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Blog: Office Productivity
 Why is it so Hard to Decide to Hire a Professional Organizer?
There are a lot of myths about the organizing industry. It is still a relatively new industry even though it has been around for twenty-five years. I even bought into some of the myths when I started my business. It wasn't until I had worked with several clients that I began to change my thoughts about professional organizing.
In today's economy, one of the first reasons people find it hard to hire a professional is money. Most people think that they must charge a lot for their services. That is usually the first obstacle I encounter when I speak to people. Of course, like other professionals, organizers vary in their fees. They probably range between $40 an hour up to over $100 an hour. The higher fees are usually people who work with businesses. Many organizers offer packages of organizing services where the more you buy, the better value you receive and the lower the hourly rate.
Not far behind the money issue is the fear harbored by the client that their mess is the worst the organizer has ever seen. I tell the client that nothing will shock or surprise me. I have seen it all. They are pleasantly surprised when I tell them that their mess really isn't that bad. They see the problem; I see the solutions.
The third reason people don't want to hire an organizer is that they are afraid that the organizer will make them throw away things that they don't want to part with. I can only speak for myself and I never tell a client they have to get rid of anything. I just tell them that as long as they can live with the cost of keeping the item (space, emotional issues, etc.), they can keep everything.
A fourth reason for reluctance is dealing with the feeling of overwhelm and helplessness that the client has had for a long time surrounding their clutter. That feeling is hard to let go of, even if they are considering help from a professional. They usually say, "I don't know where to begin," when I walk in the door. They don't realize until we start working together that I have the tools and training to help them sort through the mess.
Some people don't believe that they can maintain the organization once the organizer leaves. This belief can be true if you don't establish a maintenance system for the project. Many organizers also become a coach for their clients to help them to be able to maintain after the organizer has gone. In fact, many organizers have lots of repeat customers.
In order to overcome the obstacles that you build for yourself around the task of hiring a professional organizer, you need to see that the benefits far outweigh the obstacles. Here are just a few of the benefits.
- You have the expertise of a professional who has the experience, tools, and resources to help you.
- The work gets done faster with a partner by your side.
- You are more motivated with someone helping you.
- You have committed the money and scheduled time to complete the project so you are more likely to stick with it.
- It is more fun with two.
- The organizer looks at things from a new and different point of view.
So put aside your reasons for not hiring a professional organizer. Take a chance and see what happens. You might be surprised.
posted on: 10/3/2010 1:30:00 PM by Barbara Boone
category: Business
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Office Productivity
by Barbara Boone
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About Barbara:
Barbara Boone is the owner of Productivity Solutions located in Cockeysville, MD. She provides office organizing for small businesses and helps them to create and implement a productive environment so that they can be successful. Her focus is paper management and file set up to help clients reduce stress and increase productivity. She has been organizing in the fields of education and business for over 36 years. Barbara is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and Director of Professional Development for the Baltimore chapter of the National Association.
Barbara's Website:
www.yourproductivitysolution.com
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1-877-251-8435
www.OnlineOrganizing.com is a service mark of Bradford, LLC.
