Professional Organizer Certificate Course - IAP Career College

IAP Career College Professional Organizer (Basic) Certificate Course

Professional Organizer

Certificate Course

Course Overview and Outline

This Course Overview and Outline, along with the e-book version of the Textbook and the

Welcome Letter that you previously received, include all of your course materials and you are

now ready to begin your self-directed course. Please ensure that you have read the Welcome

Letter then review the information below and then you can start on the tasks set out below for

Week 1. Next week you can complete the tasks for Week 2, and so on. To confirm, you have

now received all the materials to start this course and work at your own pace.

Course Objectives

In this course you will learn basic principles and practical techniques for organizing and getting

started in a career as a professional organizer.

You will learn: what a professional organizer does and how to help others get their lives in order,

how to develop your skills to succeed in a professional organizing career, how to start your own

professional organizing business, and how to get clients for your business.

Required Text

The required text for this course is FabJob Guide to Become a Professional Organizer (2014

edition), by Grace Jasmine and Jennifer James, published by FabJob Inc.

When you ordered the course you received a link to download the current (2014) edition of this

textbook in e-book format. If you own an older version of this textbook in print, you may use it,

however, we do recommend using the 2014 e-book edition of this textbook because the course

outline follows along with the page numbers in the 2014 e-book version of the textbook.


Educational Approach

This course is an online learning program with suggested readings and course assignments as

described in this course outline. This course is self-directed, which means that students may

study and complete assignments at times that are most convenient for each student. This part-

time course has a recommended completion date of 6 weeks from the start of the program,

however, students may choose to complete the course in as little as 4 weeks or as long as 12

weeks, depending on the student’s schedule.

Learning Assistance

The course has been created to allow you to complete it without any learning assistance. If you

require assistance or have questions about the course content, you may submit questions by

email or talk with a faculty member by Skype (free online video or voice calls through

www.skype.com) for up to one-half hour per week for six weeks.

The faculty member for this course may be contacted by email at [email protected] or by

phone at 403-873-1018 (messages). Faculty members aim to return messages within 24 hours on

weekdays and weekend assistance may also be available depending on each faculty member’s

schedule. Skype calls may be scheduled at times that are mutually convenient for both the

student and faculty member.

Please be aware, when booking an appointment with your Faculty Member, if you need to cancel

or reschedule you must notify your Faculty Member by emailing [email protected] at least 24

hours in advance of the scheduled time. Except in case of serious illness or emergency, each later

cancellation or missed session will count as 30 minutes of time with the Faculty Member. If you

must miss an appointment due to serious illness or emergency, please contact

[email protected] as soon as you are able.

Assignment Grading Distribution

Assignment % of Total Mark Recommended Completion Date

Final Exam 100% December 29 (6 weeks after course starts)

As mentioned above, students may choose to complete the course in as little as 4 weeks or as

long as 12 weeks, depending on the student’s schedule. Assignments may be completed

whenever is convenient for you and submission is not required.

If you choose a different course completion date, you can change your Final Exam date to suit

your schedule. It is not necessary to get permission from the college to do so; your exam will be

marked when it is submitted.

When you are ready to write your Final Exam, contact IAP Career College at

[email protected] for a link to the exam and an access code.

http://www.skype.com/

mailto:[email protected]





Grades

Your final grade will be in percentage form. International Association of Professions Career

College has established the following guidelines for grade distribution. A grade of 60% or higher

is required to earn a certificate.

90 to 100% A+ – Honors

80 to 89% A – Excellent

70 to 79% B – Good

60 to 69% C – Satisfactory

50 to 59% D – Needs Improvement

0 to 49% F – Fail

Final Exam

Worth 100% of Final Mark

Suggested Date to Take By: December 29

When you are ready to take your Final Exam, contact the college by email at

[email protected] for a link to your test and an access code.

To assist you in doing well on your Final Exam, it is recommended that you study the weekly

Review Questions below.



International Association of Professions Career College


Course # ORGB-1114 Starting November 17, 2014

Week 1

This week you will learn about the career of a professional organizer. You will also begin

learning about the history of this profession, traits of organizers and how to organize.

Tasks

Complete the week 1 readings from Chapters 1, 2 and 3 as indicated below

Answer the week 1 review questions

OPTIONAL: Schedule your first half hour session with your faculty member

Readings

Completion Topics Reading

November 24 (week 1) Introduction Chapter 1

pages 11 to 17

What is a Professional Organizer?

Benefits of the Career

The World of Organizing Chapter 2

pages 19 to 47

The History of Organizing

The Professional Organizer

Characteristics of Pro Organizers

Are you a “Natural”?

