Not only are these valuable points, they are not cookie cutter. Thanks for the one of a kind insights from the pros.

Don't try to "get organized" before you hire a professional. You will waste valuable time!

One of the most important keys to success in working with any professional is trust. If you don't feel a "connection," it is unlikely you will get the results you are looking for.

Organizing fees vary widely and the price you pay should depend on the level of service you are getting. Don't expect to get someone to help you strategize the organization of an entire home with a written plan for $35/hour, but on the other hand, you shouldn't pay $75/hour for someone to sort toys or file papers.

Barbara Hemphill
www.PaperTigerInstitute.com

Great tips, Erin -
I think it's very important that we have well informed consumers that know who their hiring and how the process works.
-Scott

Hi Erin,

What a great article! What I'd like my potential clients to know is that I understand that they are embarrassed by the condition of their stuff but I am not! I see solutions not the mess. Don't let their embarrassment stop them from getting help.

Elizabeth

As a professional organizer, I had one other thought that I find to be an important factor in my clients' overall success. An organizer can set up systems to help you get and be more organized, but you must be willing to make the hardest changes in habits that will ensure your long term success with the new systems.

When i look at my 200+ clients, what has distinguished those that were able to maintain the new systems long term is their willingness to change habits and do things differently.

Ilene Drexler
Certified Professional Organizer ®
The Organizing Wiz ®

A couple more points:

1. Don't be surprised if the organizer cannot give you a definitive answer to the question "How long this will take?" Different clients work at different speeds; how quickly will you be able to make decisions?

2. I've been told that the stereotype of an organizer is someone who will make you get rid of anything you haven't used in six months. Please realize this isn't how most organizers work. And we also can't work the do-it-in-no-time-flat miracles you see on TV (with the crews working extremely long hours you never see on television).

Great tips Erin, As a Professional Organizer, I find most clients do not know what to do with the "stuff" they no longer want. There are many charities that welcome reusable items and some come to your door to pick them up. Also, old rags, socks and unusable clothes are recycled into ashphalt and some are shipped to other countries and recycled. If a client realizes that 90% can be saved from the landfil, they are more likely to part with their belongings. Some organizers will haul away donatable items too.
Wendy Hollick, Burlington, ON

Hi Erin, What an excellent article! The comments from my colleagues are spot on. As an organizing coach who specializes in chronic disorganization (CD)and ADD, I would add that if you have tried to get organized many times in the past, and your quality of life has been seriously impaired by clutter anddisorganization, look for an organizer who also belongs to www.NSGCD.org (the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization) which provides specialized training to organizers on how to help people overcome CD. CD cannot be "cured" but does require creative and highly customized organizing strategies to successfully "manage."

That said, a couple other points to consider in hiring a PO. Look for someone who:

1) Partners with you and doesn't tell you there is only one "best" way to do things. To get long lasting results, choose an organizer who listens to your needs, gives you options to choose from, incorporates your preferences in the solution, and takes your personal organizing and learning style into consideration. There is never just one right way to organize something.

2) Seeks to understand your most deeply ingrained habits and work "with" them as much as possible. i.e., if you "live" in your kitchen, you probably won't suddenly start sorting your mail in that cute office upstairs. With some creativity, there are many ways to continue to use your kitchen counter to sort and still keep your kitchen neat and organized.

3) Understands backsliding. Most people get excited about a new organizing system, but then something happens that causes them to to slip back into old habits from time to time, especially when stressed. The important thing is to LEARN as much as you can from these events and "recover" as soon as you can. Don't hide them from your organizer or be ashamed to have them come back and see that you haven't been perfect. Your organizer should help you learn from the events and prepare you to deal with backsliding.

My article on "What to expect when working with a professional organizer" has several more tips like this at: www.neatandsimple.com/press-articles/choosing_professional_organizers.html

Thanks again Erin for bringing up this very important topic!

Best Regards,
Ariane Benefit, Organizing Coach and Author
www.neatandsimple.com

This is a great article, and the comments from the professional organizers are even better. What a great perspective to have.

Well done, Erin. Clients are often surprised at the additional benefits professional organizers provide. I often take on the role of project manager, cheer leader, energy pack, strategist, and accountability partner - roles that help reduce anxiety and stress. -Standolyn

What a thorough and most helpful article for anyone who wants to hire a professional organizer. The selection of a professional organizer should be done with the same care and due diligence a person would take in hiring any trained service professional. I especially liked the point about not hiring a professional organizer based on price. An experienced organizer might charge more than someone new to the profession, but they could get you organized in half the time!

