National Association of Professional Organizers
Washington, DC

The April NAPO-WDC chapter meeting was held on Monday, April 1, 2013 in Fairfax, VA.  There were 30 members and 5 guests in attendance.

The meeting started with active networking. Members visited the Corporate Partner Meet and Greet tables hosted by Closet Factory and 1 to 1 Discovery and the Ask the Experts table.

Janet Schiesl welcomed everyone.  Maria White (in for Kimberly Gleason) introduced our 5 guests. Terri Fischer introduced our Corporate Partners in attendance:

Alonso Zamora from B-Thrifty spoke about his background and his company. B-Thrifty is more than a thrift store; they connect people in the community to distribute large amounts of donations. They are for profit, but 40% of what they make goes back into the community.

Educational Program

Pierrette Ashcroft introduced the educational program: Universal Design – Planning Ahead. Mindy Mitchell from Sun Design is a professional organizer and a certified aging in place specialist, which go hand in hand. Universal Design is about flow and function, much like organizing. The whole point behind aging in place is people’s bodies are constantly changing. This applies to the whole family – babies growing up all the way to adults retiring and getting older.

There are 7 Universal Design principles:

1. Equitable Use – useful to all abilities
2. Flexibility In Use – choice in use
3. Simple & Intuitive Use – no language barriers
4. Perceptible Information – visual, audio, tactile
5. Tolerance For Error – minimize hazards of intended use
6. Low Physical Effort – efficient with minimum fatigue
7. Size & Space For Approach & Use – regardless of body size, posture or mobility

There are 4 Universal Design concepts:

1. Barrier Free
2. Adaptable Design
3. Accessible Design
4. Visitability

Aging in place is good for multi-generational living, increases average life expectancy and can be more cost effective than a retirement community.

More information about getting certified as an aging in place specialist can be found on NAHB.org and AARP.org is a comprehensive resource with universal design checklists and more.

Chapter Business Meeting

Janet congratulated the new Board of Directors for the 2013-2014 year.

Andrea Hancock announced that all MARCPO chair positions have been filled, but she is always looking for committee volunteers.

For all those going to conference, download the NAPO app. It’s very handy!

Our door prize winner was Alisa Levy.

The night ended with lively networking.

The next meeting will be the Awards Bash held in Rockville, Maryland on May 6, 2013.

Do you ever pass up an opportunity and then think to yourself, “Gee, I wish I’d done that?”

Sometimes a missed opportunity comes in the form of a sale, if you don’t return a phone call fast enough, for example, or a prospective client winces at your quoted price. Maybe you’ve hesitated when asked to give a presentation to a group or don’t take a job that is a little outside of your comfort zone. How does that make you feel? Less than exceptional? Sometimes relieved? Both? We all learn something when we feel that we missed an opportunity, and vow to do things differently the next time.

Coming up is the biggest NAPO opportunity of the year – the 2013 NAPO Conference and Expo! It will be held in New Orleans later this month, and there is no better opportunity for a professional organizer to learn and grow their business. Ask anyone who went to the conference last year in Baltimore, and they will tell you. I know the cost of travel is keeping some from attending again this year or maybe new members are hesitating for fear of the unknown, but I just want to take a moment to urge you to reconsider. Many NAPO-WDC members are attending the conference and will return with a wealth of information and stories to tell.

If you choose not to attend, how will you justify this missed opportunity to yourself? I don’t want you to think, “Gee, I wish I’d done that.” I hope to see you there!

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

Monday, April 1, 2013 @ 6:30pm

Kena Shriners

9001 Arlington Boulevard

Fairfax, VA 22031

Universal Design – Planning Ahead

When organizing for senior clients are you incorporating elements of Universal Design? Aging in Place reflects the notion of multi-generational living to support every family member, no matter what their age or ability.

Mindy Mitchell will discuss what is Universal Design and how it came about. We’ll learn what we should look for when a client is ready to adapt their home so they can age-in-place.

Mindy is a Design Consultant with Sun Design. She has more than 25 years experience as a professional organizer and uses her unique talents to see and create solutions to her client’s challenges.

Mindy has been awarded the Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) certification through the National Association of Home Builders. She speaks, writes and lives the concepts of unique design and solution-based living and has been recognized for numerous award winning projects.

In addition to being an avid traveler, Mindy enjoys writing, holistic health and looking forward to her next great adventure.

by Juli Monroe, 1 to 1 Discovery

Did you know that your social media needs will change throughout the life cycle of your business? Think about it. The various social media channels have different audiences and different purposes. So I think it makes sense that your needs would change depending on your business and its stage.

