Business Development Training Program™

Tuition: $3,000.00
5 Day

This course is especially designed for the individual who has made the decision to make Professional Organizing a career and needs the assurance of a steady source of income. You may or may not have attended a NAPO Conference and you have probably researched as much as you can about the field of Professional Organizing. This class provides all of the necessary elements for someone who has the skills and talents but needs to learn how to turn that talent into an income generating business venture. What makes this course so unique is the enormous amount of experience and knowledge you walk away with. The first day back from Training you are confident and equipped to start your new career. This is the course that takes you from interest in the field of Professional Organizing to the confidence of a veteran-like status in only 5 days!

What You Get

• Discounts on the Tuition – There are discounts available as well as a referral program. See AMO Registration for discount information.
• Complete Industry Overview – Learn about the scope of the industry, potential market segments, who’s who, and a general industry outlook.
• Deluxe Manual – A Deluxe Edition of the Business Development Training Program Manual™ with over 120 pages of information, photos, charts, comparisons and resources all designed to put you in command of your new business.
• Get Paid for Training – If you or someone in the class brings a paying client to class as the Case Study, the trainees (not the trainers) get to split the fee charged for the project.
• Business Forms on CD – A complete set of all the business forms you will need to get your business operational. These forms are fully customizable with your business name, your logo design and contact information.
• A Complete Resource Guide – You will receive a complete list of resources that will help make your transition into the world of self-employment easier.
• Hands on Training – After each morning classroom session, you will move out to a real job site each afternoon. In these hands-on sessions, you will work with a client implementing the skills you acquired in the classroom in a working environment with an experienced Professional Organizing Consultant as your assistant in a crew setting. You will learn the art of selling Professional Organizing services, estimating project timelines, and applying your organizational skills to any project. This is the learning element of the class that cannot be achieved through lecture, teleconference, or written material. These are clients who inevitably raise issues that are unpredictable in nature. Other basics that are covered out in the field are the initial interview, negotiating the contract and conducting the needs assessment. Since you are encouraged to bring still and video cameras, you can either add to your portfolio or begin building one.
• Certificate of Completion – While there is no official certification program for this industry, this course and its contents are specifically designed with certification in mind. The content of the course is an expansion of the Core Competency Outline as proposed by NAPO.
• Continuing Support – This mentoring program is designed to help you get over the rough spots and connect you with other Professional Organizing Consultants in your area. You will have one year of continuing support from America’s Most Organized™ staff and you will also receive periodic updates to your Business Development Training Manual™ so that you will stay in tune with industry trends and common practices.
• Optional Business Plan – An optional Business Plan created especially for your company describing your signature style as it pertains to your market, competition, and specializations.

Agenda

Day One

• Industry Overview – An introduction to NAPO and the beginnings of Organizing as a profession; a close look at the industry's specializations; the National Study Group for Chronic Disorganization and how it can impact your business; and the Characteristics of a Professional Organizing Consultant. Tour through the NAPO and NSGCD website and surf the internet during class to learn who’s who.
• Entrepreneurship – This section goes into depth examining the traits and characteristics that distinguish a successful entrepreneur. Personality traits such as leadership skills, ability to take risks, the competitive nature, the ability to multi-task, and other factors all play a part in the life of an entrepreneur. Prioritizing strategy implementation, self evaluation and the ability to balance work and family are all conditions an entrepreneur will face at one time or another…and more than likely, all at the same time. Examine the professional services you are likely to need in this phase of your business venture and learn ways to go about selecting such professionals as an attorney, a CPA, a website developer, and many others. Finally you will confront the dilemma of your company’s identity and discuss things you can do that will help resolve the company identity crisis.
• Guest Speaker – A guest speaker will cover image, website design, and internet marketing as it relates to positioning and advertising.
• Lunch – Lunch is provided.
• Hands-On – The first session at a specially selected Client Project. Whenever possible, projects will be selected and assigned according to the areas of specialization you have chosen.

Day Two

• Business Plans – This section is the ultimate blueprint for your new business endeavor. By the end of the session you will know how to develop and fine tune as well as implement your company Mission; the keys to success; the company summary; services; market analysis; financial planning; sales forecasting and all of the essential business skills necessary to make your venture a success.
• Client Relations – Implementation of turn-key solutions, behavior modification, maintenance plans and special strategies for dealing with your clients.
• Guest Speaker – An Attorney/CPA will address business structures and financial issues.
• Lunch – Lunch Is provided.
• Hands-On – The project continues.

Day Three

• The Business Plan (Cont'd) – We will continue to refine the Business Plan and look at each individual element as we cover the remainder of the material for this course.
• Getting Started Part I – This section is the essential “toolbox” of skills necessary for any Professional Organizing Consultant. You will cover such essential skills as Time Management and Organization; Networking; Strategic Alliances; Setting Appointments; Contract Negotiation; Conducting a Needs Assessment; Invoicing and Collection; Handling the Competition; Hiring and Managing Crew; Your Professional Reputation; and much, much more. We will continue the business plan model and address how each of these tools is tied in with sections of the business plan.
• Guest Speaker – A guest speaker who is a successful business owner will address general business practices and skills that they attribute to the secret of their success and those inevitable embarrassing failures.
• Client Relations (Cont'd)
• Lunch – Lunch is provided.
• Hands-On (Cont'd)

Day Four

• The Business Plan (Cont'd)
• Getting Started Part II – Much of what is presented in these two days will affect many areas of your customized business plan as well as the way you conduct your new business. Particular attention is given to the NAPO Code of Ethics; safety and liability issues and documenting client progress. You will learn how each decision – from how you administer the initial assessment, to the methods of invoicing - can affect your overall bottom line.
• Client Relations (Cont'd)
• Lunch – Lunch is provided.
• Hands-On (Cont'd)

Day Five

• The Business Plan (Cont'd)
• Client Relations(Cont'd) – Although not a single day of training will pass without extensive conversation about client relations, the final day of the program will summarize Turn-Key strategies in dealing with your customers. You will discuss in great detail such things as Implementation Methods; Behavior Modification; Maintenance Plans; and Separation Anxiety. You will also have an inside look at Chronic Disorganization and how to identify it; resources for learning to deal with chronic disorganization.
• Hands-On Wrap Up (Cont'd) – One final session to address any remaining tasks and any maintenance issues that may exist. Behavior Modification patterns should also be established at this point if they are not already in place.
• Certificates of Completion – Attend a farewell dinner to recap the event and to provide feedback about the course and what it accomplished for you as well as what goals you might have for yourself in the immediate future.

Please note that all training agendas are subject to change without prior notice.

"Train everyone lavishly, you can't overspend on training."
- Tom Peters