How I Make $8K/Month Helping Organizers Automate Their Business
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hey there! My name is Amber Barrett and I’m the founder and CEO of Arranged by Amber. I started this business in 2018 as a Professional Organizing service, but through pivots and lots of trial and error, this business now supports other Professional Organizers by implementing business systems and automation into their businesses.
Since I was young I loved organizing, color coding, and making any space (even if it wasn’t my own) tidy! After feeling extremely burnt out from my 9-5 job, I leaped and started my very own organizing business. I was a full-time organizer for about 2 years, and during that time I realized just how many hats a business owner had to wear.
Today, Arranged by Amber averages $8,000/month helping Professional Organizers implement business strategies and systems that save them time and money.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
As a Professional Organizer, the best part of my job was working in my client’s home, transforming spaces, and getting to shop at The Container Store. Managing the intake process of new clients, sending out contracts and invoices, plus getting testimonials was the part that I never seemed to have time for or even enjoyed. However, it was necessary for the success of my business.
When I found out about Dubsado and set it up for my own business I couldn't believe how much time it was saving me and how much I enjoyed working in the system. The more I used it, the more I talked about it with my organizer friends and I quickly got requests from them to help set up the system for their businesses as well.
Between juggling between intaking new leads, sending proposals, contracts, invoices, and payment reminders, as well as working hands-on in my client’s homes, things were starting to become hectic! That’s when I discovered Dubsado CRM.
Dubsado enable me to focus on the parts of my business that I enjoyed, while it handled a lot of the day-to-day administrative work that I never seemed to have time for.
After setting up the system for multiple people I realized it was something I enjoyed and something that a lot of organizers could benefit from, so I decided to start advertising my services and see if I would get any clients. After only a few days my calendar was booked with new clients and I decided to hang up my organizing shoes, and pivot to offer Dubsado Setups full-time.
Since I was a Professional Organizer, I was very familiar with the industry and new exactly how Dubsado could help. This made the transition from Organizer to System Strategist seamless, and was the best of both worlds for me!
Take us through the process of designing your services
When I first started offering Dubsado setups there weren’t many other people doing this type of work so I wasn’t sure how to charge for my services. Right or wrong, I just looked up the few people I knew that offered setups and I took the average investment and that’s what I started charging.
For months I marketed my setups to service providers in all industries, but the more I worked with Professional Organizers I knew that was the industry I loved working with the most. I was nervous to niche down since I felt like I would be missing out on a large demographic, and that I could be hurting my sales. However, I leaped and began exclusively offering setups for Pro. Organizers in 2020. By niching down, I was able to establish myself as an industry expert, and my business has grown significantly since then.
Fast forward to today in 2022, I started a digital shop where I sell instant downloads so that Professional Organizers that want to DIY their setup can achieve their goal without feeling overwhelmed or making a large investment. This way those that cannot commit to the investment of a full done for you setup, can still get their businesses organized and create systems to save time.
Describe the process of launching the business.
Launching my Dubsado setup business was a lot easier than setting up my Professional Organizer business since I already had gone through the process of creating a website, generating a following on social media, and creating a business account.
Before I ever started offering setup services publicly I worked with friends to test out the service and to see if there would even be a demand for it. Once I had proof that this was something Organizers not only needed but were actively looking for, I hired a designer to redo my website to fit my new business, and I started talking about my services on Instagram.
It took about 4 months from launch before I started getting a steady flow of customers for Dubsado setups. A major way I was able to get clients was by posting helpful tips and answering questions in a Professional Organizer Facebook group. I was already a part of the group since I originally started as an organizer and since my target audience was organizers this was the perfect place to get my name and services out into the community.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Personally, Instagram has been a major help in getting business. Many Organizers are on Instagram because it is a great place for them to showcase their work and the spaces they have transformed. I would always make it a point to connect with and engage with them on the platform and prioritize my content to be specific to Professional Organizer business owners.
You have to be good at a lot of different things, but also know when it is time to outsource and get help.
Referrals have also been a wonderful source of business. Many Organizers will talk to their other organizer friends about how Dusbado has changed their business for the better and how I can help them. I also make it a point to share my referral program to encourage past clients to talk about their experiences working with me. For each referral that books a setup with me, the person that did the referring receives a $100 as a thank you.
PR has also been a huge help. I was featured in Yahoo Finance last year as one of the Top 10 Dubsado Specialist to watch in 2021. In addition, Dubsado has also recently rolled out a certification program for people that offer setup. After becoming certified I was able to have a profile created on their site advertising my services, and my website.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
As of today, the business is profitable with an average monthly gross profit of $6000. As a one-woman show, with very few expenses, I am so happy with the outcome. This business allows me to have so much flexibility and an income that supports the life I enjoy living.
Just start! You won’t have all the answers and you will never feel ready.
In the future, I would like to expand my online store and create more accessible products for business owners that would like to set up their accounts by hiring an expert. In addition, I would love to speak at conferences for Professional Organizers and share how business systems and automation can transform an organizing business for the better!
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
Running a business is full of ups and downs and therefore I constantly feel like I am learning! You have to be good at a lot of different things, but also know when it is time to outsource and get help.
A thick skin is also vital as not everyone is going to mesh well with you and there will certainly be times when you may receive a negative review. Perseverance, however, is probably the most important lesson that I have learned. Sometimes you have a new idea that you believe everyone is going to want and you end up getting not a single client. Sometimes you get people reaching out interested in your services only to have them ghost you and never book. Regardless, never giving up is so important.
Also - know your numbers! If you hate bookkeeping, hire someone. If not, take careful records so you know if you are profitable, spending too much, or need to adjust certain areas.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
It should go without saying that I use Dubsado as my CRM. It has so many features, but the automation is the best. Google Workspace for email and storage.
Squarespace is where I host my site, but I also use Shopify Lite to embed onto my website to sell my digital products.
Finally, I use Zapier for even further automation, Flodesk as my email marketing system, and Quickbooks for bookkeeping.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
Automic Habits by James Clear. This book not only helped me in business but also my personal life. It is a wonderful teaching about how to create small but mighty habits in your life to create big change and results. I would highly recommend it!
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
Don’t get too bogged down by research. You can spend countless hours researching all the things, reading all the books, and asking for all the advice, but sometimes that can be a bad thing. Just start! You won’t have all the answers and you will never feel ready.
Also, utilize free resources. Canvais an amazing resource to create graphics, and even creating a website! Use social media, SEO, and Google My Business to get your name out there!
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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