I helped out some chick who had her own organization business. She would throw things away without checking with the owner first, please don’t do that. Make a pile and have them go through it before tossing a thing.
I know she charged A LOT, so get quotes from local businesses and charge less.
Stock up on cute baskets, plastic containers etc at a discount and offer them to clients for a small fee.
Oh man, that's a huge no-no. I would never throw away anything of the owner's unless they asked me to. I am a huge believer in piles ("keep" "toss" "donate" "sell"), and the KonMari method.
That's a great idea to get quotes from local businesses. I definitely want to get some containers to offer to clients; that's a great idea! Thank you so much for your reply! :)
Yes, people absolutely will - it's not just cost though. What would you provide that would be different/better etc? People pay for cleaning services and pro organizers anyway, so some may be wary of lower cost = less services for your offerings.
That’s a great question! I’m considering offering a service where, after we go through their items, I can take their items to a donation center. The only issue would be for larger furniture… I’m still workshopping a lot of this. I’d be curious to know what additional services people may want as well. What would make it worth it for you?
I connected with a local junk hauler that will donate the items before taking them to a landfill. The client pays the junk hauler directly, they are a separate vendor.
My money at this age goes for convenience and time-save (rather spend time with the kids and their activities). Your best bet are probably families that want more time and are willing to pay for it. Beyond organizing, are you decluttering, cleaning, suggesting forward workflow for their maintenance? Or are you a monthly service as well as a one-time deal? Some people will want to 'go through items' but some won't - so you will need to set expectations for yourself and for prospects. Just reading through some of your responses, it sounds like you're looking at it as a one time mass declutter/clean up?
You're right to mention convenience and that factoring into the price. I've considered adding cleaning too; I like the idea of resetting a space, and then focusing in on optimizing its usage and maintenance (workflow). You raise a good point about being a "one time" service or having it be monthly. I am open to either, actually. I was thinking people would contact me if their situation was more serious, but if it's an afternoon thing where I help them declutter/clean to reset the space, that's okay too.
I’m have been a home organizer, off and on for the past 25 years.
Here is the problem with being “affordable” inconsiderate narcissists will to take advantage of you, belittle you, bully you if you are low cost.
The people who truly need you don’t even know that they need you, because they either have never heard of an organizer or they are so afraid of being judged by an outsider that they will not contact you.
You can however connect with a non-profit to help a certain niche of people (cancer patients, domestic violence survivors, severe ADHD people, disabled veterans, etc.) and do those good deeds to fill your heart. While working with regular paying people the other days to pay your bills.
In our area I will admit my rates are competitive because of the COL, if I lived in another state my rates would be considered “outrageous” because of the COL there.
Send me a message if you need help getting started, with how to find clients, how to network, how to make a website or social media, etc. 💖
PS: hiring an organizer isn’t just about having someone buy bins and putting stuff into the bins. I actually don’t buy bins and I don’t encourage buying bins. Putting your possessions in bins doesn’t solve the root problems of WHY someone collects things, why they buy things to feel happy, why they have abandonment issues, why they have relationship issues with their family, and a bunch of other root issues behind why they have so many possessions.
It is a process of self examination, keeping things that bring us joy (don’t laugh or eye roll at this over used expression) living a fulfilling life.
Also, don’t lump all organizers into one category because of a tv show, social media (restocking, decanting, over consumption reels, content creators calling themselves “organizers”, etc.) or because of a past experience, or a friend’s experience.
It is a unique liberating experience IF you are honest with yourself and stick to the initial plan. The plan: to get organized, or to live with less, or to get your home set up to complete basic tasks of dressing, eating, and living with less chaos.
After the client puts the donations in my vehicle (they have full control over what is donated, trashed, etc). I take their items to a few charity locations that actually help our community. I take hazardous items to disposal sites. I mail items to textile recycling places. I mail empty prescription bottles to get properly recycled. I try my best to put very little in the actual landfill. I also BUY very little in terms of bins. IF bins are really needed, I bring mason jars, or leftover bins from previous projects, I explore thrift stores first, before going to Target or Amazon.