The Roles You Will Play

Ways to Specialize

How to Organize Chapter 3

pages 48 to 53

Organizing Systems

What Makes a Person “Organized”?

Creating a Basic System


Review Questions

For the Final Exam, make sure you have studied and know the correct answers to the following

Review Questions which test your understanding and recall of each week’s readings. You do not

need to submit your answers to the review questions. (Answers to Review Questions appear

after all the weekly questions.)

Week 1 Review Questions

1. The following best describes what a professional organizer does:

a. Designs closet space

b. Applies organizational systems and processes to other people’s lives

c. Helps people create well-organized events

d. Practices economics

2. When did the professional organizing industry begin to gain recognition?

a. 1933

b. 1868

c. The early 1980s

d. When people began to gather in units or families

3. Which forerunner in the field of scientific home management is known for developing

the principal known as “task management”?

a. Henry L. Gantt

b. Frederick Winslow Taylor

c. Barry Izsak

d. Eleanor Roosevelt

4. A professional organizer may play all of the following general roles EXCEPT:

a. Professional mentor

b. Teacher

c. Counselor

d. Consultant

5. The following best describes the important role of the Home Economist:

a. Having knowledge of how to run a home efficiently and how to keep it organized and

running smoothly for all the people who live there

b. Helping clients to save money by being more efficient or frugal consumers

c. The ability to assign appropriate chores and responsibilities to each household member

according to their strengths and abilities

d. Practicing home arts and economics


6. All of the following are true EXCEPT:

a. Disorganization contributes to a person’s inability to manage time

b. Being disorganized and unable to manage one’s time are not necessarily related

c. Clients who say they don’t have time to get organized lack time management skills

d. You can actually teach clients time management skills

7. What is Feng Shui?

a. A specific way to design a peaceful space according to Chinese architectural principles

b. The Chinese art of creating harmonious surroundings in order to balance one’s Chi

c. Chinese superstitions that govern how home furnishings should be arranged

d. A Chinese phrase meaning “from disorder comes harmony”

8. In cases where a client’s clutter issue has become a crisis, a professional organizer who

provides emergency services may be called upon to:

a. Give the client CPR, and in rare cases, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation

b. Work with social workers, law enforcement, and comfort distraught family members

c. Take the client to the hospital and/or forcibly remove the client from the premises

d. Take a tough stance and adopt a judgmental attitude

9. Many organizational systems are based on this number of steps:

a. It varies between six and twelve, depending on the complexity

b. Eight

c. Ten

d. Twelve


Answers to Review Questions: Week 1 Answers

1. (b) A professional organizer is an individual who helps other people get organized for a

living. You will apply your advanced understanding of organizational systems and

processes to other people’s chaotic situations, and help them develop solutions that work

in their lives. [p. 12]

2. (c) According to industry expert Barry Izsak and president of the NAPO, professional

organizing as an industry was not “on the map” prior to the early 1980s. [p. 20]

3. (b) Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) was the first person to set performance

standards, investigate and determine what a full day’s standard work was, conduct time

studies in the work place, and to break down large jobs into smaller tasks, what he called

“task management.” [p. 21]

4. (a) As mentioned, your “role” as a professional organizer can take on a variety of forms,

depending on the situation and what the client needs. Be prepared to be needed not only

for your ability to organize, but for your talents and expertise as a consultant, counselor,

and teacher. [pp. 30-32]

5. (a) Your knowledge of how to run a home efficiently, and how to keep it organized and

running smoothly for all the people who live there, is another important skill. All homes

must be run in a manner that makes it possible for people to go about their daily routines.

[p. 33]

6. (b) Often clients will tell you that they don’t have the time to get organized! People who

are in the throes of clutter and disorganization have lost their ability to control or use their

time wisely – even though some don’t know it, their disorganization is contributing to

their inability to manage time. It’s all related. [p. 38]

7. (b) Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the Chinese art of creating harmonious

surroundings in order to balance one’s Chi (pronounced chee). This technique allows

people to see and deal with their disorganization on a variety of levels, including the

emotional and spiritual. Feng Shui experts say that this art and philosophy helps people

create balanced lives at both home and work. [pp. 45-46]

8. (b) Professional organizers who specialize in emergency services are sometimes called

upon to help people who may have a catastrophic illness and/or are elderly. This specialty

requires an exceptional type of personal organizer with tact, sensitivity and a

nonjudgmental attitude, as you may find yourself working with social workers, law

enforcement or other local government employees, and comforting distraught family

members. [p. 46]


9. (c) Most professional organizers have a system of organizing. They have figured out a

way to do things, and after a while, if they are successful, they have figured out a way to

apply their system to other people’s lives. They have fine-tuned it and refined it long

enough to know what works and what doesn’t. Many organizational systems are based on

10 common steps. [p. 51]





Week 2

This week you will continue to learn about how to organize. You will look at organizing

principles, and organizing the home and specific rooms.

