There have been a number of exciting changes since last year when I blogged about The Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers!  I’ve known about the changes for several weeks, but was waiting for a few details before I could share them with you.

For starters, Jane Woolsey is the new President of ProfessionalOrganizers.com. I know Jane quite well, having had the pleasure of working with her on the National Board of Directors for Professional Organizers in Canada. She is an experienced corporate trainer as well as a Certified Professional Organizer who has been running her organizing business since 2002, so this new role is right up her alley.

One of the first things Jane did was to schedule live training programs this spring in Montreal, Toronto, Halifax, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. Every one of the facilitators served on the POC Board with us, so I can tell you right now that they all know their stuff and that you’ll be in good hands when you go through the training. Be sure to visit the website for dates and additional details about The Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers.

If you think that The Comprehensive Training Program for Professional Organizers is just what you need to kickstart your organizing business but you can’t get to any of the scheduled sessions, you’ll be happy to know that it’s also available as a series of nine one-hour webinars you can access for 60 days from the comfort of your own home.

The live sessions and the webinars each include the following three manuals:

• Create your Business as a Professional Organizer
• Marketing Basics for your Organizing Business
• Client Relationship Management and The Practical Approach Manual

If you can’t afford the three-day program or the webinar series, don’t despair! Each of the manuals may be purchased separately as a Self-Study Guide, or you can save money by purchasing them all at once.

Are you an experienced organizer? That’s okay – there are Continuing Education Webinars just for you! With topics ranging from basics such as conducting an initial assessment and setting rates, to specialized areas like working with seniors and organizing a gluten-free kitchen – with other webinars on home and office organization as well – there is literally something for everyone.

I know that’s a lot of news to absorb at once, but there’s more – I’m going to be part of the ProfessionalOrganizers.com team as well! I’ll be sharing information about new webinars, upcoming training programs, and other news on Twitter, so be sure to follow me, if you’re not already.

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This past fall, I had the opportunity to reconnect with Karen Shinn, whom I met at the 2002 POC Conference, when we were both starting out, and got to know quite well when we served on the National Board together. When I heard about Karen’s latest venture with her business partner, Gail Shields, I just had to share it with my readers, so I asked them to answer a few questions.

Over the last few years, I’ve seen Downsizing Diva grow from a one-woman operation, to a partnership, and now a franchise company! What made you decide to franchise your business?

When we started our business, our mission was to help seniors and their families cope with the often-overwhelming challenges of moving from a family home to a condo, retirement residence or care community.

Our client base – Seniors (and their families) – is increasing very rapidly. Some clients have family members who could help them with their move, but they choose to remain independent and take care of the details by themselves – with our help. Other clients do not have family members to help and rely on Downsizing Diva to make their move as stress-free as possible. We also have family members who hire us to work with their parents because they live too far away or are just unable to tackle this daunting task.

Almost 10 years ago, Gail and I identified the need for downsizing and move organizing services for seniors. Last year we realized that our small team can only do so much. It was time to take our systems and create a business model that will help others do what we do – help seniors downsize and move. Gail calls it…“doing well, while doing good”.

We have connected with three fabulous business partners who are helping us take our move organizing concept to the next level by creating Downsizing Diva – The Franchise! We have identified territories and are finalizing training programs to help interested franchisees become Divas in their own communities. These are exciting times for all of us!

Why would a professional organizer want to buy a franchise rather than start a business from scratch?

This is a tricky question. Every good professional organizer will not necessarily make a good move organizer, but many certainly will. Some skills are transferrable, but the Downsizing Diva skill set also requires a passion for connecting and working with Seniors. We can teach people downsizing and move organizing skills, but the ability to connect with seniors – that’s something you either have or don’t have!

What type of person is suited to becoming a franchisee?

As Downsizing Diva franchisors, we are looking for people who are interested in following a proven move organizing system and duplicating it in their own communities. The most important consideration in awarding a franchise is the knowledge that the franchisee will work within the established framework to provide a high level of care, compassion and service to all clients.

A franchise system is all about the system, the brand and the team. It is a fabulous fit for someone who can visualize the end result and will follow a specific road map to get there.

Downsizing Divas across the country will understand and buy into our unique Mission and Vision Statements and will be committed to serving their clients to the best of their ability. A move organizing experience in Halifax will be identical to a move organizing experience in Toronto and in Vancouver. When everything is under control… it’s a Downsizing Diva move!

What kind of support do you provide your franchisees?

Janet, you know us! Our goal is to help Downsizing Diva franchisees in any way we can to create a successful senior move organizing business in their community. We are all about teaching, sharing and mentoring and have developed a comprehensive training and support system. As experts in the move organizing field, we will cover theory aspects of the training in the classroom and practical aspects with on-the-job experience. In addition to an extensive training program, our Business Model, Brand, proven methodology, ongoing support and a client base developing in their community – franchisees will have almost everything they need to be a successful Downsizing Diva. All they will have to add is passion and commitment!

What are your plans for the future?

Our plan is to make Downsizing Diva the most trusted and recognized brand in North America in the area of Senior Move Organizing.

Where can interested parties obtain more information about your franchise opportunity?

We are working closely with three business partners who know all about franchising and have “been there and done that”. We know the ins and outs of downsizing, organizing and moving – and John Ferracuti knows everything about the franchise business. He’s the go-to guy for Downsizing Diva and he can be reached at (905) 823-8550 x 225.

John is easy to talk to and is the best person to contact to find out more about working with us as a Downsizing Diva!

Anything else you would like to add?

At Downsizing Diva, we love what we do and it shows! We do one thing really, really well… we help Seniors downsize and move. We have found our passion and know we are making a difference in the lives of the people we come in contact with, each and every day!

I’d like to thank Karen and Gail for taking the time to stop by and tell us about the Downsizing Diva. If you enjoy working with seniors and would like to benefit from Karen and Gail’s proven methodology, training, and ongoing support, this may be something for you to consider.

For general information about buying a franchise, check out How to Research and Buy a Franchise at Entrepreneur.com and Should You Buy A Franchise? at About.com.

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