National Association of Professional Organizers
Washington, DC

Another Simplification Tool for You!

We are paying a $75 referral fee for every client that signs up for CityStash.

Many of your clients have a common problem:  too much stuff and too little space.  Of course you will convince them to discard things they don’t need.  But some of them will be diehard packrats.  And there will be many items that are infrequently used but still need to be kept.  This is where CityStash can help.  We deliver custom plastic containers and boxes to the client, and they fill them on their own schedule.  Then we pick up the containers, boxes, and anything else they want to store including furniture, bikes, kayaks, etc. (within certain size limits) and securely store them in our climate-controlled storage facility in Arlington.  We’ll even bring back any item to them on demand!  And unlike self-storage, your client does not need to rent a truck and haul their stuff down to the warehouse district.

The client manages all of this with their online CityStash account where they can see what’s in the storage facility and what’s at their home ready to be picked up.  They can easily order a pick up or delivery.  In their online account, clients can add a label (i.e. Christmas decorations, winter clothes) and inventory list to each container or box.

Some of the things that customers store with CityStash are:

• Winter or summer wardrobes during the offseason (frees up much closet space)
• Holiday decorations (infrequently used items)
• Fine china (infrequently used items)
• Bikes and kayaks (not typically used during the winter)
• Inherited items or keepsakes (being held for future use)
• Excess belongings of downsizers (no space to store but still need access)

CityStash is unique in that the client maintains easy access to their belongings.  Self-storage doesn’t offer this, as you have to drive to a warehouse and dig through multiple boxes to retrieve individual items (and again to return them).  Traditional portable storage such as PODs doesn’t allow you to retrieve individual items; the client would have to have the entire unit (very large) delivered in order to retrieve a single item.

We’re excited about our chapter’s first ever White Elephant Sale! It will be at our June 4 meeting at the Kena Shriners building in Virginia.

What’s a White Elephant Sale?

It’s a great opportunity in two ways — stuff and money:

STUFF

o   Get rid of organizing supplies, books, whatever you have that relates to organizing or running a business that you no longer need.

o   Take advantage of super-low prices on what other organizers are getting rid of – one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.

MONEY

o   Get rid of organizing supplies, books, whatever you have that you no longer need.

o   Contribute (at no monetary cost to you) to our community partner, A Wider Circle.

o   Have a chance to win some money!

How is this going to work?

-Bring your items to the June meeting (if you can’t make it, get your items to Susan Kousek at Susan@BalancedSpaces.com ahead of time, or ask a colleague to bring them). New or almost new items only, please. Books don’t have to be new. File folders shouldn’t be used.

-Each item you contribute gets you one red ticket which is one chance to win 50% of the proceeds (the other 50% goes to our Community Partner, A Wider Circle). Bring 10 items, you get 10 chances. You don’t have to be present to win.

-Items will be displayed on tables, labeled $1, $2 or $3. Really cheap prices.

-As you arrive at the meeting, check out the tables and purchase what you want. Other chapter members will bring additional items as they arrive, so make sure to check out the tables at the end of the meeting.

-Alonso Zamora from B-Thrifty will take the unsold items after the sale.

What types of things might you bring?

Do you have organizing/business books (used) or organizing/office supplies (new or almost new) you don’t need? Maybe you’ve got a duplicate of a book. Or you bought some turntables for organizing kitchens, but then the client canceled and you never got around to returning them? Maybe you bought some really cute containers, but found they don’t work for you or any of your clients.

If you’re ready to get rid of them, this is the time and place! Since June is also our “Favorite Things” program night, we thought about calling it the “Unfavorite Things” table, but it’s not that these items are unfavorites, just that you no longer love or need them. Remember, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure!

Please email Susan to let her know if you’ll be bringing some items, and what they are, so she has an idea of how many tables we’ll need. And, if you’d like to volunteer to help that evening, please let her know. Susan@BalancedSpaces.com.

At some point, you have probably had to do the PDF Signature Dance.

You know the one: someone sends you a document that you need to sign, so you print it, sign it, scan it, and then email it back to the person (or even worse, fax it.)

Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that way. You can apply your signature to a PDF on both Mac and Windows so that you avoid the whole printing/scanning two-step altogether.

There are many ways to do this, but here are some free ones:

On Windows, the free Adobe Reader now has document signing ability built-in thanks to Adobe’s purchase of EchoSign. Make sure that you are upgraded to the latest version, and then you’ll be able to add your signature right from within Reader. Here are the instructions.

On Mac OS X, the Preview application that is included in Lion has the ability to use the camera built-in to the Mac to capture your signature. It is quite cool. You can then stamp your signature right into any PDF. You can see how to do it here.

In 2012, you don’t need to do the PDF signature dance anymore, and you can avoid it without spending any money. Isn’t technology great?

Brooks Duncan runs DocumentSnap, which helps individuals and small businesses go paperless. He lives in Vancouver, Canada and can be found on Twitter. He will be the speaker at our April 2^nd meeting.

Monday, April 2, 2012 @ 6:30pm

Kena Shriners
9001 Arlington Boulevard
Fairfax, VA 22031

Going paperless is about much more than just scanning in your documents. Once you’ve started scanning, the challenge becomes: how do you organize your electronic documents so that you can find them when you need them. The last thing you want is to trade a paper mess for a digital mess.