Tasks

Complete the week 2 readings from Chapter 3 as indicated below


OPTIONAL: Schedule your next half hour session with your faculty member

Readings


December 1 (week 2) How to Organize (cont.) Chapter 3

pages 53 to 67

Five Key Organizing Principles

Minimize, Maximize, and Maintain

Condition and Calamity

Treasure, Trash, Tools, or Toys

Objective, Tools, and Steps

The C.O.P.E. Strategy

Organizing the Home pages 86 to 122

Defining Home Organization

Home Organizing Products

Planning, Purging and Storing

Documenting the Space

Organizing Each Room

Bedrooms

Bathrooms

Kitchens

Family/Living Rooms


Laundry Rooms

Dining Rooms

Home Offices or Dens

Attics, Basements, and Garages

Review Questions


Review Questions which test your understanding and recall of each week’s readings. (Answers to

Review Questions appear after all the weekly questions.)


1. Which of the following is not one of the five key organizational principles?

a. Reorganize, review, revise

b. COPE

c. Treasures, trash, tools, or toys

d. Condition and calamity

2. The principle of C & C:

a. Allows you to prioritize tasks based on their urgency

b. Allows you to prioritize areas or spaces from messiest to least messy

c. Allows you to prioritize tasks based on their importance to the client

d. Both a. and c.

3. One of the most important principles of organization is the concept of:

a. Assigned worth

b. Assigned value

c. Emotional worth

d. Emotional value

4. What does OTS stand for?

a. “Over the shoulder” (as in things that should be tossed)

b. Organize, toss, sort

c. Objectives, tools, and steps

d. None of the above


5. What well-known and successful behavior modification technique should you suggest to

clients to motivate them to stay on track?

a. The classic conditioning technique used in Pavlov’s experiments with dogs

b. To punish themselves by, e.g., limiting their TV time for the next week

c. To reward themselves by, e.g., purchasing a new CD they want

d. All of the above

6. For most people, the perfect home is defined as a mix of:

a. Functional and beautiful

b. Detailed and uncomplicated

c. Classic and elegant

d. Both a. and b.

7. What is a bot?

a. An automated system for creating personal reminders

b. A vacuum cleaner that automatically tidies a room when you’re not home

c. An internet organizing application

d. A small voice-controlled robotic device you can program to guide clients through tasks

8. The rule of thumb for a baby’s room is:

a. Everything should be easy to reach and accessible to exhausted new parents

b. Everything should be adequately protected from curious baby hands

c. Everything should be colorful, functional and educational

d. Both a. and b.

9. How long should tax records be kept?

a. One full tax or fiscal year

b. Six years, sometimes permanently

c. Seven years

d. Permanently

10. When evaluating attics, garages, and basements for possible storage solutions, you

should consider:

a. Whether the client might want to transform the area into living space in the future

b. Whether the area is well-ventilated, too humid or damp, dirty, or too warm

c. Whether or not they lack definition

d. Both a. and b.


Answers to Review Questions:

Week 2 Answers

1. (a) The five key organizational principles are described in the book as: Minimize,

Maximize, and Maintain (MMM); Condition and Calamity; Objective, Tools, and Steps

(OTS); Treasure, Trash, Tools, or Toys; and C.O.P.E. — Category, Order, Proximity, and

Ease of Use. [p. 54]

2. (d) Understanding the condition an organizational area is in and realizing the level of

potential calamity that will result if it is left unresolved is the concept of Condition and

Calamity Or C & C, for short), which you can use to help prioritize tasks. It will be easy

for you to see areas of clients’ lives that need to be organized; however, clients will have

to tell you how important they are. Being able to judge the importance and relevance of

organizational tasks is one of the major principles of organization. To decide what level

of importance to place on an organizational area of life, you must be able to determine

the potential resulting problems if left unresolved. That is: What is going to happen if this

doesn’t get organized? Sometimes the answer will be: nothing. And sometimes the

answer will be — a calamity! This will allow you to help them see what should be done

first, second, third, and so on. Your first order of business will be the areas in the worst

condition, with the worst possible calamity. Sometimes an organizational area can be in

terrible shape, but the potential calamity is relatively minor. You can consider leaving

these areas for a later time, and focusing on the biggest concerns. [pp. 55-57]

3. (a) One of the most important principles of organization is the concept of assigned worth.

