Pretty Neat: An Organization Solution is an all-inclusive home and office organization service company in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was started to serve the unorganized, the over-whelmed, and the busy family. The organization truly impacts every area of our people’s lives-it impacts their overall wellbeing. Find out more at www.prettyneatok.com.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

Hello! I am Audra George, owner of Pretty Neat, and I am a professional organizer. Prior to owning my own business, I actually worked in the medical field. I have a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy and I saw patients in their home environments for more than 12 years. I helped them with their overall function at home. This experience showed me how our environment truly impacts us not only physically, but emotionally, mentally, and beyond. It impacts our health and well-being.

What inspired you to start your business?

Originally a friend suggested I organize for others because my own home was so organized. I had always wanted to own a business so her comment got me thinking. This, along with my previous work experience in the medical field, led me to start my organizing business. As a therapist, I saw such a need for organization in patients’ homes. Organizing is just another way that I can help others. Many families are busy, overwhelmed, physically unable, or don’t know where to start when getting their home in order. I knew I had to help.

Where is your business based?

My professional organizing business is based in Oklahoma City, Ok. I am an Oklahoma girl, born and raised, and it is a great place to live and own a business.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

Once I made the decision to start my business, I came up with a name, registered it with my state, and started social media pages. Not long after that, I had a website created and the rest is history. Almost 3 years in and going strong! I could not be more thankful for this path my business has taken me on.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

The most effective way of getting my business noticed is through having updated and relevant content on social media and my website. This gives others helpful information and lets everyone that visits these sites know what we do and how we can help them.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

I think the biggest challenges have been from the business side of things, not the organizing itself. Finding clients, getting them to notice you, and having potential clients recognize your name as trustworthy have all been challenges when first staring a business. These were difficult in the beginning when no one knows who you are. To overcome these things, I took on a “never give up” attitude. Everything that happened, good or bad, led me to learn something and get me closer to where I am today. Also, I would say that getting help from experts in areas where you are not is key! Don’t try to do it all. Get help so you can focus on your strengths and the things you do best.

How do you stay focused?

Staying focused can be difficult sometimes especially when you are new to the business. I have written goals so I know what I want to do in the short term and the long term. This helps remind me why I started my business in the first place. Also, I cannot stress enough that having peers that are in the same field or building a business too is really helpful. These things helped me stay on task and problem solve along the way so I did not get too discouraged.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I do my best to market the attributes that I believe set me apart from other organizing businesses in my area. My medical background makes me different and makes me knowledgeable and trustworthy. This, along with always striving for great communication and customer service, as well as a strong work ethic, really set me apart. Consistency is the name of the game.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

I think my best marketing strategy was getting much-needed help from experts on keywords on Google so when potential clients are searching, they can actually find me. A great website is a close second but until I was more easily found on a web search, new clients were slow to trickle in.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

I’d say set your goals and decide your “why” of starting your business and who you want to help; then jump in! Grow and learn along the way. I learned that there is nothing like learning by doing.

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

One of my favorite apps is Pinterest. It is a great tool in my field to build ideas and show clients ideas for their homes. My favorite blog is from The Home Edit. It is so pretty to look at and get ideas from for future clients. They are really inspiring. A couple of favorite books have helped shape my business in certain areas. Profit First really helped with financially getting my business organized. E-Myth also talks about creating systems and procedures in your business. These both really helped me early on.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I think my favorite business tool had been Dubsado. It allows me to automate how clients contact and schedule with me and it has been so helpful. It really helps me take some tasks off my plate as I continue to get busier with clients.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I’d day Nikki Boyd, a professional organizer, business owner, and author of Beautifully Organized is a great role model. She is so classy and put together; she has built a really successful business. She also seems to know about work-life balance which is something I’m learning along the way.

How do you balance work and life?

I feel that work-life balance can be difficult sometimes when building a business. It is something I am always working on. When building my business, I am all in. But… I have a husband and kids to tend to that are definitely my priority. Having set times to work on my business helps. Also, hiring others to help with things you do not have time to do or things that are not your strengths really helps to decrease your workload and responsibilities.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

To decompress and relax, I love to work out and hang out with my friends or family. These give me joy and renew my energy.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

For the next 6 months and beyond, I have big goals and plans for my business. My goals this year are to really fine-tune my business processes and create systems in my business so I can teach others exactly what we do and how we do it. This creates much more opportunity to have others help me as I grow to serve more and more customers. So exciting!

How can our readers connect with you?

Readers can connect with me on social media at

https://www.instagram.com/prettyneatandorganized/

https://www.facebook.com/prettyneatsolutions

or on my website and blog at www.prettyneatok.com

Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Gold Leaf member of Professional Organizers in Canada. She has a Level I Certificate in Chronic Disorganization from Institute of Challenging Disorganization and coach training from Coach Approach for Organizers. She started Mind over Clutter Professional Organizing & Coaching Services in 2006. She helps residential and office clients, on-site or virtually, become more productive and less stressed by reducing distracting clutter, managing time, streamlining systems and coaching them to live free from emotional clutter.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I have a number of life experiences that have impacted my abilities to be a Professional Organizer. As a student I worked in an office do filing, answering phones, computer programing, accounting and may other tasks. It provided me with great learning experiences which I bring to the many facets of office organizing. I have a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. My studies in education led me to become an elementary school teacher, gymnastics coach and a sessional instructor at Brock University. I love speaking and teaching about organizing skills and concepts. I am a mother of 3 young adults. Raising children, balancing busy activity schedules, running a household, preparing them for university and moving them many times has given me skills to draw upon to help clients with time management, residential organizing, downsizing and relocations. In 2006 I started Mind over Clutter Professional Organizing and Coaching Services.

