Clutter stinks!

Life is so much easier when you’re organized. However, getting there and staying there can take some help. Fortunately, there are people who can help. Beth Randall is a Certified Professional Organizer and she runs her own successful business, Joe Organizer.

I had an opportunity to talk with Beth and learn more about her service and thought you might be interested too.

Simply Sold: Hi Beth, thanks for taking the time to talk to me about your business. Let’s start with the basics. When people hear about a professional organizer, they probably have a picture in their head, but that picture may or may not be accurate. Tell me what a professional organizer does for people.

Beth: A professional organizer is hired to help individuals clear the clutter from their homes and offices and create a place for everything and everything in its place. Working side by side with the client the professional organizer is able to establish systems and processes to help the client not only get organized but stay organized once the professional organizer leaves. Professional organizers may also assist clients with relocations, from preparing their home for sale, packing, and unpacking and organizing at their new residence.

Simply Sold: How did you get started as a professional organizer?

Beth: Six years ago in April I was working in corporate America in information systems (an 18 year career). The company I was working for filed bankrupcy and eliminated my position. At the time I had worked myself into a 3 day a week job which was ideal since I am married and the mother of three. I really didn’t want to get back into the 9 to 5 (or more) 5 days a week career. A cousin of mine had attended a class at a local community college on how to start a business as a professional organizer and she suggested I look into it. Having no desire to run my own business I was very skeptical, but needless to say I checked out every book at the library on organizing and read them all! I knew I was organized and professional plus I loved helping other people get organized. I started attending NAPO Chicago (National Association of Professional Organizers) meetings and I was hooked. I attended an all day seminar in Wisconsin on ‘How to Start a Business as a Professional Organizer’ in the fall of that year.

Simply Sold: What would you say are the three biggest mistakes you see people making in organizing themselves and their space?

Beth: One mistake is they do not purge regularly. They continue to bring new items into their houses and they do not have a system for removing old items (either selling on eBay, donating, having a garage sale, or throwing away garbage, etc.) It is very hard to organize clutter!

Secondly, they go out and purchase all kinds of neat containers and baskets to hold all these items, when they really don’t know how much they have of something. If they took the time to purge first, then containerize it would work better. And when purchasing containers it’s important to always allow for 20% growth – do not pack those containers to the brim. Have space in the bins/containers so when a new item comes in they already have a place for it.

The third biggest mistake is tackling too large of a project and being defeated before they hardly begin. For example, they say they are going to organize their entire basement on Saturday but after working down there for 15 minutes they are completely overwhelmed because they don’t know what to do. What I recommend is that they break the project down into small manageable steps. They could start by just organizing a utility room in the basement, or one corner of the basement.

Simply Sold: Getting organized is one thing, but staying organized is another. How do you help someone stay organized for the long term?

Beth: As I am working with a client, I ask plenty of questions to understand what their current process is. Based on their answers I come up with a process that they will have a better chance of following. Each client situation is unique so I make sure that the process I suggest is going to work for them.

For example, if today their process to handle the mail is to set it in a pile on the kitchen counter and go through it when the pile gets too big, then I might suggest handling the mail immediately and having a unique ‘place’ to keep each piece of mail that they do not want to part with. And a place is not a pile on the kitchen counter, but maybe a decorative file box.

Getting organized is only successful when putting items in their ‘place’ is easy and convenient to do.

Simply Sold: What are some of your favorite organizing ideas that someone could implement quickly and make a huge difference in their lives?

Beth: The decorative file box that I highlight in my newsletter is one of my favorites – it gives them a attractive place to put their mail. I’ve attached a picture of one. Each file box is custom painted to the clients specification. The files in the box are labeled: bills to pay, upcoming events, places to go, to read, coupons, etc. – anything that comes in the mail that does not have a place to live.

My all time favorite organizing product is the over the door shoe organizer. I use them for shoes of course, but also for many other things. I use them for mittens, hats, and scarves during the winter months and then swap that out for sunscreen, bug spray, goggles, sunglasses and summery things during the summer. It’s great if you can find a door close to the entry way in your house. I’ve also used them in closets for scarves, ties, and other accessories. In kids rooms I have learned that Barbie and her friends fit nicely in each pocket as well as beanie babies!

For kids extra-curricular paperwork I suggest creating a family binder, using dividers for each activity your child is involved in. Such as soccer, football, girl scouts, boy scouts, music lessons, dance, karate, etc. Everyone of those activities comes with some sort of paperwork that typically does not have a home, and therefore tends to get lost in in the household.

Simply Sold: Those are some great ideas. I’ll bet mail is one of the biggest sources of clutter for a lot of people. Speaking of mail, people often end up with overflowing e-mail boxes. Do you help clients organize their electronic lives too?

Beth: Yes, I have helped clients learn how to use e-mail and other clients organize their e-mail however, I am not a computer wizard so I leave the computer tuning, etc. to the real pros!

Simply Sold: I saw on your website that you also do a lot of presentations.

Beth: Absolutely, I speak to groups all over Illinois and I have over 30 different presentations that I do regularly. The presentations are full of great ideas that people can put work and begin organizing themselves.

Simply Sold: You mentioned a newsletter. How would someone sign up to receive your newsletter and how can someone interested in your services contact you?

Beth: If someone is interested in signing up for my newsletter or contacting me they can e-mail me at Beth@JoeOrganizer.com or call me at (815) 436-1578. On my web site, there is a ‘contact info’ page that they can fill in and it will send a e-mail to me also.

Simply Sold: Beth, thanks for your time and for the interview.

As a special bonus for readers, tell Beth your found her through the Simply Sold blog and she’ll give you a special discount!

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