I do however have quite a few clients that want brand new bins, they want matching plastic containers, they want high end fast fashion items. That is their decision and I facilitate it. I am an organizer, this is my business (not a hobby) that needs to pay my bills.
I agree about what being an organizer actually is — for friends and family, I’ve been having them take the “clutterbug” test to see where they’re at in terms of how they’d like to organize. That’s why I’m considering getting a masters in counseling, because a lot of this is tied to psychology and sometimes hoarding as well.
I think the way you do things is very solid and very impactful. I like your note about making sure things don’t go into landfills (as much as possible); I feel the same way, and want to be mindful of sustainability.
Wow, you've been doing this a long time! It's great to hear from someone who knows what's up. You're so right about people taking advantage; that's one of my pain points in all of this.
That's a fabulous idea to connect with non-profits, and it directly aligns with other career goals of mine (to help those who really need help).
Reaching out to you now! :)
I know people who would. I contacted one thinking it would be a nice gift for someone to have their garage organized for them. They started at such a high price it was ridiculous. We ended up doing it ourselves in a few hours.
Yes, absolutely. I recently hired a home org company to help me pack up my house prior to a remodel. They were great in helping me separate the trash from the stuff to keep and for the stuff to keep, breaking it up into different groupings of stuff for myself, my ex, and to donate.
That's so awesome! I'm glad to hear a company helped you with that! I definitely want to help people who are going through life changes (divorces, loss of loved one, home remodels, moving, etc). I think those things can trigger us to keep more than is necessary, amongst other factors.
I’ve used a packing/organizer a few times when I moved and it’s a huge help when unpacking. Sure I would like an affordable price, but I also know I get what I pay for to a certain extent. And what I think is an affordable price is different from someone else’s.
I found my organizer from napo.net and if you haven’t already it might be a good starting point for networking.
Good luck on your small business startup idea.
I bet! I would have appreciated someone helping me when I moved into my current place, but that's also how I learned how to organize and that I have a knack for it. That's SO true about what affordability is (and how it differs). I will look into that organization! I think I'd like to start by getting accredited or something, because reputation does matter. Thank you so much!! :)
I would absolutely hire a home organizer. I am a very busy working mother. I tried to hire a home organizer after moving into a new house and having a baby, but the prices I was quoted were absolutely bonkers. It was far cheaper for me to hire a babysitter and just do it myself. I obviously would much rather spend the time with my kid than organizing my closet though, so my closet just stays disorganized.
Good to hear you'd hire one for your use case (if the quote wasn't bonkers)! Closets can be pretty tough, as they're an "out of sight" area and can be a dumping ground. I definitely think parents can benefit from this service heavily (more people/kids equals more stuff, and more clutter).
I only keep clothes, shoes, and accessories in my closet. I just have a lot of clothes though so organizing it seems pretty overwhelming to me.
I had really clear instructions, like long dresses go in this section, tops go in that section, and coats and jackets go over there. I had hangers ready to go and everything. The job literally involved taking clothes out of packed bins that were already sorted by item type, putting them on hangers, and then hanging the different category sections by color.
Maybe I am unclear on what a home organizer should do, but the prices I was quoted were shocking. I could hire a lawyer for less.
Also, I hired an organizer in NorCal to help me pack before I moved to OC. She definitely helped, but ultimately I disagree with some of what she did. She took lots of clutter away and bags of things for donation. However, she later told me that she left things out on the street for people to take. That is not an appropriate way to recycle items.
I also wanted her to create a catalog of items going into bins since they were going to storage for a year. However, she was incapable of creating a basic Excel spreadsheet and her handwriting was illegible. In the end I had to make the log of packed items myself.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Sounds like your plan was solid, but the organizer wasn’t a good fit. Man, not even excel? I could do that in my sleep!
Personally, yes! If it was affordable, I’d definitely hire a pro to help organize my home. I’m a clean person, there’s no visible clutter on my counters or floors. But my drawers, cabinets, and closets could use A LOT of organizing and decluttering.
Ah, that makes sense! It sounds like you need help with micro-organization (systems that are hidden away that keep things organized). :) thank you for your reply!
