NAPO Certified Professional Organizer
I am thrilled to announce that I am officially a Certified Professional Organizer, or “CPO” as we like to call it in the industry, through the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). This title is only awarded to Professional Organizers who have accumulated a significant amount of paid work experience, have committed to, and demonstrated, an adherence to ethical professional standards, and have successfully passed an actually quite rigorous examination process. Although I had accumulated the adequate work hours (on average, it takes more organizers approximately three years to reach this requirement), I knew that studying for and passing the test was very demanding. Organizing comes very naturally to me, so at first I thought that the test would be a lot of common sense. Upon talking to the few other “CPO’s” in our area (I’m only one of nine other CPO’s within a 25 mile radius of downtown Seattle), I learned that the test was actually something I needed to really study for. There is a long reading list along with an optional (yet highly recommended) 4 hour webinar. I passed!! Yay!! I took the test on February 3rd, 2020, yet wasn’t able to find out if I passed until mid March! It was a little suspenseful.
What is CPO certification?
CPO certification recognizes those professionals who have proven through examination and extensive client interaction, that they possess the body of knowledge and experience required for certification. The program recognizes and raises industry standards, practices, and ethics. While the CPO designation is not an endorsement or recommendation, certification of professional organizers maximizes the value received from the services provided and products recommended by a CPO.
What is a professional organizer?
A professional organizer enhances the lives of clients by designing systems and processes using organizing principles through transferring organizing skills. A professional organizer also educates the public on organizing solutions and the resulting benefits. Professional organizers help individuals and businesses take control of their surroundings, their time, their paper, and their systems for life.
Ethical Principles:
Working Relationships
- I will only offer professional organizing services in those areas in which I am qualified, and I will accurately represent those qualifications in all verbal and written communications.
- I will market my professional organizing services in a lawful and honest manner.
- I will respect and not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others.
- I will not use the proprietary materials or information of others without the owner’s written permission.
- I will comply with all laws applicable to the operation of my business and my provision of professional organizing services, and I will not engage in any fraudulent or deceptive acts or practices.
- I will at all times endeavor to avoid situations in which my provision of professional organizing services to one client places me in a conflict of interest position with another client.
Confidentiality
- I will respect a client’s wishes with respect to confidential treatment of client information.
- I will use reasonable means to keep all client records and materials in my possession secure and confidential unless the client gives me written permission to make such records or materials public.
Fees and Services
- I will establish my fees in a manner which does not involve collusion with a competitor, and I will communicate my fee and expense structure to my clients in advance of beginning the provision of professional organizing services.
- I will only recommend products and/or services that my clients need or desire.
Thank you to everyone who cheered me along throughout this process!! All your calls, texts and high fives have meant so much!
If you’d like to have a 1-hour virtual consultation to come up with a plan to get organized, please sign up here.
