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Interview With . . . Greg Payette Gregory Home Services, Inc. Massachusetts and Rhode Island 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 Greg Payette and my company is Gregory Home Services, Inc. I'm located right on the border of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I have been in business for a year and a half. 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.) I'm planning to join this year. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I took a test for a job about ten years ago and after answering numerous questions, it said I was not an organized person. I made it my goal to become better organized and I realized that it's something that can be learned. And taught. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? We specialize in organizing systems. From closet organizers to shelving to garage organizers. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. We sell a service and products. Our service is helping people create storage space with our organizing systems and accessories. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? As we all say, 'I'm working on it.' One of my personal long time goals is to be on the best seller list. If I'm 64 when it happens, I'll be a pretty happy 64 year old. 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? Not at this time. If I can come up with a unique concept for a newsletter, we'll have one. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, it's GregoryHomeServices.com - and right now it's solely geared towards the closet organizer systems. We are working on another content site with articles about home organization. 10. Is travel a big part of your business? I have many more clients over an hour from my office than I do in my own neighborhood. My travel is limited to the car. 11. Who is your primary target audience? The range is sort of strange and has a big gap in the middle. On one end, I have people living in small condos who need to better utilize their limited space. We design and install organizing systems for them and they feel like they've opened up the walls. They seem to be the happiest when the job's complete. On the other end, my customers are upper-income level homeowners with lots of money. They're happy when I'm done, but not as happy as my clients with smaller homes or condos. 12. Describe your typical workday. I'm up at 5 or 6 every morning. I try to spend at least an hour a day on marketing. Often more. If I can meet with a couple of prospects every day, I feel like the day has been a success. I also spend a few hours a day designing the organizer systems and looking for new products to help homeowners get organized. I also do most of the installations. If I'm not working a ten hour day, I feel like it's a day off. I love my business and it motivates me to work hard every day. 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? You can make enough money doing anything you chose to make money at. When you run your own business, you write your own check. My feeling is the busier people get, the more they're going to be on the lookout for a solution to taming their lives. That's where an organizing professional comes in. No matter how good you are at what you do, marketing is one of the big keys to success. 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)? Finding and knowing your target audience and getting the message in their hand is a crucial, crucial part of marketing. I am a big fan of direct mail -- if done correctly. The Internet is a big part of my marketing program and is one of the most targeted forms of marketing you'll find. I'm running ads in some of the smaller, local papers in my surrounding communities. The ads themselves, if anything, can increase the response on a direct mail campaign. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. As I said above, direct mail is still one of the best ways to get your message into the hands of your target prospect. Although I use postcards, a sales letter where you can 'sell the sizzle' is typically more successful. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. I'm starting to feel like I should be selling direct mail. But my sales letters to new homeowners have been good. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? I don't 'formerly' network as much as I read I should. I have some kind of thing in the back of my mind that says 'networking' is too salesman-ish. But that's me. I like to get out and meet different people in as many places as I can. Whether it's the lady in the diner or the people on the golf course. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I am working on a letter that will be sent to customers with an offer if they refer three people to me. The tough part is coming up with a unique offer to make it worth their while. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? When the job is complete, and I get an email that says 'thank you so much.' 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? Not getting the call back. You can't win 'em all, but I feel like I should. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. Every day, I wake up and realize I run my own business -- and I actually help people. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? Organizing is serious business! Actually, I'll put it on the list to have a funny story. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? I would like to be able to offer homeowners more and more tools to help them get organized. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Growing the business without losing focus and without losing that personal touch. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Figure out what you're good at and perfect it before jumping into something else. In other words, as with any business, specialize. 
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