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On this page:
...Why
Become A Professional Organizer?
...Where
Do Organizers Come From?
...What
Are the Benefits of NAPO Membership?
...What
Are the Benefits of NAPO-SFBA Membership?
...What
Do NAPO-SFBA Members Do?
...Should
I Join?
...What
Does It Cost To Join NAPO-SFBA?
...What
Happens When I Become A Member?
...New
Member Orientation
...Golden
Circle Membership
...Questions?
...Application
Form
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You can cut through the clutter better than anyone. If a surprise
television camera crew showed up to videotape your closets,
you’d be proud. It takes you 10 seconds to find anything
you’ve ever filed. Your friends are always telling you,
“I wish you’d organize me!” Or you offer another
special expertise relevant to our field. Now you yearn to
turn your talent into a career as a professional organizer.
Through NAPO-SFBA, you’ll find the country’s best
workshops, networking opportunities, apprenticeships, newsletters
and other resources to learn how.
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If you’re
happiest when you’re organizing something... |
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If you work to establish
harmony and order in everything you do... |
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If you were always the
most organized person in your career as a teacher, attorney,
nurse, or computer expert... |
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If you find
yourself drawn inexorably toward the organizing aspects
of your field... |
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If you get a thrill from
helping other people get their messes cleaned up and straightened
out... |
...then you can easily imagine how good
it feels to find yourself getting paid, and paid nicely, to
do what you already love! And when you’re in business
for yourself, you’ll have the flexibility to schedule
your own time.
Join Here
Organizers come from all walks of life.
It’s amazing that people with such different life experiences,
work histories, hobbies, and values have all been drawn into
the same career of professional organizing. Some of us got
here because we were born with the ability to create order
in our lives and the lives around us. Others of us have developed
our organizing skills out of sheer necessity. No matter what
your background, career choices, and life experience, you
too can become a successful professional organizer. Here’s
a glimpse into the backgrounds of some of our members:
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Schoolteachers
who enjoy working with families to set up systems that support
the smooth functioning of parents and children. |
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Attorneys
and legal secretaries who know the value of keeping complete,
comprehensive records, both at work and in the home. |
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Systems
analysts and computer programmers who can break down
a complex problem into manageable parts and develop logical
solutions. |
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Accountants
and bookkeepers who help others keep their financial
records in tip-top shape. |
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Chefs
who create customized meals for families and businesses. |
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Therapists who understand
the complex relationships that connect people to their things.
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Corporate
employees who understand the needs of busy offices and
know how crucial systems are to the efficiency of the workplace. |
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Interior
designers who improve the feel and flow of a home or
office by rearranging the items within the space. |
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Detail-oriented
people who are naturally able to set up easy systems
for others.
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NAPO-SFBA members come from all these fields,
plus many others. Come to a chapter meeting
and see for yourself!
Join Here
The National Association of Professional
Organizers (NAPO) is the only association in the world devoted
strictly to professional organizers. Its motto is, “Together
We Are Better!” By working cooperatively instead of competitively,
NAPO members offer each other education, support, camaraderie,
and international publicity. Here are just some of the benefits
of NAPO membership:
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For many, the greatest benefit of
joining NAPO is participating in local events. As a National
member, you are qualified to join the local NAPO chapter.
And the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter (NAPO-SFBA) is the
largest, friendliest, and most dynamic one in the nation!
Join Here
As the biggest NAPO chapter, NAPO-SFBA is
the largest local group of professional organizers in the
world. We are trendsetters in our fast-developing and fascinating
field! Not only do we help each other without reserve to grow
and develop our businesses, our meetings are filled with laughter
as well as information. Here are a few of the benefits of
NAPO-SFBA membership:
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Monthly meetings - Chapter
meetings are a major focus for our members.
They are held in the beautiful, centrally located Westin
Hotel (San
Francisco Airport) and are a lively forum for networking, education,
information-sharing, and just plain fun. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
on the
second Wednesday, a guest speaker covers a topic related to
organizing, and
time is allocated for chapter business. Members often meet before
the
meeting to work on various projects, or gather afterwards to
have dinner.
Meetings are free to members. |
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Networking - Members enjoy
lively exchanges of information in the meeting room before and
after the monthly meetings. There is plenty of time to develop
professional alliances and build personal relationships with
your colleagues. Members generously share their organizing knowledge
and experience with each other. |
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New Member Orientation
- This periodic event welcomes new members and introduces them
to the full range of resources available within the chapter.
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Monthly Newsletter - Bay
Area Connections, our newsletter, covers a wide array
of interesting topics related to organizing. Your membership
fee includes a one-year subscription to this excellent publication. |
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Regional Conference -
Each fall, the chapter sponsors its one-day Regional Conference
to cover a single organizing theme in depth. Many of the speakers
and workshop presenters also appear on the program for the NAPO
Annual Conference in the spring. Members get reduced registration
rates at both conferences. |
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Start-Up Aids - The chapter
sells a variety of products to help you start and build your
business. These include educational and inspirational tapes
about various facets of a professional organizing operation.
