The Ultimate Guide on Professional Organizing – Part IV
If after reading the last posts of this Guide on Professional Organizing, you concluded that you’d like to give a professional organizer in your area a try, let’s take a look at what to do before you hire one of the great colleagues I have the honor to share this wonderful professional activity.
The first thing is, it’s important to interview a few organizers in your area.
You want to seek out someone knowledgeable, trustworthy and compassionate. Be sure to take your personality type into account and find someone you see yourself spending some time with. You’ll be working closely with this person and it’s best to choose someone you’ll enjoy working with.
Use this list of questions as a starting point when interviewing a professional organizer.
- What sort of experience and education do you have in organizing?
- Do you carry insurance?
- Do you do the organizing work yourself or do you use sub-contractors?
- What’s unique about your organizing business?
- How do you address organizing challenges?
- Do you charge by the session, by the hour or is it a flat fee?
- Do you offer a free consultation? If it’s a paid consultation, will that fee be deducted from the final invoice?
- Can you connect me with other professionals through referrals?
- Do you specialize in a particular area of organizing or do you typically work with specific populations of clients?
- Are you a member of any professional organizations like the NAPO or ICD?
- Do you have any specialized training?
- What does your approach and process to organizing look like? Is it hands-on, team-based or virtual (through Skype)?
- How do I pay you? Do you have packages or you work by session?
Professional organizers aren’t magicians, but they can work a little magic. If reading Real Simple and organizing advice online isn’t providing you with the motivation or tools to get organized, consider giving your local professional organizer a call.
Take The Quiz
Still not sure if you need to hire a professional organizer? Take the quiz below to find out.
- Do you find yourself consistently misplacing an important item like your car keys, purse or wallet?
- Do you struggle to create meal plans, a grocery list and cook homemade meals for your family during the work week?
- Have you recently fought with your kids, spouse or roommate over household chores like doing the dishes and laundry?
- Is coordinating weekend schedules a challenge for your family?
- When you walk in the door of your home, do you find or trip over items like shoes, purses, backpacks and umbrellas?
If you answered “Yes” to any of the questions above, I recommend interviewing 2-3 professional organizers in your area. An organizer will be able to help you:
- Create organizing systems that work for you, your family and your home.
- Better manage weekly chores like household work and meal planning.
- Prioritize and improve your time management.
How to Find A Professional Organizer
To find a professional organizer near you, visit the NAPO Professional Organizer Directory. You’ll be able to locate organizers in the US as well as many countries around the world.
Canadian readers should visit the Professional Organizers in Canada (POC). The Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers is a great resource for those in the UK. Finally, the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO) is another helpful professional organizer directory.
If you have a specific question or want to inquire about a particular service, simply ask.
