I've Tried That - We lose money so you don't have to!

We received a request from a reader to look into the Professional Organizer Business Complete Startup System sold by a site called organizerbusiness.com.

Professional Organizers? I didn’t know that such people existed. And yet, why not? Disorder is everywhere you look in offices and in homes. (You wanna hear about disorder? My family just moved. Boxes everywhere and stuff for which we can’t find a place.)

From what I can tell, professional organizing is a legitimate home-based business opportunity. You can read about it at CNN Money. And there is also a professional organization you can join, called the National Association of Professional Organizers, or NAPO.

Just be careful about how much you spend to get started. Unfortunately, that’s the best assessment we can give because we won’t be trying this one out. it’s more than $500 for the startup system, and it’s far enough outside our niche that we can’t justify the expense.

And if you want to get many more realistic ideas for businesses you can run from home, check out In Your PJs.

What is a Professional Organizer?

Just like the title suggests, professional organizers sell their organizing services to businesses and homes, helping other people bring order out of chaos.

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers,

A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizing skills. A professional organizer also educates the public on organizing solutions and the resulting benefits. Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their systems for life.

What is the Professional Organizer Business Complete Startup System?

This system advertises itself as a comprehensive guide to getting started in and running your own successful organizing business. If its advertising is true, it does seem to be quite comprehensive. Expensive, too, at $549. I also note that the kit’s main feature is software, and it is sold by a software company, not a professional organizer. For what it’s worth.

However, if you really can make up to $60 an hour as a professional organizer, and the system can help you get there, a $500 investment is perfectly reasonable. Reviews of the system by that name are not to be found online. What you will find, though, are dozens of other programs and information sources for a wide range of prices. For example, check out this book and its reviews at Amazon.com. One glowing review says:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book covers all the bases …, July 15, 2007
I checked this book out from my local library. Because it has been such a great resource I kept renewing it – over and over. I finally broke down and bought my own personal copy to keep handy. Dawn covers evaluating your readiness to be an entrepreneur to determining business growth strategies. Similar to Sara Pederson’s book but more thorough. Great tips and forms to get you started.

Chances are very good that, by the time you finish a cheap book on the subject, you’ll know whether it makes sense to spend $549 for a startup kit. That’s how I would recommend you check out the opportunity. Start small and invest more as it seems necessary and appropriate.

Straight to the Source

You might also want to contact a professional organizer and ask them the tough questions: How much do you charge? Do you have enough clients to keep busy? Is it tough to find work. NAPO can put you in touch with a professional organizer that might be willing to tell you the hard truth about the business. Click here to find one in your area.

Are You a Professional Organizer?

If you are, we would love to hear from you in the comments or through the “Email Us” link at the top of the page.