September 1, 2019

Business Organizers

Help others get organized. Credit: Todd Pearson | Getty Images

Overview of the Professional Organizer Business

A professional organizer turns clutter and chaos into an efficient space for households and businesses. Jobs can range from organizing a small shoe closet to designing a storage space for a marketing firm. Because throwing things out can be difficult for clients, organizers also need to be coaches, helping clients process their feelings around objects.

Further, organizers need to learn about their clients to design systems they can be successful at using. A client that has difficulty filing, may need a system that allows for piling.

According to Payscale, professional organizers generally earn between $15.06 and $60.84 an hour, or $31.03 to $119, 197 per year. Sometimes they do some of the handiwork involved, but large tasks, such as painting or shelving construction jobs are often subcontracted. There is no widely accepted licensing for professional organizers. But anyone who enters the business should contact the National Association for Professional Organizers, which also offers courses.

Pros of a Professional Organizer Home Business

There are many positive aspects to running a professional home organizer business, especially if you are good at clearing through the clutter and can work well with people. Other pros include:

No official training is necessary.
It's an extension of what the organizationally inclined have been doing most of their life.
It's easy to start a portfolio by doing small jobs for family and friends.
Classes and websites devoted to organizing are easy to find.
You can expand services easily or offer retainer services for clients that get organized, but want help to maintain your system every few months.

You can add other income streams such as speaking and training, ecourses and books for those who are DIYers.

Cons of a Professional Organizer Home Business

Professional organizing has it's drawbacks as well, such as:

It can be a challenge to differentiate yourself from other organizers.
It can be hard to find clients willing to pay for an organizer.
You need to be comfortable entering other people's messy and disorganized homes or offices.
You need patience, particularly with clients who want to hold on to items or have difficulty adapting to organizational systems.
Unglamorous tasks, such as cleaning up for people with hoarding disorders, are part of the job.
Time management in a paid-by-the-hour arrangement can be tricky, given the unpredictable aspects of the job or the people involved in the project.
Subtracting projects can cut into profit, and it's potentially time-consuming to find the right subcontractors.

What You Need to Get Started in a Professional Organizer Home Business

If you enjoy cutting through the clutter and helping others get their lives and spaces organized, starting a home based professional organizing business is relatively easy. Here are the steps:

Decide if you'll specialize or generalize your organization service. For example, will you help everyone or focus just on homes or business. Or you can specialize in a specific area such as garages or paper management.

Do sample projects for those you know, and showcase them with before-and-after photos to be used in a physical and online portfolio.

Develop good networking skills to lure customers and subcontractors you can trust are crucial for professional organizers in business for themselves.
Gather a few basic tools, including a notepad, camera, tape measure, rubber gloves, face mask, tape, and a kit with screwdrivers and power tools (if you're going to be doing some of the dirty work yourself)