Class free for beginning organizers

If you are new to the organizing industry, you may be interested in attending a teleseminar next week (3/10/10) called Clutter Bootcamp. I will be presenting this to business owners who are looking for ways to organize at home and in business. You can listen in at no cost and perhaps get some ideas to use with your own clients.

The class is part of the Your Path to Success Telesummit. (check out all the fantastic speakers!)
No cost to register here: http://tinyurl.com/clutterbootcamp

You will get access to this class and all the other classes.
If you want the recordings, just sign up for the upgrade and there is a fee for those classes.

– Allison

Asking for Testimonials

Many people are uncomfortable asking for recommendations and testimonials from clients. They don’t know how to word the question so it isn’t awkward.
But people in business have to ask for what they need or wait forever to get it by chance.

Here are 3 ways you can get testimonial quotes from your clients:

1. Catch it.
When you are working directly with a client, they often will say something about how they feel better,  praise their own accomplishment or yours, or rave about how the space looks. Catch them when they do this; tell them how nice it is to hear and ask if you can write that down to use for your website.  Ask if they would like to remain anonymous or if they don’t mind lending their name (because it is more credible that way.)

2. Ask for it.
I got this lovely little note from someone I have hired to do design work. I was impressed with her work, so I had no trouble shooting out a quick couple of sentences for her.  Here is what she wrote:

“Hello there my much appreciated client!
I’ll be updating my website very soon and that includes adding some more-current client buzz.  If you’re interested in submitting a short comment about the joys of working with me please click the link below.  I’ll include a link to your website (whether I’ve designed it or not) along with your comments.  If you need examples, I’ve put a link to the current buzz page below as well.”

Not only is it a win for her, but a win for me as well because she will link back to my website… which shows off her work.

3. Give recommendations
On Linked In, the social networking website,  when you recommend someone, the program automatically asks if they would like to recommend you. Take advantage of that gift!  On the same note, you can write a recommendation on someone’s fan page on facebook. If the business owner has worked with you, you may get a recommendation back.

4. Send a survey
Send a survey to your clients after a day’s work or after the final job (but that sometimes never comes.) In the survey, ask open ended questions that would spark a positive comment such as: What did you learn from your organizer? What made you happiest about working with your organizer today?  If you send a survey after a class, you might ask “What do you think was the best part of the class?” or “What did you like about the speaker?” When you word at least one question that way, you can only get positive answers.

What are your tried and true methods for getting testimonials?

Manage client expectations class

I love what A Red Bench is doing.
A Red Bench started a teleclass business for professional organizers a couple of years back.

The owners are aware that more and more organizers are looking for continuing education and they’re providing the classes that many of us need.

In just a few days, Mindy Godding presents a class on Managing Client Expectations which you may not know you need until you  need it. (Helpful for dealing with cancellations, who does what and when, payment, etc.) When you and your client are clear what to expect, it saves you from all kinds of trouble down the road.

Check out this class and other classes and recordings at A Red Bench.
Full disclosure: The link is my affiliate link just so you are aware. If you sign up, it helps our business as well.

– Allison

Tags: class, classes, clients

PO business good for SAHM?

This is part of our Q&A series. To see previous answers, please click on the Q&A link in the right hand column.

Q: Is this a good job for a stay at home mom? from Kim in Minnesota

A: Yes and no.

If you have support to take care of small children it’s a great job.
If you don’t, it is nearly impossible to do the job unless you put children into care or  in school.

You will need to be able to leave your home for  for 3-5 hours at a time to work on site with clients unless you are doing virtual organizing.
The benefits are awesome. You can make your schedule match school hours as you children get bigger. You can take days off when children are sick, have functions to go to, or just for vacation. You truly can set your own schedule to match your life.

This is the primary reason I chose organizing as a profession.

Top 5 Ways to Market a PO Business

This is part of our ongoing Q&A series.
To see previous answers, click on the Q&A category in the right-hand column.

