Professional Organizer offering help downsizing

[SoulRaven]

I guess it wasn't clear that I was saying MY money was well-spent on an organizer, and FOR ME putting stuff in storage would be a waste. 

Mainly, for ME, it's about... "Sunk Cost Fallacy," a principle in Economics that says when you've paid for something, you've already sunk money into it, and so there isn't much money you can get back.  You either use the item or not.

 How is it earning its keep?  

Ok, I get your point much better now and agree.  I was probably being somewhat defensive.  

Some additional info, I currently DO have a storage unit.  But it also doubles as a garage , where I can pull my trailer inside and work on it.  I've spent the last 4 months working on my trailer (as well as taking care of other business)  and have been heavily impacted by the weather.  I can also work on my truck or my Cherokee.  (currently, I pull my 6x12 cargo trailer with my truck)  

I feel like if I get to pull my trailer inside, I would not be impacted by the weather.  Although by now, I will need fans, because it's HOT.      At the same time, I am continually asking myself "Do I need this?  Do I REALLY need this??" 

Thus, I have given a lot of stuff away.  And have been for the last 10 years!   Most of what's left are things like tools and workbench, a really heavy vise, a few pieces of family memorabilia , very few,  a few rifles and a 98 Jeep Cherokee.   At this point, I still believe I need the tools; I've only been on the road since January.   Wood and metal-cutting tools, gun tools, general auto repair tools, a floor jack, computer tools and parts .  

Another aside, I have in the past used a professional organizer and found it to be money well-spent.  Here in Colorado Springs, this lady was charging $40/hour.  A bargain.  

If I think of my storage unit as a garage , rather than a repository for stuff I "might need someday", then it is worth it.  That has been the key aspect for me.  It goes from windy, rainy to extremely hot in a few days here SW of Pueblo , CO.  

Regards,  


Pat

 

[SoulRaven]

CityWoman said:

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]Just in spurts, maybe two or three months in a row when I could budget it in, and then maybe six to ten months went by before I hired her again.  It was a process and it was always a good, productive, life-affirming experience - very akin to therapy.  Letting go of my emotional attachment to THINGS is a challenge [/font]

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[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]CityWoman, I could NOT agree with this statement more!  It is an absolutely wonderful feeling to get off of this bus.   I've said for years that "We don't own our stuff, our stuff owns us!  We work to pay for a place to keep our stuff". [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]I've been downsizing for about 10 years, and every time I make a BIG reduction, it feels almost as good as .. well, really good stuff!   [/font]

[font=Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]The fact that I am still holding on to a GARAGE doesn't bother me as much as a storage unit for stuff!    [/font]

 

[CityWoman]

Pat, everything you've said in your last two posts makes perfect sense to me! And your perspective on your garage storage sounds like a true reflection of how you use it - and NOT merely justification, which is what I see so often with a few people I know. I do appreciate your responses to me.

 

[CityWoman]

I am a professional organizer whose goal is to live out of my van. I would like to travel across the US helping people organize and downsize to this way of life. First I have to do this myself! My question is: Do you think there is a need for this service? It would be my way of supporting myself on the road. Thanks!!

Travlyn, if you are already working as pro organizer, are you a member of NAPO? If not, joining would be a good thing to do, because many people use NAPO's directory to find organizers.

I think your idea to travel around and offer your services as a mobile organizer is a good one. My organizer spends two weeks a month in my city, and the rest of the month elsewhere. IMHO, you need a website or blog where people can contact you and you can post your itinerary, and you will have to plan in advance and get familiar with the laws of each state you plan to be in regarding practicing business there. You will probably need to advertise, at least occasionally, and blog quite frequently to get your name out there.

I think, also, that you may want to research organizations which might be good resources for you to arrange yourself speaking engagements in cities and towns near the areas you know you will be visiting. Also, look at local and regionally-focused publications (ie., print newspapers and web-only magazines) for which you can write articles on the kinds of services you do, or organizing in general, with your contact info (AKA advertorials). Again, focusing on places to which you plan to travel.

