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Interview With . . . Tennelle Besaw Lost and Found: Professional Organizing Paducah, KY 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 Tennelle Besaw and my company is Lost and Found: Professional Organizing. I'm located in Paducah, Kentucky and I'm just starting out in this business. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? Primary. Previously I was a stay-at-home mom. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) Not yet, but going to be. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? I have always been a 'Type A' and have re-invented my sister's home, which is authentically disorganized, and my mother's home, not to mention given some helpful hints to friends and neighbors about saving time and money with a little organization strategy. I love doing it, it's what I wake up thinking about. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? Residential organization mostly, kids rooms are my favorite. But my background is in Doctor's offices, so I will try to venture there also. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. No, but I have spoken with my local Lowe's and they want me to give an informational lecture. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? Not yet. 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? Getting there, I'll let you know. 10. Is travel a big part of your business? I am the only Professional Organizer in this neck of the woods so I am willing to accommodate my neighbors even if they are a few hours away. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Stay at home Moms, who want to reclaim their home, and Dually employed families who want to spend their quality time with their family instead of with their clutter. I have a soft spot for folks on a budget, who really just need a breath of fresh air. I hope I can provide that for them. 12. Describe your typical workday. Up at 5am (I also have two little ones), ready by 8am, checking messages and getting a feel for my day, working til 4pm, then getting the kids off the bus and preparing the evening meal. Kids to bed and I'm back to my computer for a final glimpse of what I've accomplished today and what's ahead. Then it's Prayers and bedtime for me 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? What does your heart tell you? If your heart is in it and your body can keep up with it, I feel the sky is the limit. Good Luck! 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)? Word of mouth, business cards, flyers, and I am working on a piece for my local newspaper (Lifestyles Section). 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Networking. I did a really nice favor for my friend who was about to deliver her second child and organized her home (well most of it) while she was in the hospital. When she came home she cried she was so pleased. She had fretted over not being able to do much in her condition and losing 'control' of her home and having to bring a baby home to such a mess. Much to her surprise I was listening closer than she thought and she has spread my name like wildfire. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. See question number 18. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? See question number 18. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? Be myself. I see a pleasant demeanor as a major marketing strategy. I can talk to people about my work without them knowing I am selling them something. This puts everyone at ease and before you know it I am getting paid for doing what I love. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? The look on someone's face the moment you show them that they can find their keys, the kids homework, and last years' taxes, in a matter of seconds rather than days. Sometimes they find more than they bargained for, like lost money or checks!! 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? The fact that I didn't start doing this a long time ago. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. Putting my name on a business card and handing to someone with a smile and saying this is who I am. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? Doing my sister's home as I refer to it as Authentic Disorganization, I asked my sister for a hand cleaning out under the bed of her 4 year old daughter's room. In the process we effectively found the other halves to 9 pair of socks, ironically she'd already grown out of all of them. Oh well! 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Cheap clear storage bins, with lids. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? Finding it in my heart to complete nursing school which is where I am half finished, without having to give this up entirely. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? Invest some time in your local library and read all you can about running a small business and purchase the Ultimate Guide for Professional Organizers, a must have!! Never let yourself get down with rejections, some people just need time to come to terms with their own needs and then they will call you. Eventually everyone will want to save time and money with organization! 
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