ASK THE COACH

• As I was considering joining this profession back in 1995, one of the first things I did was to go to the library and bookstore and check out as many books as I could find on the subject of organizing. I skimmed through the books to see if I knew what I thought I knew about it. I walked away feeling like I could have written some of the books myself! That was great validation for me that I was qualified to do the work. The books also opened my eyes to some different approaches I could use to assist others in getting organized. If you'd like to see a list of good books on the subject, click here.
  
  
• The next thing I did was to find out who else in my geographic area was doing this kind of work. A good resource for this is your local Yellow Pages (in my local Yellow Pages it is listed under Organizing Products & Services). Anyone with a business line -- even if in a home office -- gets a free listing in the Yellow Pages. Organizers who do not have a dedicated business line (who use their home line for business) will not show up in the Yellow Pages.
  
  
• After doing some market research by talking with other Professional Organizers, I decided to offer my services to a few select people I knew who might benefit from such services. I offered my complimentary organizing services in exchange for their honest feedback. I wrote up a contract that spelled out what I would do in exchange for their honest feedback, and I requested a letter of recommendation and a quote if they were happy with my work. I interviewed each one after completing the work, asking specific questions that were designed to deepen my learning about what worked and what didn't work. One of the things that I learned early on is that it's one thing to be organized yourself, and quite another thing to assist someone else in getting organized. That takes special skill that will develop over time. What works for you may not work for another person. Part of the learning curve for me was in learning how to listen very carefully and tailor my recommendations to the individual in a way that would work for them.
  
  
• Once I decided to join the profession, I immediately became a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). There are many benefits to membership in this professional organization. I just returned from our annual conference which was held in Austin, TX. It was awesome! I always pick up something new to improve my business. One of the best ways to learn is to get involved as a volunteer in NAPO. We learn a lot from each other. The conference is usually in late April or early May. The 2002 conference will be in Atlanta, and the 2003 conference will be in Denver. Other membership benefits include a referral program, the NAPO newsletter, a membership directory (so you can contact other organizers and learn what they specialize in), and much more.
  
  
• If you are fortunate enough to live in an area that has a local NAPO chapter, find out when and where they meet and visit a chapter meeting. Talk with the Professional Organizers there. Find out if any of them offer classes or workshops about starting a business as a Professional Organizer. These can be very informative and helpful.
  
  
• My last bit of advice to you is to hire a coach to help your business get off and running as quickly as possible. I had an opportunity to do so when I started my business, and I turned it away because I did not want to spend the money. In retrospect, I spent a lot more money and time unnecessarily because I tried to go it alone with no support. (There is no local NAPO chapter in the Seattle area, where I live.) The cost of hiring a coach would have paid for itself in the first year had I accepted the help available to me.

Ask Kathy

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