Let’s take a few examples. Facebook is an excellent tool for keeping loyal customers coming back to you. It’s also good for generating referrals. It’s not as good for reaching out to a new audience. Therefore, Facebook doesn’t seem like the best tool for a new business that doesn’t yet have an established client base. However, for a mature business, it can be excellent.

Twitter is good for reaching out to a new audience, which makes it potentially better for a new business than Facebook. However, it takes time to build a following, so again, it might not be the best place to put your time. However, are you getting ready to launch a new product or service line in an established business? Twitter might be a great tool for promoting it.

What about LinkedIn? It’s great for making new contacts, finding strategic partners and using Groups to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Sounds to me like it could be useful at any stage of business.

See how it works? You can look at the audience and nature of a social media channel and decide what it’s most useful for. Then you can look at your stage of business and your needs and map those needs to a channel. Which means that as channels change, and your business needs change, you’re ready with the knowledge to change with them.

Kind of cool? Anyone want to share how social media tools are affecting you in your unique business life cycle?

With more than eight years of networking and sales experience, Juli Monroe is a networking and business coach with 1 to 1 Discovery where she helps small business owners grow their business through effective networking and word of mouth marketing.

Juli’s approach to life and business revolves around building relationships, both in person and online. She uses Twitter, Facebook and other online platforms to maintain the relationships she makes in-person and to find new friends she’s yet to meet “in real life.”

She is excited to have published a book entitled, The Enthusiastic Networker (available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble), which helps readers find and build those relationships to support them forever. It also helps people find their unique networking presence and voice.

The March NAPO-WDC chapter meeting was held on Monday, April 2, 2012, at Kena Shriners in Fairfax, VA.  There were 45 members in attendance and 6 guests.

Janet Schiesl welcomed everyone.  Maria White introduced our 6 guests. Susan Unger hosted the “Ask the Expert” table tonight and had 6 visitors.

Terri Fischer announced 2 guests that may become Corporate Partners: Luke Waldron from E-Haul Away and Rick Reinsch from Digital Recollections.

She then introduced CPs in attendance including Andy Reiman of Modern Image, Ron Goodes from Resale Solutions, Alonso Zamora and Dr. Dale Keenan from B-Thrifty, Alex Powers from Junk King, Linden Coyne from Junk in the Trunk, Joe Johnson from Shelf Genie, Tim from CityStash, Raea Jean Leinstee from Yuck Old Paint.

Ron Goodes from ReSale Solutions spoke about their business.  In January they expanded to accepting vintage items (clothing, electronics, accessories, furniture) for resale. They have tried to improve communication to clients by using organizers on the status of their client’s items.  Linden Coyne from Junk in the Trunk spoke about their pick-up/disposal process. Alonso Zamora from B-Thrifty spoke about their recycling program and that they are in expansion mode.

Pierrette Ashcroft then introduced the evening’s speaker: Brooks Duncan, Owner and Editor-in-Chief of DocumentSnap.com.

Brooks spoke about paperless documentation organization and focused on three areas: 1) How do you organize documents, 2) How do you find documents, and 3) How do you protect your documents.

Brooks noted that there are 2 main ways to store documents – in folders or in software.  There are pros and cons to both and many people use both.  Documents can also be stored locally on the hard drive or on the cloud.  Again, there are pros and cons to both and many people use a hybrid of the two.

File names should be consistent and descriptive.  Brooks recommends using a shallow folder system and then adding in subfolders as necessary as items are added.  It is important to remember that many times a paperless organization problem is a workflow problem.  A digital inbox can help with the workflow process, as can automation programs and apps.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) makes PDF documents (such as receipts, notes, etc.) searchable, and it is good to learn how system searches work to make your searches more effective.

Brooks emphasized the importance of backing up your hard drive and recommends an automatic back-up system to two locations (local and external).  Encryption of documents is important for protection if computer gets stolen, hacked, etc.

Brooks answered questions from the group and provided a helpful handout that included the resources he mentioned in the presentation.

Pierrette provided information on the upcoming Tribute Bash, membership survey and ballot for awards.

Susan provided information on White Elephant Sale in June.

Chapter Business Meeting
Janet provided information on new lending library borrowing time limits and Soles4Souls challenge.

Janet reviewed the calendar for the upcoming month.

Our lucky door prize winner was Tammy Laurant.

The next meeting will be the Tribute Bash at Timpano Italian Chophouse, 12021 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 on May 7, 2012.

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!!

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.