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Interview With . . . Helena Tiainen Helena Tiainen Berkeley, California by Maria Gracia 1. How long have you been in business? I've been in business since 2000. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? This is my primary business. I am an organizer, redecorator and an artist. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) I used to be, but I didn't renew this year. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I have a natural sense of spatial relationships which translates well into organizing and decorating. Life sort of directed me into helping others make the most out of their homes and offices. It came to me that I could do this type of work well. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I help my clients figure out the best way to utilize any space, whether it be a drawer or an office or a whole house. I help my clients create functional and attractive environments for themselves and their families. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. I offer consulting and hands-on assistance. I have not taken on selling products nor do I offer seminars at this point. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? I have not written any books yet. As an artist I have illustrated 'Breakfast for the Family' by Susan Carpenter. 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 currently. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, it's http://www.helenatiainenorganizing.com/ 10. Is travel a big part of your business? Only local travel. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Families and businesses in Berkeley and vicinity. 12. Describe your typical workday. I get up and check my messages and email. I handle the contacts necessary. Mornings are the best time for me to handle marketing and paperwork and contacts in general. After this I typically either get ready to go and work with a client doing consulting or hands-on assistance or get into painting and doing artwork and related tasks. My schedule is very different from day to day since I offer my organizing services from ten in the morning until ten at night. So, in reality each day is different. When it comes to painting and art I sometimes work past midnight as long as my schedule the following day allows for this. I guess you could say I have no typical 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? My income was steadily increasing as the word of mouth got around. Right now I am feeling the effects of the recession. Even though I have many happy clients some of them have had to cut back on their expenses. People are afraid to spend money even on worthy causes. I hope this is temporary and will pass because I like organizing and redesign and would like to keep on offering these services in the future. In general I rely on people appreciating the work I do with them so much that they are willing to give me good recommendations. I was making it and hope to increase my income again substantially in near future. I believe if a person has the commitment, ability, skill, resourcefulness and talent with persistance one can make a living in organizing. At this point times are a bit tough for many of us small business owners. We need to keep on being resourceful and having a chin up attitude hoping for the best and doing what we can to promote what we have to offer. Some degree of radical trust with right action is called for. 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)? Direct mail, newspaper advertising, Internet advertising, web site, word of mouth, testimonials. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Word of mouth and Internet advertising with special interest groups who are looking for my services. Recommendations/testimonials work wonders in connections with these announcements. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. There are sites that are free to put a blurb about the services offered. A testimonial from a happy client who is willing to put a blurb in for me has been the very best marketing technique for me. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? Networking with my clientele base, yes. I have not networked with other organizers much yet. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I ask my happy clientele to put the word out there for me. I ask them also if it is okay to use them as a reference/recommendation. I draw a lot of interest from the Internet sites that tell about the services I offer. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? Seeing the results. This work is very rewarding. I feel the gratefulness and excitement in my clients praises on the work done. I feel very appreciated for the assistance and guidance I offer especially when they can see the results. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? When a new client has a hard time getting the vision I am trying to put out there and does not trust that I know what I am doing. Usually I can overcome this with confidence but some people are harder to win over than others. I have never had an experience where I could not win the trust of a client. Also, some people have a hard time keeping commitments, so, rescheduling and not following thru with what they said they would do can be frustrating. But I can usually work around this also. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. Any time a client is happy with the results is a great success for me. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? There are many funny moments but no particular story comes to mind. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? I am always looking for how something can be used differently. I like to think outside of the box. Innovative ideas and information appeal to me. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Maintaining a steady stream of clientele. This work seems to come in peaks and valleys. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Certain characteristics seem to be highly desirable in this field. If you are a people's person who has a big tent and a willingness to work with people from very different backgrounds you have a chance in making it as an organizer. You will also want to create your own special niche in the field. Look at your strengths and weaknesses, your skills, talents and abilities. What is it that you have to offer that is different from what the other organizers in your area offer? Start part time and proceed to full time if this field works out for you. Maybe the best tip of all would be to start by getting your own house in order. 
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