We were lucky to catch up with Nancy Peham recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nancy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I officially started Helping Hands Personal services in November 2001. I had worked in the corporate environment for about 14 years and was unhappy with the career choice I had made.

Even though I considered my income to be good I wasn’t happy going to my job every day.

Over the years I had often wished I could do something else, but for several reasons it just wasn’t an option.

Just before the year 2000, I felt an urgency yo take a leap of faith. I wanted to change my life, and saw the dawn of the new millennium as the perfect time to start fresh.

Nancy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I hate to admit it, but when I left my job in 2000, I really had no solid or practical plan for what I would do next. I don’t recommend this strategy for others seeking to start a business.
But luckily, the perfect profession found me.

I started Helping Hands in 2001 and ’m the owner and sole employee of my professional organizing business.

My tagline is “Creating Order, Relieving Stress, Improving Your Life”. It really is the core of my business.

My 3 main service areas are:

General home organizing – organizing, downsizing, and decluttering any room of the home, setting up systems, and maintaining them periodically as requested. Suggesting organizing products and putting them in place is also part of the overall organizing process.

Move-related services – preparing for a move, including downsizing and decluttering, especially to make the home look open and spacious for selling purposes. I also pack anything from the kitchen, china, and breakables, to the entire home (if contacted early enough in the process.)
On the other end of the move I offer shelf-lining services, total unpacking and organizing key spaces like the kitchen, pantry, master closet and any other space you need help with.

A subset of my move-related services is my work with seniors who are moving to independent living communities. All the same services are covered, but the move is usually on a smaller scale, and the client often needs more help with the physical tasks involved.

In addition to my general organizing and moving services my 3rd category of service is dealing with paper – many clients are overwhelmed with mail, have outdated files and filing systems, and don’t know what to keep vs. toss or shred.

I help them sort it out and give them a fresh start.

One of my favorite aspects of my business is getting to know and work with so many interesting people. I also love that each day brings a different challenge, and keeps my problem solving fresh.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Word of mouth and client referrals have definitely been the main factors in helping me build my reputation and increase my business.

Testimonials from people I’ve helped are also a factor in gaining new clients.

What I hear most often is that I’m a hard worker, professional, knowledgeable, and fast.
I like to add that I’m non- judgmental, and I try to lighten my clients’ mood with a positive and supportive attitude.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I’ve tried a lot of ways to gain new business over the last 25 years and I think that all of them together have had an impact.

In my opinion one of the first things a new business owner needs to do is create a website or hire someone to do it for you.

It lends credibility, creates a tone that defines your business, and provides a platform to go into great detail about what your business offers.

Having your own personal cheerleaders in the form of enthusiastic clients who tell everyone about you is pure gold.

Offering free speaking engagements to groups of potential clients is also valuable. You may think it doesn’t pay off unless you get hired right away, but people often keep your information and at some unexpected date in the future they may become a loyal client.

Writing articles, appearing on radio or television, or being interviewed by Voyage Dallas, all offer more exposure to a greater audience.

Staying in contact with past clients periodically is a great way to stay top-of-mind.

And of course referrals and repeat business are the sustaining force in any business.

All of these strategies combined have helped me maintain and grow my business over the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.HelpingHandsPs.com

Image Credits

Nancy peham