How to Become a Professional Organizer in Simple Steps

How to Become a Professional Organizer

A professional organizer is an expert responsible for helping commercial and corporate clients in organizing everything. A professional organizer jobs include organizing everything, right from organizing space & time to events & finances. People hire organizers to help them in organizing the office and home space.

Organizers are the first people businesses and individuals think of when messy paper record systems and clutter get in the way of their lives. A professional organizer trains their clients and helps them manage and organize their environment and lifestyle. They do everything from organizing their closets, basements, office space planning, and paper management.

Organizers are self-employed and work for flexible hours. They either visit the client’s office or homes whenever necessary. If you are a good organizer by habit, then you can earn money by making it a profession.

You need to have good customer service skills, a non-judgmental approach, and expertise in organizing skills. Below is an outline of the skills, education requirements, and other factors you will need to consider before taking up this career.

How to Become a Professional Organizer in Steps

Step 1: Prepare yourself to become a Professional Organizer

Organizers are hired by clients to help them in solving organization problems that need an outside perspective to solve. De-cluttering a home or helping a family move to a new home are short projects. While preparing to become a professional organizer, choose the type of organizing you are best at.

  1.  Spatial Organization: Some organizers are experts in making clients’ home perfect for living. They look at a space and come up with the best way to maximize space and increase its functionality.
  2. Systems Organization: Organizers help clients see a new system to organize their finances and files. The organizer’s goal is to help the company be organized to increase productivity and profits.
  3. Planning and goals organization: Organizers teach their clients new ways to organize their life planning and meet their life goals.

Step 2: Gain Skills & Training

Become a member of a professional association, such as the National Organization of Professional Organizers, Institute for Challenging Disorganization. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the profession and builds your networking.  Attend seminars, conferences, and meetups. Carve your name as this will give you credibility.

These associations offer teleclasses and webinars on organizational skills to guide you. Some companies offer training programs and classes for professional organizer certification.

Step 3: Kick start your career

Now that you are certified start finding potential clients. Build a good rapport with your clients and let them know you are ready to serve them. Always remember that for any successful business, fostering positive relationships is the key.

Shout out to the world that you are here. Create a website, and as these days, this is one of the best ways to attract clients. Use social media for marketing yourself. Create a Facebook page, twitter account for business purposes, and keep your page updated.

Professional Organizer Certification

Consider getting certified by the BCPO (Board of Certified Professional Organizers). Though it is not compulsory, it is always an added advantage to get certified. There are some qualifications to be met to be certified. They are:

  1. The applicant should have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent level of education.
  2. The applicant should have 1,500 hours of paid work (documented), 250 hours spent on educational training or a college degree.
  3. Strictly follow the Code of Ethics for Certified Professional Organizers.
  4. Pass the BCPO exam.

Skills and Qualification Needed

Organizers should be comfortable in coaching and guiding their clients.

Self Motivated: Organizers work independently, and so they must keep themselves focused and motivated.

Time Management: Organizers must know to manage their time so that they can meet deadlines effectively. Time management is a must quality to possess so that they work to strict schedules with different clients.

Networking: Finding new clients and staying in a positive relationship with the existing clients is what moves an organizer forward in their career.

Interpersonal skills: Working with different clients and personalities need great interpersonal skills for effective communication.

Professional Organizer Salary

The organizer’s job is quite flexible and versatile in nature. Their salary depends on several aspects such as educational qualification, work experience, kind of services offered, expertise level, and location. As an organizer, if you provide quality service, then you can earn well. Professional organizer’s salary(1) ranges from $30,683 to $124,078 per annum.

Some work part-time while others work full time to build their business. Most of the professional organizers charge between $30 to $200 per hour. The pay depends on the amount of work that needs to be done, location, and the organizer you choose. There are organizers who charge per hour while few charges per project(2).

Bottom Line

Expert organizers are on-demand everywhere. As a professional organizer, you gift your clients a “clutter-free” home and office space. Organizers bring about a positive impact on the lives of their clients. If you wish to become a professional organizer, you should determine if this career is a good choice for your skills and interests.