I think your goal is a great one and can definitely work, though it seems to me that you will need to plan well in advance in order to let people in a certain geographical area know that you will be there and will be offering your services. I don't think it will work very well if you want your vandwelling life to be very spontaneous, as in wandering about without knowing where you will be most of the time. People will have to know when you will be able to come over and help them. It is also likely you will have to stay in a certain region for a while because, as I'm sure you know, helping people organize and purge is never the 2- or 3-day thing they make it seem on TV shows, especially if you are doing this alone without a team of people to help declutter a place.

My assumption is that most of your customers will not already be vandwellers, but vandweller hopefuls, as well as anyone else who needs to downsize. As you probably know, one especially robust niche market for pro organizers is for families who have relatives who must go into senior housing or nursing homes, and they need help downsizing homes filled with decades worth of stuff.

Good luck!

 

[CityWoman]

Oh, also creating workshops or seminars and booking spaces to hold them in is another good way to make money and get clients in a specific region.  You can also make money with online seminars that people can sign up for.  They pay you through PayPal and you use a service like Skype (there are others, but I'm not familiar with what they are) to conduct it.

 

[Travlyn]

Affordability would be my concern as well, however, if you marketed to the expensive class A or airstream type "RV" communities, you might find that is a better market. If you got enough business that way, you could always offer a "budget friendly" option because you're already in the area! Also, giving out your card at the big tent event in Quartsite could be a good place to start!

Hello!
Thank you so much for your GREAT ideas.  I had an idea to approach an RV store and offer a 'class' on downsizing, etc from reading your post.  I so appreciate your ideas. 
Safe Travlyn!

 

[Travlyn]

How much do you see yourself charging per hour?  I could use you tomorrow if you're around Key West...

Hello!
Dang, I live in Colorado and would have loved to have been of help in Key West!   I  lived in the Fort Lauderdale area for 19 years and never made it to Key West.  I currently charge $30 an hour, with a 4 hour minimum.  I find that the people I know can't justify paying any higher, so I keep my fee low enough that they can get the help they need and I get to have FUN helping them.

 

[Travlyn]

Speaking for myself, I absolutely have a need for this service.  I think my nickname at this year's RTR  was "yard sale", because of all the junk that was laying around my trailer.   And the stuff I still have here in Colorado; well, it's simply insane.  And I've been downsizing for more than 10 years.  

So, not sure of how the logistics would work, or how much you plan on charging, but there's no question at least one of us NEEDS help!  (go ahead Jim... you've earned it)   ... 

Regards,

Pat

Hi Pat,
I live in Northeastern Colorado!  I would love to come and help you change that nickname to reflect the new you!  I've helped my client's downsize who were moving across country by hosting/helping them hold a garage sale.  They made some extra cash, felt relieved and we had FUN doing it.

 

[Travlyn]

Travlyn, I was planning on being a Professional Organizer as a new profession several years ago.  I was extremely organized and LOVE organizing.  I also purchased a home course on starting a professional organization business to learn everything I needed to know from soup to nuts on starting a business to all the different ins and outs to help either businesses or individuals in need of organizing.  I was skeptical on paying all I did for the course, but don't regret it at all, as it taught me a lot.  The problem was, I had some major tragedies in my own life and had to put everything on hold.  I am now getting rid of MY stuff so I can leave permanently.  I will be better prepared after this if I ever decided to do it professionally to help others.  Where do you plan on doing it and what would you charge?  Where is your base?  Do you already have a business doing this?  Are you certified?  Asking because I am seeing if you could possibly use a business partner. TY

Hello!
I too LOVE organizing and helping people have fun doing it.  I have been helping friends and friends of friends without advertising up until this point.  I am about ready to begin to write my business plan and to join the NAPO organization to become 'official'. I plan on doing it while on the road.  I currently charge $30 an hour with a 4 hour minimum, and am not sure what the NAPO going rate is.  (National Association of Professional Organizers).  My base currently is Northeastern Colorado.  The name of my business is Moving Through Change.  I am not certified yet. As far as a business partner...what a lovely idea.  I'm not sure how that will fit within my business plan, but hey, sometimes the jobs are just too large to handle alone.

 

[Travlyn]

Maybe a multi-pronged approach:

1. ebook with the basic plan and examples,
2. supported by youtube (tutorials) and blog (schedule of upcoming locations), both driving traffic to 
3. your personal service

Steps 1 & 2 could be "mailbox money" (ie, it keeps coming in) and you could work as much as you wanted in step 3. 

