Start an organizing business during a pandemic – is it a good idea?

Surprisingly, yes, it is an excellent time to start an organizing business during a pandemic! It takes time to form a business, as it is best to meet with an accountant and attorney to help you understand what types of entities you can choose from and which one will benefit you when filing your taxes.

The Small Business Administration SCORE program offers free mentoring to find a small business accountant and attorney if you don’t have one.  There are many things to consider and many tasks to be completed BEFORE you start working with clients to ensure you are protected, and your client is too.  From the footer of our website, you can download a checklist to complete those tasks and in order.

I suggest you read the latest and historical books on organizing and managing a business; here are a few to get you started:

Small Business

  • Corporate Records Handbook, Anthony Mancuso
  • Independent Contractor Guidebook, Sally Allen
  • Mastering the Business of Organizing, Anne Blumer
  • Purple Cow, Seth Godin
  • Small Business Marketing Strategies All-In-One for Dummies, Consumer Dummies
  • The E Myth, The E Myth Revisited, Michael E. Gerber
  • The One Page Business Plan for the Creative Entrepreneur, Jim Horan
  • Your Limited Liability Company: An Operating Manual, Anthony Mancuso

Photo Stack of Business Books

Working With Clients

  • 4 Weeks to an Organized Life with AD/HD, Jeffrey Freed, and Joan Shapiro
  • ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, Judith Kolberg, and Kathleen Nadeau, PhD
  • Buried in Treasures, David E. Tolin, Ph.D., Randy O. Frost, and Gail Steketee
  • Conquering Chronic Disorganization, Judith Kolberg
  • Declutter & Thrive Overcoming 6 Common Disorganization Types to Reveal Your Best You, Denise Allan, and Vlasta Hillger
  • From Hoarding to Hope, Geralin Thomas
  • Journeys through ADDulthood, Sari Solden
  • Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life, Peter Walsh
  • Managing Client Expectations: A Guide for Organizing Professionals, Standolyn Robertson
  • Organize for a Fresh Start: Embrace Your Next Chapter in Life, Sue Fay West, CPO-CD
  • Organizing from the Inside Out, Julie Morgenstern
  • Organizing Solutions for People with ADD, Susan Pinsky
  • The ICD Guide to Challenging Disorganization For Professional Organizers, Institute for Challenging Disorganization, edited by Kate Varness, CPO-CD, MA
  • The ICD Guide to Collaborating with Professional Organizers, Institute for Challenging Disorganization, edited by Phyllis Flood Knerr, CPO-CD
  • The Other Side of Organized, Linda Samuels, CPO-CD
  • When Organizing Isn’t Enough SHED, Julie Morgenstern

If you have not worked in a business or owned a business, I strongly encourage you to work with someone who can show you the ropes or take an online course.

I have seen many people start an organizing business excited and think they will be successful simply because they LOVE to organize. That is only a piece of the pie that will make you a successful professional organizing business owner; you need to understand what procedures are necessary to operate an organizing business.

Once you have your business formed, completed all the necessary tasks to start an organizing business, and are ready to work with clients, you have the choice of how you will work with clients during the pandemic and beyond.

  • You can choose to work on-site following the CDC guidelines to keep you and your client healthy.
  • If that doesn’t feel comfortable to you, you could work on-site without the client present.
  • Of course, you will need the client to decide what they keep and don’t keep as you sort by sending photos, calling the client, or doing a quick facetime with them.
  • If your client is a DIYer type, virtual organizing sessions may work perfectly for them.
  • Lastly, you could do a hybrid much like schools are doing. Some time spent with your client on-site and other times virtually.

You may feel a lack of confidence to work with clients, which is perfectly normal.  You will quickly get over that feeling after you have completed our Certified Organizer course, including a client practice project.

Don’t let the pandemic keep you from realizing your dream career. Now is the time to spend sheltered at home preparing to launch your business with options for how you will deliver your services safely.

Still have questions?

Schedule a 15-minute ask me anything Zoom session. I’m here to help you get your business launched.

 

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