Important Skills
Organizational skills. Make sure you have a real knack for creating order—especially in the area of your chosen specialty. Maybe you’re that friend who calls everyone to make sure they’ve packed the right things for vacation. Maybe, when friends are moving, they call you for help (because they know you'll make the process feel super easy!). If you’re looking to organize spaces, you probably have an ultra-organized bedroom and home. If you’re planning on organizing peoples’ schedules, you’re probably always on time and manage a busy schedule flawlessly.
Understanding. Tons of people who reach out to organizers feel a little guilty or ashamed. They may feel like, because they need help creating order in their life, that there’s something wrong with them. An excellent organizer will know how to accept and show empathy to their clients.
Creativity. Professional organization isn't always as straightforward as it seems. You may have tons of unexpected challenges thrown your way and to deal with them, you may need to be quick on your feet and think outside of the box. Say your client realizes they have way more stuff than they thought they did, but you only booked one moving truck—what will you do?
Communication. Whether it’s selling your skills, managing difficult clients, or hiring out other services to help with a job—the ability to communicate well is huge for a professional organizer. Do you know how to get your point across clearly and efficiently? Not only will this make the people you work with appreciate you even more, but it can also make your role much easier to manage.
Training & Certification
You don’t need any certifications or training to get started. It’s a myth that you need any degrees, certifications, or licenses to get started as a professional organizer. Having a certification lends you more credibility down the line. But to begin on your path towards certification, you actually need to keep gaining experience in the field. Marketing and salesmanship can make up for a lack of certification. You never know, you could find clients willing to pay top rates—even without formal training!
Work 1500 paid hours over 3 years to get certified with NAPO. The National Association of Productivity & Organizing has its own specific set of requirements. First, earn a high school degree. Then, complete and document 1500 hours of paid work. Once you’ve completed those requirements, sit for the certification test (which lasts roughly 2 hours and costs $450). If you pass the test, you’re in the clear. Completing your paid work takes ~3 years, but must be completed in at least 5 years. Every year, pay $100 to keep your certification active. Every 3 years, take steps to get recertified. Either retake the CPO exam or take 45 hours of courses.
Take classes and do work over ~2 years to get certified with ICD. The Institute for Challenging Disorganization is the go-to for educating soon-to-be professional organizers. There are 3 courses and levels, and once you complete all 3, you’re granted CPO (Certified Professional Organizer) status. Again, these courses take place ‘’while’’ you’re working as an organizer. To satisfy your Level III requirements, you’ll need to have worked for 2 years. Level 1: This covers your career basics, like hoarding behaviors, interpersonal relations, and even working with clients suffering from ADHD. Level 2: At this stage, you learn more about your specialization. If you want to help with productivity or older clients, you'll cover this information in II. Level III: At this point, you'll have spent 17-20 months studying. You’ll take more advanced courses and spend 18 hours working with a mentor in your field. Then, you're CPO certified!
Getting Your Career off the Ground
Choose your specialty. Professional organizers have the option of specializing their skillsets and clientele. Explore your options and read up on specializations that might be the perfect fit for you. Reflect on what draws you most to organization. Are you interested in the interpersonal aspect or solo work? Do you love the idea of helping people who really need it? There are so many paths to take, for example: Help people organize their time. Specialize in coaching, time management, or productivity. Organize physical spaces. Choose a specialty in moving, attics/basements, or storage units. Help people with their specific, personal hurdles. Help seniors, people with ADHD, or children.
Get the word out through friends and family. Your first few clients are crucial—they help you get experience, references, and more referral clients down the line. Share your plans with friends and family and ask them to discuss with their connections, too. Then, even though these are people you already know well (and you'll definitely stay friends either way) it's best to challenge yourself, right from the get-go. Consider making business cards with your specialty, that way your pals can pass those out to their friends, too. Ask early clients to write you a review if you can. That way, you’ll have it on file to impress future customers. Work out the kinks with clients you already know. Ask these customers about how you can improve, then brainstorm ways to raise the bar for yourself.
Leverage social media to gain more clients. To expand your clientele, the internet will be your super tool. Create business accounts, share them with your connections from your personal account, and ask friends to share your business page, too. Continue trying to build your reach by friending people, joining online professional groups, and inviting clients to like and share your page. Or, go the extra mile and make a webpage for your business. This way, as your business grows, people can ask questions, book time, and look at your success stories—all on your site. Sites like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, and Youtube are great for building a following and getting the word out.
Get comfortable with selling yourself. You’re getting started in this career for a reason—you’re a passionate, detail-oriented, hard worker. Don’t be afraid to let potential clients know! Be upfront about the value you bring to the table. Avoid self-effacing comments, because they may make you look less confident. Highlight your skills, successes, experience, and qualifications. You know that your skills can change your clients' lives, so communicate that when a client is interested in your work. Get comfortable giving your elevator pitch to people when they're curious. Whether it's a grocery store isle or a wedding, you never know where you could meet your next big client! Even though it might feel a little strange, your competition is doing this same thing, so you should be too.
Remember that empathy and understanding are marketable skills, too. When someone needs help from a professional organizer, they might feel embarrassed. Plus, your client might need help because of a major life event—so make sure you’re offering emotional support, too. Focus on being an active listener and not judging them. If a client moves because they’ve split with their partner (and they call you to help), let them know that you’re sorry they’re going through a tough time. If you’re working with a hoarder who’s embarrassed about their living situation, remind them that you would never judge them.
Offer great deals to win clients while you're still getting started. To build up your base, give discounts to clients at the beginning. Before you have references or experience to speak of, clients might feel like they're taking a chance by hiring you. But by giving them an amazing rate, you lower the risk. Even when you’ve been a professional for years, this practice can do wonders. You could try: Offering your first few customers half-price rates Offering first-time customers a free initial consultation session Offering customers discounted hours if they refer you to a new client
Invest in coaching, memberships, and conferences. Expand your skills and connections by getting involved in the professional organizer community. Attend virtual or in-person conferences and consider gaining membership to well-known organizations. Note that some of these options are free, some will charge a fee. The American Society for Professional Organizers offers extra resources for their members and coursework for those looking to expand their knowledge. The National Association for Productivity and Organization offers a conference each year in April and additional coursework, too.
Are professional organizers in demand?
Corporate organizers are becoming popular, which could raise demand. Companies are investing more in new things, like community and mentorship, and it leaves gaps in their workloads. Namely, corporate and office organization can fall by the wayside. If this trend continues and more organizers are hired in the corporate world (and not just by individuals!), the job outlook for professional organizers could continue to grow.
How much money do professional organizers make?
Rates vary widely, but the average yearly salary in the US is $76,000 a year. If you’re working for yourself, you set your own hours, rates, and clientele. So in short: the sky is the limit. Some professional organizers find clients who are thrilled to pay them upwards of $150 an hour (which is much higher than the average hourly rate: $36). Professional organizers also enjoy a high job satisfaction and flexibility.
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