NAPO-NY
NEWSLETTER
December 2008/January
2009
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| MISSION
STATEMENT |
NAPO-NY
is committed to serving the needs of its
membership and the organizing industry by
promoting high professional standards. We provide
ongoing professional development and a networking
forum, and we increase public awareness of the
organizing
profession.
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COMING
ATTRACTIONS
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February/March 2009
Issue
Feature:
FENG
SHUI
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April/May
2009
Issue
Feature:
SENIOR
NEEDS
*****************************
June/July
2009
Issue Feature:
WORKING WITH CREATIVE
TYPES
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| NAPO-NY
WEBINARS |
Please
join us as we proudly present two,
not-to-be-missed webinars:
Monday
- January 12, 2009
8:00pm-9:30pm
EST:
Deb
Stanley, CPOŽ -
Copycats:
A Primer on Protecting and Respecting Intellectual
Property
***********************************
Monday
- February 9, 2009
8:00pm-9:30pm
EST:
Lisa
Montanaro, JD, CPOŽ -
Don't
Be Afraid of the Big Bad Law: Demystifying Legal
Issues in Your Organizing Business
***********************************
For more
information and to
register
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UPCOMING
CHAPTER MEETINGS
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Date:
Monday
- January 5, 2009
Location:
Cicatelli
Associates
505 8th Avenue @ 35th
St.
20th
floor
New York
City
Subject:
Calling
All Clients -
How are
organizers helpful (or not!) to you? How can
organizers improve?
Panel Discussion with
Chapter members and clients.
***********************************
Date:
Monday
- February 2, 2009
Location:
Cicatelli
Associates
505 8th Avenue @ 35th St.
20th
floor
New York City
Subject:
Team
Organizing and Managing Large
Projects
Panel to be
announced
***********************************
Note:
Guests
welcome to attend for a $25
fee.
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| NEWSLETTER
STAFF |
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| JOIN OUR
LIST |
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| LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT |
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Dear
Colleague:
"Change" - I love that word! So many new
and wonderful things come with it. Look at the
last six months alone:
- Six months ago, six new chapter members
moved onto the NAPO-NY Board of Directors. The
creative programming, the camaraderie, and the
energy have certainly changed the way our
chapter operates since that day.
- The economy has made all of us much more
aware of how our lives are affected by Wall
Street and the world around us. I think we are
all more sensitive to other people because of
it.
- We are experiencing a momentous time in our
history as an African-American becomes president
of the U.S.
"Change" and "Move" go
together:
- Your Board is in the process of moving our
old belongings out of a storage facility (don't
say that too loudly!) and transferring all of
our documents to digital format.
- People are struggling to make ends meet -
many must move out of their homes.
- A new family is moving into the White
House.
Helping people move is certainly
one of the areas that many of us are familiar with
and several of us specialize in. We offer packing
and unpacking services, staging services, provide
resources and referrals to a number of our
associate members in order to make the transition
to a new home or office easier, and we provide the
organizing and planning skills many people don't
possess and need assistance with to help with a
smooth transition. The moving industry is
big - many organizers specialize in helping
seniors prepare to downsize, stagers make homes
more attractive in order to sell them faster and
at a higher price, and organizers assist clients
with packing and select storage space for their
ultimate destination. People count on us for our
organizing skills.They rely on us to make sure
their belongings are kept safe, to move everything
from point A to point B, and provide them with
guidance and security as they transition to a new
time of their lives. What tremendous
responsibility we carry and offer to our
clients! Now is a great opportunity to work
and meet with fellow organizers. When preparing
for a move, you will most likely need extra people
to help you get the job done. NAPO-NY has an
Assistants List on our website, which provides a
list of organizers who will be glad to work with
you if you need a helping hand. Take advantage of
what each of us has to offer. Don't be afraid to
introduce yourself to others, including all of us
on the Board. As we move forward
into 2009, your Board of Directors is looking
forward to getting to know all of you better. We
are looking for more volunteers to help us bring
new ideas and change to the chapter. Take a big
step and become more involved with our chapter. We
are growing so fast, having so much more fun, and
becoming so much smarter because we are all coming
together as one. Come and join us as
we move this chapter to the forefront! I'd love
to hear from you! Diana Soll, CPOŽ President, NAPO-NY
Chapter |
ISSUE FEATURE: Moving/Relocations
Article #1
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A Day In The Life of
a Move Coordinator
Linda Rothschild
Cross It
Off Your List,
LLC
If you:
* love
controlling a team of guys and telling them what
to do
* have a strong stomach for things
getting damaged (accidents happen)
* can
tolerate everything being your fault even when it
is not
* love working physical 8-12 hour
non-stop days
* like projects with a
beginning, a middle and an end
* can deal
with unexpected changes to the schedule - the
contractor is not finished, the building is not
finished, the closing was postponed, the elevator
is broken, there are painters and electricians
working everywhere while you are moving
in
...then relocation may be perfect for
you.
