Professional Organizer Pricing Issues

You are thinking about starting a Professional Organizer business, and you are not sure what to charge for your services.

Most Professional Organizers charge by the hour, but what would be a good hourly rate? You will have to do a little research. Rates vary by area, specialty, experience, and personal preference. If you belong to a professional organization, such as the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), you can see if your local chapter has any information on this. For example, NAPO Chicago says on their website that hourly rates vary from $30 to $100 per hour. Chicago is a big city; rates for Professional Organizers may be less in a smaller town.

You will also have to figure out what you can afford to charge. Multiply the number of hours you plan to work per week by your hourly rate. Remember that not all your hours will be paid Professional Organizer work. You will need time to market yourself, work on things in your office, travel between appointments, etc. So figure out a reasonable number, multiply by your proposed rate, and see if this is an amount you can live on. If not, you will have to rethink things. You may have to work more hours, specialize, raise your hourly rate, or offer other things such as organizing classes.

Don't forget that you also need to factor in things like health insurance, vacation, etc. If you were an employee before, these things were provided for you. Now you will be working for yourself in your own organizing business, so you will have to pay for these things. Suddenly that high hourly rate doesn't seem so high, does it?

Remember that you are providing a valuable service as a Professional Organizer. People tend to take their own skills for granted, but when you are setting a price on your skills, you should not be too modest. You may be able to charge more later when you get more experience, but even as a beginner, you have valuable skills and are providing a much-needed service and you should charge accordingly. Remember, you are a Professional Organizer now. Don't set your rates too low.