One of the things I enjoy the most about social media is the opportunity to network with professionals we’re unlikely to cross paths with elsewhere. I recently connected with Angela Siele on Twitter, and I’ve invited her to talk about her experience as a new professional organizer in Kenya.

It is said that our future is defined by our history. In this respect, Kenya’s colonial past has significantly defined the housekeeping and cleaning industry. Under the British colonial rule, servants were commonplace, largely underpaid and over-utilized. This has led to what I call the ‘maid’ culture: a mindset which assumes that a housekeeper or janitor’s job is of a low cadre and therefore does not command the respect of a white-collar job.

We however argue that this need not be the case, since without the services of a professional cleaner, homes, offices and the entire nation would be in a chaotic state. Unfortunately, since the individuals in the industry are barely trained in the trade, it becomes challenging to convince home and property owners that there is an added value to the service.

The ‘maid’ culture makes defining the market for professional cleaning and organizing services quite a challenge. For example, consider these three market segments: upper-income, middle-income and low-income earners. These market groups each have their challenges when it comes to adopting professional cleaning and organizing services. However, a common characteristic is that each would prefer to hire an individual for which they can pay a lower wage. Often times, these employees serve as both nannies and housekeepers.

Broom and Order’s vision is to redefine the perceptions of professional cleaners, introduce the concept of professional organizers and elevate their status from that of a  ‘maid’. By adding value to the service, through training, insurance and consistent quality service delivery, these service providers can gain respect for their trade.

The future therefore of Broom & Order relies on the ability to innovate and provide a service that suits the needs of an identified market group. The solutions to challenges currently faced can be a learning point for other start-up and existing cleaning and organizing businesses. We have come up with the following tips that can assist your business;

Create your inner circle

It is worth the effort to create lasting relationships geared at the well-being of your business. These people and groups should not only be perceived as prospective investors but also as knowledge tanks and connections to vast networks. This approach has seen Broom & Order avoid pit holes and has assisted us in generating viable business proposals.

Understand the Culture

For any business to truly make an impact, it is vital that it undertakes a market research to understand the culture and perceptions. This will not only assist in knowing exactly what services to offer, but it will also enable the formulation of strategies for combating negative perceptions in the industry for the long term.

Timing is everything

A well-timed process is vital in achieving success. The Kenyan market in particular is the kind that is slow-to-adopt new services. This is to do with the trust levels as a result of theft and insecurity in the area. Introducing a service should thus be done with patience and a non-intrusive approach.

Social Media

Being one of the most techno-savvy nations in Africa, Kenyan professionals and youth can reached via social media networks. These channels provide a low-cost marketing approach and access to an already existing network.

Training

Equipping employees to become professional cleaners and organizers can provide credibility to such a start-up business in Kenya. Additionally, recruiting employees who have a certain level of education allows for the instilling of values such as etiquette and integrity.

Above all, remember that there is no challenge too great for your entrepreneur heart. Smile through it all!

Angela Siele is the owner of Broom & Order, and an expert cleaner and organizer, social entrepreneur, motivational speaker, nature photographer and lover of life. Follow Angela on Twitter.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Starting a Cleaning and Organizing Business in Kenya.

With 2011 drawing to a close, it’s time for something that’s become an annual tradition here at Your Organizing Business. For my final post of the year, I’d like to acknowledge the many professional organizers and other supporters who have shared their time and expertise with my readers in some way.

The following individuals contributed as guest bloggers or participated in a blog interview this year. Simply click on their names to read their posts.

