Simply Organized Dubuque is simply a passion for Nicole Powers.
A mother of three with a nursing background, Powers started to have a desire to return to work after having her third child in April 2020. She wanted something flexible, but struggled to find something that fit her needs.
So the self-proclaimed, natural-born organizer started to think about other things she loved, and Simply Organized Dubuque was born in April 2021.
One of her “lofty” goals is to have a warehouse full of organizing products. But in the short-term, Powers said she wants to get the word out about her services.
“Really just getting out there and making sure that people know about us because it’s such a needed thing, a needed service that people don’t realize how much stress clutter and being disorganized (can bring).”
The National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) states that professional organizers like Powers “understand the emotional attachment to items.”
“Not only can they help people become more organized, they offer strategies for maintaining that environment,” NAPO’s website states as part of its Get Organized & Be Productive (GO) Month annual initiative that occurs each January.
Powers offers in-home and business organizing and decluttering services for spaces ranging from home kitchens and closets to coffee shops, office kitchens and more.
Her most popular services are the organizing and decluttering of kitchens and pantries, followed by closets, basements and garages. She also provides design services and space-planning consultations.
“Kitchens and pantries, that’s the heart of the home,” Powers said. “I would say, that’s where most people spend their time. I usually start there and it kind of snowballs into other areas of the home.”
Potential clients begin with a phone consultation to determine their goals. From there, Powers said, they determine if an in-person consultation in required. At that time, she would take measurements and photos and plan out the project.
“That has been the most helpful process for me,” she said.
Labeling also is a part of the process, according to Powers. If she’s working on a pantry, for example, she will take everything out, figure out what can be pitched or donated and then create categories.
“Before you put it back, you want those zones or categories established. It gets very messy before it gets better, but it’s worth it in the end,” she said.
When working side-by-side with someone, the work will be completed in three- to four-hour increments. When working independently, she’ll do the work until it’s complete.
Since opening in 2021, Powers has added a contract employee who assists on larger or time-sensitive jobs.
“(We’re) still growing as far as a lot of new clients coming through,” she said. “It’s still just kind of word of mouth.”
For more information, or to schedule a consultation with Simply Organized Dubuque, visit www.simplyorganizeddubuque.com/.
Potential clients can also follow Simply Organized Dubuque on Facebook and Instagram at @simplyorganizeddubuque.