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Interview With . . . Janet Barclay Organized Assistant Hamilton, Ontario, Canada 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 Janet Barclay and I own Organized Assistant. We're located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and have been in business for 3 years. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? It is my primary business. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) No, but I am a member of Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) and currently serve as their Director of Membership. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I spent over 15 years working in financial services, manufacturing, and government offices, where my greatest sense of accomplishment came from looking at systems that were not working well, and designing and implementing effective solutions to replace them, making use of new technology as it became available. Several years ago I noticed that I seemed to be more successful at managing time than others and wondered if there was a way I could share this skill with others, but didn't seriously pursue the idea at the time. When I later learned that we are all born with one of 16 different personality types, and that the way we deal with time and space is strongly influenced by our personality type, my excitement at this discovery led me to start my own business so I could help others become more organized by developing strategies based on their natural preferences. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I specialize in offices, particularly home-based businesses. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. I offer productivity consultations, time management workshops, office organizing and virtual and on site administrative assistance. The latter came about when I was approached by a fellow POC member for assistance with her newsletter and I realized that this was another type of service I could offer. Since then I have done quite a bit of this, including setting up websites for several other POs. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? No, but I would some day like to write a book about effective organizing strategies for the different personality types. 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? I publish a free monthly ezine, the Organized Assistant Resource. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, the site is www.organizedassistant.com 10. Is travel a big part of your business? No, I don't usually work more than an hour from my home. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Home-based business owners who provide services to others. 12. Describe your typical workday. Mornings I work at my part-time job. In the morning, I work on client projects, either on their premises or from my home office. In the afternoon, I meet with prospective clients or suppliers, answer emails, and work on my website and ezine. I try to attend one networking event every week. 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 definitely earn a living as a professional organizer, but like any business, it takes time and commitment. 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 seminars, television appearances, website and monthly ezine, submitting articles to other ezines and volunteer projects for National Organizing Week--both alone and with other organizers. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Networking! An inquiry is much more likely to lead to business if the person already knows me or has been referred by someone who does. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. When I first started my business, I conducted an online survey and offered to share the results with any interested participants, who became the original subscribers for my ezine. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? Definitely! 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I offer a free hour of services to anyone who introduces me to a new client. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? Seeing my clients' response to the results of my work. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? Cancellations. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. Being featured as an expert in OfficePro magazine. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? I can't think of one. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? I'm very interested in time management products, both paper and electronic. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Developing ways to generate repeat business. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Be persistent in your networking - don't be discouraged at how long it takes from the time you first meet someone to them becoming a client and/or referring others to you. 
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