• Linda Samuels
• Kerry Rego
• Michelle O’Sullivan
• Lelah Baker-Rabe
• Janice Russell
• Ellen Delap
• Julie Stobbe
• Lisa Montanaro
• Margot McClelland

The Professional Organizers Blog Carnival has continued to grow in popularity, with a total of 191 posts submitted by 61 professional organizers, including seven new Professional Organizers Blog Carnival Star Bloggers. A big thanks to:

• Ellen Delap
• Audrey Cupo
• Linda Samuels
• Ramona Creel
• Deb Lee
• Elaine Shannon
• Clare Kumar
• Jane Veldhoven
• Lisa Montanaro
• Tracy Hoth
• Jeri Dansky
• Julie Bestry
• Nancy Borg
• Geralin Thomas
• Janine Adams
• Lauren Giammarco
• Lelah Baker-Rabe
• Master Cruz
• Natalie Conrad
• Pauline Wiles
• Rivka Caroline
• Sue West
• Angela Esnouf
• Barbara Tako
• Jane Woolsey
• Janice Russell
• Jonda Beattie
• Leslie Josel
• Michelle Panzlaff
• Stephanie LH Calahan
• Debbie Pendell
• Hazel Thornton
• Heather Burke
• Hellen Buttigieg
• Jacquie Ross
• Janet Baker
• Laura Wittmann
• Paul H. Burton
• Shelley Molitor
• Alys Milner
• Ann Acquaviva
• Anne Blumer
• Deanne Kelleher
• Debbie Stanley
• Jacki Hollywood Brown
• Jennifer Crutchfield
• Jodi Granok
• Kate Brown
• Kimberly Eagles
• Krista Colvin
• Kristin Lindstrom
• Laura Lawrence
• Linda Vanderkolk
• Linda Williams
• Lurlene Anderson
• Margaret Lukens
• Margarita Ibbott
• MaryJo Monroe
• Michelle O’Sullivan
• Oksana Bellas
• Sheri Bruneau

With such a wealth of information and industry contacts at your fingertips, I hope you’ll spend a little time reading or re-reading their posts, leaving some comments, and expanding your online network.

I know that many of you support this blog by leaving comments and/or sharing your favorite posts by email or social media, and your efforts are appreciated as well.

As you prepare your Blogging Plan for 2012, you may find the following resources helpful for generating content ideas:

• 2012 Blogging Calendar & Planner (free download)
• Professional Organizers Blog Carnival monthly topics for 2012

And if you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Your Organizing Business by RSS or email for lots of ideas for your blog and other aspects of your business!

Have a happy and prosperous new year!

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on A Shout-out to Our 2011 Supporters.

As the owner of your own business, it’s natural that you’ll feel worried from time to time. How can I get more clients? Am I charging the right amount for my services? What if I get too busy to serve my clients properly? What if I’m not good enough?

And your business probably isn’t the only thing you worry about. Depending on your personal situation, you may also worry about your children, your relationships with others, your finances and many other things. For some reason, women seem to be even more susceptible to excessive worrying. However, we need to realize that excessive worrying is a danger in itself.

There are many health problems that can arise when we allow ourselves to worry too much. Although it is normal to worry, when you find yourself worrying about something practically all day, every day, it can lead to many different health problems. Some of the illnesses that can result from stress and worry include:

• Anxiety Attacks
• Digestive Disorders
• Physical Illness
• High Blood Pressure
• Muscle Tension
• Weak Immune System
• Premature Coronary Artery Disease
• Heart Attack
• Memory Loss

Keep in mind that this is not a complete list! As you need to remain in good health for the benefit of both your family and your business, it’s essential that you learn how to manage your worry. Here are a few things that can help:

Eat Right:

Some people tend to overeat when they’re worried about something. Others consume foods that aren’t good for them, or even skip meals altogether. It’s important to make sure you’re eating enough throughout the day, but also make sure you aren’t overdoing it either. Focusing on eating a healthy, balanced diet helps take your mind off of the things you’re usually worrying about, and helps keep you in good physical health as well.

Exercise:

Exercising has a way of making us feel better. When you exercise, you give your mind a break and release chemicals within your body that work to improve your immune system. It can benefit you in many ways, including increased energy level and stamina, reduced anxiety, tension and depression, better sleep and lower stress levels.

