Episode 78: Spring Cleaning your Organizing Business with Jen + Melissa Part 1--Goals

Most people think spring cleaning means getting all the screens cleaned up and dusting those long neglected shelves--but really, you can apply those same principles to your professional organizing business.

Jen and Melissa are starting a 5 day series on how you can "spring clean" your business! Whether it's refreshing your goals, looking at your website, or checking in on your social media--this is the perfect time of year to do a deep dive on your business.

Today we start with goal development. What are your goals for your business--YOUR goals, not someone else's! Another organizer's path isn't your path--so keep that in mind also!

If you are considering starting or growing a professional organizing business, we have a brand new for 2021, totally free workshop you can take that goes beyond this podcast--you can register here if you want to check it out!

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The Inspired Organizer® program for professional organizers

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FULL TRANSCRIPT:

You're listening to the Pro Organizer Studio Podcast with Melissa Klug and Jen Obermeier. Thank you so much for joining in our mission is to broaden the horizons of savvy business women in the organizing industry by instilling confidence and inspiring authenticity. You'll gain new insight into strategies designed specifically for professional organizers.

So now let's get started.

Melissa Klug: [00:00:32] Oh, you guys. Sometimes I think that you should really be listening to the podcast before the podcast starts. That would probably be very entertaining for everyone. But instead, we're going to keep it professional today. Hi Jen, how are you? 

Jen Obermeier: [00:00:45] I'm thrilled to be here with you. We are always laughing. Aren't we.

Melissa Klug: [00:00:49] We really are. So, we do actually have fun before we start recording, but I approached Jen about this because it's starting to get nice. I live in Minnesota, so it is sometimes not nice at my house. And it just started to get nice at my house, which makes me think of spring cleaning.

And so I was saying like, Hey, I, but I don't actually like to clean. I want to be clear about that. It's terrible. But do you know what I do like to, I, I like to do spring cleaning on things that are not cleaning related, like my business, so yes. And I think that there's something about  January, you know, January, you have new year's resolutions and, and then, February is just kind of a last month of weirdness and, and then March, I don't even know where March went this year.

And so I was just thinking about like, Oh, this year is actually kind of flying by. And I wanted to make sure that we had a podcast episode that was about , Hey, have you done like a business audit? Have you done  a health check on your business? So 

Jen Obermeier: [00:01:49] very timely, very timely. I'm so happy that your weather is getting better.

In South Carolina, it's, it's pretty fabulous. You are a very. Man strong person for the seasons that you have to put up with. 

Melissa Klug: [00:02:02] I was able to take a walk together day and I know that sounds very silly to people in the country who are like, I walk every day.

I don't understand why that's special, but just make me think about what are some of the things that we could be doing as we head into spring and summer and our business, and also just with the cyclicality of pro organizing sometimes. We start to see more clients around this time too. 

Jen Obermeier: [00:02:24] So true, because I think maybe they're thinking about spring cleaning and they're like, I can not do all this by myself.

And really organizing is kind of the biggest part, because the more organized you are, the less. You know, cleaning, you have to do. So it kind of, it definitely all goes together. And I think it's kind of a common thing for organizers to not actually love cleaning all that much, like putting it into this because they're clean freaks.

Like we might be a little bit crazy in our own way, but it's not because we actually like washing windows and that kind of thing. So I'm right there with you. I love a clean house, but organization really is 90% of the battle for me. 

Melissa Klug: [00:02:59] It really, really is. But as we start thinking about more clients start to come out of their hibernation too, around here, and they start to say like, Hey, I really need to look around my house.

And what that leads to is obviously we have more clients coming in for consultations and you, maybe you start to get a little busier and you start to realize some of the processes in your business are not quite what you want them to be. So that's kind of the concept of spring cleaning your business that I was thinking about.

Jen Obermeier: [00:03:27] That's awesome. So, Melissa, I'm going to ask you first, let's say your business has been in this long winter's nap for a, I don't know, a year. Where, where should somebody start? Like when they're like, Hey, maybe I, maybe it is time to kind of dust off my business files. My process is my email. Like. If you're someone who is not accustomed to thinking about looking at their business and stepping back,  where is somewhere that you suggest, like, while you're in the middle of possibly a busy season or getting ready for a busy season,  where should we start?

