1 What is a phone consultation?
Life Contained phone consultations are 30-minute phone calls when we ask prospective clients questions about their organizing challenges, we listen closely for clues and patterns to help us both understand the situation better, and we discuss ways to move forward with the project. We offer free phone consultations with no obligation. 
2 What can our company expect from engaging in your services?
You can expect a structured approach, proven solutions, custom-designed systems, hopefulness, increased personal productivity, order and reduced stress.
You can also expect a sizeable return on your investment. For example, our work conservatively results in gaining 30 minutes/day/employee. A $45,000 salary equates to $23/hour without benefits. Saving 30 minutes/day translates to $2,760/year/employee, or $69,000/year/25 employees.
3 What is the GO System group training?
The GO System is a simple, step-by-step process to teach people how to get more focused, organized and productive in the workplace. The course is usually three-and-one-half-hours long, taught to between 12 and 25 people. The training provides systems and techniques that are really simple, but effective.
The main thing about this course that is different from other training courses on the topic of getting organized is that it covers the six major issues that create chaos in your life:
1. Handling incoming items (paper, e-mails, voice mails, etc.)
2. Prioritizing
3. Using time rationally
4. Managing projects
5. Personality issues
6. Psychological & physiological issues
Many courses offer only mechanical techniques and gadgets, such as special planners or software, to he help people temporarily get things in order. A few days or weeks after these courses, people often revert to their old habits and the chaos returns. Changing behavior and habits is much more important than mechanical processes and gadgets if you want to stay organized.
The GO System places much more emphasis on all the major issues that cause chaos in your life rather than focusing on one specific area...such as time management. For example, you may have the best planning tools money can buy...but if you are a master procrastinator...or if you don't understand how to efficiently manage a project...or if you don't know how to prioritize your work quickly...the tools alone will not get the job done for you. Buying a planner, a PDA, or a piece of software and thinking you are going to be organized the next day, is like buying a piano and thinking you are going to play the piano the next day. It's the organizing habits that really matter. We focus on both the habits and the systems in this course...and make it as simple as possible to get organized and stay organized.
4 What is a GO Kit?
A GO System implementation kit (GO Kit) is provided to each GO System class participant to assist them in implementing the GO System. The GO kit is paid for in the cost of the training and includes:
- A 96-page workbook of ideas and exercises for addressing specific issues to improve focus, organization and productivity
- A copy of Getting Organized, a 192-page book that includes a collection of ideas addressing the six major issues that cause disorganization
- A step-by-step guide for implementing the GO System that includes 35 specific steps for improving productivity
- A bullet-point, quick reference reminder
- A wallet-size reminder card of key beliefs that support your goal to be more organized
- An initial supply of follow-up forms
- A complete set of suggested file folder tabs for immediate system implementation
- A CD with a variety of implementation resources including forms, labels, and reminders
5 How do you charge for your one-on-one services?
Life Contained charges a competitive hourly fee for our services.
We find the service pays for itself rather quickly. For some clients it’s via increased personal productivity and improved time management in the office. For others, it’s realized through re-captured square footage. And for almost all, it’s through a reduction in stress.
6 Do you do the hands-on work or do I?
Organizing with Life Contained is a team effort. Because one of our primary goals is to transfer organizing skills to our clients, we usually work side-by-side with them. Creating the organizing systems together infuses reality and helps ensure when Life Contained is gone, our work continues to be productive and easy to maintain.
7 How long does it take to get organized?
The amount of time is different for every situation and every person. Life Contained organizers do not waste any time as we pay attention to these contributing factors: 1) different people are comfortable working at different speeds, 2) sometimes time-consuming organizing projects are uncovered within the project at hand, 3) some people are able to do more work between sessions than others, and 4) some people have a greater requirement of visual standards than others.
8 How long is a typical work session?
Organizing happens in a sequence events. Because the sequence takes some to work through, our minimum work session is three hours. Some clients prefer to work in longer stints and schedule five-hour sessions with a short food break. (We bring a lunch.) Because organizing requires rigorous decision making, most clients are exhausted by the end of the session. Occasionally clients want to work over the scheduled session time. When everyone is still fresh, we accommodate these requests.
9 Do I need to buy products?
Maybe…but not yet.
Although many projects require purchasing storage systems, several jobs are accomplished by re-purposing existing items. Either way, we don’t have enough information to go shopping just yet.
Life Contained is well versed in organizing products, so we can usually find just what we need to make things work. Sometimes we shop with or for clients. We regularly bring smaller items we think will help complete the job and sell them at retail cost to clients.
10 Can you help me with my home?
If you have a home office, we would be thrilled to help you gain productivity there. We also connect our clients with specific residential organizers when their needs go outside of the home office. If you are searching for only residential services, please go to www.napochicago.com to find a professional organizer who offers residential assistance in the Chicago metro area.
11 How do you handle recyclables & shredding?
If your office does not have recycling facilities, we will happily take all the things you designate for recycling that we can fit into our vehicle the day of service free of charge. We will deliver them to a recycling center of our choice. Because of the personal nature of items designated for shredding, we cannot deliver materials to a shredding facility. We will gladly help facilitate shredding on site or help you secure a shredding service. We also take hazardous waste (batteries, non-functioning electronics & media) for proper disposal, and we take donations (unused office supplies and such) to a charitable organization of our choice on your behalf at no charge. If you have a particular place where you’d like things to be delivered, we will charge for the time spent making special arrangements. It is a Life Contained rule to deliver all recyclables, hazardous waste, and donations to the proper facilities in their entirety.
12 How will you ensure my privacy?
We offer a non-judgmental process for getting your life contained. We keep confidential all client information, both business and personal. We use proprietary client information only with client permission. We serve our clients with integrity, competence, and objectivity, and treat them with respect and courtesy. We have pledged to abide by the code of ethics written by the National Association of Professional Organizers.
13 What geographic area do you serve?
Life Contained serves clients in the Chicago, Illinois metro area including Chicagoland spots such as Naperville, DuPage County, Oak Brook, Downer's Grove, Bolingbrook, Lisle, Wheaton, Lombard, Elmhurst, Aurora and Hinsdale. Occasionally we engage with clients outside the area and charge a travel fee.
Contact us to schedule your free phone consultation.