Spotlight on member's professional development: Becoming a Home Sweet Home consultant
In this series of posts, we'll be interviewing professional organisers who've undertaken additional qualifications or training and finding out how their businesses have benefitted. Moira Stone of Uncluttered Wales talked to Lou Shaw of Clutter Freedom in London about becoming part of the Home Sweet Home network of professional organisers.Becoming part of the Home Sweet Home network of professional organisers
Lou runs Clutter Freedom which covers south-west, south-east and central London. Lou herself lives in Battersea in south-west London near the Thames. It's a very densely populated area but with a villagey feel. There are old Battersea residents, people who've moved to the area to bring up children, and a lot of people moving in and out. With its good transport links to central London, easy access to open spaces, family-sized houses and good schools, it's a popular choice for people moving to work in London for a few years.What's Home Sweet Home and how did you get interested in being one of their contractors?
When I did APDO's introductory training I met Louise Muratori of Be Clutter Free and we hit it off straight away, supporting and mentoring one another. It was through her Lancashire network that I heard that Marie Bateson, of Cut the Clutter, the APDO Director of Volunteers and UK co-ordinator for Home Sweet Home, was looking to build up the network of professional organisers who are APDO members. Home Sweet Home was set up in Los Angeles in 2004 to simplify corporate moves and save companies money. Originally helping with internal USA and Canada moves, Home Sweet Home now operates in seven countries, serving Fortune 500 companies and their employees. I've worked with people from companies like Amazon, Apple, Netflix and American Express, for example. I've always been interested in homes and moving so I love this work! I also believe in recycling and reusing and I'm keen to help my local community, so that fits in too.
Tell us a bit more about Home Sweet Home
There are two main programmes:- Discard and Donate is for people leaving the UK to relocate to another country. In normal times, pre-COVID, we would help them declutter their home, working out what they would take with them and what they would leave behind. These are usually pieces of furniture and items with UK plugs like lights, hairdryers and tower fans. But it could be anything and often includes children's toys and equipment. I then decide where the items can go, to charity or elsewhere. I like the challenge of getting things out there into the local community.
- Quick Start is an unpack and put away service for company executives moving to this country. We will work in a team, unpacking all their belongings quickly and efficiently and organising their new home. When the executive and family come to their new home to find it ready for them, they're thrilled! It not only makes the move to a new country less stressful, it also saves them a lot of unpacking time.
Helping others
The service also helps the environment as less is transported, less packing material is used and there are fewer fuel emissions. And for every tree saved, Home Sweet Home makes a donation to plant three trees. The aim is for as much as possible of the donated items of furniture, household equipment and clothing to make its way back into the community to be reused or recycled. I worked with a couple who were moving from a fantastic ninth floor apartment near the American Embassy in London to Tokyo. Almost all the items they left behind were donated to a grassroots organisation working to help get homeless people into new homes and other vulnerable people.What makes a good Home Sweet Home contractor?
- Being helpful, friendly and efficient while keeping a professional edge. I'm there representing Home Sweet Home and not promoting my own business.
- Being a hands-on kind of person.
- Being able to supervise, if required - packing, cleaning and so on.
- Having a car is very useful.
Tell us about training
Marie Bateson, our co-ordinator, trained with Home Sweet Home in Los Angeles so I was rather hoping that I could too! Unfortunately, I had to do it over Zoom'¦ The training is done by Jeff Heisler, Home Sweet Home's President, and Marie. It's free and takes a couple of hours. It's very straightforward and there's no commitment. There's an introduction to Home Sweet Home and what it does, and then a description of the nuts and bolts of how it works. When you join the network, you get all the help and support you need from Marie. Paperwork is straightforward. The Cost Saving Report, for example, is in an Excel spreadsheet which includes lists of household items, categorised by room/garden and their average weights. You simply list the number of items of a particular thing, for example, 1 three-seater sofa, 6 hand kitchen appliances, 3 large bags of clothing, and Excel calculates the overall shipping weight saving.What are the benefits to your business of being a Home Sweet Home contractor?
It's helping me to have a better knowledge of my own area and community and to build up a wider network of contacts. It's really nice to get to know people. We're all rubbing along together and are very loyal to the area. I've lived here for 20+ years. It's like an extended family.What's your advice to someone thinking about joining the HSH network?
I'd say give it a go. You're under no obligation, and you can say 'yes' or 'no' to any job you're offered. It does help in quieter periods of your own business. Clients are professionals who are friendly and appreciative of the service Home Sweet Home offers them. It does take a weight off their minds that the possessions they're leaving behind are going to a good cause to help people in the area where they've lived for the last couple of years. I've been to some amazing properties and recently it's been nice to have an excuse to zip about London. I'm off to a house in Notting Hill next week. The transferee has provided a list of items so I can plan how to distribute them efficiently. There are always last-minute items, though, that the family decide to leave behind once the packers begin their job so there may be a few surprises. Training is usually carried out twice a year but if you're an APDO member and you'd like to get on the books, email Marie as she can often get you on board before the next training session.Thank you Lou for sharing your work with us and explaining more about the Home Sweet Home network and its services.
We are delighted to welcome Home Sweet Home as Key Sponsor of the APDO Conference 2021: The Future Is Re-Organised. For further details head to the Conference page!