Barry Izsak, Certified Professional Organizer
Austin, Texas

I'd like to think one of the best reasons to hire a Professonal Organizer is to think of it as working smarter not harder. A Professional Organizer can help you get organized faster than you could on your own plus help set up you up for success. Ask friends for referrals; a lot of people use organizers today. My clientele is 100% referral.

In terms of when to call a Professional Organizer, I think it's best when they absolutely can function anymore and it's an emergency, meaning they can't live that way any longer because they can't do anything. When they call me, more often than not they want me to come that day (not possible). But what's great about it is that I know they are ready to make real changes. Anyone can make a space look great but it's learning systems to help keep you organized that make a difference.

Also, a Professional Organizer should ask lots of questions. I do a Needs Analysis on the phone and then will ask a lot of questions during the sessions so I understand how a client works, how a client likes to work and learn what is working for them now and what isn't working. I can then build on what's working and it makes the entire process a lot easier.

When you are ready to hire an organizer, think about what you want. I have clients that use my services in different ways. For example, I have one client who contacted me to help her organize her home office. While she enjoyed a clean and organized office, she didn't enjoy the tasks associated with that so for her, I provide a service called, "Home Office Support". I come into her home each week, process her mail, tell her what bills to pay, fill out forms that are due, and keep her affairs in order. I am also proactive-I read her employee benefits and give her a heads up on discounts she can take, help her use her FSA to the fullest or show her how maximizing her 401k can help her at tax time. I prepare everything for her taxes and even have helped her transition on the job. At Christmas time, I created Excel spreadsheets with her list so I can easily add or delete names and keep it updated. Essentially, I function almost as a Household Manager of sorts keeping everything organized and functional for her so she can work her busy job.

I have another client that I organize and now am staging her home for sale. For another client, I might focus on Medical Bill Organization and how to create systems and routines for caretakers of a disabled family member. My role varies for each job however the service I provide for each one is great organization.

My point is that there a lot of ways to use organizers to make your life easier.

Organizing is a skill, like knowing how to swim. Like swimming, it comes more easily to some than to others. And like swimming, it is a skill that, never developed, can mean some doors are closed to you, or some situations more difficult. But if you never acquired the skill or aren't a natural, it doesn't mean you're dumb, or lazy, or bad. Your character isn't defined by whether you are or are not a competent swimmer. When other people try to MAKE you learn, against your will, it rarely goes well for either party, and often results in setbacks and future resistance. But if you do want to acquire the skill, there are those who can teach you, support you as you learn, and coach you as you develop your own style. Those people are called Professional Organizers.

Great article, Erin! I don't have a lot to add to the excellent quotes and comments from my colleagues except to advise that when you're deciding on a professional organizer, listen to your gut. The relationship between organizer and client can be an intimate one and I find that the clients I'm most successful in working with are the ones where there's a real connection. If you're reaching out to various organizers and trying to decide who to choose, listen to what your gut says about the person you would work best with.

--Janine

What clients should know before hiring a professional organizer is that they should not be embarrassed of their clutter or disorganization. We all have our gifts and mine is not with accounting or legal issues that's why I hire a professional to help me. Could I do this work myself? Maybe, but I know a professional can do a better job and help avoid mistakes and I'm not embarrassed. Just so it is with a professional organizer, they are not there to judge but to teach and assist.

"In addition to the great feedback already presented, I want to stress that we should get organized for one most important reason: to make room for our life priorities. When we clearly identify our true priorities, those priorities will actually become a catalyst for our organizing endeavors. Ordering our life and our space can help us achieve the things that really matter to us.

For example: When our home is orderly and streamlined, we can practice open-door hospitality rather than living in fear that people will drop in on our mess. When our office is functioning well, we know what to do first when we get into work and we gain the confidence and competence to accomplish our work priorities.

You see, organizing is MORE than being neat and tidy; it is about reclaiming your life!"

Best advice ever. This topic is not 'simply' google-able, and this article, and link to organizers is just exactly what I needed. THANKS.

the Link for the online referral system is outdated.

please refer to www.napo.net/referral

These are all great points. I'd like to add - if you hire a Professional Organizer, listen and be open to their advice. If you catch yourself saying "yeah, but.." a lot, that's a sign you're not making the most of their valuable experience.