Being able to determine the relative worth of things allows us to make decisions about

them. What are these “things” clients have in their lives – all their stuff – and what are

they for? What is their value to clients? Sometimes even the client will have a hard time

deciding. A professional organizer must assist and teach clients to assign value to things

they own so clients can make their own decisions about what is valuable to them. You

can help your clients categorize their possessions by examining each item’s value in

terms of function and emotion. [p. 57]

4. (c) OTS is short for the Objective, Tools and Steps (OTS) process. Using an OTS form,

you should ask what the client wishes to accomplish (objective), what things they will

need to help them organize (tools), and what steps are in the plan, when will they be

taken, and how long should it take (steps). [pp. 61-63]

5. (c) Just like quitting smoking, getting out of debt, or losing weight, when clients take

control of the way they use their time, it is cause for celebration. One well-known and

successful behavior modification technique is to reinforce good behavior with a reward

system. Especially in the fragile, early days of learning a new routine, convince clients to

commit to rewarding themselves for staying on track. Perhaps a client should buy that

new CD they have been thinking about as a reward for filling out the weekly planner for

a whole month. [p. 86]


6. (d) What is the perfect home? What will best suit the personal tastes, daily activities and

responsibilities, and personality and family’s needs? For most people, it is defined as a

mix of the following four traits, in a balance that is individual to them: functional,

beautiful, detailed, and uncomplicated. [p. 88]

7. (c) No mere mortal can keep up with the Internet, so why not use an Internet organizing

application called a bot? At www.botspot.com/bots you can find an assortment of

applications that will search the Internet for any changes to a list of websites you choose.

There are also bots that will search news reports and press releases for information on

keywords that you select, such as “organize” and “organizing.” [p. 93]

8. (d) The rule of thumb for a baby’s room is that everything should be easy to reach and

accessible to exhausted new parents, but adequately protected from curious baby hands.

Most importantly, a baby’s room must be safe — cover outlets, and ensure that blind

strings are strangle-proof and that all windows are secured. [p. 100]

9. (c) There are general retention rules for personal records, although you should remember

to adjust them to fit clients’ special situations. For tax records, the general rule is seven

years. [p. 117]

10. (d) Attics, garages and basements can be functional storage solutions that allow the rest

of the house to run smoothly. When working with clients to help them organize their

attics, basements, and garages, make sure to discuss in depth their ultimate goals for each

space. Do they want to create storage, or transform a space into extra living space — or

both? Before you decide how to use any of these spaces, you’ll need to ask the client

some questions to determine if there are any limitations based on several factors that

include access, amount of space available, whether it’s finished or unfinished, and where

there is adequate ventilation, a floor, and whether it’s too warm or not clean enough, too

humid or not dry enough. [pp. 119-121]





Week 3

This week you will continue to learn about how to organize. You will focus on organizing the

individual and organizing for businesses.

Tasks




Readings


December 8 (week 3) How to Organize (cont.) Chapter 3

pages 67 to 86

Organizing the Individual

Personal Organization Assessment

Determining Priorities

Setting Goals

Time Management

Organizing for Businesses pages 122 to 153

Assessing the Need

Workspace and Equipment

The “Paper Trail”

Digital Information

Organizing Workflow

Project Management


Review Questions





1. What is an MMM form a useful tool for?

a. Analyzing disorganized areas room by room to formulate an organizational plan

b. Applying the principles of minimize, maximize, and maintain

c. Creating a mortgage payment file, also known as a “minimize missed mortgage

payments” file

d. Both a. and b.

2. All the things people own fall into one of the following categories:

a. Treasures or toys

b. Tools

c. Trash

d. All of the above

3. To help an individual become organized, what must you help them accomplish first?

a. Admit they have a problem

b. Organize themselves mentally

c. Realize how they are hurting themselves and their family

d. Organize their time so the rest of the disorder in their life will simply follow

4. How long should clients keep a time activity log so you can analyze how their time is

being spent?

a. One work week (Monday through Friday)

b. One full week

c. Two full weeks

d. One month

5. What is a 4-by-10 plan?

a. A 40-hour workweek consisting of four ten-hour days

b. The size of space you need to break rooms into manageable chunks

c. A system for organizing boxes so they can be stacked most efficiently

d. A system in which a client accomplishes four attainable goals within ten days


6. A good filing system is one that:

a. A client will use

b. Is as easy as possible

c. Allows easy storage and retrieval of records

d. All of the above

7. When hired to help clients with project management, what is the most important

component of organizing the project?

