How to Become a Professional Organizer

It’s a satisfying thing to go into one well-organized pantry full of shelves with labeled baskets, matching glasses and color-coordinated preserves. Sure, a trip to the container store or scrolling through The most popular organization products from Amazon can help turn a crowded mess into an unworthy space, but the easiest way to get the look you’re looking forward to is by hiring a professional organizer. And while it’s definitely a luxury to hire a professional to get the job done, a survey at 830 Good housekeeping Readers found that 52% of people would hire a professional organizer for their home, given the opportunity.

To put it bluntly, your friend who is following some organizational profiles on Instagram (think: The home editing or NEAT method) and likes to label things for fun is not a professional. However, there are more than 3,500 members of the National Association of Experts in Productivity and Organization who are. However, if you think you’re before and after projects justify a professional title, Follow this guide to become a professional organizer, including tips and tricks from people who have done it themselves.

Many pro organizers, including Anna, a thumbtack pro and founder of Sorted by Anna, see if your passion is worth a career temporary membership in NAPO. Educational membership, which costs $ 299, includes three required online courses – basic organizational theory, instructions for practical organizational work and review of the NAPO Code of Ethics – as well as additional options for professional development such as networking events and industry conferences.

However, classes are just the beginning: if you are trying to become a professional, contact family and friends and ask if you can use your organizational skills. You never know where this experience can lead – for Anna she has driven her business. After her friend posted pictures of her newly organized closet, a Facebook friend took note and booked a session – and the rest is history.

In the early stages of starting a career as a pro-organizer, there are various skills that you can hone.

Know what kind of organizer you want to be.

Organizing is not one size: There are different methods depending on the work area. Jeffrey PhillipThe New York City-based organizer and interior designer specializes in rooms where functions are paramount and Fashion. “Some people prefer to focus on organizing companies or even working on more technical projects with clients who are hoarder or have special needs,” he says. Regardless of the type of organization you’re most interested in, Phillip makes it clear that all projects, regardless of size, are a bit of a mystery. “It’s creative problem solving at its finest. They always try to figure out how to do something better and what the new solution is.”

Use social media.

There are currently more than 2 million posts tagged #organization on Instagram – and this number is growing by the second. The home editing, a professional organizational duo loved by celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Khloe Kardashian and Reese Witherspoon are part of the equation and have 1.5 million Instagram followers from their own. While their rainbow-colored pantries appear to be everywhere nowadays, the dominance of social media was part of their strategy when they started business in 2015. “We wanted to make our work as Pinterest-worthy as possible, so we set an aesthetic spin on functional practice,” Clea Shearer said The home editing explained. “In our early days, we offered our services to some celebrities as a promotional measure.” And it worked: when The Home Edit ended a project, they had their prominent customers (ahem, Gwyneth) Post a photo on their Instagram in exchange for the service, which increases the total number of followers and customer opportunities.

Get to know the emotional aspects of organizing.

While it may be easy for you to see someone else’s treasures as trash (sad but true), it is important to remember that even your client’s overfilled drawers are full of emotions. And even if you think you know your customer well, you will find out more about his life while browsing his belongings. “As you go through things, try to understand their habits, body language, and routines and find out how you can make a difference,” Phillip explains. “Sometimes you have to read between the lines so that customers reach their final destination.”

Find out your brand – and take part.

Perhaps you have specialized in filling cupboards with floor-to-ceiling baskets. Or add clear acrylic containers to any room. The home editing says part of their success was knowing the look they wanted to achieve and keeping it consistent from house to house. “We wanted a smart way to put our stamp on our work. Clea would label everything by hand, but as we scaled up, we needed to find a way to get our uniform labeling for different projects across the country,” said Joanna Teplin of The Home Edit reflected. “We later turned Clea ‘s handwriting into writing, and now we have one signature aesthetically – literally. “