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Interview With . . . Gina Miles Here To Help Organize St. Clair Shores, Michigan by Maria Gracia How long have you been in business? About a year. 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, but not an officer. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I became a Professional Organizer because I thrive on neatness and order, but also because I have a passion for helping others... for me, being a PO is very rewarding. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I specialize in homes with families... I have found that I really enjoy creating special places for children to grow and learn. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. At this point, I sell services. In the future after I have more experience, I hope to expand into seminars and possibly selling products. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? Not yet. 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? No. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? My website address is http://www.heretohelporganize.com/ 10. Is travel a big part of your business? No, I try to keep it local. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Like I mentioned earlier, adults with children are my primary target audience. 12. Describe your typical workday. Because I am so new, no workday is the same... at this point, most of my time is spent marketing and networking. I work very long hours trying to promote my business any way I can. 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? My outlook on this question is... define 'enough'. We all have different standards and thoughts on what we consider to be enough, so this question is a difficult one, at best. Something else I would add, how important is happiness? What is your happiness worth? For me, this type of work makes me very happy... it is far more rewarding than the work I was doing previously. Therefore, for me, this is more than 'enough'. 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 have used the following means to market my business... direct mail, e-mail, newspaper advertising, website, yellow pages, joint ventures w/other professionals (local realtors and builders), local vendor sales and vehicle ads (magnets). My company will also be featured in the upcoming (March) issue of BuyingSpree (a local advertising magazine). 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. So far, I have found word of mouth to be the best tool. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. Because I enjoy working with children, I've found that having a booth at a MomToMom resale (I'm not sure, but I think this is regional - they are sales where people come together in schools or churches to sell 'slightly used' children's clothes and toys at very low prices) has come in handy. Usually, I offer a 'basket of organizing goodies' for someone to win... this peaks their interest and puts potential clients at ease to ask more questions. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? HUGE! Without networking, most people wouldn't even know that my business exists. If they did, they may not understand it... that is something I've learned, most potential clients don't truly understand the complete scope of the work a PO does... networking (and explaining) makes a very big difference. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I just organize the space(s)... it speaks for itself. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? For me, the most exciting part of my business is actually getting in there and creating functional spaces for the homeowner to use and enjoy. For the clients, it's the end result, of course. They usually say they can't believe they had so much space!! 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? The most frustrating part of my business is that I am not a salesperson by nature. Therefore, I have found that I need to constantly remind myself that in addition to being the Professional Organizer, I am also the sales team and marketing team! 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. My greatest success as a PO is simply making the clients happy. Being organized makes people happy... they feel better about themselves and their personal space. There is no better reward! 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? None that I could think of. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Anything and everything organizing!! I want to learn as much as I can to make my business a success! 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? I think my greatest challenge will come when my husband and I start a family of our own. We am newly married and do not have children yet, therefore I can devote as much time to my business as I would like (right now, it's about 10-12 hours, daily). Once I have children, timing will become an issue. But, nothing I can't handle! 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Do your research AND give it time! Before I actually launched my business, I was thinking about doing it for a few years and then really researched it for almost 1 year. Also, you have to know what you're getting into and you can not expect an overnight success. 
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