a. Planning the project

b. Monitoring performance

c. Managing risk

d. Involving customers

8. Two visual project planning tools that can help clients who have a lot on their minds and

try to juggle too much information in their heads are:

a. The Smartdraw and the COPE chart

b. The Gantt Chart and the PERT chart

c. The Project Completion Plan (PCP) and the Project Management Checklist (PMC)

d. None of the above



Week 3 Answers

1. (d) An MMM Form which is based on the key organizing principle of Minimize,

Maximize, and Maintain (MMM), is a tool you can use to apply the MMM concept for

each room or area you wish to organize. Make notes and brainstorm solutions with the

client for each area. Use the notes you take to help you formulate your organizational

plan. [p. 55]

2. (d) Once you understand the concepts of function and emotion, you will see that all

things that people own fall into four categories: treasure (high emotion, low function),

trash (low emotion, low function), tools (low emotion, high function), and toys (high

emotion, high function). [p. 59]

3. (b) An organized mind is the first step to achieving an organized environment. Author

Wayne Dyer wrote a book called You’ll See it When You Believe It. The premise of the

book was that people must make a mental change before they see physical changes

manifest in their lives. Dyer’s theory also holds true for organization — before people

can have organized surroundings and lives, there is some mental work to be done. [p. 67]

4. (c) The first step is to help your clients understand how their time is currently being

spent, so have clients log their daily routines for two weeks. Why two weeks? Because it

takes a two-week period to view the variances in clients’ current schedules. Have clients

keep track of their major activities in hour, or even half-hour sized bites. [p. 80]

5. (a) One common time management suggestion for clients who need more free time is the

4-by-10 plan. Many employers now offer a 4-by-10 plan, which could allow your client

to put in a 40-hour week in 4 days. That gives a client a 3-day weekend every week to get

those big chores done. [p. 83]

6. (d) So, what makes a good filing system? It’s one that the client will use. Storage of

records should be easy to do, and the search and retrieval of records should come easily

even to those unfamiliar with the system. The best way to ensure that clients file is to

create systems that make it as easy as possible. [p. 131]

7. (a) The components of good project organization are: planning the project, monitoring

performance, and managing risk. The most important part of a successful project is the

planning phase – figuring out what will happen when, and how much it will cost. [p.

145]

8. (b) The reason many clients need your help managing their project is that they try to do

too much in their heads and lose track of priorities. You can help them by making sure

they really do a thorough job of project planning that will carry them through all the way

to the end. Visual tools such as the PERT chart and Gantt chart are often helpful to

clients with other things on their minds. [p. 149]





Week 4

This week you will learn about starting your own organizing business. You will look at getting

ready and how to set up your business.

Tasks




Readings


December 15 (week 4) Starting an Organizing Business Chapter 4

pages 154 to 196

Preparing Yourself

Print Resources

The Internet

Mentoring

Personal Training and Coaching

Take a Course

Join a Professional Association

Small Business Resources

Setting Up Your Business

Your Business Concept

Setting Business Goals

Creating a Business Plan

Financing Your Business

Choosing a Business Name

Legal Matters

Your Office


Review Questions





1. “Industry-specific organizers” are:

a. All professional organizers within the industry

b. Professional organizers who specialize within a specific industry

c. Organizers with medical administrative expertise who organize doctors’ offices

d. Both b. and c.

2. Which of the following are major factors that have contributed toward creating the

professional organizing niche?

a. Downsizing

b. Nesting

c. Capitalism

d. Both a. and b.

3. All of the following are characteristics of professional organizers EXCEPT:

a. They are responsible and have strong ethics

b. They have excellent communication skills

c. They have a laissez-faire attitude

d. They have a passion for helping people

4. Which of the following is an acronym to help you remember the unique responsibilities

of being a counselor to your clients?

a. NAPO

b. CARE

c. OPEN

d. SCORE

5. Organizers who have office support, secretarial, or administrative backgrounds often

specialize in which field of organization?

a. Financial

b. Home Office/Small Office

c. Corporate

d. Technical


6. What are NAPO and POC?

a. Organizations for professional organizers located in the U.S. and Canada, respectively

b. Acronyms to help you remember a seven-step organizational system

c. Government agencies that provide business loans to new businesses in the U.S. and

Canada

d. Organizations of retired businessmen who offer their consulting services free of charge