We at Cross It Off Your
List love it. We have to.
Managing a
relocation, no matter how small or large, has
three distinct components - the prep, the actual
move and the unpacking - each with a different
need. For the prep, you need the client. For the
move, you need your resources, and for the
unpacking, you need The Container
Store.
Whether it's a studio apartment or a
large house, you have to be able to think on your
feet and solve even the simplest of problems: the
couch does not fit out the door, the movers don't
have tools to take the armoire apart, cable TV has
not shown up, there's a box missing, the building
is going to shut you out at 4:00 and your client
expects to sleep at the new apartment that night
with her TV. You have to make it
happen.
During a recent large residential
move in Chicago, the movers carried a heavy
bathroom vanity with a marble sink (one of 90
items going to Christie's for auction) down two
flights of stairs. They placed it on a dolly on
its side with the sink end at the top, but the
weight of the sink was too much for that angle.
The crash could be heard in every corner of the
house.
On another move of a woman and her
enormous wardrobe (think fourth floor of
Barney's), we tried to get her to understand that
it was not all going to fit in the new closet she
designed. After we filled all the closet space we
had, we were still left with fifteen racks of
hanging clothes and shoes four rows deep under
each rack. She wanted to know why it didn't fit.
Then it took us eight months to be paid.
If
you're planning to go into relocation, here's what
you need:
1. Good relationships with the
right vendors. The short list would be movers,
electricians, handymen, places that pick up
donations, and cleaning people. And you may need
them at the last minute.
2. Agreements with
clients that spell out what you are doing and what
your liability is. Have them sign it.
3.
Liability insurance to protect yourself and your
business.
Also, be sure to plan enough time
for unpacking. It always takes longer than you
think.
Handling a move is a lot of work and
you're managing a lot of details. But the look on
your clients' faces when they walk in the door and
see that everything is put away in a perfectly
organized way is worth all the drama in
between.
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ISSUE
FEATURE: Moving/Relocations
Article
#2
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Organizing Moves and
Relocations
Gillian Wells
Simple
Solutions by Gillian Wells
LLC
Moves and relocations
are the perfect time to de-clutter and organize. I
like to go room by room donating, tossing and
sorting. Give each member of the family a book box
with their name on it for the items they "must
have the first night" at their new place. They
will either take these boxes with them or these
boxes will be the last boxes on the truck and the
first off.
Choose a mover based on the
client's needs - basic move, high-end art and/or
antiques. Different movers have different skills.
The mover packs everything; this way everything is
insured. Marking the boxes as they are packed is
also essential to unpacking when you get to the
move-in location. At the move-in location, I
always feel like the conductor directing the
movers to bring the boxes to their proper room. I
use blue tape on doors and I write the name of
each room with a Sharpie on the tape. I always
have the mover unpack as much as possible.
Apartment buildings especially love it when movers
remove the packing material. AND if anything is
damaged, you find out right away and can deal with
the movers immediately.
A week or two
before the move, contact both locations and find
out if there are any time restrictions, insurance
requirements, and moving fees. Give all this
information to the moving company so they can set
up their schedule accordingly. (Certificates of
insurance can take three to five days to process.)
Schedule all utilities to be turned on in
the new place. Are the cable boxes being moved?
Pack them and their cables in boxes; mark which
television they go to and which room they need to
go in. Set up all installations. I had to hire a
pool table installation company for one client
since the pool table was dismantled when
moved.
After everything is unpacked, I like
to set up as much as possible for my client:
putting the dishes away, some basic food in the
fridge, toilet paper, soap, towels, beds made, cat
food and litter in place. Their "must have the
first night" box is unpacked and put in their room
in a pre-determined location where it is easy for
the client to find. This makes a stressful event
easier!
