The Team Builder
Forced to hire help early on, she never looked back
When she was laid off from her IT job in corporate America, throwing herself into a new profession was not only exciting, but also necessary. Less than a year after starting her business as an organizer, she found herself divorced with only four months of salary in the bank. “I didn’t have any other option if I wanted my business to survive, so I poured all my efforts into it,” she recalls of her humble beginnings nine years ago. “I had to work extra, extra hard.”
Hiring employees was one of the last things on her mind. Yet, it was one of the first things she had to do when a big break came her way.
Another organizer, unable to take on a large project, passed the work to her. “This project took several people working on it five days a week for three months,” she says. “It forced me to hire people. I have always had employees since that project my first year in business.”
After all, hired help has its advantages. For one, the NAPO member is able to make guarantees to clients about when projects will be completed. She feels better able to manage the consistency of the work her clients receive, too.
Having a large staff with diversified skills means that she and her employees — two of whom are certified professional organizers — can specialize in different areas. The boss can put her background and expertise to work managing computer projects and creating information- and work-flow systems that make her business clients more productive. Her employees can focus on bringing order to homes, home offices and businesses; they also can lend a hand with relocation projects.
This NAPO member also discovered early in her career the business-boosting connections available through NAPO conferences, meetings and other networking opportunities. “Because I’ve gotten to know these people, I’ve been able to refer work to them and I’ve been referred work,” she says. “Getting involved does amazing things for your business. People always say ‘I don’t have that kind of time. I’m too busy with my business.’ But, what you get back will far outweigh the time that you give.”
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