Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is a Professional Organizer?

A Professional Organizer, (sometimes called Organizing Consultant) is someone who has the skills and experience to provide a wide variety of services and assistance to help individuals and companies regain control over their time, space, actions and resources in order to increase productivity and reduce stress.

 

What Services Can Be Provided?

Professional Organizers provide services for all aspects of business and residential organizing.  While unlimited in potential, services fall into five major categories and many organizers specialize in one area or several:       

(1) Space Planning - setting up and laying out a home or office so people can get the maximum and most efficient use of the space they have, taking into consideration lighting, traffic patterns, noise and comfort needs.

(2) Storage/Closet Design - designing and organizing storage and closet space.

(3) Clutter Control -  restoring a sense of order and preventing the further accumulation of clutter.

(4) Time Management - assisting clients to set goals, develop action steps, define priorities, schedule and delegate tasks and activities.

(5) Paper and Information Management - helping people know how to respond to and what to do with incoming materials and setting up filing and retrieval systems.

 

What Can I Expect from an Organizer?

A client can expect an Organizer to be competent in their specialized area, to be honest,  responsible, to stand behind their work and to maintain confidentiality.  Organizers vary in their methods and styles, there are several things most have in common. The Professional Organizer will  work with the client’s input and provide customized solutions, suggestions, choices and methods based on the clients needs, preference and lifestyle.  Give encouragement and support.  Provide behavior modification to exchange messy habits for organized ones.  Charge either on an hourly basis or by project.  They should not be confused with house cleaners, interior decorators, or secretarial support.  But above all they will never be judgmental about disorganization or treat it as a moral issue.  There are people that are very messy but organized and others that are disorganized but very neat.

 

What does the Organizer expect of the client?

An organizing project requires participation from the professional organizer and from the client.  Make time to participate in all steps of the organizing project including making decisions.  Be willing to make changes and be willing to do maintenance once the organizing project is complete.

   

What Can An Organizer Help Me With?

 

RESIDENTIAL

*  Home Organization *  Closet Design & Organizing    *  Garage, Attic & Basement Clutter *  Establishing Hobby & Craft Space *  Organizing Collections *  Memorabilia & Photographs *  Kitchen Design and Organizing *  Estate and Garage Sales  *  Estate Organizing    *  Staging and Readying a Home for Sale *  Moving/Packing/Unpacking/Relocating *  Errands and Personal Shopping *  Organizing children and teenagers *  Bill Paying Service *  Home Inventory *  Health Insurance Claims *  Financial/Bookkeeping Systems *  Home Office Design & Organizing  *  Household Management Services

 

OFFICE

* Small Business Office Organizing * Corporate Office Organizing  * Institute Workflow Systems  * Information Management Systems   * Set up Filing Systems    * Develop paperflow systems * Develop procedure manuals * Project Management                             * Productivity Problems  * Set up Accounting/Financial System * Storage Solutions   * Seminars/Workshops/Training   * Small Business/Practice Set Up

 

GENERAL

*  Chronic Disorganization                     *  Disaster Preparedness                        *  Clutter Control                             *  Visual Coordination                              *  Storage Solutions *  Space Planning *  Time Management *  Computer Organizing and Training *  Event/Meeting Planning and Organizing *  Provide Workshops, Seminars and     Public Speaking *  Personal Coaching, Goal Setting,     Behavior Modification

                           

Is There a Professional Membership?

Yes, most Professional Organizers adhere to strict standards of professional conduct and professionalism as prescribed in the code of ethics as members of  NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers.  The National Association of Professional Organizers is a non-profit professional association whose members include organizing consultants, speakers, trainers, authors, and manufactures of organizing products.  Founded in 1985, it is the only national association of and for organizers with over 1400 members throughout the world. NAPO’s mission is to encourage development of professional organizers, promote recognition of and advance the professional organizing industry.  A NAPO member is an experienced professional with a commitment to the organizing industry.  They are apprised of the best and most current organization information available.  While each clients’ needs vary, the diversity of services offered by NAPO members guarantees that there is a Professional Organizer for you.

 

Why hire a Professional Organizer?

