How To Become A Professional Organizer

With the recent popularity of reality TV shows like "Hoarders" and "Clean Sweep," professional organizers are in the public eye and you may be wondering whether this could be the career path for you.

But how to become a professional organizer? What kind of personality does the work require? In general, professional organizers like to interact with people, have the patience to listen to clients and learn how to best help them to implement an organization system that will last. Office organizers are also skilled in one or more areas:

But, don’t kid yourself — this is a business, and business is booming. As a self-employed professional looking for work, you’ll be competing with certified, experienced professionals and well-staffed local start-ups. If you want to get started as an organizer and be able to compete with the other local professionals, there are a few things that you can do to get prepared so you can hit the ground running.

Many different types of people seek the help of a professional organizer for different reasons. These can guide you in picking an area of organization to focus on. For instance, remote employees and people who work from home are looking for ways to improve and streamline their daily routine while families, especially those with kids, need help in reducing and organizing the usual clutter. 

Most areas of expertise can be organized into one of three areas:

To get some legitimacy for yourself, you may want to start with some pro bono, one-on-one coaching work. Many of the certifications available from professional organization associations require a minimum number of paid hours before you can qualify, and regardless, practice makes perfect! In the meantime, you can get some experience with the professional community by joining a professional association and attending local meetings and events. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has local chapters, where you can meet and interact with other organizing professionals in your area.

Once you do have some hours under your belt, you can apply for certification through NAPO or another professional association.Some training courses are available online, though most come with a cost. The prices for courses range anywhere from $50 for phone advice to more than $1000 for in-person full day classes.

If you do decide that this is the career choice for you, the next step is to decide whether this is just a side hustle or a business that needs to be formally (a.k.a. legally) set up. You'll need to decide what kind of business you are — a corporation or sole proprietor. Both have their benefits and downsides, so you'll need to decide which is the better fit based on your needs. You’ll also need to decide on rates for your services, which tend to be between $35 and $50 per hour for beginners. When you decide on this number, make sure to acknowledge your start-up cost. Also, many bloggers and online experts recommend developing assessment forms to track your clients’ needs and preferences.

Now that you’ve got an idea of what it takes to get started as a professional organizer, make sure to get your work noticed — set up Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts for your new business and keep in touch with clients on a regular basis so that they know what you’re working on and you know what their needs are.

Full disclosure: Neither the author nor Fairygodboss endorses or is paid by the associations and professionals featured here. If you've decided that this career is the one for you and you need some help developing your personal brand, check out another Fairygodboss article: "How to Brand Yourself Like a Pro."