Running a small business is hard work. There are long days that include managing lots of paperwork and emails, scheduling marketing calls and presentations, face-to-face client appointments (the best part of my job), keeping my calendar balanced, my desk organized and my car neat and clean.
I have two forms of back office, both of which are totally necessary to maintain my business and personal health.
BUSINESS: This includes my accountant, attorney, QuickBooks support team, computer support team (you know, for the days that everything crashes), business coach and web designer.
PERSONAL: This includes my chiropractor, dentist, primary care physician, allergist, hairdresser, geriatric care manager (to manage my 94-year-old uncle’s doctor’s appointments), personal trainer, massage therapist, personal shopper who also doubles as our decorator and my beloved family and friends.
When I first started working hands-on with clients, I realized very quickly that I was out of shape and needed to develop strength in my upper body, core and legs. My back was screaming for help and my arms felt like rubber at the end of the day. Before I became a professional organizer, I did not know the difference between a gluteus maximus and triceps. I learned quickly that regular visits to the chiropractor and a consistent schedule with a personal trainer and massage therapist are not luxuries but necessities for me to stay in business.
Most people who meet me for the first time comment about how fit I look and my abundance of energy. Of course I am fit, I am burning calories all day long and working out in classes doing serious weight training and stretching. I eat a well-balanced diet, and eat when I am hungry. For the first time in my life I am working hard to keep weight on!
Staying fit and strong does not come easy, but I make it happen and I tell my clients that they can make important life changes happen too. Whether it’s clearing a wider path to the kitchen from the den, or sorting through all the clothes on the floor in the bedroom, with support and encouragement you can put your back-office team to work for you to achieve your personal goals.
You don’t have to be a high-powered executive to require the support of a back office. Many of my clients who are retired live very busy lives and have rich social schedules. Everyone is managing their calendars with some sort of system, whether it’s electronic or paper. Some need help organizing their daily mail, or perhaps a session or two tweaking their closets.
Many times I receive phone calls from friends, children or parents of people who are suffering from the side effects of living with too much stuff. Some may be collectors or may live in clutter, and some may be hoarders.
I view these callers as the “back office” support to their family members and loved ones. How sweet that they are reaching out to inquire about my services for their friend, mother, daughter, aunt, etc. I listen, acknowledge their pain and then explain that before anything can be done I need to hear directly from the person in need. Sometimes that call never is made, but when it does come through it can be a very sweet win for everyone.
I get to see firsthand the relationships between mothers and daughters (and assorted family members) and the frustrations that both sides have for each other’s “stuff.” But at the end of the day, both parties know that they are lucky to have each other and know that someone in fact has their back.
It’s never too late to hire your “back office” and put some changes in place. Now, about the pile of mail on your kitchen table…
Happy organizing!
By Eileen Bergman
Eileen Bergman is a professional organizer, a proud member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD). Eileen may be reached at 973 303 3236 or [email protected].
