FAQ
Why is being organized important? Some facts:
The benefits of Hiring a Professional Organizer?
( Quoted From NAPO South Florida Website)
A Professional Organizer will teach you the skills you need to solve a lifetime of organizing problems by designing systems and processes using established organizing principles. These organizing solutions are tailored to meet your immediate needs as well as give you the tools to stay organized. Like a coach, the Professional Organizer provides the motivation, support and encouragement that is necessary when getting organized and to stay organized. When you hire a NAPO Professional Organizer, you are hiring a skilled professional. NAPO provides its members with quality education, exposure to cutting-edge trends in organizing, the latest product knowledge, and access to top organizing industry vendors.
With the help of a Professional Organizer you can:
What is the difference between a Professional Organizer and a company that performs maid or housekeeping services?
I am so disorganized. Can anyone become organized?
Whats wrong with me? Why do I need someone to help me?
How long will it take?
How much will it cost? Can you give me an estimate?
Do I need to do anything before you come?
How do you proceed?
In-Home Assessment is it necessary?
Our first appointment:
- Organized people earn and save more money.
- Organized people accomplish more in less time.
- Organized people are calmer and less likely to be stressed.
- Organized people are more in control.
- Children of organized people do better in school.
- Uncluttered homes sell better.
- We have more time to do what we enjoy!
The benefits of Hiring a Professional Organizer?
( Quoted From NAPO South Florida Website)
A Professional Organizer will teach you the skills you need to solve a lifetime of organizing problems by designing systems and processes using established organizing principles. These organizing solutions are tailored to meet your immediate needs as well as give you the tools to stay organized. Like a coach, the Professional Organizer provides the motivation, support and encouragement that is necessary when getting organized and to stay organized. When you hire a NAPO Professional Organizer, you are hiring a skilled professional. NAPO provides its members with quality education, exposure to cutting-edge trends in organizing, the latest product knowledge, and access to top organizing industry vendors.
With the help of a Professional Organizer you can:
- Accomplish more at work and home
- Meet important deadlines
- Find things faster
- Gain control of your surroundings
- Reduce Clutter
- Create streamlined processes
- Improve your quality of life
- Reduce stress
What is the difference between a Professional Organizer and a company that performs maid or housekeeping services?
- I can only speak from experience, but the main difference is that a cleaning company will have your home clean and tidy and should allow you to be company ready within hours. They don't usually put things away in any organized way. Now a Professional Organizer, will have your belongings put away in a specified area, organized, meaning easily found and put away. We will always maximize efficiency and space saving. You will know what you have and where you have it, and I guarantee that you will be able to find anything in your home within five minutes. Also a Professional Organizer will transfer their organizing skills to you. It will involve some coaching to teach you how to stay organized and help you create new habbits. You will work together and participate in the process whereas a housekeeper will work by themselves and they don't transfer any skills.
I am so disorganized. Can anyone become organized?
- Yes absolutely! Anyone can become organized.These are skills that we learn. We are not born with them and some of us are just not good at it. Some people might have emotional blocks that make it difficult for them to get organized. We are all different and what works for someone might not necessarily work for you. With the help of a professional organizer you can learn to become more organized in a way that works for you.
Whats wrong with me? Why do I need someone to help me?
- Absolutely nothing is wrong with you. Being organized is not something we are born with, they are skills we learn. We all have our hotpots and sometimes we need help. Also when we are overwhelmed by something it can be hard to think clearly about solutions, all we see is the problem. We can help you find the solution to your organizing problem. Be gentle with yourself and ask for help!
How long will it take?
- It depends. Everybody is different and so is every project. Mostly it depends on how fast you can make a decision, how much you are willing to do in between sessions and how committed to it you are. Then it depends on how big your project is. Keep in mind that it took a long time to get to where you are and it will take time, effort, and determination to change that mindset.
