Frequently Asked Questions From Residential Clients & Those with Home-Based Offices

1. What is a professional organizer exactly?

The National Association of Professional Organizers says: “A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper and their systems for life.”

2. So, why would anyone need a professional organizer?

People contact us for many reasons. Some want to find more time to spend with their loved ones. Some are in need of more order and control in their home and family life. Many want to save money with better organization of their bills, expenses, tax data and other financial paperwork. Some are tired of cramped surroundings and overstuffed closets, garages and toy chests with no room left for the things they truly want to keep or purchase.

Others have gone through a transition; maybe a job change or relocation, marriage or divorce. Sometimes there has been a birth, or a death in the family or downsizing is needed in order to move to senior housing or to accommodate an aging parent who is moving in. And others simply need to get their homes de-cluttered, organized and ready to sell or to enjoy coming home to.

An increasing number of our clients are business owners who need a more organized way of dealing with incoming paper, e-mail and an overabundance of data.

3. Who are your usual clients?

Our clients tend to be busy professionals, over-extended parents, executives, families in transition and business owners.

4. Are all organizers the same? Do they provide the same kinds of services?

Professional organizers differ greatly in their scope of work, personalities, skill sets and effectiveness. Some choose to specialize in different areas; so for instance, they might work only with home owners. Others choose to work with seniors who are downsizing and still others enjoy helping home-based business owners manage their paperwork, ‘to do’ lists, schedules, bills, correspondence and the area in which they work and live.

Some professional organizers work solely in the fast-paced business environment and are efficiency experts who focus on productivity and on helping business owners and their employees better manage their workloads.

There are also organizers like myself who are experienced and competent when working with a variety of clients in different settings, both corporate and residential.

5. Is there a benefit to hiring a professional organizer who is a member of NAPO (The National Association of Professional Organizers)?

“When you hire a NAPO professional organizer, you are hiring a skilled professional. NAPO provides its members with quality education, exposure to cutting edge trends in organizing, the latest product knowledge, and access to top organizing-industry manufacturers.” …  (NAPO website)

6. Are you a member of NAPO?

Yes, I am a member of NAPO. I am also a member of their prestigious Golden Circle which recognizes members who have an elevated level of experience and who have been engaged in the business of organizing for at least five years.

I also became board certified as a professional organizer after studying for six months and passing a very challenging exam in April, 2007.  Only a handful of other organizers from our state share this important credential. By becoming nationally board certified, professional organizers validate their knowledge and experience, based on the highest industry, psychometric and legal standards.

7. What’s different about Organize To Order? Why should I choose your company when there are so many other companies to select from?

That’s a great question! There are a number of competent professional organizers in the Puget Sound area. I am proud to be affiliated with most all of them and after eight years attending various functions together and working alongside at charitable events or on joint business ventures, I can tell you firsthand who I would feel comfortable recommending if I am not available myself.

As a matter of fact, I had to step away from my business this past year in order to assist family members with serious illnesses; and referred a large number of clients to other professionals who served them well. I have discovered that people who are drawn to this profession tend to be caring individuals who really do want the best for their clients.

Back to your question:

Most of our clients who have interviewed other organizers but end up selecting our company tell us that it is because of our impeccable references; the fact that we are not only licensed in the State of Washington but are bonded and insured as well. In addition, our clients appreciate our obvious desire to be of service and our ability to quickly assess exactly what needs to be done and how best to do it.

Something else that attracts clients to us is the fact that we guarantee complete satisfaction with all of our services unlike most (or any) of the other companies. In addition, as both a business owner and hands-on professional organizer and consultant, I have spent literally thousands of hours working directly with clients in homes and offices throughout the Puget Sound area. I have a great deal of experience and spend time ON THE JOBSITE with the client unlike many of my competitors who have gone on to focus on other aspects of the organizing profession; marketing, writing, speaking, training, etc. I love working hands-on with the clients in the field.

Another benefit to working with our company relates to the cost involved.  

With Organize To Order, our goal is to help effect long term positive changes for our clients – not to simply come in to apply an ‘organizational band-aid.’ Consequently, we have chosen to bill differently from any other company in order that our clients can enjoy lasting changes.

The rates clients are expected to pay for professional services like organizing have skyrocketed over the past few years from affordable to beyond what the average person or small business owner can manage.

Depending on the frequency of visits and type of work, our hourly rates are some of the most competitive in the industry. We can also quote on a project basis if that is preferred.