What inspired you to start your business?

Inspired might not be the best word for why I started my business. I was a sessional teacher at Brock University and my contact was not renewed after 6 years of working in the Faculty of Education. So, I needed a new career. I am a naturally organized person. I had known about Professional Organizing for approximately 25 years so with the motivation of, needing a new career, I was inspired to see what was happening in the Professional Organizing industry and I found Professional Organizers in Canada. It was the right time in my life to become a business owner and not an employee.

Where is your business based?

Part of my business in based in the Niagara Region of Ontario where I go into homes and offices and remove distracting clutter, streamline systems and routines and help clients manage their time. I work globally in my lifestyle organizing coaching and virtual organizing using technology to support my clients.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

The first step I took in starting my business, Mind over Clutter, in 2006 was to do a google search of the Professional Organizing industry. When I found there was a thriving industry, I looked at websites of Professional Organizers to see what type of education they had taken to become an organizer. At this point I found Professional Organizers in Canada and located the closest chapter to me and attended a meeting. As Professional Organizing is an unregulated industry, I could immediately call myself a Professional Organizer and I started in business. While I learned how to market my business and get a website, I took courses to increase my knowledge, worked as a sub-contractor for other organizers to get practical experience and continued to attend my association’s local chapter meetings to be mentored by experienced organizers.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

A good website is a must for people to become aware of your business. It gives you credibility. In addition to that, it is necessary that clients can put a face to the name of my business because I am going into their homes or offices and going through their possessions. Networking and speaking give people an opportunity to meet me and become aware of the Professional Organizing industry as well as my business, Mind over Clutter.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge for my business when I started in 2006 was the public’s lack of knowledge about the Professional Organizing industry. It was important for me to network so as many people as possible could learn about the benefits of working with an organizer. With a variety of television shows being produced more people understand the industry and marketing is easier. Another challenge for me was becoming a risk taker. I like to think things over and be confident in my decisions. I think that made my business grow slowly. I once heard,” even falling on your face is moving forward”. After I embraced that idea, taking risks became easier and I tried new approaches to marketing.

How do you stay focused?

It is easy for me to stay focused because as an organizer, I naturally plan everything. That is not always good but it does help me to stay on task, complete goals, schedule my day, week, and month. The other reason it is easy to stay focused is I love being an organizer, I enjoy the challenges of running a business and meeting people. I enjoy focusing on my business.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

I differentiate my business by approaching organizing as a customized service working with clients to find organizing solutions that suit their personality and lifestyle. It is not a one process fits everyone approach. I enjoy figuring out how my clients think and feel about their stuff so I can help them let go and reach their goals. I help people, get their mind in the right place so they can put their things in the best space.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

My most effective marketing strategy in the past 2 years has been using my blog effectively. I developed a system to ensure each of my blogs will be posted on 10 different social media sites over a 2-week period. I will usually be posting 4 different blog posts or events each day on 4 different sites. People will see my company name attached to 4 different pieces of information each day. This approach has allowed me to consistently give a variety of good information, helping to market me as an expert and have my company name in front of businesses, referral partners and potential clients regularly.

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

My best piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs is to get your finances in order before you begin. If you have a full-time job take out a line of credit and increase the spending limit on your credit card before you quit your job. If you try to do it after you start your business you may not have enough collateral to get these loans in place. Having these funds available, will give you time to work on the business and make better decisions. If you have no financing available you can put yourself in a position of not charging enough or making quick decisions that cause your business to grow more slowly than you had anticipated

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

For starting a professional organizing business, my favourite books is by Dawn Noble how to start a home-based Professional Organizing business. This book tells you everything you need to know. It gives scripts for intake telephone conversations, many ways of pricing, how to estimate a job, set up a business, market etc. how to start a home-based….. is a business series of books. Check and see if there is a book written for the type of business you want to start. For $15- $20 or, checking it out of the library for free, you can get everything you need to know to get started on the right foot. Learning the basics allows you to plan how to move forward and decide in what areas you will need to get additional support through education or hiring services.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

My favourite business tool is a paper agenda. I like writing things down. It helps me to remember my schedule better. I have everything in one place. Client appointments, tasks I need to completed that day, personal events etc. I can see a week all at one time and a month at time. I don’t need internet or data when I am booking an appointment with a client. It is much faster then getting out a phone, going to the correct app, connecting to the wifi/data to check out information. I do have an electronic back up should I lose my agenda and I have a paper agenda should my electronic system fail me.

Who is your business role model? Why?

I think my Dad is my business role model. Having grown up in a family of a business owner you learn how dedicated you need to be to make a business survive. It is not for everyone and learning how to balance the commitment to running a business and to family can be challenging. He bought a business just after World War ll and met many challenges, developed new and better products for the environment, patents, learned and embraced technology and treated employees as people attempting to use their talents in the best way possible. Running a business is not for the faint of heart and having a role model who met challenges head on, innovated and made his industry a better industry is a good example to follow.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

For the next six months I am working with a startup business focusing on kitchen organizing. It is a new experience to come in on the ground level of a new business and learn how they operate, how I can help them and they can help me. This venture is important for my business to help increase my virtual organizing and lifestyle coaching services.

How can our readers connect with you?

Please feel free to send me an email to julie@mindoverclutter.ca and ask me a question.

Check out my website www.mindoverclutter.ca

Follow me on

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Julieorganizer

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/mindoverclutter

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliestobbemindoverclutter/

Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.ca/juliestobbe/

YouTube http://www.youtube.com/c/JulieStobbe

Google my business - https://business.google.com/edit/l/16613622548077080738

Join my Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1881280812154271