“Professional Organizing is a THING?”
This was my (Alexia) response when I was brainstorming a career change itching to start my own company and my older sister Priscila suggested professional organization. Both of us had always had a knack for organization and would help friends and family with moves, decluttering, and optimizing their spaces. Not to mention, Priscila being my older sister by 10 years had basically taught me the basics from a young age. I always enjoyed it as a “therapy,” but didn’t realize organizing companies were a legitimate business offering… let’s just say, an idea was planted.
Fast forward a few months and we decided to surprise our parents by unpacking and organizing their new kitchen while they were out of town. This process brought back that lightbulb moment that others could benefit from this too. In February 2018, Nice & Neat Homes professional organizing was born.
I was working full-time in the corporate world, but quickly became obsessed with the idea of an organizing and decluttering service. I wish I could say that we did a lot of preparation and planning, but the truth is that it was a “dive in and figure it out” experience. The first thing I did was set up a website domain and basic website template, snagged our Instagram handle @niceandneathomes, and ordered some chalk labels. Priscila found a friend that would let us organize her pantry and we went shopping together at IKEA to find some bins to use. We truly had no idea how long the space would take or exactly what we needed to do to prepare, but we did the best we could, took some photos, and officially announced that we had “started an organizing business!”
The rest of that year and into 2019, we continued organizing as a side-hustle. I continued working full-time and would squeeze in consultations during a lunch break or after work, while Priscila was juggling the projects along with her 3 young kids. We had late nights and long weekends, but we were learning a lot as we went along. The money we made would go towards reimbursing ourselves for business costs and then we would split anything leftover 50/50. It wasn’t lucrative, but we felt more confident each time and we loved the feeling we’d get seeing a client’s reaction.
By the end of 2019, we hit a point where we were getting busier, but it was hard to juggle the growth while having a full-time job. I had been saving up with the hopes of fully launching this business, and by January 2020 it was time to take the leap. Priscila sacrificed her mini van for projects (having to move car seats in & out daily) as well as her garage as we started to get bigger projects and keep a small inventory of bins on hand. The extra time to spend on the business resulted in more projects and we were so excited for everything to pick up.
We all know what happened when March 2020 rolled around and COVID-19 took over the world as we knew it. It was an unsteady time, but we stuck it out and used the extra time to work on social media content for at-home organizing tips and set up our custom label shop. Fast forward to the Fall, and we were back in business as people shifted from constant travel to staying home and investing in their spaces for new functionality needs (hello home school & WFH). Our services were the perfect solution for a shift in routine and decluttering neglected spaces.
2021 was a different story & a huge year for us! Some highlights include:
- Expanded our team and officially hired team members
- Converted Priscila’s trusty minivan from a personal vehicle to a work vehicle
- Launched our Kid’s Memory Boxes and Starter Kits
- Local news segment with KSL morning news
- Booth at the Pinner’s Conference
- Grew our inventory from a few bins on a shelf to a full garage takeover
- Improved our booking process and client software
- Featured on national television for The Real Housewives of SLC organizing for one of the housewives Mary Cosby
- Developed our Nice & Neat Homes handbook and kicked off quarterly team trainings
2022 has been a year of elevating our services + offerings and growing our team. A few highlights so far:
- Migrated our product inventory & vehicle to business storage units
- Launched our Adult Memory Boxes & Starter Kits
- Hired more organizing team members and our first employees on the business side
- Multiplied our team distribution, allowing us to do multiple projects in one day
- Filmed our first Nice & Neat Homes promotional video
- And more in the works!
We are so thankful for how far the business has come and we can’t wait to see what else is in store. Let this be a reminder that one small idea can flourish and develop into the business that YOU dream of. Thanks for being here!
xo,
Alexia