Professional Organizer Certification Program
Everything you need to know to become a successful professional organizer.
Organizing U’s Professional Organizer Certification Program gives you the education and knowledge you need to become a successful professional organizer. This comprehensive, self-paced program includes everything you need to know to start, run and grow your organizing business.
On-demand courses allow you to learn at your own pace, anytime and anywhere! Plus, you get all the business forms you’ll need!
This organizer training program includes:- 16 Business Courses with comprehensive handouts that cover getting your business started, working with organizing clients, marketing, managing your money and building a team. You'll learn everything you need to know to start, run and grow a successful organizing business.
- The Professional Organizer Client Service Forms Package. This includes 12 business forms and templates that you can download and use right away!
- Lifetime access to our private Facebook group, so you can communicate and collaborate with your classmates.
- A certificate from Organizing University — plus a badge for your website, so you can display your credentials.
- As an Organizing U graduate, your bio will be featured on our blog and social media
Get started now!
"I just completed the degree program! Thank you Sarah, for making the program a painless process as I met my date of completion goal. This is by far THE BEST thing out there for Organizers! You cover all the nooks and crannies. No matter how old or new you are to the business, there’s something for everyone!"
– Raquel (Alexandria, Va)
Included Courses
16 Business Courses with comprehensive handouts that cover getting your business started, working with organizing clients, marketing, managing your money and building a team. You'll learn everything you need to know to start, run and grow a successful organizing business.
Getting Started
Business 101: 10 Steps to Set up your Organizing Business
Learn the critical 10 Steps to Set up your Organizing Business so you can get your organizing business set up and running properly and avoid costly mistakes down the road. We’ll help you choose your business name, register your business, get your office up and running, get insured and market yourself. You’ll walk away with a list of must-do items to get your business started!
The 10 Steps to Set up your Organizing Business includes:
- Finding your niche
- Choosing on a name
- Claiming your website
- Registering your business
- Choosing the right business entity
- Getting insured
- Office and systems set up
Business 201: Systems for Success
Business 201 will teach you the administrative side of running a professional organizing business and show you how to set up systems for success. Learn how to set up your space, manage your time and create systems that will help you run your business effectively and efficiently so you can go out and do what you love… organize!
Here’s what we’ll cover in Business 201: Systems for Success:
- Finding and setting up your office space
- Calendar and planning system options
- Contact resource management systems
- Filing and paper management systems
- Bookkeeping
- Streamlining client communication
- Setting up your schedule
Clients 101: Working with Clients
So you know you love to organize and you know you want to help people, but going into clients’ homes and offices, getting the job done, and leaving them 100% satisfied is no small task, especially when you’re starting out. In this course, we’ll teach you how to work with organizing clients in a way that meets and exceeds their expectations so they’ll be a client for life and refer you to everyone they know! From intakes to consultations to what to wear, we’ve covered all the bases so you can put your best foot forward and know how to work with organizing clients in the best way possible.
Here’s what we’ll cover in Clients 101: Working with Clients:
- Consultations
- Scheduling
- Being prepared and presentable
- Getting the job done
- Handling client confidentiality
- Organizing etiquette
- Handling challenging situations
Marketing 101: Brand Yourself for Success
There is a lot of competition out there! How do you make yourself stand out among the other organizers? In today’s world, you need to brand yourself for success with a unique and consistent image. We’ll help you ask the right questions and consider all the options you’ll need to decide on a name and a brand. We’ll also teach you how to build and market your brand to ensure that everyone knows your name.
Here’s what we’ll cover in Marketing 101: Brand Yourself for Success
- Branding basics and benefits
- Identifying your “Why”
- Creating your image
- Choosing a name
- Building your brand
- Marketing your brand
Money 101: Setting your Professional Organizing Fees
Setting your professional organizing service fees is a difficult part of getting started in the industry. You don’t want to price yourself too high and scare away potential customers. At the same time, you don’t want to price yourself too low and end up feeling underpaid! In this on-demand e-Course we’ll help you determine your fees and gain the confidence you need to set the rate you deserve.
Here’s what we’ll cover in Money 101: Setting your Professional Organizing Fees
- Determining value
- Hourly vs. project-based fees
- Cost factors
- Determining your fees
- Formula for setting your fees
- Selling!
- Offering discounts and incentives
Working with Clients
Clients 201: Estimating Time and Writing Proposals
Landing larger organizing projects and/or business clients can help you grow your organizing business significantly. But these clients often require written time estimates and proposals. In this on-demand e-Course, you will learn that estimating time and writing proposals is easier than you think. You will learn how to perform consultations, accurately estimate time and create client-winning proposals.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Performing effective in-person consultations
- Asking the right questions
- Estimating time
- Hidden time factors
- Other costs to include
- Writing effective proposals
- Following up
- Closing the deal
Clients 301: Organizing Project Management
Large, multi-step organizing projects require serious organization. We’ll teach you organizing project management, so you’ll know how to develop a plan, coordinate, schedule and supervise organizers and outside vendors, and stay on time and on budget. By being able to take on and manage large organizing projects, you have an opportunity to expand your client list and earn more money!
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Types of organizing projects
- Planning for a project
- Budgeting
- Coordinating
- Scheduling
- Communication
- Supervising
- Finalizing
Clients 401: Working with Hoarders
As a professional organizer, you may already be working with hoarders – even if it is not your specialty. 2-5% of Americans fall under the category of hoarders, so there is a large group of people out there who need your help. Working with hoarders can be a very challenging task for a professional organizer. If you are ready for the challenge, this course will provide you with everything you need to know to work successfully with hoarders and manage hoarding projects.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What is hoarding?
