Grow Your Business – Subcontracting

The Container Store is an organizing products store. I equate it to a professional organizer’s candy store. They have stores all over the United States. Late in 2015, I was contacted by the Container Store, asking if I would be interested in interviewing for their Contained Home Consultant position. I was hesitant because I felt I would be working for my competition. I also didn’t think it would be possible to earn the same or close to my hourly rate as a subcontractor with the Container Store. I was wrong; I could. I could also receive commissions on products and closet systems I sold.

I interviewed for the position and was asked why I wanted the position when I had a very successful business. I told them I thought the customers would want primarily closet-designing services and not strenuous hands-on organizing. That appealed to me since it was increasingly more difficult to do the physical work as I age.

Secondly, I believed there was a customer population that would prefer to hire a professional organizer associated with a large store chain and corporation. I believed they felt safer having someone from the Container Store in their home than a stranger.

The Container Store offered me the contractor position, I accepted, and I have been with them for over two years. My organizing services revenue has doubled as a result, and it’s been primarily from closet designing and product sales, just as I predicted.

Keep in mind that what appears as competition might actually be collaboration.