- Remember the TV shows like Clean Sweep? They are just that - an entertaining, pre-scripted show! They want the viewer to see dramatic results in an hour, so they cart out a lot of junk and build some cool storage pieces, but they do not show the real decision making, the follow-up, and maintenance processes that are necessary to become organized! Keep in mind that it took a long time to get disorganized and it will take time, effort, and determination to change that mindset.
How much will it cost? Can you give me an estimate?
- Again the cost depends on how big the project is and if you want me to be with you every step, or if you want to do it by yourself with my guidance and help. It also depends on the amount of clutter, stuff, papers that needs to be sorted and organized. It depends how much you are willing to do in between our visits. Unlike other home services, until the in-home visit and we start working together, it is not possible for me to assess what is the problem in your house, closet, or office with a phone call and a few questions. What some might call a cluttered home might be very organized home for others or turn out to be a hoarding situation. Also some people take decisions quickly and are ready and eager to part with part of their belongings, others are emotionally attached and finding it hard to part with any items. What I can promise you, is that I will do all I can to move you forward as quickly as you are capable.
Do I need to do anything before you come?
- No absolutely not. Just carry on as you would usually do. Don't start putting things away, I need to see how things are not working for you, that's the reason you're calling me. Don't worry and relax.
How do you proceed?
- Tel Consultation: Our first step together is an in depth phone consultation. You will tell me what you want to have organized. I will ask a series of questions about you and your organizing goals to better understand the issues at hand so that we can get to work as soon as I get to your house/office. We will discuss your budget, your expectations, the best options for the accomplishment of your goal, and we will review the payment options. I will tell you then if a separate in-home assessment is the way to go. We will set the appointment for our first consultation and I will then email you a customer agreement.
In-Home Assessment is it necessary?
- I know that some of my prospective clients don't like it when I talk about charging them for my in-home assessment. They don't want to pay extra for what they think is just to meet them and not do anything but look around and talk.
- When I come to see you, I get to work. I don't want to waste your time, or my time. I know before I meet you, with our phone conversation, whether I can help.
- It is no different than calling a technician to fix your washing machine. His first visit is to assess the problem by checking your appliance.Then he'll order the part and come back to fix it. You pay for both visits. We, professional organizers are no different. I come to assess your problems in which you are in and assess your needs in your own home. I look at the tools you already have to create a system. Hearing you talk about your space, your problems, your stress, gives me lots of cues as to what is needed and what you want and who you are as a person. I ask questions about each space, about what works and what does not work, so that I can identify the problems and help you solve those problem areas. The problem is not always what you think. I take photographs, measurements, we talk about our work agreement, your expectations, your options, we talk about our strategy of what we need to tackle first and any concerns you might have. This process allows me to later find the best solution, research the best tools and be ready with what we need when we start the organizing. This planning part is an essential part of the process, just as important as the physical part of organizing which is why many organizers charge more for it. After all, you called me because of my expertise and ability to help you.
- Whether separate or not, the in-home assessment has to be done in order for me to do my job correctly. It can last anywhere from a few minutes to 2h.
Our first appointment:
- Whether your project needs a separate in-home assessment or not, the process starts the same way, with an assessment. When I ring the doorbell, you're going to give me a tour of your whole house and we're going to talk. Have paper and pen handy and be ready to take notes. Afterwards, you can make the decision to use our suggestions and do the work yourself, or you may choose to hire the organizer to do the work with you, often with better and faster results. We'll talk about your concerns, about the vision/expectation you have for each space, exchange ideas, and make plans. We will take photos, and discuss your habits and tendencies to come up with solutions to help you stay organized and solve the problem. We'll determine what the priorities are and decide what we want to tackle that day.
- Then we will start to do the organizing. Expect it to get a lot messier before it gets better. We might have enough time to finish an area or just do part of an area. If all it takes is one more hour, I will ask you if you want to finish by yourself or pay for an additional hour. If we don't finish the space, I will still put things away in a way where you can function but the space will not be completely organized. Before I leave we will review what was achieved, where things have been moved to, and set homework if you want to in between session or want to carry on by yourself.