I think folks with electrical/mechanical/carpentry skills could make a go of it in the same way.

Hello!
Wow, great ideas.  Thank you for taking the time to post this!  I put this into my "Writing Business Plan" folder.  I notice you have Dodge Promaster van near your name.  This is the van that I am desiring to begin my adventure with.

 

[Travlyn]

Ok, I get your point much better now and agree.  I was probably being somewhat defensive.  

Some additional info, I currently DO have a storage unit.  But it also doubles as a garage , where I can pull my trailer inside and work on it.  I've spent the last 4 months working on my trailer (as well as taking care of other business)  and have been heavily impacted by the weather.  I can also work on my truck or my Cherokee.  (currently, I pull my 6x12 cargo trailer with my truck)  

I feel like if I get to pull my trailer inside, I would not be impacted by the weather.  Although by now, I will need fans, because it's HOT.      At the same time, I am continually asking myself "Do I need this?  Do I REALLY need this??" 

Thus, I have given a lot of stuff away.  And have been for the last 10 years!   Most of what's left are things like tools and workbench, a really heavy vise, a few pieces of family memorabilia , very few,  a few rifles and a 98 Jeep Cherokee.   At this point, I still believe I need the tools; I've only been on the road since January.   Wood and metal-cutting tools, gun tools, general auto repair tools, a floor jack, computer tools and parts .  

Another aside, I have in the past used a professional organizer and found it to be money well-spent.  Here in Colorado Springs, this lady was charging $40/hour.  A bargain.  

If I think of my storage unit as a garage , rather than a repository for stuff I "might need someday", then it is worth it.  That has been the key aspect for me.  It goes from windy, rainy to extremely hot in a few days here SW of Pueblo , CO.  

Regards,  


Pat

Great post, Pat.  I like your thinking about why you have your storage unit. I would imagine that the longer you are 'on the road' and less times you need your tools, etc the easier it will be to let them go when the time comes. 
I'm glad you utilized a professional organizer in the past, we can be fun and creative people to work with. 
I too, live in Colorado.  I'm in the Northeastern part.  Enjoy your day!

 

[Travlyn]

Travlyn, if you are already working as  pro organizer, are you a member of NAPO?  If not, joining would be a good thing to do, because many people use NAPO's directory to find organizers.  

I think your idea to travel around and offer your services as a mobile organizer is a good one.  My organizer spends two weeks a month in my city, and the rest of the month elsewhere.  IMHO, you need a website or blog where people can contact you and you can post your itinerary, and you will have to plan in advance and get familiar with the laws of each state you plan to be in regarding practicing business there.  You will probably need to advertise, at least occasionally, and blog quite frequently to get your name out there.

I think, also, that you may want to research organizations which might be good resources for you to arrange yourself speaking engagements in cities and towns near the areas you know you will be visiting.  Also, look at local and regionally-focused publications (ie., print newspapers and web-only magazines) for which you can write articles on the kinds of services you do, or organizing in general, with your contact info (AKA advertorials).  Again, focusing on places to which you plan to travel.

I think your goal is a great one and can definitely work, though it seems to me that you will need to plan well in advance in order to let people in a certain geographical area know that you will be there and will be offering your services.  I don't think it will work very well if you want your vandwelling life to be very spontaneous, as in wandering about without knowing where you will be most of the time.  People will have to know when you will be able to come over and help them.  It is also likely you will have to stay in a certain region for a while because, as I'm sure you know, helping people organize and purge is never the 2- or 3-day thing they make it seem on TV shows, especially if you are doing this alone without a team of people to help declutter a place.

My assumption is that most of your customers will not already be vandwellers, but vandweller hopefuls, as well as anyone else who needs to downsize.  As you probably know, one especially robust niche market for pro organizers is for families who have relatives who must go into senior housing or nursing homes, and they need help downsizing homes filled with decades worth of stuff.

Good luck!

Awesome post!  Thank you so much.  I am putting this in my "Writing Business Plan" folder.  My current clients have all been word of mouth referrals from friends, family or friends of friends so I haven't needed to become a member of NAPO to help find clients.  It certainly is on my radar now. 

I love your ideas.  I lectured once at an Expo and loved it, so your idea about speaking is another good one. 
I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post.  Enjoy your day!