Members receive special discounts on all chapter products. |
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Referrals - Your NAPO-SFBA
colleagues are a rich source of referrals. As you establish
your skills and become known to other members, they'll begin
to refer potential clients to you. This happens more quickly
if you volunteer to help out with a chapter project. Referrals
from chapter members can jump-start your new business.
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We invite you to come to the next chapter
meeting. As soon as you walk into the room, you’ll
know how uniquely supportive an organization can be. Join
us for an immediate improvement in your organizing career!
Join Here
Because they come from such diverse backgrounds, NAPO-SFBA
members are able to offer a huge range of organizing services.
The following list represents just some of the things our
members can do:
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Residential Organizing
- organizing closets, kitchens, garages, children's rooms, etc. |
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Office Organizing
- organizing file systems, procedures manuals, office space, corporate policies, etc. |
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Time Management
- helping you set your priorities and manage your schedule |
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Consulting
- designing and setting up systems for your business and/or home |
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Space Planning and Design
- transforming your space so it supports all your activities |
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Computer Services
- offering data entry, software and hardware support |
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Coaching
- developing personal and professional strategies to meet your goals |
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Financial Services
- accounting, bookkeeping and managing your finances. |
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Project Management
- keeping your project under control, on track, and on budget |
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Estate Organizing
- from organizing paperwork to managing estate sales |
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Home and Household Management
- keeping your home running smoothly |
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Moving/Relocation Services
- helping you pack, manage your move, and unpack |
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Staging
- preparing your home or property for showing and sale |
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Event Planning
- managing your special events |
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Memorabilia
- organizing and storing your photographs, collections and historical items |
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Training and Education
- sharing organizing information and tips with you or your group |
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Personal Assistant
- running errands, shopping, paying bills, etc. |
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Special Focus
- From time to time, our membership includes organizers with very unique skills and backgrounds. Look for these under the "Special Focus" category when using the on-line Referral Form: |
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No matter what your skills, talents, education, and experience
are, you’ll be able to find an organizing niche that
allows you to use all of them. Wouldn’t that be great?
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If you’re still wondering whether NAPO-SFBA is the right
group for you, we invite you to check us out in person:
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Come to a meeting or two, meet
the kindred spirits who make up our chapter, and fall in love
with the group. |
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Come to each meeting thirty minutes
early to introduce yourself and start asking questions. You’ll
receive a warm welcome. |
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Stay after the meeting ends,
as our members usually spend the next 45 minutes or so just
networking and catching up on the latest news. |
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Plan to come to the hotel’s
restaurant after the networking ends. Whoever is able comes
for good company, a late night snack, dinner, a cup of coffee,
or a glass of wine. Everyone is welcome. |
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Read our newsletter, Bay Area
Connections, to get more information about organizing and NAPO-SFBA. |
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Be sure to attend our Regional
Conference if it’s coming up soon. This regional conference
is a wonderful event for anyone interested in organizing! |
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Come back as often as you wish,
until you feel completely confident that NAPO-SFBA is the place
for you. |
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Then, go straight to our Application
Form to join! |
Join Here
NAPO-SFBA offers two types of membership for individuals:
A Regular Member*- is a person doing
business in the field of organizing. Along with all the benefits
listed above, Regular Members are eligible to hold office in NAPO-SFBA
and vote in chapter elections.
If you represent a manufacturer, distributor,
or seller of organizing equipment and/or supplies, you're eligible
to be one of NAPO-SFBA's Corporate Partners. Click here
for information about company memberships.
The chapter's enrollment year runs from October
1st through September 30th. Dues are:
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Regular Member
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Payment
Option #1
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$175.00
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$ 0 per chapter meeting
attended
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Payment
Option #2
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$115.00
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$ 20 per chapter meeting
attended
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All memberships expire on September 30th. If you
join mid-year, your dues are prorated at 25% per quarter. When you
fill in your Application Form, the correct amount will be calculated
for you.
New memberships include a processing fee of $20
to help you get all the benefits of NAPO-SFBA as soon as possible.
Join Here
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 After
your dues are paid and your application is processed, you’ll
be eligible for all the benefits of membership. The first
thing you’ll receive is a welcome letter with all the
information you’ll need to take full advantage of your
new association with NAPO and NAPO-SFBA. Read everything carefully
and make a list of your questions. Then put the next Chapter
meeting on your calendar and come on down! Bring your
questions with you so we can help you answer them.
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Several times a year, the chapter offers
a New Member Orientation directly preceding the monthly meeting.
The focus of this special meeting is “How to Get the
Most Out of Your Membership.” All new members receive
an invitation. The format includes a welcome from the Membership
Director and Orientation Staff, a presentation on the benefits
of being involved in Chapter activities, handouts covering
professional guidelines, and other membership resources.
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NAPO acknowledges the dedication of its
members who have been engaged in the business of organizing
for five years or more with the prestigious Golden
Circle designation. NAPO-SFBA was the first chapter to
have a Golden Circle meeting, in 1992. Approximately one quarter
of our chapter members are also Golden Circle members, the
largest number in NAPO worldwide. Chapter membership is not
required to join Golden Circle.
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Contact our Membership Director Suzan Harnish at
suzan@GrabnGoBox.com
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