What Clients Say

An experienced corporate executive took early retirement and launched a retail business. In the absence of a support staff and corporate services-including legal, insurance, accounting, office management, banking, taxes, records retention and archiving-the new business owner turned to Organization Plus® to create support for the back-of-the-business requirements of the retail operations.

During start up, Sharon worked closely with the client to determine priority needs, identify subcontractors and provide hands-on support to create office systems to free up the new entrepreneur to drive the creative engine. The client valued Sharon’s ability to provide confidential service and handle the administrative details.

As the business developed, the client had Sharon assume additional responsibilities for ongoing administration, systems installation and budget and inventory management. Now in their seventh year of business, the client looks to Sharon for overseeing the design and installation of an upgraded accounting and inventory management system.

For a professional community leader readying for retirement, Sharon provided the plan and project management for wrapping up a period marked by social and philanthropic activity and transition to a new life focused on artistic pursuits. She organized the relocation and set-up of the client’s home and art studio/business office, as well as the “clean-up, clear-out, finish-up” activity of the prior residence and community obligations.

Using an approach similar to a residential construction project, Sharon organized the process to benefit the client, with new systems, personal archives, specialized planning for art collections, space needs and technology requirements… even a personal gift-wrapping center to support the client’s new priorities.

Sharon created a three-part plan for organizing the home remodel, including a planning phase, advocacy and project management during construction and managing the move-in.

During the planning phase, Sharon organized the household in preparation for construction, with detailed plans for decluttering and deciding on discards prior to the move. She also reviewed design and construction plans to ensure that the new space would accommodate the client’s lifestyle and belongings.

During design and construction, Sharon managed the project through each phase, providing hands-on assistance with the move-out, budget and schedule oversight and communication about daily progress. She served as advocate for the homeowners with contractors, local city agencies and neighbors to ensure an optimal outcome through planning and communication.

Following construction, Sharon directed the move-in, overseeing the unpacking and situating of the household in the remodeled residence. With her expert attention to detail, Sharon added value in the design installation and management of schedules and budgets. The result? A highly satisfied client, now in residence.

“We were naive about what we were taking on. Living in our house while the kitchen and bathroom were being gutted and two rooms extended, continuing to run my business, juggling the needs of our three kids and everyday life. I was being pulled in all directions,” the client recalls.

On-site to manage ongoing business projects, Sharon observed the client’s distress and recommended OP organize the renovation.

From the architect’s drawings and contractor’s plans, she created detailed room-by-room project plans and checklist for construction and interior design, which proved invaluable throughout the 18-month project.

As the renovation proceeded, OP guided the process, detailing agreements and timelines to keep the project focused and on budget.

“When you take on a project as massive as home remodeling, you don’t even know all the questions to ask. In our case, OP encouraged us to look at our kitchen plans differently. Where, for instance, will we prepare food? Serve guests? How should cabinets be placed? By taking into account our lifestyle, OP helped us make adjustments before construction began.”

Armed with timely, appropriate information, the homeowners (and OP) met with contractors and designers. “Sharon makes the overwhelming tasks possible to manage. We weren’t constantly digging for details.” At every meeting, the data was available and the open issues prioritized and highlighted.

“She kept me on task, paying attention to what needed to be done to ensure that the project proceeded smoothly. Sharon made sure that the results would be what we wanted. Early on she recognized that it would be our family – not the contractor, the interior decorators, the subs or anyone else – who must live with those decisions.”

Taking copious notes, OP provided step-by-step oversight and documentation, freeing the clients to concentrate on immediate priorities and attending to daily activities. As a result, construction delays and misunderstandings – and stress on the entire family – were minimized.

The client recognized a unique contribution by OP to the project’s successful outcome. “In any remodel, you invest so much time, money and energy. Having someone on your side, tracking all the important details and protecting your interests, is critically important.”

A remodel is a big learning curve. You are making choices about every detail. With OP, you have an experienced expert who knows where to go for what you’ll need, the pros and cons of different sources and the people who follow through. It saves you headaches, as well as time.

The benefits in improved efficiently of retaining OP, according to the client, are that “it saves you a couple of years with your family. It allows you to still lead a relatively normal life.”

During her first discussion with Sharon, she recalls that she described her husband and herself as “a couple of pack rats.” With a background in art, she finds that “everything can be used and re-used.” As a result, accumulated clutter had made their home feel cramped and uncomfortable.

“Part of me wants a house that’s clean, tidy and orderly,” she explains. “Another part of me isn’t disciplined.” When it comes to choosing between, say, finishing a project or going to bed, “I’d rather go to bed,” she says.

Still, the family places a high priority on remodeling the home they purchased five years ago. So, in anticipation of meetings with architects and prospective contractors, clearing out clutter assumed paramount importance. “It’s very good preparation for a major renovation,” according to the client. “We definitely need to know what things we will keep and what we will give away, what storage to plan for, the built-in cupboards and shelves we want and space in the garage.”

She values her preparatory work with OP immensely. Together, she and Sharon have sorted, tossed and organized countless papers and possessions. Cartons of books that had remained packed after a previous move are now in bookcases, and some 20 boxes of school mementos have been sorted and organized. Furniture and clothing stored in the attic have been given away or donated, and files of what the client calls “inspiration” are set up. In the process, a more organized household had begun to take shape.

She looks back on the accomplishments made over several months and compares the experience to consulting with professionals in other aspects of life. “When you need help with accounting or law, you hire someone. Why shouldn’t it be the same when you want to organize your home?”

“We’ve made tremendous progress,” she says with satisfaction. She has learned, for example, that overbooking and over-scheduling lead to inaction. “Now, I schedule what I call maintenance time. Cutting back on activity gives me the time and energy to finish the job at hand.”

She credits Sharon and OP with making possible much of the change. “I really like Sharon as a person. She’s very professional. And she’s willing to roll up her sleeves and get dirty. She’s in there, working away, not just standing back directing the work.”

“If there’s a day when I’m feeling overwhelmed and unclear about what to do next, Sharon will suggest we tackle something together. I appreciate her patience and willingness to go at a pace that’s right for me. It’s like having a personal trainer. Knowing that I’ve committed to it, I make the effort to prepare. Without her help in setting priorities and hands-on support, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am now.”