Letter From Our President

     May 15 marks the new year for the NAPO St. Louis board, and I just want to say how excited I am about our new board. I’m delighted to be leading this great group in my last year as NAPO St. Louis president. On June 19, we’ll be having a board retreat where we’ll explore ideas about activities for the coming year and how the chapter can continue to be a fantastic resource for our members. If you have ideas you’d like discussed at the retreat, feel free to contact me or any other board member. I’m sure we’ll need help implementing the plans we’ll be cooking up, so I hope you’ll consider volunteering this year as well.

     A special note of thanks to Sharon Johnson of Fixed Assets, who has agreed to step in as Director of Professional Development, since Erica Wise of Simply Organized Services had to tender her resignation due to shifting priorities for her business. I appreciate Sharon’s willingness to serve on the board again.

     We had a great showing at the national NAPO conference in Orlando (eight chapter members attended) and I hope even more of you will consider attending the 2010 conference, which will be held April 21 to 24 in Columbus, Ohio – driving distance from St. Louis! Speaking for myself, the conference is a great way to get new ideas and new enthusiasm for growing my business, to network with organizers from all over the country (and even the world) and to learn things that help me help my clients.

     The chapter has purchased the complete set of CDs from the 2009 NAPO conference for our chapter library, so even if you weren’t able to attend, you can still benefit from the educational sessions. We also bought a special package of CDs of the top 30 most popular sessions from the past 10 years. I think this is a fantastic member benefit that I hope you take advantage of. New member Judy Stasiak of Discover Organizing has volunteered to be Lending Library Coordinator. The new holdings are listed in the Lending Library section of the member website. Just contact Judy to arrange to borrow the chapter’s CDs.

                                  Janine Adams
                                  NAPO St. Louis President

Trade Secrets

What are your favorite productivity tips?

Do NOT check email first thing in the morning. Complete a hot task first or do something proactive instead. -- Denise Lee, Clear Spaces LLC

Spend the first 1 1/2 hours of your morning uninterrupted and work on the most important thing of the day. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish. -- Cathy Sexton, On Point Solutions LLC

Every item or task on your desktop should have an assigned home so that you know what to do with something when it comes in and you can find whatever you need at a moments notice. -- Sue Anderson, Simplified Living Solutions, Inc.

1. Limit grocery trips to once per week by planning a menu for the entire week’s worth of meals. This saves both time and money. Plan a crock pot meal at least once each week to save time on those busy nights. 2. Multitask while doing mindless chores; for example dust or fold laundry while making phone calls. 3. Keep a daily to-do list. When your goals are in writing you are more likely to accomplish them, and you will spend your day more productively. -- Mary Ann Mueth, All The Details Organizing

Use a master daily schedule for every day of the week to keep you on track. This daily schedule should tell you what you need to do each day such as errands to run, phone calls to make, emails to answer, work related things to do, etc. It does not have to be anything fancy! -- Julie Hough, The Ordered Home

Give yourself a break. Set a timer to take a break when you're working on a project. The moment the timer goes off, stop what you're doing and take a break for a predetermined amount of time. The brain craves completion, so if you interrupt your activity, you'll be anxious to get back to it when the break is over. Doing it this way, you're less likely to get burned out. -- Janine Adams, Peace of Mind Organizing LLC

My favorite productivity tip is to write things/thoughts down. If you think of something you need or want to do just write it down, so you can go back to it later and continue on with whatever it is you are doing at that particular time. This has helped me many nights when I can't sleep because I am thinking of things I need to do. If I write them down before bed or when I think of it, it is off my mind!  Shannon Zipoy, An Organized Life

1. Get up earlier. Chances are your family won't bother you at 5 am. Use that time to get tasks done that require more quiet time. 2. Have routines. Have specific times each week when you do laundry, administrative work, etc. This way you will never feel stressed wondering when you will get to those things you have to do every week. 3. Stop making so many lists. Sometimes we are so busy making lists, we don't have time to do what's actually on the list. Sometimes you have to just start doing and stop thinking so much. Tiffany Engler, Your Life Organized

Headliners

     Sue Anderson, Simplified Living Solutions, Inc. received her Chronic Disorganization Specialist Certificate through NSGCD after sitting for the exam at the NAPO Conference.

Associates Corner

Storewell Organizing Systems

     Storewell Organizing Systems offers storage solutions for all areas of the home or office, such as closets, pantries, basements, garages, sheds, wherever you may need to maximize your space. "I am not a dealer or franchisee which allows me to choose from a myriad of products from basic wire or steel shelving to solid one of a kind wood cabinetry" says owner, Tony Swalina. In an effort to turn client's visions into reality, Tony offers a free consulation and works directly with clients by walking them through the creative and building process. If you are looking for some ideas to help your clients get it together and stow it away, interior home improvements or painting, then Storewelll Organizing Systems is the place to call.

Building Your Business

ASK FOR REFERRALS

     Asking for referrals is an excellent way to build business. Many times we just assume our clients will spread the good word about their awesome organizer, but so many times they don't because they are wrapped up in their own lives and just don't think to.

Here are some tips to getting more referral business:

• Offer an incentive. When your client refers you to someone, give them something in return and remind them about the incentive often.
• Listen. Many times our clients will drop remarks like, “man, my mom really needs help with her piles of paper too.” This is a good time to bring up your incentive.
• Ask during a session or at the end of an appointment, “do you know anyone who could use my services?”  It may be hard at first, but ask for referrals. This is the most cost-effective form of advertising you can do, plus it’s a great compliment.
• Send thank you notes. I once thanked someone for sending me a birthday card. I was just so moved that this person remembered my birthday, much less sent a card that I just had to thank him. Be grateful and thank others often.

