Here it is once again – time for the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! This monthly feature is a chance for you to share your best blog posts and learn from your colleagues in the organizing industry. We have a few new contributors this month, including a very special guest. I don’t want to let the cat out of the bag, so read on and enjoy!
There are so many interesting options for professional organizers in terms of specialization, training, and certification, it can be challenging to figure out which ones may be beneficial to you, your clients, and your business. One of my goals with this blog is to provide you with information to help you make those decisions, and with that in mind, Sue West is visiting today to tell us about The Coach Approach for Organizers™.
One of the downsides of any business based on fee-per-service is that your income is limited to the number of billable hours you can work. For that reason, you should consider a business model that allows you to generate income over and above your professional fees.
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).
Through my business, Organized Assistant, I have the privilege of supporting a number of successful professional organizers with various Internet marketing activities and other projects. One of my clients is Geralin Thomas of Metropolitan Organizing, a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization. Geralin has stopped by today to talk about the training she offers to newcomers to the field of professional organizing, and to experienced organizers who want to optimize their business practices.
“I love to organize, and I’m good at it too! In fact, I could probably be pretty successful as a professional organizer if I could just land a few more clients… someone said I didn’t seem confident enough, so I changed my approach, but now I think I’m scaring people off! What can I do? I’m an organizer, not a salesperson!”
If you’re thinking about becoming a professional organizer, chances are pretty good that you already have a knack for organizing, but there’s much more to it than just working with clients. You also need to know how to set your fees and policies, conduct an initial assessment, and of course, market your business so you have clients to work with. I’m covering many of these topics here at Your Organizing Business, but if you’re ready to get going, you probably want to learn a lot more – and quickly!
Today I have a special treat for you – an interview with Patricia John of Room 2 Room Organizing, who is a professional organizer and certified Feng Shui Consultant. Patricia has been one of my clients since 2006, and has stopped by to explain what Feng Shui is all about and to help you decide whether it would be useful to you in your organizing business.
If you’ve become a professional organizer because organizing comes to you naturally, you may find yourself frustrated when some of your clients just don’t seem to “get it.” It’s so important to recognize that right-brained creative types see the world very differently than those who are left-brained, and equally important to your success as a professional organizer that you learn to adapt your strategies when you’re working with creative individuals.
Based on the buzz on Twitter the last few days, the NAPO Conference was a huge success, with lots of great speakers and fantastic networking. Reading about it sure has me pumped for the upcoming Forum on Virtual Assistance I’ll be attending next month! Although nothing can compare to a live conference in terms of a learning experience, if you weren’t able to attend, you’ll be pleased to learn about an exciting new program that’s starting on May 12.
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