So, you’ve just completed your professional organizer training and have earned your certification. Congratulations! Once the excitement and adrenaline wear down, you suddenly find yourself posed with the age-old question: what do I do now?
First off, take comfort in knowing that there are tons of options at your disposal. It just depends on the direction you want to take your career in. Some designers prefer finding employment within existing companies. For others, starting an organizing business of their very own is the one true path to make all their big career aspirations come true.
If you fall into the latter, then this article is for you!
As with starting a business in any industry, the most important first step is to be completely aware of what you’ll be getting yourself into. It’s vital that you have a realistic understanding of your profession. This way, you’ll know what to expect, and won’t be faced with any unwanted surprises.
The world of professional organizing is admittedly a challenging one. But you’ll quickly come to find that it’s also remarkably rewarding! With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most common pros and cons you can expect when starting an organizing business…
That’s the dream, isn’t it? Personally, I can’t think of anything better than being paid to do what I love and being in charge of the entire operation. As a professional organizer with your own business, this is exactly the future you’ll have to look forward to!
Don’t feel like working the standard 9-5 hours? You have the freedom to set your own hours! Obviously, the amount of success you’ll ultimately have will be directly impacted by the amount of work, time, and dedication you’re willing to put into it. So, this doesn’t mean that your regular work week won’t still be a busy one.
But you’ll have the flexibility to establish your own pace and create your own rules. So long as you have the self-discipline to keep yourself accountable and your business efforts running smoothly, you’re going to make a great self-boss!
CON: Everything falls on you.
The flip-side to owning your own business is that you’re the one responsible for everything. When your business does well, it’s a reflection of your excellent managerial skills. At the same time, if your business doesn’t do well, that all falls back on you, too.
The best way to prosper is by making sure you take your entrepreneurial position seriously. As we mentioned above, you’ll only get out of the experience what you put into it. The harder you work, and the more effort you put into your organizing business, the lower your chances will be of producing poor results.
You know yourself better than anyone. At the end of the day, only you can truly know for sure whether you have what it takes to run – and then manage – a business. If you know in your heart that the demands would be too much, then starting an organizing business may not be in the cards just yet.
However, if you know that this is something you can do, then you should go for it!
PRO: You get to meet all sorts of new people!
The longer you’re in the design industry, and the more experience you get, the more opportunities you’ll have to network and expand your professional relationships. Then, of course, there are also the clients you’ll have the pleasure in meeting!
One of the coolest things about being a professional organizer is that your skill-set is eclectic. You can gear your expertise to a myriad of different scenarios, and provide your services to all sorts of people. One day you may be assisting a single mother in decluttering her home; the next, a company may call on you to help give their office space a much-needed makeover.
No two jobs will be exactly the same! You get to go into each day with the promise of a new experience. This means a new opportunity to learn and grow.
CON: Not every project will be pleasant.
Of course, this pretty much goes for any job. Being a professional organizer sometimes means that you may need to work in unpleasant environments, or with less-than-ideal customers. Now and then, you’ll meet clients who require your help, not necessarily because they want it… but because they need it.
One of the most common examples would be working with a client who has been struggling with hoarding tendencies. The extremity of their hoarding can range anywhere from manageable, to downright out of control. Typically, these kinds of circumstances don’t make for a happy, laid-back client.
There are plenty of other (less extreme) examples that share similar circumstances. Not all clients will be as willing to part with their possessions, for one reason or another. This can be challenging at times. Luckily, your professional organizer training will have prepared you for such situations.
Just remember: your profession is about more than just being insanely organized and innovative. It also requires a level of empathy. So long as you always treat your client as a person, respect their space and their feelings, and maintain a professional demeanor, we know you’ll always provide the best service you possibly can.
PRO: There’s endless room to grow!
When starting an organizing business, who says you need to stop there? If you’re in this industry, it’s because you truly love doing what you do. We’re willing to bet that this also means you’re forever jumping at the chance to build on your skill-set and learn new tricks of the trade!
In general, as a designer, there are many paths you can embark upon. You aren’t limited to choosing one type of design over another. Sure, you may start out as an organizer, but who’s the say you won’t want to add interior decorating or color consulting training to your repertoire down the line?
The same goes for your professional organizing business! One of the most exciting parts of starting an organizing business is knowing that, as time goes on, you can build upon it. You can further your organizing training and education, or even branch out into other areas of the design world.
The more corners of the industry you can master, the more services you can ultimately offer from your business. More services mean a wider clientele, which means more bookings – and a higher profit!
CON: It’ll require an investment, especially in the beginning.
Starting any business is going to require some type of investment. In your case, you’ll be looking at 2 major types of investment in order to be successful:
- Start-ups costs
- Your time
Launching a business doesn’t happen overnight. Making that business visible and prosperous definitely won’t happen in a day, a week, or even a month. To start a business, you’ll need to register a name, create a website, invest in marketing strategies, etc.
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In the beginning, you’ll need to treat your organizing business like your baby. If you truly want it to get anywhere, it’s going to require your attention. Your professional organizing course will arm you with invaluable business knowledge to help you get your feet off the ground. Beyond that, though, you may need to put some time into properly building off this education and acquiring more knowledge.
Here are some useful links to articles that offer more information about starting up your business:
- Building Your Website: What You Need to Know
- Beginner’s Guide to SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
- An 8-Rule Guide to Email Marketing
- How to Market Your Professional Organizing Services to Small Businesses
- 5 Essential Tips to Build a Successful Design Business
One thing we can guarantee is that once your business is up and running, and you start booking clients and getting your name out there, you’ll look back and know that every penny and second put into your business was 100% worth it!
PRO: You get to make a difference in people’s lives!
The state of our home is directly linked to our overall mental health. A messy living space can add to one’s stress, anxiety, and well-being. Whenever a client is coming to you, it’s because the circumstances of their environment have exceeded their control. It’s beyond them to know how to fix it.
But YOU can help fix it with them!
Professional organizers play a very unique role in our society. You help restore order and balance to our lives. You help us regain the control over our homes that we feared was lost. Your guidance and expertise set us back upon the right path.
You may not always realize it, but your efforts go an incredibly long way. You offer the type of service that truly makes a difference. Remember this as you start your organizing business, and we guarantee there’ll be countless gratifying days in your future to come.