I’ve been active in the organising industry, both here in Australia and overseas since 2005. It’s been a privilege to see the industry here in Australia grow and evolve during that time.
Before I started my organising business, I had a bunch of questions, just like every new organiser that comes along. One of my favourite things to do is answer those questions. It’s important for me to provide an accurate and honest picture of the industry whenever someone asks. I believe in facts. That’s why I conduct an annual organising industry survey, using Survey Monkey.
Thank you to each and every person who contributed to create this year’s snapshot of the industry as it is right now. There were 79 respondents. 69 of them work as a professional organiser. There were also productivity consultants, concierges and people who had not yet started working as organisers.
The organising industry survey asked questions about location, business structure, longevity in the field, income, hiring practices, average hourly rate, hours worked in the business and on the business. Respondents were given an opportunity to opt in to receive the full summary of the results, and those who opted in will shortly be receiving that document.
In the meantime, here are a few stats that came out of the 2021 Organising Industry Survey:
- 38.5% of respondents had been working in the industry for longer than 5 years
- 48.8% of respondents work full time
- 23% of respondents are based in regional areas of Australia
- 79.5% of respondents operate as a sole trader
- 30.8% of respondents hire organisers as either staff or subcontractors
- 76.9% of respondents work on average 1-9 non-billable hours each week
There’s another important reason for the annual survey. I need to know exactly what organisers and soon-to-be-organisers need, so that I can create the resources, training and services that will help them succeed. So I asked the question, “What do you need right now in your organising business?” The top answer? “More clients.” So naturally, I’ll be creating more resources to help with that, along with lots of other good stuff throughout the year. But while you wait, here are a few ideas I’ve already written about.
