Become A Professional Organizer

When I decided to become a professional organizer, my life changed completely.

I was always an organized person helping family members and friends become more efficient and clutter-free, but entering the professional world of organizing is a whole other ball game.

I created this page to share my experience and advice in hopes of helping those who are thinking about becoming professional organizers.



NAPO
I get contacted quite a bit from aspiring professional organizers, and the first piece of advice I ALWAYS give is to go the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) website and poke around.

Then, the very next thing I ALWAYS say is to find the nearest chapter and attend a meeting as a guest. There you will have the opportunity to network with other organizers, learn a whole lot during the educational portion and get a good idea of how the industry works.

The most important part, in my opinion, of attending your first NAPO meeting is networking with other organizers. If you want to become a professional organizer, go directly to those who have done just that. Get business cards and ask a ton of questions.

When you get home, make it a point to contact some of the people you met and set up times to meet with them for coffee or lunch. I've been both the new organizer asking tons of questions and the seasoned organizer doling out the advice at these one-on-one meetings, and I highly recommend it. Our industry is characterized by colleagues more than competition (again in my opinion), so some veteran organizers will most likely be more than happy to sit down with you for an hour and let you pick their brain.

Set up a few one-on-one meetings with different organizers. You'll learn so much and get different experiences and advice. Most importantly, you will have a better idea of what you're getting into and can firmly decide whether or not you want to become a professional organizer. Starting your own business is a big leap, but if properly prepared, it could be the best decision you've ever made.

Organizing other people's spaces is a dirty yet personal job, and you have to be professional, nonjudgmental, and disciplined.

Here are some examples of questions to ask yourself before taking on this venture:

You could be in basements, garages and attics, so do you mind getting dirty?

You could come across someone's memorabilia that they want to talk for hours about, so are you willing to listen but also cut them off nicely to keep the progress moving forward?

Can you keep your composure if you stumble upon adult magazines or some other private items?

Now, if you answered no to any of the above questions that doesn't mean you shouldn't become a professional organizer. It's just something to think about. It could mean that you shape your business accordingly. For example, if you don't like getting dirty in basements, garages or attics then maybe your specialty is bedroom closets or business offices.