We have more mail and possessions than previous generations and find our complex lives oversaturated with a never ending flow of information which must be processed.   The reason to hire a Professional Organizer and buy organizing supplies is to create a lasting change in your environment and your organizational habits which will help you regain control over your time, space paper and peace of mind. 

 

Who needs a Professional Organizer?

An organizers clients are not necessarily disorganized people.  They are people who are overwhelmed with too many projects or are unwilling to delegate. Companies which must trim off fat and compensate for downsizing by finding better ways to do more with less.  People who want to reduce the stress and mess in their life and improve their self-esteem by knowing that they have more control over life, instead of life controlling them!

 

What are the benefits of Hiring a Professional Organizer?

Eliminate time wasted looking for important documents that are either buried in mounds of paper or mis-filed.  No more shuffling papers from one side of the desk to another, looking for lost phone numbers, dealing with interruptions, hunting for your car keys  all of which take time away from your day.  The average human being in our society loses at least one hour per day due to disorganization - that’s more than two weeks per year! There’s no reason for you to put your job or your health at risk working around the clock just to keep your clutter under control.  It’s a proven fact that those that are organized have higher paying jobs and go further in a company.  In addition, being disorganized is stressful and stress can age you.  By being more organized you will have more time to vacation.  Vacations many not only relax you, they may be good for your heart as well.  Research has revealed that people who take vacations regularly may be less likely to have a heart attack or die from a heart attack than people who don’t vacation regularly.   Being organized is good for your health!     

                 

Who is a Professional Organizer?

A Professional Organizer is someone who gets satisfaction from helping people organize their lives.   Someone with a strong set of people skills, the ability to teach new ideas to people, and sharply honed “problem-solving skills.  They have a need to bring order to the world using their knowledge of various systems, products, furniture, supplies and accessories for organizing a home or office. Someone who can break a big project into smaller, workable sections.  Organizers are flexible enough to work with individual needs and quirks and be able to understand their clients sufficiently to assess what will work for them within their budget range.   Most are highly analytical and creative and feel that organizing is a natural ability that they have been doing all their lives, an inherent skill.  An organizer can be an author, trainer, seminar leader, or hands-on consultant.  Organizers come from all walks of life and every background imaginable -- teachers, counselors, social workers, lawyers, editors, forklift operators, corporate executives, home makers etc.  Many Organizers either come from “helping professions” or jobs which required them to be exceptionally organized.  They are enthusiastic about their careers and their clients.  But above all, they are compassionate toward, not judgmental of their clients and provide complete confidentiality.

 

How Do I Find A Professional Organizer?

The best way to locate organizers in your area are:

* Word of Mouth

* Classified ads in City and regional publications

* Yellow Pages directory listings under “Organizing Products and Services.”

* NAPO Headquarters Information and Referral Line: (512)206-0151

   

How Do I Select A Professional Organizer?

The process of hiring a professional organizer is similar to that of choosing any consultant or independent contractor.  First hire someone you trust, and second find someone who’s “work style” complements your own.   Ask what is the area(s) of expertise; references you can contact and how long they’ve been in business.  Trust your instincts, it’s important that you feel comfortable with whom you chose to hire and work with. 

 

Is Hiring A Professional Organizer Expensive?

With most organizers, you decide how often and for how long you work together.  You may only need someone to review your situation and offer suggestions -- or to come in and actually do the work -- it all depends on what works best for you and your situation.

 

What Price Can I Expect to Pay?

Once you contact an organizer, they will do an initial consultation in person or over the phone to assess your needs and give you a time and cost estimate.  Depending upon the project size, the organizer may provide you with a verbal or written plan for the project, and develop a schedule for project completion.  Organizers charge in one of three ways:

 

Fixed Fee - Fixed fees are charged for organizational tasks like organizing a workspace, setting up a filing system, a needs assessment, a workshop, an introductory training program or a follow-up session.  These programs will vary in length and the level of personnel with whom they work with.

Hourly Rate - Fees range from $60 per hour to $125 per hour.  Residential organizers will tend to be at the lower end of the scale; corporate organizers charge more. Some organizers offer a free initial consultation, while others make the initial visit a full working session and charge for a minimum number of hours. 

Retainer - Organizers contract to work with a company for a certain period of time each month.  Retainers may range from several hundred to several thousand dollars a month.

 

What a difference getting organized makes in your life!