classified ads and personally delivering brochures to prospects.  Though you can run a direct mail campaign, it’s not recommended until more personal approaches have been exhausted.  Since you are targeting people who are in need of the services of a professional organizer, you don’t want to send costly advertising material through the mail which will probably get lost in their home or office clutter.

Since you wan to attract the busy professional, you may want to consider offering promotional discounts to prospects at local businesses or corporate offices.  

A great way to inform the public that you offer professional organizer services is to advertise at seminars or community events or volunteer to be a speaker at group meetings or workshops.  Conducting seminars as a professional organizer gives you a lot of exposure.

Another successful professional organizer business builder is contributing articles with organizational tips to local newspapers or advertising in club and church bulletins.

Ongoing Expenses

The ongoing expenses of a professional organizer are fairly simple if you operate the business as a sole proprietor.  If you begin to add employees, it will be necessary to have enough funds to pay wages and employer taxes.

1. Transportation costs to client locations
2. Ongoing office supplies
3. Membership is professional organization such as the National Association of Professional Organizers
4. Advertising printing expenses
5. Payroll expenses (if you choose to add employees)

As a professional organizer you will need to make sure you look organized yourself at all times.  This means dressing professionally and having necessary client information easily accessible while on the job as a professional organizer. 

See Also: How to Start A Business : Business Idea of The Day

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