Since becoming involved with the industry, I’ve seen many people become successful organizing consultants, but sadly, I’ve seen many others who started an organizing business only to shut it down after a few years, or even a few months. Sometimes there’s an unforeseen change in health or family situation, but often it’s because they lacked the skills required to effectively manage a business.

It makes sense that most professional organizers choose this line of work because they have a passion for organizing, and if you are someone else’s employee, that may be enough. However, the moment you decide to start your own organizing business, you assume managerial responsibilities, and unless your education and previous employment have prepared you for this role, you’re going to be facing challenges you never contemplated.

You are not alone in this. In his best-selling book, The E-Myth Revisited, Michael Gerber refers to it as the Fatal Assumption. Here’s what he said about it:

… you fell victim to the most disastrous assumption anyone can make about going into business.

It is an assumption made by all technicians who go into business for themselves, one that charts the course of a business–from Grand Opening to Liquidation–the moment it is made.

That Fatal Assumption is: if you understand the technical work of a business, you understand a business that does that technical work.

And the reason it’s fatal is that it just isn’t true.

In fact, it’s the root cause of most small business failures!

The technical work of a business and a business that does that technical work are two totally different things!

But the technician who starts a business fails to see this.

According to BusinessSchoolEdge.com, there are 21 skills that are essential to succeed in business:

1. Written Communication
2. Social Networking (in the traditional sense, rather than using Twitter-Facebook-LinkedIn – though those are useful too!)
3. Public Speaking
4. Sales
5. Negotiation
6. Strategic Planning
7. Project Planning
8. Financial Planning
9. Risk Planning
10. Logistics Planning
11. Time Management
12. Meeting Management
13. Leadership
14. Systems Planning and Implementation
15. Personal Productivity
16. Imagination
17. Inventiveness
18. Problem Solving
19. Brainstorming
20. Connecting Ideas
21. The ability to switch off and relax

Since March is Improve Management Skills Month, take some time to study this list and identify any areas where your skills are not as strong as they should be. I’ll be sharing some ideas and resources to address some of these skills throughout the month, so feel free to share your challenges in the Comments section or ask a question privately.

If one of the areas you need to work on is Time Management (admit it, even professional organizers struggle with this!), be sure to visit my other blog, From the Desk of Janet Barclay, every day next week, when Rodger Constandse, the owner of GoalsToAction.com and principal developer of the Achieve Planner software system, will be visiting to share some of his best time management strategies and to give away some of his products.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Essential Skills for Business Success.

Here it is – the 7^th Professional Organizers Blog Carnival, and the last one for 2009. We have a record number of professional organizers participating this month, and I’d like to thank those who are joining us for the first time, as well as our regulars and everyone in between! Grab your favorite beverage and get ready to read and enjoy!

Since it’s the festive season, it’s no surprise that many of this month’s entries are related to holiday preparations.

In A Few Thoughts on the Holiday Season, Jane Veldhoven gets us thinking about what’s really important to us at this time of year, and how we can maximize our enjoyment of it.

Jacki Hollywood Brown has some great ideas for Clutter Free Gift Giving, and reminds us that:

The holidays can be one of the happiest times of the year as we enjoy the company of our family and friends. It is also one of the most clutter-generating times of the year. Take a look at these gift ideas to reduce clutter and save you time and money.

You can read additional clutter-free Christmas gift suggestions from Angela Esnouf in her special series, beginning with Angela’s Advent, Day 1.

Joan Kosmachuk tells us how to Simplify your Holiday Decorating with Live or Edible Decorations, and Lelah Baker-Rabe suggests a few simple things you can do to create a year-round gift wrap station to minimize stress and maximize efficiency, in her post Preparing for every day: Gift wrap station.

If you’re looking for a unique way to keep track of Christmas card lists for yourself or your clients, check out Jeri Dansky‘s Forget the Address Book: Use an Address BOX.

Of course, this is also a good time for making plans for next year. Elaine Shannon tells us all about her own Planning Day, saying:

I love organizing so much that I have organized some planning around my 2010 goals. Yes the organizer is organizing herself. So many people wonder why they are not moving forward in their business but don’t have a score card to compare it to. By failing to plan as we know you plan to fail. With a few strategies you can take charge of your new year and meet your goals..whatever they may be!

While you’re making those plans, you might find it interesting to read about other organizers’ success strategies. Anne Blumer tells us how she got to where she is today in her post, Ask the Organizer Panel, and Angie Weid shares The Story Behind Organized Solutions, saying:

This post is sharing a story of being kicked down, learning to stand back up and keep on working toward success.  My hope is that it encourages fellow organizers to be strong and succeed.

Lisa Montanaro offers some eye-opening information in Coopetition: A Fantastic Way To Boost Your Business, a sneak peek of “Don’t Go It Alone: It Takes a Village to Run A Successful Business,” which she’ll be presenting at the 2010 NAPO Conference in Columbus, OH.

Looking for interesting organizing resources? Be sure to read My Brain Book from Hellen Buttigieg and PaperBackSwap.com from Michelle Deo.

Janet Baker discusses the why’s and how’s of Indexing Your Document Management Filing System is Worth it When You’re on the Road.

If you’re curious about hoarding from the client’s point of view, you won’t want to miss Geralin Thomas‘ Anatomy of a Client.