Melissa Klug: [00:04:01] What I always go back to is. Goals. What is your goal? So before you look at anything else, like it's very tempting to be able to just jump in and be like, well, I'm just going to go work on this or I'm just going to go throw up some Instagrams. 

But. What you have to go back to is okay, what are your goals for your business? Do you want to get a client a week? Do you want to make a thousand dollars extra a month? Do you want to make $10,000 a month? What is your goal for your business? And then how do we go achieve those things from there?

Jen Obermeier: [00:04:30] Absolutely. And you know, going back to talking about, about goals.

I think it's really important. Cause I've seen this occasionally of course, in, in the organizing community and in women that I've worked with one-on-one is that they, they have these big goals. And when you really talk to them or ask them, because maybe it represents a shift in how they're doing business, or maybe they're considering expanding, or they're considering all kinds of different things.

And there's often something that I feel is a little bit. Off because it doesn't sound like something they genuinely want to do or are personally feel like they're cut out for us. So they're like, how can I do this thing? That is not actually really in alignment with me and the way that I like to work.

But I feel like it's an quote unquote opportunity for my business, someone told me that I needed a franchise and I'm like, 

First things first, think about what it's going to take from you and decide if that, is that really, does that really belong on your list or is it something that you put there because you saw other people doing it and you thought, well, success means this.

And so I've got to move this way. I mean, if you guys have learned anything from me and the whole time that I've been talking is that there's. At least a hundred different ways to be successful as an organizer. And it is super important that it is in alignment with your personality, how much you want to work, how you like to work, the types of clients that you want to work with.

And so when you're looking at the list , really cross some things off of there, for  pete's sake, like give yourself the grace to say, you know what, to be honest with you, I've had a lot of resistance around this thing. And even if the opportunity came up, I probably wouldn't move it to my top five because I don't really want to do it.

And I know Melissa has seen this and experienced that too. So that's another type of spring cleaning, like, let that go. 

Melissa Klug: [00:06:22] Yup. I'll tell ya. We talk about it in some of our courses, but comparisonitis is a terrible disease of entrepreneurship. Particularly I think where the organizers, because it is easy to see what other people are doing on social media.

And I have a lot of hotspots around social media. We, it probably should be its own podcast. Series, it might need to be a 22 part series. Cause I have so many next year, 2022, all social media. Yeah. We have no listeners left, but, but I feel this very strongly as I do think that is easy to look at someone else.

And say, Oh, well, gosh, she got on TV. How did she get on TV? I need to get on TV. Well, there may be something under the iceberg. You have no idea. She was, she was trying to get on TV for the last year and a half. And she just finally met someone. I don't know. 

Jen Obermeier: [00:07:14] You never know. You never know what is going on with somebody else.

Melissa Klug: [00:07:18] So also on the flip on that same comparisonitis. It's okay. Just because she is doing XYZ over here does not make it right for my business. Like just because if you have FOMO on something does not mean that it rises to the top of the list of your goals and really being honest with yourself about why do I feel like I need to do this?

I've had a lot of conversations with organizers this year in particular, where they have said, well, I feel like I have to do virtual sessions. I hate it. I absolutely hate it. But I think I have to. Why, why. And asking yourself those questions? 

Jen Obermeier: [00:07:59] Absolutely. I really love this because you know, like we said, the spring cleaning is not just about cleaning out your files. We've been talking in the past few weeks about finances and what sparks joy and what doesn't, but yet like this, this, you know, what sparks do joy concept really also has to be a part of the way that you do business, because this,  type of service, this is very personal is way too difficult to do without it being in alignment with who you are and your beliefs and the way that you show up and the type of people that you really want to interact with every day.

So that's why, it's, it's so important to me , to help people see how yes, you can make a business out of. Out of you and the way that you like to work and what works for you right now. 

And that, that can change. I think that's the other thing that's important is to recognize when it is time to shift gears and when it's time to change, you know, maybe you started your business at a time when you didn't have kids, and now you have three toddlers.