Q: What are the top 5 ways to market an organizing business? from Cynthia in San Antonio, TX

A: This is changing daily with new technology, but these are some of the best FREE ways to market in 2010:

1. Build a social networking following and relationships

2. Build your raving fan base! These are the clients who will tell all of their friends about you!

3. Create strategic alliances and network with other professionals who meet similar clients. Share business information and referrals.

4. Website/blogsite that rocks!! It must offer something to the people that visit. If it is merely a brochure on the web, you are boring them. Offer tips, solutions, quizzes, etc.

5. Talk, talk, talk. Do speaking engagements. If you don’t like public speaking, offer to do q&a for 10-30 minutes with very small groups that have meetings so you don’t have to prepare quite as much. This establishes you as an expert.

What are the legal aspects to consider?

This is part of our ongoing series of Q&As on professional organizing.
To see previous answers, please click the Q&A category link in the right hand column

Julie in Marietta, GA asks:

Q: What are the legal aspects?

A: Since I’m not a lawyer, I will only be able to give you the basic areas to think about when starting and running an organizing business.

These are the legal matters that affect you most:

Trademark/Servicemark: Do not choose the name of your business without first checking with http://uspto.gov to see if someone holds a federal servicemark on the name.  Servicemark is like a trademark for a service. Next check websites. If the name is in use anywhere, it is best to stay away from it for brand confusion, but it is not illegal unless there is a trademark.

Insurance: you may need it.  Insurance is about how much risk you’re willing to take so it is up to you if you think you need it and how much.

You want to look into basic business insurance which protects your place of business, database, and items you own. Next you may need business liability insurance which covers things like advice you give.
Errors and omissions would be useful if you’re dealing with a lot of paperwork. You also may need other insurance if you have employees, do installations, or work on computers.

Incorporation: You may need to see a lawyer and an accountant about incorporating and finding out whether it will protect you legally and/or financially.

Copyright: Be careful about what you put on your website. There are laws regarding copyright that many people are not aware of. Essentially, if you didn’t write something yourself, you don’t own the copyright and cannot use it on your website.  You cannot use wording from other websites, books, blogs or even facebook and twitter. If you like what someone else has said, either re-write it in your own words, or ask permission to use it.
The same goes for cartoons, drawings, photos, video, music and anything that can be duplicated.
I have added some good websites you can look to for further information:

Copyright and Fair Use rules

10 myths about copyright explained

copyright info for teachers

What is the market outlook for POs?

This is part of our ongoing Q&A Series about professional organizing.
To see all of the answers and comments, please click on the Q&A category link in the right hand column.

Q: What is the market outlook for professional organizers? from Esther in Durham, NC

A: A year ago I would have given you a different answer. The economy had tanked and there was an overall spending freeze gripping the country. It was taboo to spend on things that were not “necessities.”

Well it didn’t take long for the people who still have a steady income to figure out that getting organized is a necessity for them and they have come back in droves.  Organizers I speak with (in 2010) are reporting booming business this year. It is still not as good for me as it was 6 years ago when the new TV shows about organizing started. But it is steady.  Many organizers also dropped out of the field in the last year,  so there is actually less competition if you live in an area with many organizers.

Should you always charge by the hour?

This is part of our ongoing Q&A series.
To see all of the Q&A answers, click on the category link in the right hand column.

Q: Should you always charge by the hour, charge per job and then by the hour if need more time to complete the task, or just a flat rate per job? From Rainservices in Alpharetta, GA

A: Always is a very strong word that I rarely use because there’s always a case that disproves it. Ha, I just used it.

Most home/residential organizers do charge by the hour. The benefit is that it allows a residential client to start for a small price and thus,  take a smaller financial risk.