We are also a great resource for our clients. We can provide quality referrals to skilled handymen, customized closet or garage installation companies, housekeepers, organizing product vendors, realtors, bookkeepers, CPA’s, landscapers, carpet or air duct cleaners, painters, naturopathic doctors, veterinarians, pet-sitters, web-designers, moving companies and many more! A number of the vendors we refer to offer significant, exclusive discounts when clients come to them from Organize To Order.

If you are a subscriber to Angie’s List, be sure to check out our ‘A’ rating.

8. How long does it take to get organized and how much will this cost me?

The best advice we can give is that organizing is a process; not an event. There are so many tangibles and misconceptions fueled by popular organizing TV shows (see Lorie’s blog below). Viewers don’t know about the dozens of individuals working on the other side of the cameras in the organizational process.  In addition, for the sake of ratings, the professional organizers or actors they use do not always accurately represent the majority of those in our profession.

As fellow Certified Professional Organizer, Lorie Marrero states in her great ‘Clutter Diet’ Blog:

February 20, 2007

Organizing Shows: Reality TV is not Reality!

Home organizing shows have really taken off in the last 3-4 years, with several shows on HGTV and TLC like “Mission Organization,” “Neat,” “Clean Sweep,” and others. These shows have been a mixed blessing for the organizing industry–on the one hand, they have increased visibility to what we do, but they also have set very unrealistic expectations and created some misconceptions. Here are a few things we wish the public knew about these shows:

• They have enormous crews of people working on organizing those homes. Most of the time if you hire an organizer, you are going to get a one-on-one experience and it will take MUCH longer to see progress.
• We are much kinder in person! It seems like the organizers on TV are often more confrontational and they are pushing people to part with things before they are ready.
• We do not haul all of your stuff out on the front lawn in front of your neighbors.
• We are not decorators. So often the TV makeovers involve painting a room or buying new furniture, and in general, that is not what organizers do.
• The best “before” shots come from the worst-case scenarios. They often work with Chronically Disorganized people who would, in reality, require some very special handling and even therapy for the complex issues that are involved. (For more information about Chronic Disorganization, visit www.nsgcd.org.)

Remember, what you see on TV has been carefully crafted to make Good Television… they skip steps and make things seem much faster and easier than they really are. Be kind to yourself about what you can realistically get done on your own! www.clutterdietblog.com

Well said, Lorie!

More on what you can expect in relation to how long it takes to get or to stay organized:

It is also one thing to simply do the work and another to teach a willing but somewhat overwhelmed student how to maintain it.  Experts in the field agree, there are no ‘one size fits all’ solutions to organizing needs. First of all, there are tremendous differences in personality types as well as in learning styles. Some clients have disabilities that inhibit their progress while others have financial restraints. And, there are environmental influences, employer expectations, motivational factors, work or storage space limitations and many other variables involved. It can be more time-consuming when there are two family members trying to sort out other issues along the pathway to organization or perhaps a co-worker who has a different idea in mind for how to lay-out work space.

Again, there is no easy way to estimate how long it will take to ‘get organized.’ If you have questions about a specific project, please call us and, after consulting in person and viewing the actual work to be done, we will give you a rough estimate with a high and a low based on other clients we have worked for these past eight years. Likely, your project will fall somewhere in the middle.

Ideally, we want to be able to help our clients learn new skills so that, like the Peace Corp, once we have left, you can manage on your own without us and maintain a level of organization that works.  However; that isn’t always the case when there is chaos in the environment or a sense of urgency. On many occasions, we simply have to get in and do a lot of the work ourselves because of illness on the part of the client, a family or business in the process of moving unexpectedly; all kinds of situations that require quick decisions. It is not always easy to train as we go; yet we try to as often as possible.

9. What about paperwork? There is always so much of it!

In our company, I am the one who organizes most of the paperwork for our clients because of my level of experience.

It takes longest to see results when we work with paper because we take great care with it; a decision often needs to be made with every piece and this can be time consuming; yet it is one of the most HELPFUL things we do for our clients. It is also one of the areas in which it is very important to employ an EXPERT in the industry because of the potential for loss or error. You want to be certain the person deciding whether or not to shred or archive your documentation is knowledgeable and competent. It’s important to know the value of particular pieces of paper such as Stock Certificates, Deeds of Trust or an Appraisal. Many clients have questions concerning the length of time certain documentation needs to be kept. Again, hiring an experienced professional organizer who is CERTIFIED as well as LICENSED, BONDED and INSURED is your safest choice.

