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Tracy Ross
Founder
Blissfully Organised
Tracy Ross
Founder |BlissfullyOrganised.co.uk
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and your journey to where
you are today?
I live in St Albans with my husband Andrew and two teenage boys. I am often talking about teenage organisation tips, as I am right in that space right now.
I am originally from Cheshire but lived in London for 15 years before settling in
St Albans. I studied Town Planning at university but due to market conditions did a second degree in Marketing at night school, whilst working. It was a busy time but the right decision.
I worked in Marketing in London for over 18 years. I had some fabulous roles working in Sports Marketing, Gaming and Television. I learnt a lot, met some amazing people and it was fast paced. My organisational skills were so valuable.
I always knew that I wanted to have my own business to have a better life balance and to develop something from the beginning that I could grow and develop. After being made redundant 12 years ago I decided that it was the perfect time to make the change. I knew that I wanted to add value to my client’s lives and help to empower them to make changes. Blissfully Organised
was always my favourite name for the business and helps to capture how many clients feel after we have been working together.
I am naturally organised, really interested in people and passionate about simplicity. All fundamental ingredients to build a sustainable organising business. I am comfortable with change management and want to share those skills with my clients to create an easy to manage home and uncluttered mind.
How long have you been running your business?
I set up Blissfully Organised over 12 years ago now. I had lots of fun thinking about a name for the business (that’s my Marketing background. I love a blank sheet of paper and brainstorming ideas). I wanted a name that would capture the feeling that my clients experience after we have been working together. I loved Blissfully Organised instantly and so do my clients.
What led you to decide to set up your own business?
Great question. I had been working in Marketing for over 18 years. I was incredibly fortunate to have some interesting roles in a fast-moving sector. I worked in sports sponsorship, gaming, gambling, and television. My most recent corporate role was at ITV. It was an exciting time as technology allowed us to change the landscape of how people interact with media content. We all take for granted that we can access content on multiple platforms 24/7 but when I first started at ITV people would watch LIVE TV by appointment.
I had always wanted to have my own business but wasn’t sure what it would look like at the time. Once day I was running around doing various errands and had one of the lightbulb moments, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.
I first set Blissfully Organised up as a concierge business supporting clients to run errands, organise events, organise holiday etc in addition to simplifying their home organisation. Quite quickly the simplifying home organisation became at the heart of my business, and I became a Professional Organiser. I am also a member of a Professional Organisation called APDO (Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers).
When I first set up the business, I think that many people knew they needed support but didn’t know that they could get support from a Professional Organiser. But fast track 12 years and it is a completely different story. There have been plenty of binge worthy Netflix shows from some fabulous ambassadors from our industry such as Marie Kondo, the Home Edit girls, the Minimalists etc.
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What do you love most about running your own business?
I always loved this question. As you know the service that I provide is both confidential and non-judgemental. These are core business values at Blissfully Organised. There are so many special moments that I cannot share with you.
Firstly, I love creating calm out of chao. When I step into a space, I can see the potential and how the space will look once we have finished organising.
Secondly, I love motivating my clients to get started with their home organisation without feeling overwhelmed.
Thirdly, I love the transformational impact that simplifying each client’s home management has on my clients wellbeing. Not only is the space easier to manage but they also have a less cluttered mind. Outer Order = Inner Order
There must have been challenges along the way, can you share any and your learnings from these?
I think that when you first set up your own business there is a lot to learn. Luckily coming from a marketing background, I knew that I had to create a business plan, do lots of market research, think about service offering, pricing, and my ideal clients. Luckily at the time I set up I had lots of support from STANTA and attended lots of free seminars and practical workshops to help me define my offering.
Networking and joining a supportive local business community was also an important part of my journey. It was so energising to meet other business owners and share ideas, talk through any challenges, and collaborate. I have met some amazing people on my journey and love seeing how their businesses have developed.
Social Media I think was one of my biggest challenges. I always try and apply the same principles to my business wherever I am. For me I try to be myself on social media, as I am with my in-person clients. Authenticity is key. It is one of the reasons why I set up a private Facebook community Becoming Blissfully Organised. I wanted a space that I could share my tips and free advice for anyone wanting to feel inspired to get started.
What tips would you give to people thinking of setting up their own business and do something they are passionate about?
My top tips are:
- Research your business idea and create a business plan. This is the best starting point.
- Ask for any support that you need.
- Outsource the things that you cannot easily do yourself to have more time to focus on your business
- Plan you time effectively to avoid feeling overwhelmed
- Find likeminded people to collaborate with.
What keeps you energised during the difficult periods?
I love this question and it is so relevant right now after the lockdown period. During lockdown I couldn’t be in my clients’ homes, so I had to pivot the business completely to offer virtual organising sessions. I have often offered a virtual service to clients who live to far away to make a in-home session feasible. But during lockdown it was the only way I could interact with clients. It worked really well, and I supported new clients in the USA, France, Denmark and Germany, in addition to my existing clients.
What keeps me energised is my belief that I provide a valuable service that can make such a big difference to my clients lives, both to their space but also boost their wellbeing. I believe that.
This motivates me to keep adapting to find new ways that I can offer support. I am also a big planner to help balance the time that I have between work, family life and time for me.
If you could go back and give advice to your past self at the beginning of this journey – what would it be?
Just do it. Believe in yourself. It will be a journey, but the journey is part of the fun.
Who or what inspires you?
My clients always inspire me. I love finding new ways that I can support them to simplify their daily lives and home management. I am always researching new ideas, new products and focusing on the importance of mindset in everything that I do. Listening is a big part of my role as a Professional Organiser. I love that my clients have placed their trust in me to support them on their organisational journey.
What has been the best piece of advice that you’ve received along the way?
Be yourself.
I think this is so important in the role that I play as a Professional Organiser. I need to build trust quickly when meeting a new client and understand how I can best support their needs.
What would be the one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to follow their passion and set up their own business?
Research and ask for lots of advice. There are some amazing ways of gaining support. I worked with a business mentor through the Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce that provided valuable advice when transitioning out of the lockdown.
What would be the one piece of advice that you would give to your younger self, starting out on your business journey?
You have what you need to make this happen.
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To find out more about Tracy and Blissfully Organised, visit her fab website or follow her on social media;
Website:
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/BlissfullyOrganised
www.instagram.com/blissfullyorg