It also allows some clients to budget their time and money.
But the main reason people charge by the hour is because when you throw out a big number to a residential client, they might freak out and wonder if it’s worth the value you bring.  They tend to do better when you can show then your value over time. Give an estimate but parcel it out over a series of appointments.
The reason is that for a residential client, they often are not losing money so there is no bottom line. They’re often just frustrated and stressed out, but there is not an obvious link to loss of money unless they are over-shopping.

This is discussed in one of the last chapters of Alan Weiss’s book, Million Dollar Consulting, that teaches how and why pricing by the project, or value pricing is a better way to go for most businesses.  I read the whole book, hoping to apply his methods to residential organizing… but then got to the chapter on residential which basically said, forget everything I just said.

When you can price by the project, the buyer knows the bottom line right from the outset and can budget for it and see the value it brings.  Business owners need this so they know the bottom line for their operations.

Tags: fees, pricing

Most important thing for marketing?

This is part of our ongoing Q&A on professional organizing. To see previous answers, click on the Q&A category in the right hand column.

Q: I’m 23 and almost out of college and would like to do something formyself that I enjoy, what is the most important thing to learn in regards to getting clients? From Arlene in Canoga Park CA

A: The MOST important thing is to constantly ask:  what’s in it for the client?  Think problem > solution. If you can solve their problems, there is no telling what they will pay to alleviate their pain.

Be yourself and only offer services that you can actually do.
Under-promise and over-deliver results – Be even better than they think you will be!

How to attract new clients

More from our ongoing Q & A series on becoming a professional organizer and running your business.
To see all the Q&A answers, click on the category in the right hand column.

Q: How to attract new clients? from jmirish in Rochester, NY

Q: Any advice on how to market my company? from Samara in Michigan

A: There are an infinite number of ways to attract new clients. Marketing your business is merely telling people about your service. But it must be the:

Right product with
The right message delivered in
The right channels at

The right time.
– Jenny Schmitt at www.cloudspark.com

You start by knowing your audience and identifying what they want. That will help you come up with the right product/service/package.

You need to know what the results are that they’re looking for beyond the physical. What are the emotional benefits? No one cares about your process or how you became an organizer. They just want to know what you can do for them.

The right channel is how they receive the message. Do your ideal clients use the web and trust it? Do they do social networking? Do they listen to their friends? Will they listen to a message in an advertisement? Pick the one or two channels that influence your clients most to deliver your message.

And the right timing is very important. People buy things when they’re ready. They may not be ready the first time they see your name, but they might the 4^th or 5^th time. No is not really no, it’s actually “not now.”  If they like your message, keep delivering it and they may eventually buy what you are offering.

It can be very hard for some people to get their first paying clients.

I attribute this primarily to a lack of confidence on the part of the organizer. About ¾ of the population could use an organizer?!

In 2010, The National Association of Professional Organizers found that 91 percent felt they could be more efficient at work if they were better organized. Overall, 71 percent indicated their quality of life would improve with more organization.

So be confident and approach everyone knowing you’re bound to know more than they do. And honestly, even organizers learn from one another, so just about everyone will have something to learn from you. Even the most organized people will appreciate someone seeing their space (and other issues) with fresh eyes.

Your first clients may be friends and relatives. They can compensate you by allowing you to take photos and by offering you testimonials.
After you build up confidence that way, go for the gold… getting paid!

To spread the word about your business without spending a lot of cash that you don’t have yet, consider letting your friends and acquaintances help you.  Write an announcement letter, announcing your business, benefits, and fees (all very concisely.)

Invite them to become part of your team and that you’re able to show your appreciation when they send you new clients. Offer them a percentage, a flat finders fee, a gift card or even organizing services for those that need it.

On a similar note, we get this question from amarcil from Ottawa, Canada

Q: How do you get your first clients?

A: I got my first clients by joining a professional networking group and showed members the value of being organized. I offered them a special price to get in the door. But I let them know they were getting a special price and my true value was XX so they could tell their friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. They truly built my business at the start.

Then I began speaking immediately to show my expertise to small groups.