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Interview With . . . Karen Denton-Betts Space Makers Dearborn, MI 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 Karen Denton-Betts. My professional organizing and consulting business is Space Makers, located in Dearborn, Michigan (suburb of Detroit). This is my first "official" year in business. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? This is my primary business now. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) Yes, I am a member of NAPO. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? My story is probably unlike most organizers. Even though I always wanted to be a highly organized person, I did not become one until about 3 1/2 years ago when I became pregnant with our first child, Joshua. There were always aspects of my life that were very organized--anything work and school related--and areas that were not--my bedroom and closet. During my pregnancy, I vowed to get it all together. It took time, but I made it! Then, when I was offered a consulting position with General Motors to train all levels of employees and leadership on "organizing the organization," I jumped at it. Along with my training partner, I was able to develop and teach a 3-day workshop on "Workplace Organization and Visual Controls." However while I loved my job, I hated being away from my son. I knew I needed to make a change and I kept thinking about many workshop participants who would tell me things like, "I was so inspired with everything I learned that I went home and organized my garage, or basement." Also, during that time, I would get requests to do one-on-one organizing sessions on weekends at GM employee homes. I had to turn down most of them because I devoted that time to my husband and son. So after researching the professional organizing industry and home-based businesses, I took the risk and quit my corporate job and opened my own firm, Space Makers. It has been one of the best decisions I've ever made! I firmly believe the combination of being able to relate so well to clients, my corporate organizing and training experience, and especially being able to be the Mother that Joshua deserves, has made this first year in business well worth everything I left behind. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I specialize in business organizing for corporations, small and home-based businesses. However, I also love to do residential organizing and event planning. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. I offer a variety of training workshops, especially for small businesses and corporations. They are in the areas of office organization, organizing the organization, time management, goal setting, team-building, customer/employee enthusiasm, project management and customized programs. I am developing a variety of products that I will sell at my workshops and on my web site. Soon, I will be offering a household notebook, an office organizer, and a few other organizing tools that I hope will be very helpful to anyone wanting to simplify and organize their life. Also, I am trying to put all of my home organizing ideas and experiences into a seminar format. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? No, not yet. It has been a goal of mine since I was 7 years old to write and publish a book or series of books. 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 am currently working on a free e-zine that should be available in January. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, my web site is www.webnow.com/spacemakers 10. Is travel a big part of your business? No. Not at this time. 11. Who is your primary target audience? I will organize or teach anyone who is committed to change. However, most of my clients are business professionals. 12. Describe your typical workday. I really don't have a typical workday. I try very hard to have a routine week, which includes only two days out in the field since my son is only 2 1/2 years old. I do most of my administrative and research/development work when he is napping, at Grandma's, or in the evening when my husband is home. It has been working out very well because my training workshops are two-days and one-on-one organizing sessions can be flexible. 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 believe that you have to "give to get!" Fortunately, I am doing very well working no more than 25 hours a week. However, especially if you have a family to support, you have to be realistic and make sure that your spouse's salary can cover almost everything. Like all new businesses, it takes time to make a substantial profit. 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)? At this point, all of my business has come from referrals and joint ventures with other professionals. I plan to use more marketing techniques to grow my business in the near future. Being a former Public Relations Specialist, my plan lies much more around free publicity rather than paid advertising. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Networking! 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. I tell everyone I know or meet about what I am doing and I network with other professionals in the organizing industry and related fields (i.e., professional gardening, interior design, remodeling, real estate) every chance I get. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? It plays a vital role! 18. What do you do to generate referrals? Network, network, network. I attend training seminars in our field and related ones as much as I can. I joined an area network of professional organizers. Also, I like to offer discounts to family, friends, and past clients who send a new customer my way. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? I love helping people reach their goal of living an organized life! Plus, I enjoy working with many different personalities and constantly learning new things. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? Waiting to get paid from big corporations! There is so much red-tape. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. My greatest success so far would be landing an Executive Director of a Fortune 5 corporation and his staff as my clients! 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? When I was teaching workplace organization at GM, one of my workshop participants took the importance of labeling to an extreme. On our final tour of the newly organized areas, he had put bright yellow tape on the lunchroom picnic table seats and labeled them: "left cheek", "butt-crack", and "right cheek"!!! It was especially funny because he is a very quiet guy. Everyone had a great laugh and when I went back for a checkup a few months later, it was still there! In fact, I got such a kick out of it that I had them send me a picture to put in my portfolio. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Since I am an avid reader, I am always looking for new organizing books. Also, simple and creative organizing ideas to help me and my clients. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Work/Life Balance! 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Above all else, have high energy, motivation and commitment to the "give to get" philosophy! 
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