Do you love organizing your own home and want to branch out to organizing for others? Professional organizing has its benefits, especially if you think you’d like to start your own business and be your own boss. But how do you become a professional organizer?
Well, I’ve got good news and bad news.
The good news is, if you want to become a professional organizer, you just become one! If you decide you want to organize and someone pays you for doing it, there you go! You are a professional.
Now, does that mean you good at what you do? Does that make your business official? Does that mean you’ve done all the things legally that you need to do? No, but you also don’t have to pay thousands of dollars to become certified to call yourself a professional organizer. There’s no license you need that people will be checking. There’s no club that you need to join to make you official.
That being said, there are a few things that we highly recommend you doing.
How to Become a Professional Organizer
We can assume that if you’re the type of person who enjoys organizing enough to start a professional organizing business, you’re a bit of a rule follower and you’d like to do this the right way.
Complete the list as you can. Some items on the list may take minutes, some hours, others months. You can complete this list in almost any order you’d like, although it makes sense to do some tasks before others, as you’ll see.
To Become a Professional Organizer You’ll Want to…
Think about your professional organizing “brand”
Your brand is the overall look and feel of your business. It’s your name, your logo, your colors, and your style. It’s okay if you don’t know yet. Pay attention to looks and feels that you like. You’ll want to use your brand colors and styles in your logo, website, and social media account.
Come up with a name for your professional organizing business
This definitely does not have to be your first step, however if you’ve been dreaming this dream for a while now you may already have a name in mind or you may feel that coming up with a name will give you a clearer vision for your endeavor. You can wait on this step, but you’ll want to have it figured out before purchasing a domain name.
Register your business with your government.
Do some research to determine if an LLC or a Sole Proprietor is right for your situation. Either way, you’ll need to do this to protect your personal property, pay taxes, open a bank account, or open other accounting services.
Open a bank account
Keep this separate from your personal finances. You’ll also need your EIN (Employer Identification Number) you received when you registered your business.
Get insurance
If you’ve already got homeowners’ insurance, check with your company to see if they offer small business insurance.
Get a website
Whether you want to build your own website or invest in a web builder to do it for you, you’re going to need a website.
Come up with a logo.
Make one in Canva, find a graphic designer on Fiverr, or go with someone local. Try not to stress over your logo, you can always change it later.
Start social media accounts
Social media is a slippery slope, but it is free marketing for business. You don’t have to focus your energy on ALL the social media platforms, but you will want to reserve your names so no one else can.
Related Post: Reel Ideas for Professional Organizers
Organize for your friends and family
While some will tell you to never organize for free, it can really boost your confidence and be fun to organize for friends and family. It’s a great way to familiar your self with products, become more efficient, and get some content for your social media accounts.
Take pictures of your work
Practice taking pictures of your work. It will help you develop a brand and a style.
Set Prices
You probably don’t love organizing enough to do it for free all day every day. Figure out what you want to get paid and set your prices.
Don’t know where to start? Grab our Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Rate eBook. It will walk you through setting your prices from start to finish.
Create a Contract
You never want to organize without a contract. Make one and be sure to have clients sign it before performing any organizing services.
Market Yourself
Use those social media accounts you created and start marketing yourself. You can also list your business on several free directories.
Familiarize yourself with organizing products
It’s possible to organize without products, but as an organizer you will definitely encounter situations and clients who would like to use them. Familiarizing yourself with products prior to filling your calendar will help you make informed decisions when purchasing for clients.
Follow organizing accounts on social media
This is a double-edged sword. Don’t let other organizers’ success get you down, but allow them to inspire you. If it gets to be too much, unfollow. Watch other organizers to stay on top of organizing trends and new products.
Related Post: Why You Need Pro Organizer Friends & How to Make Them
Invest in some organizing supplies
You’re probably not going to buy bins and turntables, but you’re also not going to bo into a client’s home empty-handed Grab yourself a work bag and start to fill it with essentials (like a measuring tape).
Related Post: What’s in an Organizer’s Workbag?
Get Educated about Professional Organizing & Business
When I started organizing, I knew how to organize. I’ve been doing it in my home for years, but I didn’t feel right just saying I was an organizer and having people give me money. I invested in some classes which really boosted my confidence, especially because I had already had a firm grasp of almost everything the classes went over.
What I actually needed, however, was a crash course on running a business. I just wanted to organize, not learn about marketing and insurance. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really have one without the other.
If the list above left you feeling overwhelmed instead of motivated, remember that you can work at your own pace. Consider investing in a class, program, or coaching service to boost your confidence and provide you with some direction.
Organizers Connect offers a variety of courses & resources our prerecorded webinar, and our ebook. If you’re not ready yet, sign up for our emails and follow us on social media for free tips and advice.
Related Post: How long does it take to become a professional organizer?
Becoming A Professional Organizer
Becoming a professional organizer is quite simple, but it’s also quite complicated. Learning all about the business end is hard for most organizers who have migrated over from many other (non-business) careers. Remember, if it makes you uncomfortable, you’re probably learning.
Organizers Connect is here to help. Drop a comment below and let us know if you found this helpful, have questions, or if you would add anything to this list.