- Why work with hoarders
- How to find hoarding clients
- Performing a consultation at a hoarder’s home
- Using The Clutter-Hoarding Scale
- Types of hoarding projects
- Handling hoarding clients and situations
- Maintenance
- Determining if a hoarder is the right type of client for you
Marketing
Marketing 201: Seven Strategies for Marketing Success
As a business owner, you should always be on the hunt for new customers and seeking methods to bring them to your door. If you are not consistently looking for opportunities to build your customer base, your business could fall off of its growth track. While there are many ways to reach your organizing prospects, we focus on seven strategies for success that you can use to help kickstart a marketing program for your business.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Finding organizing clients
- Building your contact list
- Direct marketing
- Networking
- Media
- Showcase strategies for professional organizers
- Strategic alliances for professional organizers
- Advertising
- Social media
Marketing 301: Mastering Social Media
For professional organizers, social media is integral in a marketing plan. Mastering social media can be a key factor in the success of your organizing business. We’ll cover each major social media platform, show you how to effectively use social media and efficiently boost your organizing business, and increase your customer base.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Benefits of social media for organizing businesses
- How to use social media effectively as an organizer
- Specifics on LinkedIn, Yelp, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and YouTube
- Tips and tricks to get the most out of each platform
- Managing your social media time
- Streamlining your social media processes
Marketing 401: Public Relations and Media
Public relations and media exposure allows professional organizers to gain recognition and establish themselves as experts in the organizing industry. It also offers a chance to stand out against the ever-increasing competition as new organizers join the industry in droves. A good public relations campaign is imperative to your company’s success. Implementing a successful public relations strategy is a very complicated process. In this on-demand e-Course we’ll teach you the plan and process and give you all the information you need to run a great public relations and media campaign.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What is public relations?
- Benefits of public relations for professional organizers
- Types of media
- How to establish yourself with the media
- Creating a press kit
- Developing and executing a public relations plan
- Getting press
- Measuring the results
- Handling bad public relations
Managing your Money
Money 201: Setting up and Using QuickBooks
QuickBooks is an essential tool that helps you track your expenses and finances. It is especially important for professional organizers as business owners to have this skill. We’ll walk you step by step through the process of setting up and using QuickBooks specifically for your organizing business. Not only can you use this skill for your own organizing business, you can also help your organizing clients set up their QuickBooks, too.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Accounting terminology
- Setting up your QuickBooks
- QuickBooks functions
- Entering customer and vendor information
- Payables
- Receivables
- Reconciliation
- Reports
Money 301: Creating Alternative Income Streams
There are only so many hours in a day, so as an organizer you can be limited in the income you can earn doing only hands-on organizing. The solution is developing alternative income streams! We’ll provide you with some great alternatives to hands-on organizing and tell you how to market them to bring in additional income and skyrocket your organizing business.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Benefits of alternative income
- Top five alternative income options for professional organizers: workshops, referrals, writing, products, and coaching
- All the details you need to pursue each option
- Marketing your alternative income streams
Money 401: Exit Strategies
As professional organizers, we love to plan. But, have you thought of any exit strategies for your organizing business? You may dream of selling to the highest bidder, or retiring and handing over your business to your family. Even if you are years away from retirement, you need to have a plan in place now. This on-demand e-Course will walk you through the planning, development and successful execution of the four major exit strategy options for professional organizers. We’ll show you how to set your organizing business up for the future no matter how far off it may be.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What is an exit strategy?
- Planning your exit
- Choosing an exit strategy
- Details on the four major exit strategy options: closing, transferring, selling, and acquisition
- Steps to successfully execute each of these exit strategies
Building a Team
Business 301: Creating Effective Policies and Procedures
This course will provide you with a definitive guide for creating effective policies and procedures. By providing clear guidelines for everyone involved in your business you will be able to increase efficiency, avoid legal mistakes, reduce frustration, and save time and money.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- What are Policies & Procedures
- Why you need Policies & Procedures
- What to include in your Policies & Procedures
- Determining what is important
- Creating a Policies & Procedures outline
- Writing Policies & Procedures
- Creating organizing-industry specific Policies & Procedures
- Enforcing your Policies & Procedures
Business 401: Hiring and Training Contractors and Employees
Congratulations, your organizing business is growing! All of the sudden there aren’t enough hours in your day to meet with client demand. It’s time to take some of the burden off of yourself by hiring contractors and employees. We’ll help you through the process of hiring contractors and employees from applications to terminations. We’ll also teach you the best practices for training new employees and the mistakes to avoid as you realize your dream of a growing organizing business.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- When is it time to hire contractors and employees?
- Determining where you need help in your organizing business
- Conquering the fear of delegation
- Contractors vs. employees – which is best for your organizing business?
- Finding the right candidates
- The hiring process; job descriptions, applications, interviews, field assessment
- Training your employees
- Policies & Procedures
- Insurance
- Terminating
Your Instructor
Sarah Buckwalter is a Certified Professional Organizer® with over 25 years of experience in home, move and office organization. In January of 2000, she founded Organizing Boston. Organizing Boston is the largest professional organizing firm in New England and the winner of Best of Boston Home™, Best Professional Organizer.
Highly regarded and nationally recognized as an organizing industry expert, Sarah frequently lectures on organizing and business development. She has shared her organizing expertise in print and on dozens of news and television programs. Sarah has appeared several times on the hit television series, “Hoarding: Buried Alive” on TLC.
With a desire to share her experience with fellow organizers, Sarah created Organizing U . Organizing U offers professional organizer training programs, business coaching and an organizing directory.