I love to walk, but sometimes I think I’m too busy and don’t have time. However, I’ve found that when I go out and walk alone or with a friend for an hour or so before beginning my workday, I’m actually more productive! I don’t know if it’s a result of the physical activity or if it’s because I work harder to make up the time – all I know is that it works!

Relax:

Make time to relax every day, whether you choose to read a book, watch television, soak in the bathtub or work on your favorite hobby. The key is that you take the time to do whatever it is that relaxes you every day. Even if you can only find 20 minutes, it will help reduce your worrying tremendously.

I’ve chosen to keep my evenings free for personal activities, unless I have a speaking engagement, am attending a business event, or am facing a really tight deadline. No matter how much you love your work, life is too short to spend it all working!

No man on his death bed ever looked up into the eyes of his family and friends and said, I wish I’d spent more time at the office. – Author Unknown

Meditate:

Meditation has been around for centuries and is well-known for its therapeutic powers. To meditate correctly, you must be in a quiet place and be still. You must clear your mind and concentrate on nothing but the present. This means that you must not allow your mind to think about anything that may happen in the future or has happened in the past.

I have to confess, the only time I’ve been able to meditate was as part of a yoga class, and even then, I had trouble keeping my mind clear. However, for many people, daily meditation is very effective in helping manage worry and stress.

Get Counseling:

If you’ve tried all of the above strategies, but still struggle with excessive worrying, consider seeing a therapist. Sometimes just having someone to talk to will help, but sometimes excessive worrying is a symptom of an anxiety disorder, which can be treated.

Just as your clients seek your professional help for their organizing challenges, you should not be afraid to seek professional help if you need it.

Managing your stress level is critical to staying healthy! Do it for your family, do it for your business, and do it for yourself.

How do you keep your worrying under control?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Self-Care for Professional Organizers: Managing Worry.

One of the great things about being a web designer is the ongoing opportunity to learn about new trends, tools and features as I work on various client projects. The downside of this is that I frequently become disenchanted with my own site and find it challenging to make the time to do anything about it.

After squeezing in time to develop a new design for the Organized Assistant website and Your Organizing Business blog over the last few months, I’m finally ready to share it with you. What do you think?

I’ve also added a new feature that I think you’ll enjoy. Every month I’ll be posting a new poll on the home page and you’re invited to participate. All polls will be archived on the site so you can refer to them at any time. I have a few more ideas up my sleeve, but you’ll just have to wait for them!

In the meantime, I am here to serve you, so please don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s a poll question you’d like me to ask, a topic I should cover in the blog, or a particular feature you’d like to see on the site.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on We’ve Got a Fresh New Look!.

My special guest today is Michelle O’Sullivan, owner of Saving Spaces, in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. When I met Michelle last year, I was interested to learn that she had run a successful cleaning business for ten years before becoming a professional organizer, and I invited her to share her story with my readers.

Michelle, why did you become a professional organizer?

Having had the cleaning business, I found that I was doing a lot of organizing for my clients – they loved it and were getting it as part of my cleaning service.

They had referred me to their friends, and after a few jobs I realized that I enjoyed it more than the cleaning. It was less methodical and more rewarding on a personal level, and my clients were more appreciative of the organizing service than the cleaning service.

How did you make the transition from cleaning to organizing?

There really was no transition as I still have the cleaning business. I decided to change the name of the cleaning business from Emerald Household Services to Saving Spaces and added organizing and decluttering as another service.

I told my clients, and they were all very supportive. I have a small cleaning clientele of 30, and I have had half of them for over eight years, so we know each other well. Their main concern was that they were going to lose me.

I never had to advertise for my cleaning service – all were referrals – so I knew I had to market and promote myself to be recognized as a professional organizer.

I did my research and checked out all the other organizers in the area, and what services they offered, I joined POC and started taking courses with them, I read lots of books, I got business cards and a website, I joined network groups, and started to market myself to a different target.

How did your experience in the cleaning industry benefit you as you launched your organizing business?

