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Interview With . . . Katherine Trezise Absolutely Organized Monkton, MD by Maria Gracia 1. What is the name of your company? Where are you located? How long have you been in business? The name of my company is Absolutely Organized. My office is located in Monkton, Maryland, and I provide organizing services in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. This is my second year in business. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? Absolutely Organized is my primary business. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) I am a member of NAPO. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I have always loved organizing my own things and helping others get organized, both professionally and personally. As a professional organizer, I can share the gift of organization with others to help enable them to spend more of their time doing the things that are most important to them. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I specialize in organizing possessions, paperwork, and processes (financial recordkeeping and time management) for individuals and small business owners. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. Right now, I sell my organizing services only. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? Not yet, but I'm considering it. 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 in the process of writing a series of articles/tip sheets for publication in local newspapers and to distribute to my clients and prospective clients. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Not at this time. 10. Is travel a big part of your business? No, my business is concentrated in the Baltimore metropolitan area. 11. Who is your primary target audience? My primary target audience is small business owners. Typically, they are very successful in doing the actual work of their line of business, but have not taken the time or need help with setting up and/or maintaining effective organizing systems in their offices. I also target individuals who need help organizing their homes. 12. Describe your typical workday. One of the most interesting aspects of being a professional organizer is that there isn't really a typical workday. Each of my clients has different needs for organization. My days range from sorting through piles of paperwork, to setting up home offices, to discussing time management strategies with a client, to entering financial data in the computer. 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 that would depend upon the location of your business. I expect that there would be more of a demand for organizing services in a metropolitan area, than in a small town. Another factor would be the level of affluence of the area. In a good location, and with good marketing, I think it would be possible to be very successful. 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)? So far, the most effective marketing technique for me was an article and photo of me in my local weekly newspaper. People called me for 6 months after the article appeared! I have also joined a BNI (Business Networking International) chapter, which acts as my sales force and provides me with leads for prospective clients. Additionally, I have offered several hours of my services to several silent auctions held by local schools and scout troops. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. I think that people need to feel comfortable with the person who will be delving into their personal belongings or financial records. Therefore, a personal approach, such as a personal referral or an article (preferably with a photograph) in a newspaper, would be the most effective technique. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. I recently had thank-you cards printed (with my logo on the front) to celebrate my first year in business. I not only mailed them to my past, current, and prospective clients, I also mailed them (with a personal, handwritten note) to former co-workers to let them know what I'm doing now. I included my business card and a copy of the newspaper article I mentioned earlier. I received a number of congratulatory letters, which I have put in my testimonial notebook, and promises to refer prospects to me. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? Absolutely! 18. What do you do to generate referrals? People are willing to help me, but they need to know exactly what I do so they can explain it to a prospective client. I make sure that I tell people what a good referral for me would be. I also try to give other people referrals as often as possible. What goes around, comes around. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? I can help change people's lives. Wow! 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? Serious pack-rats and people who reject all of my ideas. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. My greatest successess are my successful clients. I help them achieve their goal, whether it is to be able to spend more time selling, to know how much money they have in their checking account, or to be able to hold a dinner party (because the dining room table no longer has papers all over it). 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? People always ask me if their home or office is the worst I have ever seen. I tell them that I've seen it all and that nothing shocks me. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Containers. I look forward to checking the mail for new catalogs with the latest containers for everything imaginable. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Having recently completed my first year as a professional organizer, I am trying to decide in what direction to take the business - whether or not to grow the business and hire other organizers, and on which organizing specialty I want to concentrate my marketing efforts. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Educate yourself, join NAPO and a networking group, and offer your services to acquaintances for free to gain experience. 
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