Brooks will share important digital file keeping topics such as organization, name, software, security, search tricks and more. He will present information that will help you, and most importantly, your clients get control of paperless documents.

Brooks Duncan has spent his career as a Certified Management Account, a software developer and as a Director of Client Services at a large multinational corporation. Brooks is currently the owner and Editor-in-Chief of DocumentSnap.com, a website devoted to helping readers go paperless by turning piles of paper into an organized, electronic system. Brooks lives with his wife and two sons in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“Ask the Expert” Focus Group

If you are new to organizing, attend the “Ask the Expert” session. It is an informal gathering where new organizers can receive free advice on owning an organizing business from members of the Golden Circle, a prestigious designation within NAPO for experienced organizers.

NOTE: Please check the members only section of the website for resources. We have so many!!

Tim Friemel with CityStash joins NAPO-WDC as a Corporate Partner, providing a much-needed storage solution for those in the Washington, D.C. area.  CityStash is urban self-storage – but without any driving to a storage unit!  They deliver custom plastic containers and boxes to clients, who fill them on their own schedule.  CityStash will then pick up the containers, store them in their climate-controlled storage facility, and then bring back any item on client request.  Welcome Tim!  It’s great to have you, and CityStash as a Corporate Partner!

The primary rule for real estate? Location, location, location. The primary rule for one-person organization services? Brand, brand, brand.

A strong personal brand defines your service, attracts new clients, and promotes customer confidence. Developing one is free, and as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Name it. We all provide the same general service. What makes you different? What’s your organizing niche? What makes your service stand out? What is it about your personality that helps you bond with clients? Name it. Be as specific as possible. That’s your brand.

2. Claim it. Once you’ve identified your personal brand, claim it. Make sure it’s comfortable. Try it on. Is it something you can advertise and deliver with confidence and pride year after year? If it’s not, adjust it. Once it fits, commit to it.

3. Project it. Everywhere. Project your personal brand in your ads, your signage, in your paperwork. Be consistent.

A strong personal brand attracts customers and tells them what to expect from your organizing service. It reflects your niche and helps you focus an online and offline image. Work upfront to identify and develop your personal brand, and your brand will work for you.

Organizer Eileen LaGreca is the former creative director for an award-winning branding and design firm whose clients included Mars, Panasonic, and Johnson & Johnson. She is the proud founder of Sensational Spaces, LLC, which serves the DC metropolitan area.  

Sensational Spaces specializes in small business and residential organization. Eileen, who has been an active member of NAPO since 2010, particularly values NAPO’s educational programs and networking opportunities.  

For more information about Eileen or Sensational Spaces, visit www.SensationalSpaces.com and/or www.facebook.com/SensationalSpaces.

I am going to the NAPO conference later this month. I am very excited. I want to get as much out of this event as possible, so I am planning ahead. As a DC chapter member, I am lucky that I don’t have to travel far and won’t have to fill the inevitable down time in airports and train stations.

I do want to pack right. I’ll be doing a lot of walking, so comfortable shoes are a must. I’ll be representing my company and my profession, so professional clothing is the right choice. I’ll be sitting still in conference rooms throughout the day, so carrying a sweater or jacket is a good idea. I’ll be relaxing with my colleagues at the bar later in the evening, so some casual clothes might be nice.

I’ll be meeting lots of new people and I will want to keep in touch, so I’ll need business cards. I’ll be learning things “on the fly,” so carrying some form of note taking device, be it pen and paper or tablet, is a must. I’ll want to stay in contact with my local peeps, so I’ll be using the conference contact list. (If you have not yet signed up for the list of NAPO-WDC chapter members attending conference, do so here.)

But the most important thing I am doing to prepare for this educational conference is to identify and write down my goals. They may change while I am there (actually, I am sure that they will expand), but I know that if I don’t take the time to identify my conference goals, I’ll walk away having missed something important. I want to get the most out of the experience as possible, so I am planning ahead.

I am making a list of friends that I want to catch up with and people I want to meet. I am working on a list of things that I want to learn for personal growth and business development. I want to come away with new, untapped leadership skills.

I will be looking to learn about the newest organizing products and services on the market today. I’ll be connecting with vendors who can offer me and my clients new solutions to our productivity challenges.

Lastly, I want to totally surprise myself and come away with several things that I didn’t even think of before attending this conference. I think I’ll do that! When attending a conference, it’s all in the planning!

If you’d like to contact our President, you can email her at president@dcorganizers.org.

WE’RE HIRING!!

Do you love to help people get organized?  Do you have a flexible schedule and access to a car? If so, you might enjoy part time work with Simply Organized Services, LLC! We are in need of two professional organizers.

**Interested candidates should have between 10-18 hours available per week during peak periods for client appointments.**

SOS is a Professional Organizing Firm operating in the Washington D.C, Maryland and Northern Virginia area.  We specialize in space planning and storage solutions as well as paper and file management.  Whether our clients need assistance with establishing a filing system or organizing closets and drawers – we provide systems that are functional and easy to maintain.

Check out our website at www.SimplyOrganizedServices.com and contact our owner, Tamarah Fosso, at info@simplyorganizedservices.com for more information about this position.

This is a paid advertisement. Advertisements on NAPO-WDC’s website, blog, social networking sites and/or any other technological outlet do not imply endorsement of their service or product.