Putting the Professional in Professional Organizer

Most of us describe ourselves as Professional Organizers, but what does it mean to be professional?

What is the distinction between an Organizer and a Professional Organizer?

Using the word Professional, gives us an air of credibility, doesn’t it? 

But, how do you earn that?

Wikipedia describes a professional this way:

A professional is a member of a profession or any person who earns their living from a specified professional activity.  Professional standards of practice and ethics for a particular field are typically agreed upon and maintained through widely recognized professional associations.

This seems a little vague though, doesn’t it? Merely charging a fee for your services does not make you a professional. 

What are those standards and ethics?  Let’s take a deeper dive.

Here are 5 standards of Professionalism.  

1. Skill

2. Process

3. Responsibility

4. Education

5. Preparation

SKILL OR TALENT 

In this case, your ability to organize.  Most of us have a natural talent to organize. This is the common attribute of professionalism and the easiest for us to achieve.  

PROCESS OR SYSTEMS    

You must have systems established including how you organize and your business systems. 

Organizing processes are the steps you take in each organizing project. Of course these include the basics of evaluating a space, purging, sorting and your method of organizing.

Business processes are each step you take with every client to onboard them including scheduling, agreements (contract), scope of work, and establishing payment guidelines.

RESPONSIBILITY

Professionals have many responsibilities; to your business, to your clients and even to yourself.  Here are the most critical.

Fiscal responsibility including, bookkeeping, paying taxes on time and obtaining insurance.  Insurance is a responsibility for your own benefit as well as your client.   

Ethical standards including honoring that you will work only within your scope of knowledge and expertise, assuring confidentiality, maintaining fair and transparent billing practices, and displaying respect for our fellow colleagues.

Communication standards including how you explain your process, what you offer, what you do and even what you do not do.  Clarity in your process is critical.

EDUCATION

You may have the skills and know how to organize, but unless you have your processes and responsibilities in order, then you are an amateur. 

This is why you need an education.  It’s true that for some an education in Professional Organizing can come from prior professional experience or lessons learned the hard way through trial and error.  However, earning your education from a credible source is the best way to ensure that you have your best professional business practices established. 

PREPARATION

Being a professional means you come to every job prepared.  This is everything from obtaining proper insurance to having the correct tools; a step stool, a measuring tape and the small but important steps of taking care of your own needs including water, food and even Band-Aids.  You do not want to impose upon your client for anything. 

Consider any of the professionals you interact with in your life, from your doctor to your electrician, dog groomer or hair stylist.

Each one possesses the above criteria.  You expect these standards and when you create them for your own business your clients and prospective clients will know that you are competent and trustworthy.

Professional Organizing does not require licensure.  We are an unregulated field and that opens the door wide for unprofessional behavior and practices.  This is all the more reason we, as true Professional Organizers, should work to maintain integrity.

Describing ourselves as Professionals should not be used lightly or frivolously.

I know how irritated I feel when I see a local social media post from a person describing themselves as a Professional Organizer and it’s clear they have none of the above standards or experience.  

In order to establish the respect that our industry and it’s true professionals deserve, we need to take steps to ensure that we truly are Professional.  The reward is worth the effort. Creating professional business standards improves outcomes for your business and improves the experience for your clients.

If you’d like to learn more about how to become a Professional Organizer, we invite you to join ASPO, the American Society of Professional Organizers.  Having the proper education will ensure that all professional criteria is met and more importantly, that you can confidently go forward knowing that you are fully skilled and prepared.