7. You are ready to schedule your major tasks after you have filled out which of the

following:

a. Your goal statement form

b. Your Task Breakdown Sheet

c. Your Major Tasks Planner

d. All of the above

8. A start-up budget and an operating budget differ in which of the following ways:

a. A start-up budget includes legal fees and insurance, but an operating budget does not

b. A start-up budget is the costs of getting your business up and running, while an operating

budget consists of ongoing expenses

c. A start-up budget is necessary only if you need a business loan, whereas an operating

budget is always required

d. None of the above; they are essentially the same thing

9. How can you start work as a professional organizer if you are not ready to start your

own business?

a. Get a BOP or find a part-time job by networking through SBA meetings

b. Join a business as a partner or contact SCORE

c. Find a part-time job by networking at NAPO/POC meetings or join a business as a

partner

d. Conduct information interviews or contact SCORE



Week 4 Answers

1. (d) As the field becomes more specialized, we’re seeing more ‘industry specific’

organizers. Individuals with paralegal or legal secretary backgrounds have specialized in

organizing law offices, working with lawyers, for example, to downsize their client files.

Professional organizers with an educational background help teachers design efficient

classroom processes, setting up systems for their students, and assist teachers in

document tracking for themselves and numerous students. Organizers with medical

administrative experience have found a niche working in doctors’ offices. Former real

estate agents have had significant success helping current agents organize their offices,

structure prospective client tracking methods, track home sales and the volumes of

associated documents. [p. 23]

2. (d) Part of the need for professional organizing today is due to how our world has

changed in the last two hundred years. Major contributing factors include

industrialization, nesting, downsizing, and the technology boom and data management.

[pp. 21-22]

3. (c) Aside from being well-organized individuals themselves, professional organizers are

superb communicators, are business-minded, responsible and ethical, and have a passion

for helping people. [pp. 25-27]

4. (b) The acronym CARE helps you remember the unique responsibilities of being a

counselor to your clients: Compassion and Concern; Active Listening and Attention;

Responsibility and Respect; Empathy and Encouragement. [p. 31]

5. (b) Home office/small office specialists know how to help their clients organize their

space to best enable them to run their own successful small businesses, or telecommute

effectively from home. They help clients set up filing systems, databases or other

information management systems. Many processional organizers who gravitate toward

this specialty come from office support, secretarial, or administrative backgrounds. [pp.

42-44]

6. (a) A professional organizer in the United States can get connected with industry experts

through the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO); the Canadian

organizer can do the same with Professional Organizers in Canada (POC). Both

associations also have regional or local chapter groups. [p. 163]

7. (d) After you have filled out the Goal Statement Form, the Major Tasks Planner, and the

Task Breakdown Worksheet, you are ready to schedule your major tasks. To do this you

will need your master calendar. [p. 176]

8. (b) All new businesses need both a start-up budget and an operating budget. The start-up

budget includes all the costs necessary to get your business up and running. Operating


costs are ongoing expenses, such as advertising, utilities, and rent. Some expenses, such

as legal fees and insurance, will appear on both lists. [p. 180]

9. (c) If you are interested in getting your feet wet as a professional organizer but you aren’t

quite ready to make an investment of your time and money to start your own business,

consider these ideas: Network: Meet people at NAPO chapter meetings and let it be

known that you are hoping to join another existing business as an employee. The more

you talk with other people, the more likely you will find the right opportunity for you.

Another way to get the word out is to send out an exploratory email to organizer

businesses in your area or call. Some professional organizers hire staff, especially

occasional or part-time people to help them. It never hurts to ask. Partner: Consider

joining an existing business as a partner. Ask around and see if anyone is interested in

taking on a business partner, or ask your friends or family members to start an organizing

business with you, cutting the risk and time investment in half. [p. 183]





Week 5

This week you will continue to learn about starting an organizing business. You will also begin

to look at marketing plans and techniques for getting clients.

Tasks

Complete the week 5 readings from Chapters 4 and 5 as indicated below



Readings


December 22 (week 5) Starting an Organizing Business (cont.) Chapter 4

pages 196 to 215

Operating Your Business

Scheduling Your Time

Pricing Your Services

Client Contracts

Bookkeeping

Hiring Staff

Getting Clients Chapter 5

pages 216 to 241

Your Marketing Plan

Choosing a Target Market

Marketing Tools

Marketing Techniques

Networking

Get Media Publicity

Write a Column or Article

Write a Tip Book or Booklet


Review Questions





1. All the following are standard pricing methods for professional organizers, EXCEPT:

a. An hourly or daily rate

b. Hourly rates plus a break-even surcharge

c. A flat rate

d. A price range per service

2. A type of contract that is useful for preventing misunderstandings and spelling out the

services to be provided for a corporate client is:

a. A BOP

b. An engagement letter

c. A services agreement

d. A rate sheet

3. It is an excellent idea to create tangible marketing tools for your business because:

a. They are required to be accepted for membership in professional organizations

b. People are tactile

c. They let people know your business is reputable, credible and trustworthy

d. Both b. and c.

