Frequently Asked Questions

1. What exactly does LivingOrder® San Antonio do?

We transform your chaos into tranquility.SM We help people get control of their stressful living and working spaces. As a highly trained Certified Professional Organizer and productivity consultant, Helene teaches clients how to understand their core issues causing disorganization and thereby prevent it in the future. We provide visible and lasting results with easy-to-maintain systems that are developed based on your individual needs.

Helene Segura went into business in 2006 and earned her Certified Professional Organizer designation in 2009. She is a firm believer in continual education and training. Over the years, she’s developed a hybrid approach of consulting (give you straightforward recommendations) and coaching (allow you to realize your own solutions, which is far more powerful). You’ll get the benefit of receiving instant advice, as well as the empowerment of developing systems with your input.

After our initial Solutions Session, we sometimes work independently if that is more convenient for the client, but most of the time we work alongside the client to teach and encourage as we make progress.

  • How we work with spaces

    For SpaceScaping® Services, usually you won’t need to purchase supplies in advance, but if you do, we’ll guide you in getting the right items before we arrive. During our Solutions Session, we tour the home or office and assess the situation to make sure we understand how the space is used and by whom, and what the organizing challenges are. Based on this assessment, we work with you to develop a customized action plan. After identifying the highest priority areas, we’ll discuss with you which projects you want to handle on your own and which, if any, you’d like us to work on with you side by side. For the latter, we teach you how to sort and make decisions about those “tough” items and guide you to the most efficient ways to dispose of, store or use them.

    We may recommend products, such as bins or shelving units, that you can purchase on your own to improve the space, or you can have us do the shopping for you. We leave you with useful handouts and resources to reinforce what we’ve taught you during our work together, and in some cases we’ll give you assignments to work on before our next appointment.

  • How we work with time, data, and paper

    For services related to Time, Data, and Paper, we will first go over our 15-point Personal Productivity Plan assessment. We help you decide what calendar, task list, and other options are best for your situation, and then during our second appointment, we go through the piles on your desk (and floor!) and create a system that will work for you.

    Call us if you have any questions about how we would approach your projects. We’re happy to help you find out if our services are right for you, and if we’re not the best solution, we’ll help point you in the right direction.

     

 

2. What sets LivingOrder® San Antonio apart from other organizers and organizing companies?

  • We don’t believe in cookie cutter methods. We use a holistic approach based on years of experience and training to develop customized solutions specifically for you and your situation.
  • LivingOrderSA’s CEO, Helene Segura, is a Certified Professional Organizer® who has trained any member of her team to surpass national standards.
  • The founder and owners of the LivingOrder® team are industry leaders who have pioneered unique methods, systems, products, and teaching materials.
  • We are actively involved at the international level of organizing; the team leaders of LivingOrder® serve as experts on the team of Certified Professional Organizers® at The Clutter Diet, helping thousands of members from over a dozen countries get organized via the Internet.
  • Not only does Helene Segura belong to the national and local chapters of NAPO, but she is actively involved at the national level of organizing as a volunteer with NAPO and the BCPO. She was a founding board member of NAPO San Antonio, and joined the NAPO Austin-Hill Country-San Antonio chapter once the local San Antonio chapter closed. (The closing is a sad statement about the folks in San Antonio who call themselves organizers. There are over 25 who do so, yet only 9 were a part of the local chapter. But, we digress. Helene would be happy to chat with you about this later.)
  • We abide by all ethical and legal guidelines put forth by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and the Board of Certification for Professional Organizers (BCPO).
  • We enjoy powerful relationships with Certified Professional Organizers® across the country, allowing us to advance innovative practices.
  • We annually attend NAPO’s national organizing conference for continuing education from nationally known trainers and updates on the newest organizing products.
  • LivingOrder® has been in business since 2002, branching into locally owned LivingOrder San Antonio and LivingOrder Austin in 2008.
  • We are insured and bonded.

But wait–there’s more! For complete details, click here.

 

 

3. What is a Certified Professional Organizer® (CPO®)?

To achieve certification, a professional organizer must pass a grueling national exam. In order to qualify to sit for the exam, a professional organizer must catalog a minimum of 1,500 paid organizing hours (during which there must be a transfer/teaching of skills, and not just a concierge service) within a three year period in order to show that s/he is a serious, full-time professional and not just a part-time hobbyist. Once an organizer is certified, s/he must complete a minimum of forty-five continuing education hours every three years in order to re-certify.

The BCPO® says that “certification is a recognition of professionals who have met specific minimum standards, and proven through examination and client interaction that they possess the body of knowledge and experience required for certification. This program recognizes and raises industry standards, practices and ethics. For the public, while the CPO® designation is not an endorsement or recommendation, certification of professional organizers maximizes the value received from the products and services provided by a CPO®.”