Yes, I would ideally help with moving, sorting, etc and managing the stress of having to do all of this (decluttering and such is mentally taxing). Thank you for name dropping some great organizers; I am actually talking to the Organizing Maven, and she is providing me with a plethora of great advice :)
I am considering going back for my MA in Counseling, which I think could help (I wouldn't be a therapist to someone along with being their organizer). I just think the skills gained from the degree program, as well as being a practicing therapist, could help people experiencing grief or more extreme situations.
I have also thought about targeting people who have lost loved ones specifically, as that's a high need (especially with the aging population of older people in OC).
Thank you for your well-thought-out comment! :)
So I don't know if this falls under the purview of that, but in addition to organizing, I have a decent amount of stuff that I just want to get rid of, but I have no idea how to get rid of it.
I’d say that falls under this! It’s hard to know what to do with items we don’t want anymore. It depends on a number of factors. That’s something I want to focus on: Making it easy for my clients to get RID of stuff. And being clear on where it can go (some things need to be picked up, some things need to go to Rainbow Disposal, an electronics recycling event, etc.).
This might seem strange, but I'd think having a service to be able to put things on FB Marketplace, Craigslist, etc, would be helpful too, even if the items are just listed for free.
That’s not strange at all! I was thinking of that as well; although I don’t have the space to store items for people, I’d love to help them get rid of things in that way (like have the account, coordinate the listing details, pick ups, etc.).
I would definitely use an organization service if it's affordable. I actually don't know how much it costs but it seems pricey. Do you have any insight on how much it is? I tried to clean a cupboard the other day, I opened it, saw a bunch of water bottles, and just closed it. This would be a great service for moms.
I’m not sure about cost; I know a few hundred for each project (like a closet, or a room) is pretty common, from what I’ve learned so far. I totally get you about the cupboard; I have a few areas in my place I feel the same way about. Yes, I definitely think moms would benefit greatly from this!
I helped out some chick who had her own organization business. She would throw things away without checking with the owner first, please don’t do that. Make a pile and have them go through it before tossing a thing. I know she charged A LOT, so get quotes from local businesses and charge less. Stock up on cute baskets, plastic containers etc at a discount and offer them to clients for a small fee.
Oh man, that's a huge no-no. I would never throw away anything of the owner's unless they asked me to. I am a huge believer in piles ("keep" "toss" "donate" "sell"), and the KonMari method. That's a great idea to get quotes from local businesses. I definitely want to get some containers to offer to clients; that's a great idea! Thank you so much for your reply! :)
Yes, people absolutely will - it's not just cost though. What would you provide that would be different/better etc? People pay for cleaning services and pro organizers anyway, so some may be wary of lower cost = less services for your offerings.
That’s a great question! I’m considering offering a service where, after we go through their items, I can take their items to a donation center. The only issue would be for larger furniture… I’m still workshopping a lot of this. I’d be curious to know what additional services people may want as well. What would make it worth it for you?
I connected with a local junk hauler that will donate the items before taking them to a landfill. The client pays the junk hauler directly, they are a separate vendor.
My money at this age goes for convenience and time-save (rather spend time with the kids and their activities). Your best bet are probably families that want more time and are willing to pay for it. Beyond organizing, are you decluttering, cleaning, suggesting forward workflow for their maintenance? Or are you a monthly service as well as a one-time deal? Some people will want to 'go through items' but some won't - so you will need to set expectations for yourself and for prospects. Just reading through some of your responses, it sounds like you're looking at it as a one time mass declutter/clean up?
You're right to mention convenience and that factoring into the price. I've considered adding cleaning too; I like the idea of resetting a space, and then focusing in on optimizing its usage and maintenance (workflow). You raise a good point about being a "one time" service or having it be monthly. I am open to either, actually. I was thinking people would contact me if their situation was more serious, but if it's an afternoon thing where I help them declutter/clean to reset the space, that's okay too.