I mean, life is different. You can't hold yourself to the same expectations. Or maybe now you've got kids out of the house and you have more time than, you know what to do with, and you haven't really, you like, okay, I want to have more work, but you haven't really worked on the business part. Like that's another type of thing.

Cleaning. It's like, just thinking about what, what would truly fulfill you and, making money along the way. That's always, that's always the goal, but if it's not fulfilling that it's not worth it. Yeah. 

Melissa Klug: [00:09:20] Right on the flip side, I will say sometimes too. I think it's important to look at. Do we have some really deeply entrenched views that are holding us back from things too. So if you have said, Oh, I only ever want to work with, like, this is my ideal client and I don't ever want to work with someone outside of this ideal client group, but then you also say, well, but I haven't had a client in a while. Am I willing to examine? Is that too strict?

Or should I try something and see if it works for me? Maybe I should try virtual organizing again. Nope. Still don't like it. Okay, great. Don't do it. 

Jen Obermeier: [00:10:01] Yeah. No. And I'm a big believer too, in looking back and not just, you know, I mentioned earlier looking back and looking at what has caused you to, to not stay focused and the things that have been distracting, but I'm also like, look back.

Yeah. And look at what was working really well. When have things gone well for you, what has been the easiest type of project for you or the easiest types of clients to get for you? And then think, okay. Maybe you stumbled into that the first few times, but you were like, all right. If I was going to strategically try to duplicate.

This type of result in my business. How would I go about that? And that's another sort of list of things that you look at it and you realize. Hey, it's not just all about me being the worst employee look, get all the times that I was employee of the month, you know, and, and make, and let it be easier for you by doing more of those things.

The not, not being hard on herself about, well, now that I've had that kind of client, I have to go and have these other tougher types of clients or whatever it is that you're telling yourself in order to feel like you're ready to handle anything. It's like, no, like the things that are working for you do more of those.

Like don't overcomplicate it either. 

Melissa Klug: [00:11:09] Don't over-complicate. It is always the best advice. 

Jen Obermeier: [00:11:13] Yeah. True, true. 

Melissa Klug: [00:11:16] Well, and I think that looking at after you've gotten your goals. And you've said, okay, I know exactly what I want to get out of this. Then it becomes what are the tactics to go get that?

And then you can start looking at those other parts of your business and say, do I have some things I need to clean up here? 

Jen Obermeier: [00:11:33] And that's the type of decision that you can make once you have gotten confident and and you've gotten yourself out there and you've been in enough situations where you're like, okay, I've got this now. Like it's, it's, that's a decision that you are always free to make.

Like, no matter what anybody else is doing, you've got to continue molding it for you. Like that's part of your job as the driver of the bus, like of your business. 

Melissa Klug: [00:11:54] Hey everybody, Melissa here. Yep. That was a short podcast. Here's why Jen and I realized when we were recording this spring, cleaning your business episode, that this was actually a pretty big topic and we wanted to break it up into five mini episodes where we are going to talk about spring, cleaning your business as you move into the month of may.

Today. We started with some big picture stuff, goals, always a great thing to concentrate on. We will definitely get you some tactical tips and tricks to whether it's about your website, whether it's about your social media.

We're going to give you some of that good stuff this week, too. So stay tuned. New pod every single day. This week.

Thank you so much for listening into the pro organizer studio podcast. If you'd like to get our roadmap for success as a pro organizer, head straight to www.poroadmap.com.

If you are looking for business inspiration, we have a brand new free workshop that is called The 4-Part Plan for Landing Your Dream Clients in 2021. Jen Obermeier leads you through that workshop. Sign up for that poroadmap.com. If you are interested in our Inspired Organizer® program, you can find us at www.inspiredorganizer.com and don't forget, we have a whole library of podcasts here, our YouTube channel, and  you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Pro Organizer Studio.

Still not sure about starting your own Pro Organizing business? Cick here to read about the 5 things you need to know BEFORE starting your organizing business.

Feeling ready to start? Great! Check out this post on how to start your business stress-free!