It was of great benefit to me as I was already doing the job for lots of my clients but not getting the recognition for it. It also helped as I wasn’t nervous as some are when they go to their first client.  Over the years I have learned to read people by their homes and the way they live so I have a good idea what is going to work for them.

Are there differences in the way you run your business now?

I have had to hire help for the cleaning business, which gives me time to focus on marketing myself as a professional organizer.

I am more money conscious and invest more in my business.  The cleaning business was just a job to earn money. Now I have found my passion and it is my career.

What do you like most about your business?

I love what I do! I get to meet great people and the knowledge that I am able to help them with their organizing and cleaning needs, and their gratitude to me for my service, is the greatest reward.

I have also got to meet great people in the industry of Organizing, Marketing and Networking, and I get to meet new people all the time that can help me and I them.

What is your greatest challenge?

It has to be online marketing: first building my website, getting to know and navigate my way around Facebook and Twitter, and now I am starting to blog – there is so much to learn. It has taken me a year to become familiar with it all. Of course my typing was not the best either so that was another challenge!

My personal motto is

Stay focused and take one day at a time.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on From Cleaner to Professional Organizer.

Have you ever considered writing a book? Do you know what steps are involved? You’ll find out today from my guest Linda Samuels, the author of The Other Side of Organized, who is here to walk us through the process and introduce us to the people who were involved in helping her fulfil her dream.

My long-standing goal of fifteen plus years was to write a book about organizing and life balance. Once I committed 2009 as the year, I enlisted help to bring my concept to reality by gathering a team of experts.

The first person I hired was my book coach, Julie Trelstad of Plain White Press. We met at a local business meeting where she was speaking about social media. Her expertise was invaluable as she reviewed and discussed my manuscript, explained possible publishing options (self-publishing vs. traditional publishing), guided me through the publishing process, established deadlines, recommended designers, editors, printers and marketers, discussed distribution options, set up my book web site and provided general guidance.

Together we determined that self-publishing was the route I’d take to bring The Other Side of Organized to market. As a result, I started my own publishing company, Oh, So Publishing! so that I could control all aspects of production from design to editing to printing and distribution. I hired the logo designer, Ron Romain of Ron and Joe to design the Oh, So Publishing! logo. I knew Ron for years and admired his fun design sensibility.

Meanwhile, Julie suggested that before I gave the manuscript to an editor, I should mail it to about five key people to get feedback and suggestions about the content. I selected several trusted friends and colleagues including professional organizers, Sheila Delson and Barry Izsak, along with psychologist and author, Dr. Ellen Littman.

While the manuscripts were out, I began interviewing potential editors. The referrals came from Julie and a few other contacts. Many phone conversations, emails and estimates later, I hired Sara Cypher of The Three Penny Editor.  Working by phone and email, she made the process painless. She also reviewed the manuscript again after the book designers had completed the design and layouts.

For the next step, I researched and interviewed book designers. I learned that some book designers only design covers, some just design book interiors and others design both. There was a huge range in skill and cost for the various components. After getting five or six estimates and reviewing designers’ portfolios, I hired Ian Shimkoviack and Alan Hebel of The Book Designers. They handled both the cover and book interior. They worked with me closely by phone and email until they developed a design that I loved. The cover was designed and approved first. Laying out the book’s interior followed that.

Once the book was designed, the files were uploaded to the printing company, Lightning Source. This print-on-demand company allows you to order one copy or thousands of copies. In addition, book retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble can order the books directly on demand.

When the first boxes of books arrived at my doorstep, I was overjoyed!  It took about nine months from my first meeting with Julie to actually holding the printed books. While the goal had been to publish a book, the journey didn’t end there. The next phase was book marketing. In the first few months of 2010, I quickly realized that marketing could easily become a full-time job. I knew I needed more help.

Once again, Julie put me in touch with several resources. At her suggestion, I hired a book publicist, Crystal Patriarche of BookSparksPR. With Crystal’s help, we developed marketing strategies, widened my audience and increased media exposure.

