THINGS TO KNOW

• Disorganization causes stress and anxiety, limits your productivity, steals your time and energy, and costs you money. Getting organized is an investment in your well being that reaps benefits to all areas of your life.

• A professional organizer offers an objective view of your space and works with you to come up with and implement a customized plan tailored to your needs and the way you live, think and work.

• Because a professional organizer has specialized training and keeps current on various organizing methods, systems, products and ideas, she can quickly help you determine the best options to meet your specific needs. A professional organizer also provides you with the support, focus and expertise to achieve your goals throughout the entire process.

• Most importantly, a professional organizer strives to impart organizing fundamentals to you so you achieve lasting results long after your sessions are completed.

• I hope so! Trust is a key part of the relationship between you and the professional organizer you hire. Because you are letting me into your home or small office and giving me access to your personal and important items, you need to feel comfortable communicating and working with me.

• The initial, complimentary telephone consult is a time for you to learn how I work, ask any questions and get a feel if you think we would be a good “fit” together.

• If you are still undecided, the in-person assessment provides a great opportunity to get to know me even better. In the end, you should trust your instincts.

• I am bound by the POC Code of Ethics that states:

  “I will have empathy for the client and the assignment by practicing positive interpersonal and communication skills.”

• Whatever your reason for seeking the services of a professional organizer, there is nothing to feel bad about. I believe you should be applauded for wanting to improve your space and your life. I promise, your space is not anything I have not seen before and I am here to help you, not judge you.

Step 1: Complimentary phone consultation:

• In our initial complimentary telephone conversation, we will get to know one another a little bit. I will ask you a number of questions about your specific situation, the challenges you are facing, what your organizing goals are and your timeline.
• This is an opportunity for you to ask me any questions as well.

Step 2: In person assessment:

• We book an assessment where I come to your home or small office, do a tour of your entire space and discuss in more detail what works and doesn’t work for you, what your biggest challenges are, your specific vision for the space when completed and how we can achieve that vision together.
• I will provide you with a Client Action Plan (via email) within 48 hours of this assessment. This plan outlines our discussions of your space, the issues you face, the results you want, and summarizes the plan we discussed to achieve those results.
• The in-person assessment usually takes 1-2 hours and there is a set fee that will be applied towards the first session/package fee once services commence.
• There is no obligation to hire BirchTree Organizing following the assessment. It is an opportunity for us to meet in person, for me to get a more accurate picture of your needs and for us to determine whether BirchTree Organizing is a good fit for your project.

Step 3: Begin maximizing space, optimizing time and simplifying life:

• We book your first session and continue to book sessions on a timeline that is convenient for you until the project or projects are complete. You can do multiple sessions a week, or spread them out as your schedule and/or budget allows. Package hours must be used within 6 months of purchase.

How long are sessions?:

• The length of each session usually varies from between 4 and 6 hours.

• Generally, there is a 4 hour minimum per session as experience has taught me that this is the minimum amount of time required to make any real progress in a space.
• After discussing your individual needs, goals and any restrictions you may experience, together we will determine what length of session works best for you.

How many sessions will I need?:

• There are so many variables in each organizing project (including the amount of “stuff”, how big the space is, how quickly you make decisions, your willingness to purge/declutter, what, if any, outside organizing products are required/desired), that it is just not possible to give an estimate of how many sessions a project will take.
• Ultimately, the pace is set by you and varies depending on whether you are involved in every step, whether I will be doing some solo organizing, how focused you are, and how quickly you make decisions.
• Things often start off a little more slowly, but as you get more comfortable making decisions and learning the fundamentals and techniques I teach, the pace increases.
• Things also move more quickly when there are no distractions during sessions and you are able to work on the project outside of our sessions.

• Yes and No.
• Generally, it is better, faster and more economical if you are present and involved in all steps of the process. That being said, I understand that there are a lot of demands on your time and while organizing may be a priority, carving out large blocks of time to get it done may not be feasible. If this is the case, we can come up with a plan that minimizes your involvement, while still maximizing the benefit to you.
• You do have to be present at the assessment where we discuss your needs and expectations. You also need to be involved in determining what you want to keep and what can go, as I cannot make those decisions for you. However, working based on a plan and parameters we develop together, I can work independently to complete initial sorting and purging, leaving you to review the work at a time convenient for you (I will never dispose of anything without your consent). Then I can work independently to organize the space, walking you through it when the project is completed.

• Other than thinking about what you hope to accomplish by the end of the organizing process, there is nothing you need to do before our first meeting.

• Well, that is entirely up to you! I provide guidance, encouragement and make suggestions, but the ultimate decision about what to keep and where to keep it is 100% yours. You will never be pressured to part with something you are not ready to let go of or to keep it in a place that doesn’t work for you.
• For any items you decide you no longer want or need, what happens to them is also entirely up to you. Transporting the items to the places of your choice can be yours, mine or a combination of both.

• Yes, I am fully insured.

• I chose the name BirchTree Organizing because the birch tree is a symbol of new beginnings and fresh starts, which is exactly what I believe creating organized spaces brings to your life.

• I do offer gift certificates, BUT only after it has been confirmed the recipient of the gift:

  a) wants to get organized;
  b) wants to work with me.

• It is a wonderful thought to provide someone with the gift of organization, but if a person is not ready to get organized, the sessions will not be productive and will not produce lasting results. Because getting organized involves working closely together, it is important that the person feels comfortable working with me.