We were lucky to catch up with Amélie Saint-jacques recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amélie, appreciate you joining us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I got my first paying client after deciding to have a sale and talking about my services in a local Facebook group I frequented. It helped the people in that group to know that I wasn’t a complete stranger, and the group was large enough that there was indeed someone who needed an organizer! That client was happy with how much we accomplished in one session!

Amélie, 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 had always been good at organizing, and after moving to the U.S. and having kids, I needed a career change. Since I’ve always loved being a freelancer, this was right up my alley! I took classes with NAPO before launching my business in 2019, and was certified by Marie Kondo two years later.

You could summarize what I do in three steps: declutter, organize, and put in place systems to maintain order. I do this in collaboration with my clients, because otherwise, they would end up with something that makes sense for me, but not necessarily for them. You see, there isn’t a cookie-cutter solution that works for everyone, so it’s important to tailor everything to my clients, their space and their needs!

I specialize in home organizing, also called residential organizing – I help my clients, virtually and in person, organize the belongings in their homes (other professionals might help commercial organizations or focus on productivity). I am one of only a handful of people in the country who have combined expertise from NAPO (the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) and KonMari® International (the company founded by Marie Kondo to help spread her particular method of organizing). Continuing education is essential, so I try to take classes, or attend seminars or talks monthly. I want to continue offering the best possible services to my clients!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I always keep in touch with my clients! I send a monthly newsletter with personal news, tips and tricks, and any sales I am having. My clients are always the first to know and they get first dibs on any openings or specials I am running! I also give discounts or other perks to clients who buy packages or who consistently come back for my services.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I once ran a flash sale that was a bit of a Hail Mary, but it worked out! I was about to leave for Japan to go meet Marie Kondo. I realized that I was only a few sessions away from moving up to a higher level of expertise within the organization, and I decided I really wanted to make it happen before my trip. So I ran a flash sale via my mailing list to get those clients booked very quickly, and I reached my goal! I was thrilled to go to Japan having just “levelled up” and I got a new client out of it, who had been waiting for a sale to kickstart her organizing project!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://amelieorganizes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amelieorganizes/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliesaintjacquesprofessionalorganizer
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/am%C3%A9lie-saint-jacques-70258b18/