Deb Lee tackles The Myth of Work/Family Balance, asking:

Is it realistic to think that work/family balance is possible?  Can you be a great parent and a great employee (or entrepreneur) at the same time?  Can a family where both parents work achieve this balance?

Janine Adams wraps up this month’s Professional Organizers Blog Carnival with a look at her favorite social networking site in Why I Love Twitter.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s edition. As you visit your colleagues’ blogs, be sure to take a moment to leave a comment or two and get to know one another.

As the Carnival continues to grow, I’d love to know what you’d like to see in the future. Specific topics for each month? Two separate carnivals, with one dedicated to organizing and the other to business ideas? Or just keep it the same?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Professional Organizers Blog Carnival – December 2009 Edition.

Now that it’s December, many of us are looking ahead to the new year, and starting to set goals to grow our businesses, buy a new home, improve our relationships with others, or make other positive life changes. At the same time, we’re trying to come up with clutter-free gifts for our clients and loved ones. I have a suggestion that may help you achieve both at the same time!

Don Giberson is a Master Law of Attraction Trainer and Coach, and the President and founder of DreamCrafters. I’ve known him for several years, and as well as him being one of my clients, I’ve participated in some of his programs, and can honestly say that they’ve helped me grow my business to where it is today.

Don has created a Mastering Life and Business Library which consists of all the recordings and handouts from all 13 of his programs – that’s over 62 hours of audio and more than 460 pages of notes, checklists and worksheets to help you create the kind of life you want. Don normally sells his Mastering Life and Business Library for $297.00 (although the total value is over $2000), but for a limited time, he’s offering it for the low price of $97.00.

This special offer includes a second Mastering Life and Business Library that would make a wonderful gift. When you make your purchase, you’ll receive an attractive gift certificate which you can print out and give to your recipient, along with a brochure outlining all of the programs that are included in the Mastering Life and Business Library. This would be a great way to enhance someone’s life, as well as your own, without creating any clutter!

For more information about the Mastering Life and Business Library and this special offer, visit http://www.dreamcrafters.ca/dreamlibraryoffernew.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Make Your Dreams (and Someone Else’s) Come True.

I blogged fairly recently about the monthly teleclasses for professional organizers offered by A Red Bench, but they’ve just announced a free class scheduled for Monday, August 10 that I’m sure you won’t want to miss. In addition to their coaching service, A Red Bench, Angela Ploetz and Christa Wagner each operate their own successful organizing businesses, so they’ve learned a thing or two about effective time management, and are planning to share some of their secrets in their free teleclass, Ask The Organizer:  How We Get The Right Things Done (without going crazy).

In this free class, Angela and Christa will share:

• How they run multiple businesses, projects and streams of income, without going crazy
• How they carve out time for what matters most
• Their personal checklist of what you can do to take back your time, right now
• How you can decide what is most important this and every week
• The one action that has made a huge difference to their business and personal lives

You’ll also have a chance to ask YOUR time management questions, so you can learn what you need to know in order to achieve balance in your life and success in your business.

Take one hour out of your schedule to attend this class, and you’ll more than make up the time when you apply what you learn! It’s a great opportunity to learn some new time management strategies that you can teach your clients, as well as using them in your own life. In addition to the live call, you’ll receive access to a recording so you can review the session at your own convenience.

Simply visit A Red Bench to register.

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on How Do Busy Professional Organizers Get It All Done?.

It’s no secret that the majority of small businesses close within the first year, and very few make it to three years. Since launching my business in 2002, I’ve seen many people come and go from the field of professional organizing.

Does this mean that all of these businesses failed? Not necessarily! After all, not everyone opens a business with the intention of making it a full-time career. When I started mine, I saw it as a way of picking up some extra money in my spare time by doing something that I enjoyed. Over time I realized that this was what I wanted to do with my life, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for others in that situation to “drop out” if lifestyle changes meant they no longer had time to run a side business, or if they just lost interest.

Then we have people who start businesses because they’re between jobs and are strapped for cash – they will often abandon the business once the right employment opportunity comes along. A similar situation arises when parents choose to stay home with young children, but need a way to generate some income for the family. Once the children are older, they may return to the regular workforce.

What about you? Do you see your business as a temporary source of income, or is it your career? The answer to this question will have an impact on nearly everything you do!

If you want your business to survive and provide you with a steady income in the years to come, you need to work hard to make it happen. Here are a few things you need to do on an ongoing basis to ensure your ongoing success:

1. Invest money in your business, whether it be for marketing, continuing education, or memberships in networking groups and professional associations. If you need help deciding the best ways to use your funds, consider working with a business coach – another great investment!
2. Read books, blogs and articles related to your industry and to business in general.
3. Spend time networking every week, with people in your own field, with people in your target market, and anyone else – you never know who they might know! Online networking is great, because you can do it at whatever time suits your schedule, you don’t have to dress up or spend time and gas money driving to various locations, and you can connect with people all over the world. But make sure you attend in-person networking events too, because there’s nothing like personal contact to build relationships.
4. Position yourself as a professional, and don’t be afraid to charge what you’re worth.
5. Treat your customers with respect and always remember that without them, you wouldn’t have a business at all.

Are you in it for the long haul?

Please visit Your Organizing Business to read and comment on Are You in it for the Long Haul?.