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Interview With . . . Barbara Myers The Time Manager Newark, OH by Maria Gracia 1. What is the name of your company? Where are you located? How long have you been in business? My name is Barbara Myers. My company name is The Time Manager. I'm located in Newark, Ohio, just outside of Columbus and I've been in business for two years. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? This is my primary business. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) Yes, I have been a member of NAPO for two years. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I've always been an organizer. However, when my husband suffered a stroke almost five years ago and lost his ability to speak I discovered that I needed to become a 'super organizer' at home. If he couldn't tell me what he needed, he had to be able to easily find it himself. That, along with a new baby and a move from New Jersey to Ohio prompted me to completely organize my new home so I wouldn't lose my sanity. It worked and I decided to help others do the same. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I started out only doing offices but now organize more homes. My specialty is paper. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. I offer seminars on organizing paper, offices, time and children. I also offer eight (so far!) products through my web site. These include organized parenting, organizing kitchens, clutter, closets and recipes. I also offer an affiliate program. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? I have written two organizing guides, one tips booklet, an e-instructional and four reports which are all available on my web site. They are: 200 Ways to Save Time at the Office The Ultimate Organized Kitchen Report Free Your Home From Clutter Free Your Closets From Chaos Simply Organize Your Recipes Controlling Kid Clutter Your Complete Guide to Organized Parenting Manage Your Wardrobe System 8. Do you publish a newsletter? If so, is it a print newsletter, or an e-zine? Is it free, or is there a charge? Yes, I publish a free newsletter. Those interested can subscribe on my web site. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? I started my web site one year ago and am very pleased with the results. It's a lot of fun because I love to write. It's a nice creative outlet I can work on after my son goes to bed. The address is http://www.ineedmoretime.com 10. Is travel a big part of your business? Not at all. The most I have travelled is two hours outside of the Columbus, Ohio area. 11. Who is your primary target audience? My primary audience is women between the ages of 30 and 65. 12. Describe your typical workday. My days are either filled with organizing jobs, speaking engagements, or if I'm in the office, I fulfill and ship orders, market my web site and work on new products. 13. Every person interested in entering the professional organizing field is wondering, "Can I make enough money doing this?" What is your outlook on this question? I believe it takes a serious committment to make a living as an organizer at this stage of professional organizing, especially in the mid-west. I do foresee a great future for our profession. 14. Which of the following marketing vehicles have you used to help you grow your business (direct mail, newspaper advertising, free workshops, radio, television, web site, e-zine, telemarketing, yellow pages, joint ventures with other professionals, publicity, other: please describe)? I've used direct mail, newspaper and magazine advertising, free workshops, web site, e-zine, telemarketing, yellow pages and press releases. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Networking is still the best way to market yourself locally, in my opinion. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. I've found that offering discounts to current customers when they refer new clients to me is successful. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? I'm not good at it, but yet, networking is necessary to grow the business. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I offer discounts on services or products. I've also paid a commission for referrals. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? I love writing products to simplify common organizing challenges after I've spent time interacting with visitors to my web site and workshop attendees. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? People who cancel appointments at the last minute. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. My greatest success is being able to help people. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? Last week, I conducted a workshop for a mom's group. The kids were so noisy no one could hear me! 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? I'm always looking for new marketing information. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Staying organized is my greatest challenge. Isn't that funny?! My business is growing so quickly, however, I find it difficult to keep up some days. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Realize that it's going to take time to grow the business into a part-time / full-time income. Also, have an open mind to wherever your business takes you. It probably won't be where you expect! 
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