4. An effective one-minute business commercial:

a. Tells customers what you do and why it is helpful

b. Should end with a cute or catchy saying at the end

c. Should mention at least one unique service you offer

d. All of the above

5. All of the following are effective article titles, EXCEPT:

a. Getting Your Life in Order

b. Clearing Clutter for Cash!

c. Organizing 101 – Quick Fixes for Big Problems

d. How to Make Your Harried Home a Happy Haven

.


6. The purpose of a query letter is to:

a. Explain the importance of your topic and why you should write about it

b. Help sell your article, especially to publications that request them

c. Provide a cover letter summarizing the completed article you’re submitting

d. Both a. and b.



Week 5 Answers

1. (b) As a professional organizer you will have to determine what to charge for your

organizing services, and how to structure your fees in a way that best compensates you

for your work. If using an hourly or daily rate, you charge your client a certain dollar

amount for each hour or portion of an hour you work for them. For many beginning

organizers, an hourly rate is the easiest route to go. Some clients may want to know up

front what the total cost will be for your services. These clients prefer to pay a “flat fee”

rather than an hourly fee so they know the cost will not go above a certain amount. With

this pay structure, the organizer will quote a fee for a certain service, usually based on a

site visit and initial consultation. Another “flat-rate” type option is to offer a general price

range based on the type of organizing you will be doing. There is no such thing as a

break-even surcharge. The “break-even point” is the point where your income from sales

equals your costs, so your goal is to sell enough services and products at a price that will

cover your costs and exceed the break-even point so you make a profit. [pp. 199-202]

2. (c) An “engagement letter” is a type of contract you might use with an individual client,

while a “services agreement” is one you would use for a corporate client. [p. 207]

3. (d) There are a variety of marketing tools that will give your clients or potential clients

something to look at, to review, and will add a sense of legitimacy to your business —

they are marketing tools. People are tactile. They want information that they can hold in

their own hands and take away from a meeting and read at their leisure. Tangible things

let them know that your business is reputable, credible, and trustworthy. Clients need to

feel confident in you to make a buying decision. [p. 219]

4. (d) One popular networking technique is a quick, catchy and polished thirty second or

one-minute speech known as a one-minute business commercial. Introduce yourself, tell

what you do and why it’s helpful, and mention at least one unique service you offer. You

can set up a problem, question, or emotional need, and then solve the problem or answer

the question. End with a cute or catchy slogan you devise. [p. 226]

5. (a) Getting Your Life in Order is an example of a “Yawn” headline. Yes, you want to

write about organizing, but you have to have an angle. An angle is an approach you take

to capture the reader’s interest and get them to read your article. It doesn’t have to be

fancy — just catchy. A reader should instantly get a sense about your article from the title

(as well as the first paragraph when you write the content). [p. 233]

6. (d) While you can submit the entire article to some publications, others will request a

query letter, particularly if you are hoping to sell the article. A query letter explains the

importance of your topic and why you should write it for a publisher. It should be

interesting, and succinct. [p. 237]





Week 6

This week you will continue to look at how to get clients. You will also have your last session

with your faculty member and schedule your final exam.

Tasks



OPTIONAL: Schedule your final half hour session with your faculty member

Review questions from weeks 1 to 6

Schedule and take your final exam

Readings Completion Topics Reading

December 29 (week 6) Getting Clients (cont.) Chapter 5

pages 241 to 284

Marketing Techniques (cont.)

Build a Website

Write an Email Newsletter

Present Speeches, Classes, or Seminars

Other Marketing Techniques

Selling Your Services

It All Starts With You

The Process

Sales Leads

Telephone Sales

In-Person Sales

Creating a Winning Proposal

On the Job


Success and Change

Profitability

Evaluating Your Results

Your Recognition

Implementing Change

Review Questions





1. To be a successful organizer, you need to have:

a. A knack for creating order out of chaos

b. A history of being organized and neat since adolescence or earlier

c. A solid background in courses such as Space Planning and Programming

d. Experience helping others get organized

2. The forerunners of this profession were the first to realize:

a. That an individual could do what a “good housewife” does and get paid for it

b. That the effective functioning of the home environment could be planned, thoughtfully

organized, and executed according to a system

c. That the sound working principles of the industrialized factory could be applied to

organizing the home

d. That an organized home is a happy home, known as the “nesting” principle

3. Which best defines the term “knowledge management”?

a. Creating databases

b. Being adept with computers and a solid working knowledge of computer programs

c. The ability to record and classify, then retrieve and reuse knowledge

d. The tasks normally performed by a librarian

4. Which are the most important functions of a space designer?

a. Being able to create accurate blueprints

b. Being able to see a space and transform it into a functional living or working space

c. Creating beautiful surroundings for clients in which to live and work

d. Both b. and c.