Writing The Other Side of Organized was a wonderful experience! Learning about the publishing process from an amazing team of experts gave me that hands-on level of understanding.  Many other people offered their advice, wrote book reviews and supported the project in a variety of ways. They included Charles Francis, Richard Rockwell, Dan Poynter, Judith Kolberg, Sharon Phillips, Monica Ricci, Janine Adams, Vicki Dellaquila and countless others.  In addition to industry experts, I received tremendous love and support from my husband Steve, our daughters Allison and Cassie and many family members and friends.

By handling all aspects of the book project, I was able to ensure that the final product looked and felt like what I’d envisioned. I am forever grateful for everyone that helped bring The Other Side of Organized to fruition.

Linda Samuels, CPO-CD^® is a compassionate, enthusiastic professional organizer who facilitates change in her clients’ lives. In January 1993, she combined her visual arts expertise, business background, love of helping people, and organizing abilities to launch Oh, So Organized!

The Other Side of Organized is available in the Organizing – General department of The Bookstore for Professional Organizers. One of my clients has sent me a copy, and I look forward to reading it and reviewing it here for Your Organizing Business.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Book Dream to Right Team.

Giving presentations is an important skill for professional organizers, whether you’re sharing ideas with your local chapter, offering tips to a group or the general public as a way of marketing your organizing business, or getting paid to speak about your area of expertise.

It’s no secret that more and more people have mobile devices that allow them to be connected to their online networks nearly all the time. What does this have to do with giving presentations? Maybe a lot!

One of these days, you may be speaking at a conference or other event and discover that the audience is tweeting about your presentation. Participants enjoy tweeting about what they’re listening to for a number of reasons.

For one thing, it allows them to share the highlights of what they’re learning with followers who aren’t at the event. It also lets them share comments with other people attending who may not be sitting close by. They can even converse with people who are close by without worrying about distracting others by speaking out loud.

It might be a bit unnerving to see people typing on their laptops, iPads, or smart phones while you speak, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t paying attention! Consider that some people actually use Twitter to record information they might have written on paper in the past. This gives them notes to refer back to afterwards, and share those notes with others at the same time.

To my knowledge, there hasn’t been live tweeting during any of my presentations so far, but I realize that it will likely happen someday so I need to be prepared – and so do you. Fortunately, I discovered a free e-book by Olivia Mitchell that’s full of great advice on surviving the experience, responding to the audience’s needs, and getting involved in the conversation. If you give presentations, or plan to in the future, please feel free to download your own copy of How to Present with Twitter.

I’ve been at both live and online events where it was taking place, and it’s quite an interesting phenomena!

Please tell us about your experiences with live tweeting, either as a speaker or a member of the audience. Do you think it enhances or detracts from the experience?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Speak Up and Succeed with Twitter.

As I go through the process of planning my blogging schedule for 2011, I can’t stop thinking that “Your Organizing Business” would be no more than random thoughts passing through my mind if it weren’t for my faithful readers. This final post of 2010 is therefore dedicated to all of you.

I would especially like to thank the individuals who contributed as guest bloggers or took part in a blog interview this year. Please click on their names below to read the posts that you missed or that you’d like to enjoy again:

• Candita Clayton
• Deanna Koller
• Deb Lee
• Jane Veldhoven
• Judi Suraci
• Julie Bestry
• Karen Shinn and Gail Shields
• Katie and Kelly McMenamin
• Lynette Chandler
• Porter Knight
• Randi Hutton

The Professional Organizers Blog Carnival continues to be a popular feature, with 45 bloggers submitting a total of 151 posts, and 7 qualifying to be named Professional Organizers Blog Carnival Star Bloggers.