Prior to owning my own business, I worked for an attorney and was employed as an Administrative Assistant for high level business executives. I have managed sales consultants and sales companies, forecasted for businesses and built one business from the ground floor up and am currently working on a second (internet based). I understand paper! I am very careful with it and have reorganized virtually hundreds of filing systems in homes, home-based offices, and in both large and small companies. I tend to ‘catch on’ quickly and have organized everything from maritime law offices to kidney dialysis corporate offices, veterinarian, naturopathic and chiropractic clinics, a retail shop, uniform supply corporate offices, dental offices, bank back offices and others.

Clients tell me over and over how relieved they are when their paperwork is in order and filed neatly where they can find it in a matter of seconds; not hours or even days! They also appreciate the CUSTOMIZED filing system I create for each individual business, client or family since there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach, in my opinion, to filing systems. I have found that the vast majority of the clients I have worked with do not care for the majority of the ‘ready-made’ filing systems because the tabs can be very difficult to read and the system itself can be hard to maintain. Most of the clients that have used these particular systems ask me to dismantle them when I begin working for them. I think a number of organizers tend to promote these systems because they are easier to implement for the organizer but they are not as helpful to the client.

There are certainly personal preferences to take into consideration for all aspects of organization but the key is, it is important to work closely with the client in order to implement the system that is best for their learning style and preference; not the organizer’s. We are to be facilitators primarily and need to take care not to put a system in place that has no possibility of being maintained over time which would build a dependence on us that is not productive or helpful to the client.

10. Are there other costs to being disorganized that I need to be aware of?

Of course, ALL disorganization is costly and it would make good sense to try to organize all aspects of your life, but people just don’t have the time. This is why our profession is growing so rapidly. We are often called in to help people get caught up with the ‘busyness’ of their lives. When you consider that “80% of what we keep we never even use” (veteran organizer, Barbara Hemphill); is it any wonder our profession has seen more than a 40% increase over the past seven years?

Clutter costs more than one might think. (You have to clean it, insure it, move it or store it, pay someone to organize it when it gets out of hand and often, there is family dissention because of it).

We can’t stress enough that the costs of being disorganized far outweigh the costs to get your life back on track. When movies or books are returned late, there are late fees; when financial records are not maintained, there are over-limit fees, insufficient funds fees and so on. When follow-through is non-existent, there are many other costs to say nothing of the stress involved between spouses, roommates or business partners when one is on top of things and the other is struggling with organizational processes.

And, there is always the irretrievable time lost to disorganization that could have been spent on more desirable activities.

According to a study conducted by a Boston marketing firm, “the average American burns 55 minutes a day – roughly 12 weeks a year – looking for things they know they own but can’t find.”

I’m sure most of us can think of far better ways to spend our valuable time.

11. Is there anything else I should be aware of?

Yes. Another problem with having too much clutter is the health risk involved. Many of our clients have severe allergies to dust, mold and pet dander. There are additional concerns relating to rodents and other vermin. It is unsafe to keep things in your environment that are potentially harmful to your health or the health of others who share your living space.

Everyone has heard of the tendency to ‘hoard’ things due to the popularity of shows like ‘Oprah.’ It’s hard to know for sure whether hoarding has become far more common a disorder or whether we are simply being made more aware of it because people feel more comfortable talking about this issue. We have worked with a number of clients who have varying degrees of this challenging disorder and have been able to make significant progress with several of them. It does require a unique and highly sensitive approach on the part of the organizing team. It takes time to build trust between the organizer and the client so the process can be a lengthy one but life changing for all involved. Some, but not all are able to maintain their new sense of order.

When dealing with this multi-faceted condition, where the client has a very strong attachment to things that no one else can see value in, it is vital to have the support of the other family members as well as guidance from a family counselor whenever possible. One of the very best books we have read on the subject is entitled: ‘Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding’ (by Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D., Jerome Bubrick, Ph.D. and Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias. M.D.)

The simple life is by far the easiest in the way of maintenance. Our advice is always to SCALE DOWN to what is absolutely loved and necessary – no need for more!

12. Is there any hope for me? Can you really teach me better organizing habits?

Even if you have dealt with issues relating to chronic disorganization all of your life, you can still learn better organizing skills! Sometimes, the smallest tip can make a very big difference – such as listing the noun first when labeling files (INSURANCE-Home, INSURANCE-Auto, INSURANCE-Life)

Good organizational skills can be taught and it is wise to begin early. Even preschoolers can be taught how to sort and organize with the help of photos for labels. I have been certified to teach organizational skills in the elementary schools and believe this is vital especially for children with learning disabilities such as ADD/ADHD or issues relating to chronic disorganization.