5. Which of the following are characteristics that many highly organized people share?

a. They are calm, enjoy order, and feel serene in uncomplicated surroundings

b. They dress fashionably, and may also drive a fancy car

c. They dislike procedures and rules, and prefer instead to “go with the flow”

d. All of the above

6. What is the “Ten Second Rule”?

a. The amount of time you should wait after a client finishes speaking to avoid interrupting

him or her

b. The maximum amount of silence that should elapse in a conversation with clients

c. The first few crucial seconds when a person forms an opinion about you

d. The amount of time you should let your phone ring before answering it to avoid

appearing too eager

7. Which of the following is the correct order of steps in the sales process?

a. Solicitation, telephone sales, presentation, follow-up, job

b. Marketing, sales leads, telephone sales, in-person sales, job

c. Sales leads, telephone sales, follow-up call, in-person sales, job

d. Networking, marketing, repeat advertising, in-person sales, job

8. Which is the best to way to conduct a “needs determination” for potential clients who

call?

a. Immediately make an appointment to conduct an in-person investigation of the job site

b. If a potential client asks about your services, answer briefly, then ask about their needs

c. Ask what clients need, and listen to them

d. Both b. and c.



Week 6 Answers

1. (a) Either you have always been passionate about order and have a talent for organizing

things that began as early as you can remember, or you had an organizational

“metamorphosis” in which you suddenly realized that the chaos and the clutter in your

life was hurting you, and you changed. However you got here, that is wonderful news.

Even if you have never organized anyone but yourself, you can learn how to be a

professional organizer. [p. 12]

2. (b) The forerunners of this profession were the first individuals to realize that the

effective functioning of the home environment could be planned, thoughtfully organized,

and executed according to a system. Two individuals were forerunners in the concepts of

scientific management — Frederick Winslow Taylor and Henry L. Gantt. [pp. 20-21]

3. (c) Knowledge management is an important-sounding term for things we do every day. It

is the ability to record and classify, then retrieve and reuse knowledge. [p. 35]

4. (d) Just like professionals in the interior design industry, organizers must be able to see a

space and figure out how to transform it into a functional living or working space. And it

isn’t enough to just make it “functional”; clients also want beautiful surroundings in

which to live and work. [p. 37]

5. (a) There are many characteristics and attitudes that organized people share. For example,

you might: enjoy order, feel serene in uncomplicated surroundings, consider yourself

calm, be self-motivated and disciplined, always be thinking of a better way to do

something, have a neat and orderly home, like to be in control, be trustworthy and serious

about keeping your commitments, keep a personal schedule of activities, invent things

and find solutions easily, enjoy structure, including rules, systems, and procedures, make

deliberate choices. In addition to possessing some or many of these characteristics,

organizers generally fall into one of two categories: the naturally organized or the

consciously organized. You can also be a little of both [pp. 49-50]

6. (c) Making a good first impression quickly is an important part of making clients feel

comfortable and eventually getting clients’ business. Consider what is known as the Ten

Second Rule. (We have all done this!) You see someone new, and in the first few seconds

you have an opinion about him or her. Before you have actually been introduced, even

before you shake hands, or hear a person’s name, you have an opinion. You have

gathered facts and have formed an opinion — either positive or negative. [p. 260]

7. (b) How do you take clients from mild interest or a phone call to paying clients? It’s a

matter of technique — sales technique. And like every other aspect of becoming a

professional organizer, you can learn how to do it. The sales process is an easy process to

follow once you know the steps, which move naturally from one to the next, and are as

follows: marketing, sales leads, telephone sales, in-person sales, job. [p. 263]


8. (d) The first thing you have to do with potential clients is to find out what they truly need.

This is called “needs determination” and it is fairly simple. To determine need you must

only do two things: you must ask clients what they need, and you must listen. After a

quick hello, many potential clients will want to ask you questions about your services and

products. Answer them briefly, but then turn it around with a question about their needs.

You don’t want them to decide you can’t help them without a fair chance to explain what

you do. [p. 266]

Professional Organizer Certificate Course - IAP Career College

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