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JOIN THE
NAPO-NY LEADERSHIP TEAM
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The
Nomination Committee is looking
for
candidates who have the "right
stuff"!
Do
you have the drive, strategic vision, leadership
ability, enthusiasm for working with your peers
and talent to guide, encourage and motivate
others? Anyone with these qualities may be a good
candidate to join the leadership team of
NAPO-NY, our fast-growing professional
organization.
Serving on the Board of
Directors affords you the opportunity to become a
leader of our community and our profession. The
NAPO-NY Nominating Committee asks that you take a
moment to consider who among us would be a good
candidate for any of the following
positions:
President
Vice-President
Secretary
Treasurer
Communictions/Technology
Director
Marketing Director
Membership
Director
Professional Development
Director
If you have any
questions or would like a brief description of
each position, please contact Ann Bingley Gallops, Immediate
Past President and Nomination Committee
Chair.
Each position has a one-year term
that begins on May 15, 2009. All candidates must
meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a regular Chapter Member
- Consent to serve, if elected
- Be able to attend regular Chapter and Board
meetings
If you'd like to help ensure our
continued success, you're encouraged to nominate
yourself or a colleague (please be sure to get
their permission before nominating a fellow
chapter member) to the 2009 - 2010 NAPO-NY Board
of Directors. The deadline for nominations is
January 30, 2009. At that time the Nominating
Committee will review each submission and place
qualified candidates on the slate that will appear
on the February ballot. Please send nominations
via email to past_president@napo-ny.net or
via mail to: NAPO-NY Nominating Committee, 459
Columbus Avenue, PMB #210, NY, NY
10024.
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| NAPO'S 21ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND
ORGANIZING EXPOSITION |
|
April 29 - May 2, 2009
Caribe Royale All-Suites
Hotel &
Convention
CenterOrlando, Florida
Mark your calendars
now!For more info or to register
visit napo.net.
Announcing the 2009 Conference
Talent
Show!
The
NAPO Talent Show Committee is well underway with
planning for the back-by-popular-demand 2nd annual
Talent Show at NAPO'S 21st Annual Conference and
Organizing Exposition. This after-dinner
extravaganza will be held at the Caribe Royale
Orlando on April 29th. This year's show should be
bigger and better, with attendance expected at
400, featuring the talents of your colleagues from
across the nation. Tickets are $50 and include a
wide variety of dessert items, coffee, teas and
one drink ticket. The evening ends with the panel
of talent show judges awarding prizes - donated by
NAPO's chapters - to the top participants.
In addition to acts, the Talent Show
Committee is looking for volunteer stagehands,
ushers, a judge attendant and a sound coordinator.
You'll be required to attend the dress rehearsal
and volunteer orientation, as well as arrive early
before the theater doors open. The committee is
preparing a web page with application details and
job descriptions. For details, contact TalentShow@NAPO.net or look for
information and an application on the NAPO
website. Here are some important
Talent Show dates to keep in
mind: ˇ
January - Conference
registration opens and Talent
Show
ticket sales begin. ˇ
March 1st - Application
deadline for Talent Show
acts. ˇ
March 20th - Notification if your act is
accepted. ˇ
April 2nd - Talent Show ticket
purchase deadline. ˇ
April 29th - Talent Show dress
rehearsal at 5 PM. ˇ
April 29th - The Talent
Show: 8 - 11:00
PM. |
| NEW MEMBERS |
|
Linda
Corey, Karinya Organizing
Solutions
Annie
Figenshu
Wendy
Glickstein, REALLY
NEAT!
Karen
Guccione
Laura Jacob, Pro Way
Develpment
Ellen
Kosloff, Ellen Kosloff,
Inc.
Natalie
Schrier, Clutter
Cutter
Collette
Shine, Organize and
Shine
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| GO MONTH |
|
GET OUT THERE AND GET
NOTICED!
The purpose of GO Month is to bring industry
awareness to the forefront and to the media. While the
NY Chapter plans to host their GO Month event later in
the year, we are encouraging our members to plan their
own local events during January. Are you part of
a neighborhood organization that would like to host and
advertise your event? Or maybe a local library,
bookstore or home furnishings store would be interested?