13. I’m really ashamed or embarrassed about the condition of my office, home, garage, etc … and I’m really concerned about confidentiality

We truly understand. We take care to protect your privacy in every way and will not share any particulars concerning your situation (unless with a fellow Organize To Order professional who is assisting). All personal information will be held in the strictest confidence.

Hopefully, you can enlist the help of those closest to you before investing in the services of a professional organizer. However; this doesn’t always work for everyone. Many of our clients find it far less stressful to have a non-judgmental professional come in to assist them with the personal details of their lives without involving others from their circle of friends or family. The services of an objective, non-judgmental professional organizer can make all the difference! 

“Kim, you have been a pillar of strength and a caring friend during these dark times. How can I ever thank you … You always seemed to know exactly what I needed each day you worked with me. Sometimes we organized, sometimes we researched; often, we walked during lunch breaks and this opened up my mind to clearer thinking. I thought I was just going to get an organizer to come help me. Instead, I got organized and found a loyal new friend who I know will always be there for me and my family.”

 

Kathi M., Bellevue, WA

14. How will you go about organizing my home or any room in it and what if I can’t be there?

Ideally, we would like to work side by side with our clients but sometimes, they have urgent issues they need to tend to and can’t be there. Once we have had an opportunity to discuss the project during the consult, we can work on our own holding all of our questions until the client returns or until our next session. We set up large cardboard boxes and label them: ‘Donate,’ ‘Goes Elsewhere,’ ‘Ask (Client)’ ‘Trash,’ ‘Recycle,’ etc. and stage them around the room. That way, the job is not held up and the client is involved in the decisions as to what to donate, store, etc. We work very well independently.

15. How are you going to organize my home office?

Usually, home office organizing projects tend to be on-going at least for a period of time and with regular weekly bookings,  your cost to get your office organized and your life back on track is reduced significantly! Please be sure to contact us at Info@OrganizeToOrder.com for more information. While working in a home office setting, it is important to spend at least the first half-day together so I can become familiar with your learning style, personal preferences and nature of your business.

That’s it! We’ve made it affordable and practical for most anyone to get organized.

16. Who would come to assist us? Would it be you, or do you have employees or sub-contractors who would come instead?

That’s a good question. A year and a half ago, Organize To Order was probably the fastest growing professional organizing company in the State of Washington. We had well over one hundred satisfied clients; many of whom we saw regularly and, as a company, we were growing steadily. At one point, we had eight part time employees. Our employees were magnificent (and still are!)Each one was compassionate, conscientious,  hard-working and well-educated. Working together as a team, we could meet most any need our clients had. To be hired, our employees had to have the same thing in common… we all had to have a very strong desire to be of service first and foremost.

Our goal was and still is:

To help our clients simplify their lives at home and at work so that they can focus on their dreams and on what matters most to them.

To that end, we work very hard to ensure that each client feels as he or she is the only client we have and the only one who matters.

About the same time the economy began to spiral downward, six of my close personal family members were diagnosed with serious, life-threatening illnesses all within several months. I anticipated a tough year (helping with these urgent family matters) and realized I would not be able to spend nearly as much time marketing the business in order to keep all of us working consistently. After discussing options with the staff, I decided to ignore their non-compete clauses in their contracts and I set the employees free to start their own businesses if they chose to do so. It was my hope that as I returned to work full time the employees would once again be available.

For the time being; however, it will be me doing the consultation and doing the work as well unless there is a need for an assistant. And we can discuss that possibility at the time of the consultation.

17. If I want to get started with Organize To Order, what is my next step?

First of all … Congratulations! You’ve made a great decision and one that will truly impact your life in a very positive way.

SET UP YOUR CONSULTATION AND GET STARTED … IT’S EASY!

You can call us today to arrange for a helpful consultation. The cost is just $45 and it is due at the time of the consultation (which takes approximately 1 hour). At that time, we can discuss your project in detail and I can give you an estimate of the time, cost and materials. You can ask any questions you have and we can peruse my organizing resource materials together. It is really important to see the project first hand before giving a client an estimate because of the many variables involved.

Please call our message line  (425) 531-1314

You can also contact us  @ info@OrganizeToOrder.com

If you have any other questions not answered above, please feel free to contact us to discuss them. I will do my best to respond promptly.

“Kim, I am always amazed at how quickly you pick things up and how easy it is to work with you here in the office (which is incredibly well organized for the first time in over 12 years). Bernice (Golden Retriever) and I would love to have you come every day. I always get more done when you’re here. It’s like you’re my ‘accountability buddy’ and I can count on a productive day when you’re around. Thanks for always doing more than I expect or deserve!”

 

Don G., Attorney, Redmond, WA