• Ellen Delap
• Elaine Shannon
• Jeri Dansky
• Angela Esnouf
• Audrey Cupo
• Ramona Creel
• Geralin Thomas
• Julie Bestry
• Lelah Baker-Rabe
• Debbie Pendell
• Jacki Hollywood Brown
• Joan Kosmachuk
• Stephanie LH Calahan
• Barbara Tako
• Clare Kumar
• Deb Lee
• Lisa Montanaro
• Margarita Ibbott
• Anne Blumer
• Christine Simiriglia
• Jane Veldhoven
• Janet Baker
• Michelle Deo
• Hellen Buttigieg
• Jennifer Crutchfield
• Jodi Granok
• Kimberly Eagles
• Master Cruz
• Michelle Panzlaff
• Tina Blazer
• Angie Weid
• Beverly Coggins
• Cari Pemberton
• Carmen Coker
• Eva Wallace
• Heather Burke
• Jacquie Ross
• Janet Nusbaum
• Janice Russell
• Krista Colvin
• Margaret Lukens
• Paul H. Burton
• Sarah Kimmel
• Sarah Welch
• Terry

As you make your own plans for 2011, I hope you’ll keep the monthly Professional Organizers Blog Carnival topics in mind. It’s a great way to share your expertise with other organizers and to generate traffic back to your blog!

I also encourage you to download your free 2011 Blogging Calendar, if you haven’t already. It includes a full page for every week with enough space to plan your blog topic ideas and other related activities.

If you’re interested in being a guest blogger, please let me know, even if you don’t have a specific topic in mind.

Here’s to your success in 2011!

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Reviewing 2010 and Looking Forward to 2011.

I love to blog, and I’d write a new blog post every single day if I could. Since I can’t, I’ve created a daily compilation of articles, blog posts, videos, and images to help you in your organizing business, using a cool new online tool called paper.li.

Your Organizing Business Today is an online “newspaper” consisting of items that have been tweeted by some of the people I follow on Twitter. Rather than other professional organizers, the selected Twitter users offer various organizing products and tools, business marketing strategies, and other information you might find helpful. Please check it out and feel free to leave a comment below to suggest other users or subjects that you’d like to see included.

For a wider range of topics, you can also read The @JanetBarclay Daily, which includes posts from a much wider variety of Twitter users.

Paper.li is a free tool that’s easy to use, so you just might want to set up your own daily or weekly “newspaper.” It’s a great way to see the highlights of the people you’re following, especially when you don’t have time to scan your whole news feed! If you’ve created one, why not share it by posting a link below?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Daily Reading for Your Organizing Business.

Change is all around us – you don’t have to look very hard to notice that the leaves are changing color and dropping to the ground, days are getting shorter, and people have switched from shorts and T-shirts to jackets and long pants. (I realize this may not be the case where you live, but please indulge me…) And this fall, lots of changes are happening right within the organizing industry!

At its annual conference in September, the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD) announced that, effective January 1, 2011, it will be changing its name to the Institute for Challenging Disorganization. As Katherine Trezise, CPO-CD®, CPO® and president of NSGCD explained,

The name Institute for Challenging Disorganization better reflects who we are as an organization: the premier resource for education, research, and strategies for overcoming challenging disorganization. It also better reflects what we do: benefit people whose lives are challenged by disorganization.

Not long afterward, the NAPO Board proposed a name change from the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) to Organizing and Productivity Professionals International (O.P.P.I.). According to a position paper distributed to NAPO members,

A name change addresses the reality that the industry clearly includes organizing and productivity. In addition, globalization has expanded the use of organizing and productivity professionals. NAPO conferences have long attracted attendees from other countries and sister organizations have formed worldwide. The proposed name change is intended to convey that organizing and productivity is an international industry.

From what I’ve seen on Twitter and Facebook, some members are fully in favor of this change, while others feel it is unnecessary or even a very bad idea. Someone has even created a Twitter account, @antioppi, to voice their opinions on what is turning out to be rather a contentious issue.

What is worrisome in this situation is that a move that was intended to strengthen the association may end up weakening it, by causing division amongst the members and possibly leading some to leave altogether.

If you’re up on the ins and outs of this proposed change, please feel free to use the Comments section as your platform to share your opinions and fill in those of us who aren’t in the know.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Change is in the Air!.