National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)

Our Profession

The professional organizing industry has grown steadily in recent years as Americans and others all over the world attempt to gain better control of their lives. Facing more and more demands with less and less free time, consumers are struggling to manage their days and conquer the clutter and chaos building up in their lives. Increasingly, they are turning to professional organizers for help.

What Professional Organizers Do

Professional organizers use tested principles and expertise to enhance the lives of clients. By designing custom organizing systems and teaching organizing skills, they help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper piles, their lives!

An organizer’s services can range from designing an efficient closet to organizing a cross-country move. For homeowners, he or she might offer room-by-room space planning and reorganization, estate organization, improved management of paperwork and computer files, systems for managing personal finances and other records, and/or coaching in time-management and goal-setting.

In business settings, an organizing pro can increase productivity and profitability with improvements in paper-filing and storage, electronic organizing, work-flow systems, employee time-management, space design, and more.

Who Are Professional Organizers?

Professional organizers come from a variety of backgrounds and professions. Some have previous corporate experience, some are young professionals who made a career change and some are individuals who have chosen professional organizing as their first career. There are professional organizers who work solely in the residential arena, and those who focus on helping businesses. While experiences and business models may vary, there are some abilities and qualities common to all successful professional organizers:

·         Ability to ask the right questions to understand what a client wants and needs

·         Ability to listen and infer what a client means

·         Ability to customize organizational systems to meet client needs

·         Ability to teach and transfer basic organizing skills

·         Ability to visualize spatially and see the big picture

·         Ability to break goals down into manageable steps

·         Ability to categorize and plan ahead

·         Ability to use technology to support organizing efforts

·         Physical and mental endurance

·         Compassion

·         Responsibility

·         Professionalism