To read more about referral business, visit the following links: http://tinyurl.com/ohoyh5, http://tinyurl.com/6hukxa, http://tinyurl.com/qvxvq6  

-- Tiffany Engler, Your Life Organized

Book Review

Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder: Tips and Tools to Help You Take Charge of Your Life and Get Organized, by Susan C. Pinsky (Fair Winds Press, 2006)

     This is an easy-to-read, easy-to-follow book that lays out guiding principles of, and tips for, organizing people with ADD. Written in two parts, part one covers Pinsky’s method of creating systems that emphasize efficiency over other values such as attractiveness, frugality, and preparedness. The focus on efficiency leads to systems that are likely to be maintained.

     Part two describes twelve organizing projects for different areas in the home, time management, packing and moving. The chapters target the most common problems in each area and provide practical solutions that focus on efficiency. Photographs are used extensively to illustrate the problems and solutions.

     Other features of the book’s layout include the extensive use of white space on the large pages, which acts to engage the reader’s attention. Key teachings are emphasized in summary boxes that look like “post-it notes”. Pages are subtlety edged with color to distinguish the chapters.

     Susan C. Pinsky is a Professional Organizer and NAPO member. This book represents the culmination of her experience working with chronically disorganized clients and her own daughter who has ADD. Pinsky states “I also discovered that the organizing systems I was using at home to assist my daughter were far more effective in the homes of these [chronically disorganized] clients than the standard values, methods, and ‘tricks of the trade’ I had previously used as a professional organizer.”

     Any professional organizer, regardless of the composition of her client base, will benefit from Pinsky’s focus on organizing systems that minimize maintenance. Frequent disruptions, multi-tasking, and a light-speed pace mark today’s hectic lifestyle. Since organizers are called in to remedy the ensuing disorganization, this book’s approach offers simple and effective tools to do so.

-- Reviewed by Denise Lee, Clear Spaces

Say Hello To...

Cathy Sexton, On Point Solutions, LLC

     Cathy lives in Fenton with her husband of 28 years, Richard. She has one daughter, 25, that just graduated with an NBA in nursing from SLU and a step-daughter, 40, that lives in Nashville and is a science teacher.  Cathy is proud to call herself a quilter, but admits that since she started her business she can only find time to sew when on quilting retreats which happen 3 or 4 times a year! She loves the ocean and sunshine.

      Cathy's decision to start her business was a matter of life or death. Seriously! Faced with a life threatening disease due to stress from the corporate world, she made the decision to launch her bookkeeping business. Six months after starting her business she was introduced to Paper Tiger to help her clients and from there her life took a totally different direction. She found her passion in life was to help people be organized, focused and more productive so they can enjoy life.

     A local celebrity, Cathy is a co-author of “Focus, Organization and Productivity,” and “Exploring Productivity”. Both books are based on improving success in the workplace. She is also a member of The Network for Productivity Excellence, the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) and the local chapter of American Society of Training and Development (ASTD). Cathy was recognized by the Fenton Chamber of Commerce as Board Member of the Year 2008, Small Business of the Year 2006 and completed the Women Entrepreneur Program through St. Louis Community College.

Training Opportunities

A Red Bench

     A red bench stands for “conversations that matter” and that is what A Red Bench is all about. Founded by two Professional Organizers; Angela Ploetz CPO® and Christa Wagner CPO®, A Red Bench is the go-to resource to get answers to your burning business questions. This is done by offering teleclasses twice each month where Angela and Christa interview some of the savviest business and marketing experts to get the answers.

     A Red Bench also has a popular e-book called Profitable Pricing: Setting Fees to Attract the Right Clients and their popular Business Forms for Organizers.

     With all the buzz about social media, A Red Bench is offering a very timely and jam packed telesummit on June 10th & 11th called Embrace Social Media. Electronic Marketing and social media like Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, blogging, and web-sites have changed traditional marketing. In this telesummit you will learn how to use social media and electronic marketing to grow your business and gain new clients.

New Members

Bales LLC, www.junkman4hire.com or www.yourhandyman4hire.com

     Bales LLC provides a professional and affordable junk removal service to its customers, while also offering a trusted and skilled handyman service. Their goal is to build long term relationships with businesses and customers.

Gaylynn Winn, Organize It One Room At A Time:

     A resident of Columbia, Missouri for 13 years, Gaylynn lives with her husband and 16 year old daughter. Her passion for organizing grew from organizing her closet when she was younger, organizing her own family's home and belongings, organizing and detail cleaning for a family's second home, to starting her organizing business two years ago. Gaylynn says "It is what I love to do every day! It is a blessing for me to be able to help others purge, de-clutter and organize their space into a peaceful living/working place."

Stacey Cheek, Design Resources of St Louis LLC:

     Stacey has been married to her husband Jon for 11 years and they have two children, Sydney (8) and Carson (5). They live in a log home in High Ridge with their two dogs, Bassio and Hank. Stacey has always had the desire to help people get organized in their homes. After being a paralegal and chief compliance officer of an estate and financial planning firm for over 12 years, she decided she wanted to take more control of her life and position herself to be able to have a successful organizing business and do what she loves by the time she reaches her retirement years. Now that’s thinking ahead!

Mimi Burns, Design Solutions by Mimi LLC

     Mimi is blessed with two wonderful children, her son Pierce (7) and daughter Taylor (5). She entered the field of Interior Design in 1996 and started her design business in 1999. For the past seven years, Mimi has been primarily a stay at home mom. After being married for ten years, she is starting a new journey of single motherhood. Mimi says "through prayer, I have realized over the past year that although I love decorating, my true passion is for organizing. My hope is to honor God and motivate people". (Mimi's website is still being created.)