What is a professional organizer?

As defined by NAPO – 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 business take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their systems for life.

As a professional organizer I am expert with space.  Some people excel in science, some in math, some in writing – I excel in space.  I have run high end retail stores for more than a decade and spent a lot of my time on the visual merchandising side of the business.  This has allowed me to become an expert at developing organizational systems and efficiently use spaces of all sizes, all the while getting things to look visually appealing.

What does a professional organizer do?

I help people get organized while feeling good about their living and working spaces.

I help residential and business clients use all of their space in the most effective, efficient way possible while making it all look good.  I try to bring a fresh perspective to the areas of your home or business that feel out of control and overwhelming.  We work together to solve problems and make your areas peaceful and functional.  When you are ready to get organized I am completely hands on and get down and dirty and help you sort through the clutter, make choices on what to keep, what to store, what to get rid of and what to donate or sell.  After this process is complete you will feel energized, relaxed, focused and more productive.

It seems so overwhelming, where do we start?

Call me and we’ll talk, we will go through some questions to determine what your organizing needs are and go from there.  Usually I will come to your home or business and we can have a chance to meet each other and review the project.  You may have a garage you can’t even walk in, an office that has papers and files everywhere, a closet that is bursting at the seems, I have seen it all and can quickly make sense of your space and figure out the best way to get you organized.  From there we can figure out how to best work together with your budget and time.  Sessions will be set up to accommodate your schedule; I work days, evenings and weekends.

How much does this cost?

It depends. Some people only need a 3 or 4 hour session to get their closet in order, some people need every aspect of their home and life sorted, and organized – this process can take weeks.  I will work with you to figure what is best for your budget and time frame.  I work off of an hourly rate.  You are paying for this service, I will not be with you to waste time, so we will work at an appropriate but rapid pace.  I do have a 3 hour minimum but we will be working in blocks of times that make sense for both of us relative to the particular project. Most sessions are 3-6 hours. This process can be very mentally and emotionally tiring for people so it is hard to take a whole day and do this for 8-10 hours.  I also offer a discount on upfront purchases of blocks of 10, 25 or 50 hours.

What about supplies? Will I need to buy anything?

Basic supplies can provided by me – garbage bags, sorting bins, tables, clothes racks and other “tools” of the trade.  We will use what you have available for storage but I will have some storage bins and other organizing solutions that you can buy at cost from me. I will also shop for you if would like, for a flat fee, for which you would reimburse me the cost for the supplies. Of course we will work within your budget and you will have the final say on anything that might need to get purchased.

Will I need to get rid of things/throw all my stuff away?

You will not.  I will not be there to make you throw out your possessions. I am here to work with you towards making your space a functional, comfortable sanctuary. Often getting to this point does mean liberating yourself of some items but that decision will ultimately be up to you.  If you are getting rid of items I will help you to decide which items will be discarded, which will be recycled, which will be donated and which items can possibly be sold – I have relationships with furniture consignment stores if needed. I will also take and drop off items that are to be donated and give you back a receipt for your taxes.

What about my privacy?

My business and our relationship is all about trust – gaining it, building it and maintaining it. I realize it could be embarrassing to have a stranger come into your house for a process like this, so confidentiality in this whole process is foremost. All conversations and sessions are strictly confidential.  I strictly follow the code of ethics set by the National Association of Professional Organizers.

Will I be able to stay organized after you leave?

Part of my job will be to make it as easy as possible for you to stay organized after I leave.  Part of the process will be trying to develop new systems and habits that will lead you to stay organized. But you will have the ultimate responsibility to ensure these habits are incorporated into your everyday life.  Of course you can always schedule me to be at your home every so often for a maintenance session if you want.

What if I need to cancel?

There is a $100 non-refundable deposit required at the time you book for an actual organizing session(s) (the initial needs consult is always free of charge), this will be deducted from your total bill at payment.  If you cancel and do not rebook your session you will not be refunded the $100 deposit.  We understand things can come up but please understand this is my business and when I schedule a session with you I have no way to recoup that loss. If we are in a series of organizing sessions I allow for one cancel with no charge but after that any cancellations within 24 hours of a scheduled session incur a $50 charge.