What is a Professional Organizer?
A Professional Organizer has the skills and experience to provide organizing and productivity services and assistance to help individuals and companies regain control of their time, space, energy and resources. A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles and through transferring organizational skills. They provide information, products and/or assistance to help others meet their organizing needs. An organizer will guide, encourage and educate clients about organizing by offering support, focus and direction.

What is CPO® Certification – Certified Professional Organizer?
CPO® Certification (Certified Professional Organizer) is a voluntary, industry-led effort which benefits the public and members of the organizing profession. CPO® Certification recognizes those professionals who have met specific minimum qualifications and proven through examination and client interaction to possess the body of knowledge and experience required for certification. The program recognizes and raises industry standards, practices, and ethics. Certification of professional organizers maximizes the value received from the services provided and products recommended by a CPO®.

The Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO) is the certifying body whose charter is to increase the professionalism of the organizing industry by:

• Identifying a body of knowledge in the organizing profession
• Establishing the level of knowledge and experience required for certification
• Advancing the practice of professional organizing
• Increasing the value of organizing practitioners to their employers
• Recognizing and raising industry standards, practices and ethics
• Maximizing the value received from the products and services provided by CPOs.

How can a Professional Organizer help?
Professional organizers have the skills, the knowledge and the expertise to address your organizing needs. We provide clients with organizing ideas, information, and suggested solutions to organizing problems. Ultimately, it’s you, the client, who decides which suggested solutions will work best for you.

How do I select a professional organizer?
Two major considerations for selecting a professional organizer are:
1. Does their area of expertise match your organizing needs?
2. Do you feel comfortable with their personality?
Ask them about their background, find out how long they have been in business, inquire about their areas of expertise and ask if they are a member of NAPO.

Why would I want to hire a NAPO organizer?
Being a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) demonstrates the organizer’s commitment to providing their clients with a professional level of service. NAPO provides its members with ongoing educational opportunities and up-to-date information on organizing products to expand an organizer’s skills and knowledge.

I’ve always been disorganized, is there really hope for me?
Of course! The basic principles and formulas of organizing can be learned and new habits can be developed. A professional organizer will work with you to set up an organizational system customized for you, and then teach you how to maintain your system on a regular basis.

Will a professional organizer make me throw away all my “stuff”?
No. You decide what, if anything, is thrown away. A professional organizer asks questions, shares information and gives advice and suggestions. During this process, the organizer helps you decide what is or is not important to you.

Will my sessions with a professional organizer be confidential?
A NAPO professional organizer recognizes the high level of trust placed in them by their clients, and they are guided by a code of ethics that emphasizes confidentiality, honesty and integrity.

How much does a professional organizer charge?
Fees range from $60 an hour to $200+ an hour, according to a recent NAPO survey. Where you live, the kind of organizing service(s) you need, and the amount of experience the organizer has, are all factors that affect a professional organizer’s fee.

How long will it take to get me organized?
Each organizing project is different. Most often, the length of a project depends on the size of your home or office, the amount of clutter and paper that has accumulated, and how quickly you make decisions about what stays and what goes.