(LifeWire) - Overview of the Professional Organizer Home 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. Professional organizers generally can earn between $35 and $200 an hour, and often do some of the handiwork involved. But large tasks such as painting or shelving construction jobs can always be 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
- Startup overhead is low.
- 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.
- Subtracting projects can cut into profit, and it's potentially time-consuming to find the right subcontractors.
- 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 vagaries of the job.
- Take a business plan to your local small business association for licensing and advice. That includes determining your specialty (if you have one).
- Do sample projects for those you know, and showcase them with before-and-after photos to be used in a physical and online portfolio.
- Good networking skills to lure customers and subcontractors you can trust are crucial for professional organizers in business for themselves.
- Low-cost or free advertising -- including craigslist.org, newspapers, flyers and signage on your car -- is a must to promote yourself.
- 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)
Professional Organizer: Real Life Example
Gail Washington got her start as a professional organizer when she was laid off her corporate job in 2004 and used her idle time to rebuild her godparents' kitchen cabinets. Her sister was so impressed that she offered Washington the job of organizing her 3,500-square foot house from top to bottom -- with the caveat that Washington get a business license first. Washington completed the assignment for her sister and her business grew from there
