Virtual Organizing – who, why, where, what
Reading time – 5 minutes
Do you have a home or office that is creating anxiety and a feeling of stress and overwhelm? You know you want to change the situation. With a little knowledge, help and support you could start to feel happy in your home and organized in your office. I have been offering virtual organizing sessions for 10 years, this may be the year for you to try it.
Who would use virtual organizing services?
For clients who:
- wish to do the “hands-on “organizing themselves
- are uncertain about someone coming into their home,
- want a cost-effective way to get organized
- need to manage their organizing appointments to fit a complex schedule
- need support to stay focused on the project
- need accountability to help them reach their goals
Why would I offer this service?
Virtual organizing allows me to:
- to provide support to my clients through prearranged online meetings
- have clients all around the world
- continue to work with clients who moved away
- do organizing while coaching, teaching, supporting and mentoring clients
What would a virtual organizing session look like
There are probably as many ways to do virtual organizing as there are organizers. Here are my 4 formats.
A series of mini sessions.
This format starts with a one-hour session to establish the goals the clients want to achieve and is followed up with a series of 30-minute mini sessions to set steps to follow to complete the job.
Be there with you
This format is for clients who don’t like to work alone. I am with you on my computer helping you to:
- know what to do next,
- make decisions about what to keep and what to donate and
- set up organizing systems to store your stuff.
Complete Plan
This format is for the client who wants to work by themselves on their schedule. After you contact me, I set up a 1-2 hour Zoom call and you show me the room you want to get organized. I develop a customized organizing plan that you implement. If you have questions we can set up a support call to:
- solve problems,
- clarify the next step,
- receive storage suggestions.
- receive donation and recycling information
- check in with you while you are working
Develop Routines
A lot of organizing and maintaining a home, office or room is establishing routines and systems. We work together to set up step-by-step systems.
These are the A, B, C, D’s of virtual organizing
For more detailed information check Virtual Organizing Services on my website
Virtual organizing allows an organizer to support your organizing projects by providing planning, coaching and mentoring. Share on XTo book a complimentary 30 minute virtual assessment use this link or contact me directly at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of learning how you think and feel about your items to help you to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
You have clearly spent a lot of time developing and refining your system – this is excellent! I tried virtual organizing in the early days of my business, but we didn’t have video conferencing back then, so it was fairly limited. So much is possible now!
When I went to the POC Conference in 2017 and listened to Sarah Buckwalter’s presentation and I learned a new system for doing virtual organizing that was much different than mine. I would love to learn how other organizers do it and how clients like to work virtually.
I offer virtual organizing. I find I have the most interest from existing clients who relocate. Admittedly, I haven’t been assertive in promoting this aspect of my business. Love what you’ve put together!
I have my first client to move away so I did offer her virtual services for the future. Thanks for the reminder for follow up with clients about working virtually.
Like you, I am fascinated with how organizers offer their virtual organizing services. I attended two VO panels recently. One was a NAPO panel, and the other was an ICD one. I learned a lot from both. I have provided VO services for many years, but not this is the only service that I offer. Many of my in-person clients are not candidates for virtual organizing. They might have physical limitations, activation concerns, or prefer working physically side-by-side with me.
However, many clients (and potential ones) ARE good candidates for VO. As you pointed out, there are many benefits. I enjoy VO work! But I also love physically being in the same room with my clients. I suspect that when the quarantine is lifted, I will do more virtual organizing than I used to but continue with some hands-on organizing too.
Virtual organizing is a service that I have difficulty marketing. I am not sure how to approach clients, who do like to do the work themselves, that with guidance the job can get completed more quickly or with better results. Any help is welcome.
It’s so interesting rereading your post after this past year when I’ve been doing virtual organizing exclusively. I reread my comment from April 2020. At that time, I thought that VO was a temporary offering. At this point, I don’t envision myself returning to in-person work, with a few exceptions. I LOVE VO work and have come to appreciate the benefits for my clients and me.
You asked how to market it to clients who like to do the work themselves. Intrinsic in VO work IS that they do the work themselves. So that makes them a perfect fit. There still has to be a need on their part that they want to support. And the plans you laid out offer so many options.
I think the best way to market is to write out the type of work you’re doing so that people that might not have considered VO as an option see something in it for them.
Thank you Linda for your marketing suggestions. I am glad to hear the Virtual Organizing is working well for your business and that you enjoy it. It is not for every client or every organizer.
I Imagine you must be busy right now with people who would love to get organized but can’t have you come right now or live too far away. I’ve done virtual organizing with time management. As it’s mostly about applied skills, changing habits that don’t work, assessing schedules, It lends itself to that.
It’s good to know about your service!
Virtual organizing a person’s home and things has not yet been seen as a service people are buying. Most people hire me because they like that I do the work. My virtual services mean they need to do the work. I have done virtual organizing with time management too. I like helping people to make schedules and changes that they never considered and think will really help them. If you have any marketing tips I would love to hear (read) them. If you prefer you can email me julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Wow, Julie, you were years ahead of your time in offering virtual services; I remember occasionally attending NAPO sessions on virtual services and thinking, “OK, I see how one could do that with time management clients, but organizing clients?” You really have *organized* your approach and must have found it so much easier to pivot to doing more of this when the pandemic began!
Thanks for your comment Julie. I have a good idea of how to do Virtual organizing now I need to market it better.
I also offer virtual organizing sessions. Though, I find that most of my clients would prefer a person there with them through the process to stay focused, so my services haven’t been that popular. =( Congratulations on making it work for your business. =) Here’s to your continued success.
I have the same situation as you, the service is not that popular yet!.
Years and years ago I did some virtual organizing and it was so very hard for people to comprehend that this was a possible solution. I had one client in Calgary and one in Park City Utah.
We did just fine. I’m so glad this has now become ‘a thing’ so inspired!