How to Become A Residential Professional Organizer

If you have already discovered a talent for organizing your home and enjoy it immensely, you may be able to turn a profit as a residential Professional Organizer. But put down your start-a-business kit. Obtaining a license and other cheklist items aren't the hard part--the hard part is learning the work, which is full of surprises, and not all of them pleasant. Here's the lowdown on how to get started as a Residential Professional Organizer before you ever step foot in the city licensing office.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Membership in the National Organization of Professional Organizers, or another source of mentoring if NAPO isn't available in your area.

1. Do You Have What It Takes? It's not surprising that many people with a therapeutic background become professional organizers, as patiently dealing with a client's fears, anxieties, and blind habits are much more work than the organizing itself. Are you extremely patient, with an iron stomach? Are you physically strong, with a lot of endurance? How do you feel about working for hours with the smell of cat feces permeating a house? How would you feel if you opened a box of books in a garage and mice jumped out? This is the real world of residential organizing, my friends.

2. Do A Test Run Or Two. Not all residential organizing projects involve cat feces or mice ... but some can. You may decide at this point to specialize in office settings. But if you still want to organize homes, it's hard to be choosy. You can ask for certain conditions, but face it: If they could do better, they would have already. Why do you think they called you? So see if you can stand the process. First, try organizing a real messy, scatter-brained, irrational person, taking several visits, using lots of persuasive talk and encouragement. Then, try organizing a conflicted person--someone who wants it, but still undermines or resists the process continually, and questions the validity of your work. Imagine this as a constant source of income.

3. Find the Professional Organizers. If you have plunged ahead and actually done the I-dare-you's above, then you may be cut out for the work. It is strongly recommended that you put in hours with an established organizer first, before starting your own business. Like so many things, book learning and theories are no match for real-life experience. (See Warnings.) Joining your local chapter of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers, would be ideal, as that's where the leaders in the field are found, and where you can introduce yourself and say, "I'm ready to learn." But NAPO isn't everywhere, and not everyone has the money to join. You can simply call up Professional Organizers in your area, or email them, and ask if you can work for them on a job or two.

4. Being Paid As An Organizer. There are organizers who require that you put in so many unpaid hours before taking you on as an independent contractor. Others do not. If you are offered an opportunity for unpaid "training hours," don't automatically turn up your nose. It's usually over in a few days' or a week's work, and then you can make a decent hourly wage. In my area, for example, freelance organizers make from $10 to $25 an hour based on experience. Not bad earnings while you learn the ropes.

5. Time To Start A Business? With hundreds of hours under your belt, you may decide to strike out on your own. One of the greatest benefits of working with an established organizer, proving yourself and gaining her trust, is that she may open up and share some trade secrets with you that you be hard-pressed to find out on your own. These real-time hours, this hard-won experience--along with your business license, your organizing books, and your business cards, is what will really allow you to step into any home with confidence and understanding.

Tips & Warnings

• The more mature we are, the more we've learned and learned the hard way, the less surprised we are by human folly, sickness, and confusion. It may be possible for such women (usually women) to get started as residential organizers on their own. However, if your personality is even a little bit judgmental, impatient, or shockable, then you should definitely get some basic training in with an established professional organizer first.
• The idea of starting solo as a Professional Organizer has its appeal--self-sufficient people are attracted to the work, after all. It could work if the job is limited--a small home office, perhaps.
• But multi-room and certainly whole-house jobs can become overwhelming for even the most organized individual going it alone. It's so beneficial to be on a team, learning how to work from macro to micro, and observing how the project leader works around the homeowner and strategizes the work.

[1960texan]

on 9/22/2009 Great, realistic article on becoming a professional organizer.

[Barry331]

on 8/20/2009 Wow!I didnt even know that there was a 'pro'organizing field!Once again-Thanks,for teaching me something New! 5*

[ljstraight]

on 7/3/2009 Vert good information about this growing field. 5 stars

[Jolocol]

on 5/17/2009 Good ideas, especially working with others before you start your own business.

[veryirie]

on 5/4/2009 I've done this a few times for others. You do have to have the right attitude for this type of work, but it's a great job for BEFORE and AFTER pics. Very satisfying! Well done!