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Interview With . . . Kathryn Jones Simplified Living Systems Louisville, KY by Maria Gracia 1. What is the name of your company? Where are you located? How long have you been in business? I am Kathryn Jones of Simplified Living Systems. I'm located in Louisville, KY and have been in business for 2 1/2 years. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? This is a part-time business for me. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) Yes. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? To help people bring a sense of peace and control to their lives by organizing their environments and life. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? Time Management and organization systems creation. I mostly work with individuals. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. I do time management and goal-setting seminars. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? No books at this time, but I've written a number of articles. 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. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, it's www.simplifiedforlife.com 10. Is travel a big part of your business? No. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Men and women between the ages of 20 and 50. 12. Describe your typical workday. I wake up at 7:30 am and begin working on any current marketing endeavors for about 2 or 3 hours. I then do some prospecting, calling and e-mailing for about 3 hours, and wrap up my day with writing my next article. If I have a consultation, I will either work later or cut some time off of the prospecting and get referrals from the client. 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 it's like any other new business. It takes networking, marketing, networking, speaking to various groups and organizations, networking and more networking. 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)? Newspaper, free workshops, web site and dissemination of free organizational material or articles I've written. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Free workshops and information dissemination. Word of mouth works the best of anything, because when someone asks you what you do, it opens up an entire arena with which to market and promote your services. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. When I do my shopping for products, I make it a point to start at least one casual conversation with two people in the store and work into the conversation the fact that I do organizing for a living. I usually wear my shirt that says 'I came, I saw, I organized' when I do this. I get a lot of inquiries just from the shirt. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? Absolutely! Your business could not reach its full potential without constant, intentional networking. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I offer $25 for a qualified referral, qualified meaning I get the appointment. I've also be known to offer a follow-up consultation in exchange for four qualified referrals. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? I love the challenge of working with a variety of people and circumstances. Each appointment brings with it and sense of excitement and challenge. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? The only thing I really find frustrating are clients who know they need your help, hire you, but then do not change their habits. While they make wonderful repeat customers, their lives can be so much fuller if they understood the reason behind their disorganization. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. Creating an organizational system for a clients 4000 square foot home, and teaching them to develop and maintain organization in their home and life. I redid their kitchen, closet, and office developing unique systems for each. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? Not at this time. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Aesthetically pleasing closet, kitchen, and office organizers. Items that can pass as decorative, but serve the purpose of organizing. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? When the time comes to hire the right staff and lease the right office space for the business. It is hard to find qualified help that truly sees organizing as fun, challenging, and life-changing. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Realize that at the beginning, you will have to spend a good amount of time marketing, networking, and prospecting. Learn to prospect in any situation, such as social events, church, etc., and it will make building a clientele base easier, 
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