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Interview With . . . Hisca Weggeman Hisca Weggeman, Professional Organizer Rotterdam, the Netherlands 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 Hisca Weggeman. My company name is: Hisca Weggeman, professional organizer. I am located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. I started my business in January 2002. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? It is my part-time business. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) I am a member of NBPO, Nederlandse Beroepsvereniging van Professional Organizers. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? Organizing is something I really love to do, and also teaching about it. And I believe in the results! Every time I enjoy a client getting more relief and less stress as soon as they start organizing. Their lifes become easier and happier. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I do both organizing offices, home offices and also home organizing. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. On a regular basis, I organize my workshop 'The Art of Organizing' on home organizing (2 or 3 evenings). In the near future I plan to develop my workshop in Time management. I do some speaking engagements. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? No. 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, not at this time. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, it is www.hisca.net. You can reach me by email: hiscaweggeman@wish.net 10. Is travel a big part of your business? No not that much. The area of Rotterdam and surroundings has about 1,000,000 inhabitants. Until now I work in this area so travelling is not long. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Those for whom disorder is a main source of conflict due to a lack of organization and the discouragement it produces. 12. Describe your typical workday. On the day(s) I work for my business, early in the morning I prepare the organizing session with the client, I travel and work with a client for 2 - 4 hours. I return home, make notes about the session, answer emails, sometimes do some writing (announcements about my workshop, short articles) and reading. In the afternoon I prepare my evening workshop. I always try to be specific for every person in my group with questions, advice, etc. I pack my car with books, overhead projector and all my other things and after a quick dinner I drive to the place where the workshop will be held. 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 think you can, but it will take time, very good marketing and a lot of effort in being good in one or more fields of organizing. 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)? Free publicity (announcements about my workshop) and interviews. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. It is free publicity--and asking the people in my workshop to be my 'ambassadors'. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. Free publicity in small local papers. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? Yes! 18. What do you do to generate referrals? Make my clients be very satisfied about me. I ask the people in my workshop to be specific in their feedback. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? 1. see clients become happier and relieved. 2. see the people in my workshop change during the weeks while organizing in their homes and becoming happier in their families. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? When a client cancels an appointment one hour before. Secondly when someone who needs help and who knows that, in the end cannot decide to make an appointment with me. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. One lady in a workshop could not find her passport for several years. She found it in 3 weeks, organized her whole desk and all her books and papers. After one year I spoke to her again and she organized her complete house with the methods and advice I gave her! 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? Not really funny maybe, but while I organize with clients, we sometimes find nice love letters and cards from the spouse from many years ago, or some more 'naughty' things from the husband or the wife. So some things can make us laugh. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Interesting articles, new points of view on specific subjects and nice and good organizing tools. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? To continue my part-time business and make it grow bigger. To write new workshops and meet many interesting and motivated people who want to start organizing their home or office. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Prepare well before you start (read about starting your business, read as much as possible about organizing), meet other organizers and learn from them, practice a lot, find your own special subjects and go for it! 
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