- Get business and legal counsel. Check out your local city and state government requirement for starting a business out
of your home. Various zoning laws and other laws will require various licenses and insurance for your start-up. This is
not an area in which to skimp on details. Be thorough and save yourself headaches later! Also check with your tax
accountant to make sure you set up in a way that will give you an easier road when tax time rolls around.
- Take advantage of the resources on the Internet. There are countless sites that will give you good advice on how to
jump start your business and NAPO will give you very specific help for starting your organizing business.
- Talk to other organizers. I have bent the ear of more than one! Everyone seems to be very helpful and encouraging.
You will glean some valuable information from their trials and errors in their journeys.
- Get some basic equipment. I found that bookstores have a constant supply of free cardboard boxes for sorting and
hauling goods to recycling, the dump and donation centers. Laundry baskets are great for sorting and categorizing as
you empty rooms, closets and cabinets. Inexpensive tools include Ziploc bags for storing and aluminum pie pans for
sorting. A good label maker will get used constantly. For a more detailed list, click here to see what my "equipment
basics" include.
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So you think you want to be an Organizer, eh?
- Start organizing your own home. You will learn a lot by applying what you've read
from other resources by trying it out for yourself and letting your home become a
learning lab.
- Organize for friends. Let your friends know that you're considering a new career
and you will organize a space for free for the first three people who respond (or
something like that) to get interest. I did this with an email blast and had three
responses almost immediately and I was off and running to test what I knew with
friendly faces who were more than happy to be my "on the field" learning labs.
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The first thing you need to do is check out the NAPO website (National Association of
Professional Organizers) and read about what is entailed. There are numerous
websites you can research, as well as extensive books you can order, purchase or
check out from your local library. If you're still convinced, I suggest you try some of the
following:
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For some great articles
and useful information
about all aspects of
organizing, try visiting
Online Organization.
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Remember! You can always give it a try and if it doesn't work for you, that's okay. Or you can do it on a very part-time
level, even volunteer your services. Receiving help to overcome clutter and chaos is always appreciated.
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