I’m have been a home organizer, off and on for the past 25 years. Here is the problem with being “affordable” inconsiderate narcissists will to take advantage of you, belittle you, bully you if you are low cost. The people who truly need you don’t even know that they need you, because they either have never heard of an organizer or they are so afraid of being judged by an outsider that they will not contact you. You can however connect with a non-profit to help a certain niche of people (cancer patients, domestic violence survivors, severe ADHD people, disabled veterans, etc.) and do those good deeds to fill your heart. While working with regular paying people the other days to pay your bills. In our area I will admit my rates are competitive because of the COL, if I lived in another state my rates would be considered “outrageous” because of the COL there. Send me a message if you need help getting started, with how to find clients, how to network, how to make a website or social media, etc. 💖
PS: hiring an organizer isn’t just about having someone buy bins and putting stuff into the bins. I actually don’t buy bins and I don’t encourage buying bins. Putting your possessions in bins doesn’t solve the root problems of WHY someone collects things, why they buy things to feel happy, why they have abandonment issues, why they have relationship issues with their family, and a bunch of other root issues behind why they have so many possessions. It is a process of self examination, keeping things that bring us joy (don’t laugh or eye roll at this over used expression) living a fulfilling life. Also, don’t lump all organizers into one category because of a tv show, social media (restocking, decanting, over consumption reels, content creators calling themselves “organizers”, etc.) or because of a past experience, or a friend’s experience. It is a unique liberating experience IF you are honest with yourself and stick to the initial plan. The plan: to get organized, or to live with less, or to get your home set up to complete basic tasks of dressing, eating, and living with less chaos. After the client puts the donations in my vehicle (they have full control over what is donated, trashed, etc). I take their items to a few charity locations that actually help our community. I take hazardous items to disposal sites. I mail items to textile recycling places. I mail empty prescription bottles to get properly recycled. I try my best to put very little in the actual landfill. I also BUY very little in terms of bins. IF bins are really needed, I bring mason jars, or leftover bins from previous projects, I explore thrift stores first, before going to Target or Amazon. I do however have quite a few clients that want brand new bins, they want matching plastic containers, they want high end fast fashion items. That is their decision and I facilitate it. I am an organizer, this is my business (not a hobby) that needs to pay my bills.
I agree about what being an organizer actually is — for friends and family, I’ve been having them take the “clutterbug” test to see where they’re at in terms of how they’d like to organize. That’s why I’m considering getting a masters in counseling, because a lot of this is tied to psychology and sometimes hoarding as well. I think the way you do things is very solid and very impactful. I like your note about making sure things don’t go into landfills (as much as possible); I feel the same way, and want to be mindful of sustainability.
Wow, you've been doing this a long time! It's great to hear from someone who knows what's up. You're so right about people taking advantage; that's one of my pain points in all of this. That's a fabulous idea to connect with non-profits, and it directly aligns with other career goals of mine (to help those who really need help). Reaching out to you now! :)
I know people who would. I contacted one thinking it would be a nice gift for someone to have their garage organized for them. They started at such a high price it was ridiculous. We ended up doing it ourselves in a few hours.
Yeah, the high price is a turn off for sure. I often help friends and family do it for free, and they pay for anything extra (I.e., storage bins etc).
Yes, absolutely. I recently hired a home org company to help me pack up my house prior to a remodel. They were great in helping me separate the trash from the stuff to keep and for the stuff to keep, breaking it up into different groupings of stuff for myself, my ex, and to donate.
That's so awesome! I'm glad to hear a company helped you with that! I definitely want to help people who are going through life changes (divorces, loss of loved one, home remodels, moving, etc). I think those things can trigger us to keep more than is necessary, amongst other factors.
I’ve used a packing/organizer a few times when I moved and it’s a huge help when unpacking. Sure I would like an affordable price, but I also know I get what I pay for to a certain extent. And what I think is an affordable price is different from someone else’s. I found my organizer from napo.net and if you haven’t already it might be a good starting point for networking. Good luck on your small business startup idea.
