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Interview With . . . Eileen Kirna of Kirna Consulting LLC Denville, NJ by Maria Gracia 1. How long have you been in business? I have been in business for 10 years. 2. Is this your primary business, or a part-time business? Professional Organizing is my primary business, but I also do interior redesigns and real estate stagings. 3. Are you a member of NAPO? (Please indicate if you're an officer.) Yes, I am a member of NAPO and the NSGCD. 4. Why did you become a professional organizer? In 1999, I realized that many professionals were choosing to work from home, but they didn't have the resources they once had in a corporate setting. They needed onsite support to create an efficient office environment in a residential setting and to learn how to coordinate the technology they were expected to use. 5. What type of organizing do you specialize in (home, office, etc.)? I specialize in home and home office organizing. I also do one-day redesigns and real estate stagings (preparing the home for sale). Because I can offer these expanded services, I am frequently hired by the same client for all three functions, thereby generating a lifetime client. 6. Do you sell products, services, or seminars? Please describe. I do one-on-one training for new professional organizers and one-on-one business training with established organizers to help them better market themselves and increase their profitability. 7. Have you written a book(s)? If so, what is the title(s)? I don't have plans in the immediate future to write a book, but have written articles that have been published on the Internet. 8. Do you publish a newsletter? If so, is it a print newsletter, or an e-zine? Is it free, or is there a charge? I send a quarterly information sheet on various topics to my clients. Last time I sent interior design tips to redesign their space, and next time it may be on recycling and paper management. Anyone can sign up for my information sheets by sending me an email. 9. Do you have a web site? If so, what is the address? Yes, it's www.kirnaconsulting.com 10. Is travel a big part of your business? I service all of northern and central New Jersey, but most of my business is within a 30 minute drive from my home office. 11. Who is your primary target audience? Residential clients and executives working from home, full or part-time. 12. Describe your typical workday. A typical day involves sending my 7 year old boy off to school, then driving to meet with a client for a four-hour work session. The afternoons are spent returning phone calls, doing Internet and catalog product research for clients, and sometimes shopping in stores for them. Redesigns typically take a half day and real estate stagings typically take a half to full day. 13. Every person interested in entering the professional organizing field is wondering, "Can I make enough money doing this?" What is your outlook on this question? Absolutely. However, you must be willing to invest many hours in your business, have an outstanding web site, author articles, network with peers, do speaking engagements and workshops, attend conferences, workshops and teleconferences, be available to the press, and keep up on the latest and greatest storage products. 14. Which of the following marketing vehicles have you used to help you grow your business (direct mail, newspaper advertising, free workshops, radio, television, web site, e-zine, telemarketing, yellow pages, joint ventures with other professionals, publicity, other: please describe)? I have done very little newspaper and magazine advertising, and do not advertise in print telephone directories. Instead, I have gained valuable exposure by agreeing to be featured in local and national newspaper and magazine articles. The bulk of my business comes from having a professionally designed web site and from referrals from existing clients. 15. Which one marketing technique have you found works the best for you? Please describe. Honestly, the best way to market your services is by doing an outstanding job for your clients. If you consistently go above and beyond your promises, and listen to what they really want, they will be happy to send multiple referrals to you. 16. Describe a successful, creative marketing technique that you use, or that you've used in the past. If someone mentions that they know someone 'who REALLY needs your services', give them another business card and ask them to contact that person and give a testimonial to them. Then follow up to see if they have had a chance to speak with that person. 17. Do you feel that networking plays a big role in growing your business? Yes. You are just one person and can't know or do it all. There are times when you'll need advice about a particular client situation or product or need help strategizing, and your colleages are uniquely qualified to help you. Be prepared to support them and send them referrals, and don't look at them as competiton, but as valued collegues you can learn from. 18. What do you do to generate referrals? I ask my clients throughout the process of working with them if they know of anyone who might need my services. Also, I have a tag line on my client emails that asks for the same. That tagline is a very effective marketing tool. 19. What do you find to be the most exciting part of your business? Meeting people from all walks of life, having people trust me with their most personal information, being able to problem solve for them, and many times building a long-term friendship with them. 20. What do you find to be the most frustrating part of your business? There are times when a client will get discouraged in the midst of a very lengthly project and decide not to finish, or a personal emergency will arise which prevents them from finishing. That is very frustrating for both parties. 21. Describe your greatest success in this field. I have worked hard to educate myself on working with people with all sorts of challenges, including ADD, ADHD, CD, OCD and brain injuries. Knowing that I've helped reduce the frustrations in their daily life is very satisfying. 22. As a professional organizer, do you have a funny story to share? I have so many funny stories, I woudn't know where to start! Here's one I can share without breaking confidentiality: While working with a long-term client (whose husband was NOT told she was working with me because she felt he wouldn't approve) her husband came home unexpectedly from work with a bad back, and I had to sneak out the front door while he came in from the back. Driving away from the house, I felt like I had COMMITTED A CRIME, and still laugh about it to this day. 23. As an organizer, what professional organizing information or tools are you always on the lookout for? Products to aid in paper management. 24. Looking ahead, what do you see as your greatest challenge? My greatest challenge is that I am only able to be in one place at a time. I would like to offer workshops so that I can help multiple people at a time. 25. What is your best tip for people interested in becoming professional organizers? First, you have to LOVE organizing. Second you have to love meeting and learning from new people. Third, you must have excellent problem solving skills. Fourth, you have the confidence of knowing that if you can do it for yourself, you can do it for others. Fifth, you have to carefully listen to what the client is telling you, and not assume you know what they really need. 
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