Think you're too new to the industry? Consider teaming
up with another member. We will be preparing a list of
ideas and resources for you to utilize in your efforts,
so look for our upcoming email. So What's In the Works for the
NY Chapter? As a chapter, we hope to host an
April event that we will tie into Earth Day although
we're open to other suggestions...but remember this can
only happen with member involvement. What Do We Need?
- The Chair:
A new member has stepped up to the challenge, but
we're still looking for another member who will
co-chair.
- The
Committee: And of course a committee of people
to help us meet our goals.
Get Thinking
about January... Get Involved in April... and Get
GOing!
To find out how or for more
information, please visit our GO Month
Page. |
| GOLDEN CIRCLE MEMBER SPOTLIGHT |
|
Golden Circle
originated in 1990 as a way to recognize veteran members
with a special designation for their dedication to the
organizing profession and to NAPO. There are more than
600 members throughout the country and 68 members in our
local group alone. We hope you enjoy this
opportunity to get to know - or become better acquainted
with - your Golden Circle colleagues. For more
information on Golden Circle, please contact Donna
Goldberg.
Dorothy Madden
ORGANIZE
IT!
My company, ORGANIZE IT!, was
formed in 1997 and I joined Golden Circle in
2003.
Like many of you, my organizing business
was created because a colleague pointed out my
organizing strengths and said I should put them to
greater use! She recommended Michael Gerber's
book, The E-Myth
Revisited. Reading it confirmed that
organizing was my strength and perhaps I should pursue
it - but how?
Unaware of professional organizing,
I explored the Internet and found NAPO. Wow - an
organization of like-minded folks who charged for their
services and made a career out of it - what a concept
and how right it felt for me!
After
completing legal documents, my company was formed and I
joined NAPO in February 1998. While awaiting membership
information, I contacted NAPO to inquire about
networking with organizers around the country. I was
full of questions and eager to learn.
They
directed me to Stephanie Denton, Membership Chair, who
suggested I attend the upcoming national conference
because, as she assured me, it would shorten my learning
curve by two to three years. I was convinced and off I
went to the 1998 conference in Portland, Oregon.
Stephanie was right. I learned a lot, gained confidence,
and connected with organizers around the country who
became friends and advisors.
I'm a former
teacher and have a Master's Degree in Education. Now,
instead of teaching students in a school setting, I'm
teaching people of all ages who have found that what
they've been doing is no longer working for them and
they are ready to change. I feel fortunate to do what I
love and I love what I do.
I work with
residential, small office/home office, and corporate
clients and thoroughly enjoy the mix. I've been
published in local business journals and newspapers and
have had numerous local TV and radio appearances.
I received the "Home-Based Business of the Year
Award" from the U.S. Small Business Administration's
Buffalo District, an area covering 14 counties in
2004. That same year I was also recognized as
"Inspiring Businesswoman of the Year" by the National
Association of Women Business Owners' Rochester
Chapter.
Based in Rochester, I don't attend
Golden Circle meetings as often as I would like.
However, the meetings I've attended I've truly
enjoyed. The camaraderie of professional
organizers is unparalleled and refreshing. I just wish I
lived closer!
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AT OUR LAST
MEETING...
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NOVEMBER : Is Orange the new Black?
At the
November 3 Chapter meeting you couldn't help
but notice
how many members were wearing orange and/or sporting
orange accessories. Either they missed the "Halloween is over"
memo or the rest of us missed
the "Orange is the new
Black" memo! Or perhaps
they're just up on their Feng Shui and know that the
color orange is associated with "organization". Whatever the
reason, their vibrant color choice definitely enlivened
the proceedings.
Please
join us for the next informative and fun-filled NAPO-NY
Chapter meeting - the first of the New Year - on Monday,
January 5, 2009. We look forward to seeing you
there!
From left to
right: Chapter President
Diana Soll, Immediate Past President Ann Bingley
Gallops,
Gail Furgal, Troy Kirschner, Sondra
Schiff, Roxanne Lorch
and
Professional Development Director Amanda
Wiss.
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DECEMBER: NAPO-NY
holiday party.
A very special "Thank
You!" to
Vice President Nancy
Heller for finding the venue and making all
the arrangements for this year's holiday party. We
had a private room, a delicious Chinese buffet and a lot
of fun! We
missed all of you who couldn't make it this year and
hope you'll put our 2009 holiday party on your calendar
now!
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