LivingOrderSA owner Helene Segura is not only certified, but also serves on the international BCPO board. She is currently serving her third and final year as the President.

 

 

4. What are the benefits of working with LivingOrder® San Antonio?

  • Get expert coaching / consulting from a highly trained Certified Professional Organizer®.
  • Work with an industry leader who has pioneered unique methods, systems, products, and teaching materials.
  • Get maximum results in less time.
  • Bring order to your living.
  • Reduce your stress.
  • Know where to find what you need, when you need it.
  • Live and work in an environment that inspires you.
  • Save time and money.
  • Think more clearly and improve your focus.
  • Transform your chaos into tranquility.SM

 

 

5. How do you find an organizer who’s right for you?

Getting organized is very personal, so it’s important that you know who you are allowing into your home or office and whether that person is qualified to help you with your organizational challenges. Here are some questions to ask when you are interviewing prospective professional organizers and Certified Professional Organizers.

 

 

6. How do you handle confidentiality and privacy?

Our work can indeed be very personal in nature and sometimes involves viewing or learning about your proprietary information. All of our work is done in a patient, nonjudgmental, and respectful manner. We will hold all client information, business or personal, written or verbal, in confidence. LivingOrder® San Antonio conforms to the written Code of Ethics for members of NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) as well as the Code of Ethics established by the BCPO (Board of Certification for Professional Organizers). Our Service Agreement also contains a confidentiality clause for your protection.

 

 

7. WHAT ABOUT COST? HOW DO YOU CHARGE?

You can expect to pay about the same hourly rate for a highly trained Certified Professional Organizer® as you would for an interior designer, personal trainer, image consultant, or other similar service professionals. Our pricing structure is based on education, certification, extensive training, national association membership, local chapter membership, insurance, bonding, experience, and proven success. You deserve quality, and we can provide that for you. We work by the hour, with different rates for residential and commercial work, and different packages based on how involved you’d like us to be in your journey. Please call to discuss your situation and we will be happy to quote you our packages based on your needs.

While hiring a Certified Professional Organizer® is definitely not for everyone, we can usually help people with a variety of budgets. Even if you only work with us for two sessions, you’ll find that being organized is an investment in yourself, your family, and/or your business that pays huge dividends of time savings and decreased stress. The innovative online program for which we coach, The Clutter Diet, may be a perfect match if you are on a budget—give it a try and see what you think!

We have a 2-hour minimum appointment time for all work done on-site. We have a full client load, so we generally schedule at least one week out. During busy periods, you may have to wait two weeks to see us, but our clients find that we’re worth the wait. Payment is due at the time of service. We accept personal and business checks, and all major credit cards.

Please call us at 210-892-4990 x73 for additional details, or contact us using our convenient form.

 

 

8. How long will it take to organize me?

We can usually give you a “ballpark” estimate based on our experience, but it is generally quite difficult to give estimates in our industry since every situation is so different. There are many factors impacting how long it will take:

  • How quickly you can make decisions.
  • How long you can work without distractions or interruptions.
  • How much time you or your assistant can devote to the project.
  • How well you follow-up on your assignments.
  • How long the disorganization has been going on and why.
  • What may be uncovered during our work that impacts the scope, direction, or progress of the project.
  • How large the space is and the volume and complexity of items you have.
  • How easily and quickly you can learn to use new systems and establish better habits.


Call us and we’ll be happy to talk through your situation to find out if we are right for you. If not, we’ll help to point you in the right direction. When you become our client, part of the action plan we’ll develop during our initial onsite session includes a realistic project timeline based on your personality, working style and schedule.

 

 

9. What type of people normally work with LivingOrder®?

Our clients are ready to invest their time and resources to produce a higher quality work environment and lifestyle, and know that our expertise will get them there. Our clients are…

 

SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) business owners who want to:

  • Set up an effective filing system and manage their actionable papers.
  • Identify ways to improve efficiency and personal productivity.
  • Maximize every minute of the workday and balance that with enough time for a personal life.

 

Businesses and Corporations that want to:

  • Teach their employees ways to improve efficiency and productivity.
  • Increase company profits.

 

Homeowners who want to:

  • Reduce stress by organizing problem areas in their homes such as closets, kitchens, bedrooms, and home offices.
  • Improve relationships with their loved ones. Disorganization of physical objects can be the physical manifestation of other worries or challenges. We work with individuals, couples and families to bring peace.
  • Save time by setting up systems for better household management of functions such as filing, purchasing, laundry, and family communications.

 

Anyone who:

  • Is going through a major life transition such as marriage, a new baby, bereavement, divorce, a promotion, or retirement and needs help organizing to adapt systems to get back to normal.
  • Wants to make better decisions about their time, information and belongings.
  • Wants to save time and get more done.
  • Wants more out of life than just scurrying through a rat race.
  • Wants to live a quality life with meaning and purpose.