Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Staffon.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My husband Greg and I never thought we’d be in business for ourselves 11 years ago. We both worked in the television industry at Warner Bros and thought that’s where we would stay until retirement. As it would turn out, I got laid off at the end of 2005 and that started the ball rolling. After lots of thought and discussion, Greg decided he wanted to leave his job and that we should sell our house in Burbank. As this was the height of the market, we knew we could go somewhere cheaper and start anew. So we sold, went to Colorado where my brother lived and set up camp there. Realizing we needed something to do, I tapped into our strengths and came up with the organizing business. With only a website, business cards and some flyers we started organizing. We did really well, but soon realized Colorado and cold was not for us native Californians, so we moved back to Southern CA and kept right on organizing. We’ve had one goal, to make every client feel like the only client and I think that is what keeps bringing us new business.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has been fairly smooth. I think the biggest challenges have been how to charge and at what price. That has changed through the years. We originally did a set fee for a space but people would take advantage of that, so we started charging by the hour, which has worked much better over the years. We have also had to decide on what kind of jobs not to do. For example, we chose not to work with hoarders after doing it once and realizing we didn’t want to fight with people about keeping trash, literally. Of course there is always the challenge of trying to take time off and get away for a vacation, but that happens maybe once a year.
Home Organizers Plus – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We organize both residential and commercial spaces. We don’t really specialize in any one area as we have organized almost any space you can imagine. We’ve done everything from your typical filing systems and household spaces, to the unique ones like preparing an earthquake kit and organizing an RV.
We are known for being fast. When we tell potential clients that we can get their space done in four hours they are amazed. I sometimes think they hire us just to see if we can transform their space that fast. Yes, we can!
We are most proud of the relationships that we build with clients. They know that they can trust us and that we will always work hard for them. I think what sets us apart is the fact that there are two of us. Many organizers are women and they work alone. There is great value there. Also, we don’t charge for things like shopping time, travel time, or donating unwanted items. Many others charge to do these things, and even charge for a consult.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is being proud of every job when we are finished. We don’t need to make a lot of money to feel successful. We know we are making a personal impact on every person we work with so that is success to us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.homeorganizersplus.com
- Phone: 818-831-1026
- Email: [email protected]
- Facebook: Facebook.com/home organizers plus
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