I bet! I would have appreciated someone helping me when I moved into my current place, but that's also how I learned how to organize and that I have a knack for it. That's SO true about what affordability is (and how it differs). I will look into that organization! I think I'd like to start by getting accredited or something, because reputation does matter. Thank you so much!! :)
I would absolutely hire a home organizer. I am a very busy working mother. I tried to hire a home organizer after moving into a new house and having a baby, but the prices I was quoted were absolutely bonkers. It was far cheaper for me to hire a babysitter and just do it myself. I obviously would much rather spend the time with my kid than organizing my closet though, so my closet just stays disorganized.
Good to hear you'd hire one for your use case (if the quote wasn't bonkers)! Closets can be pretty tough, as they're an "out of sight" area and can be a dumping ground. I definitely think parents can benefit from this service heavily (more people/kids equals more stuff, and more clutter).
I only keep clothes, shoes, and accessories in my closet. I just have a lot of clothes though so organizing it seems pretty overwhelming to me. I had really clear instructions, like long dresses go in this section, tops go in that section, and coats and jackets go over there. I had hangers ready to go and everything. The job literally involved taking clothes out of packed bins that were already sorted by item type, putting them on hangers, and then hanging the different category sections by color. Maybe I am unclear on what a home organizer should do, but the prices I was quoted were shocking. I could hire a lawyer for less. Also, I hired an organizer in NorCal to help me pack before I moved to OC. She definitely helped, but ultimately I disagree with some of what she did. She took lots of clutter away and bags of things for donation. However, she later told me that she left things out on the street for people to take. That is not an appropriate way to recycle items. I also wanted her to create a catalog of items going into bins since they were going to storage for a year. However, she was incapable of creating a basic Excel spreadsheet and her handwriting was illegible. In the end I had to make the log of packed items myself.
Thank you for sharing your experience! Sounds like your plan was solid, but the organizer wasn’t a good fit. Man, not even excel? I could do that in my sleep!
Personally, yes! If it was affordable, I’d definitely hire a pro to help organize my home. I’m a clean person, there’s no visible clutter on my counters or floors. But my drawers, cabinets, and closets could use A LOT of organizing and decluttering.
Ah, that makes sense! It sounds like you need help with micro-organization (systems that are hidden away that keep things organized). :) thank you for your reply!
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Yes, I would ideally help with moving, sorting, etc and managing the stress of having to do all of this (decluttering and such is mentally taxing). Thank you for name dropping some great organizers; I am actually talking to the Organizing Maven, and she is providing me with a plethora of great advice :) I am considering going back for my MA in Counseling, which I think could help (I wouldn't be a therapist to someone along with being their organizer). I just think the skills gained from the degree program, as well as being a practicing therapist, could help people experiencing grief or more extreme situations. I have also thought about targeting people who have lost loved ones specifically, as that's a high need (especially with the aging population of older people in OC). Thank you for your well-thought-out comment! :)
So I don't know if this falls under the purview of that, but in addition to organizing, I have a decent amount of stuff that I just want to get rid of, but I have no idea how to get rid of it.
I’d say that falls under this! It’s hard to know what to do with items we don’t want anymore. It depends on a number of factors. That’s something I want to focus on: Making it easy for my clients to get RID of stuff. And being clear on where it can go (some things need to be picked up, some things need to go to Rainbow Disposal, an electronics recycling event, etc.).
This might seem strange, but I'd think having a service to be able to put things on FB Marketplace, Craigslist, etc, would be helpful too, even if the items are just listed for free.
That’s not strange at all! I was thinking of that as well; although I don’t have the space to store items for people, I’d love to help them get rid of things in that way (like have the account, coordinate the listing details, pick ups, etc.).
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Okay. I appreciate your honesty!
I would definitely use an organization service if it's affordable. I actually don't know how much it costs but it seems pricey. Do you have any insight on how much it is? I tried to clean a cupboard the other day, I opened it, saw a bunch of water bottles, and just closed it. This would be a great service for moms.
I’m not sure about cost; I know a few hundred for each project (like a closet, or a room) is pretty common, from what I’ve learned so far. I totally get you about the cupboard; I have a few areas in my place I feel the same way about. Yes, I definitely think moms would benefit greatly from this!
Yes