From criminal lawyer to entrepreneur and professional organiser

We caught up with new member Helen Clutton to find out about her journey from criminal lawyer to entrepreneur and professional organiser. 

Tell us about hspace Professional Organisers and what you do.

We believe that being surrounded by mess and clutter is incredibly stressful and distracts us from the things that really matter in life.  I'm not saying we should all be minimalists, but most people do tend to hang on to too much stuff for all sorts of reasons, such as sentimentality and guilt and aren't optimising the space they have. Furthermore, if we don't sort out our mess at home and at work now, who is going to have to do it when we've gone?  I work with an assistant, and one of the things that we find particularly satisfying is when we help clients refresh their homes or offices by reclaiming a disorganised space that had been lost to clutter and mess. Clients can find it quite stressful while we are going through the process, but are invariably delighted by the end. We give them some coaching as we go along and teach them simple systems which will help them maintain their spaces and encourage good practice in the future.  It's so rewarding to see our clients' faces at the end of the process.  We've been hugged loads of times!  

What inspired you to set up the business?

I was a criminal lawyer for years, which meant that I was incredibly busy, working to tight deadlines and had to spend a lot of time at home, reviewing cases or preparing for court.  We had two young boys, a dog, a horse and a house to look after.  I am someone who cannot concentrate if I am surrounded by mess, so found it very stressful being faced with all the chaos and stuff that we had acquired and that comes with having children and animals.  I decided to declutter and found that we all benefitted.  I got rid of so much stuff, and honestly, none of us missed any of it or could even tell you a day later what had gone!  It was amazing.  Less to organise, less cleaning, everything put away equals more family and relaxation time - bliss.  We were also able to reconfigure one of the rooms so that I finally had my own office space, rather than having to sit and work at the kitchen table!  We applied the technique to my husband's office too.  We never looked back.  When I was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson's Disease, I decided while I was still fit and well, to go for it and realise my ambition of setting up the business.  I'm pleased I did as I am having such a great time!  I'm on a quest to refresh and streamline as many homes and workspaces in Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire that I can,

What‘s your favourite part of your job?

All of it.  In particular, at the end of the process, when we step back and see the results of our labours and the smiles on our clients' faces.  When we check in with them a few days later, after they've had some time to adjust, I love to hear the difference the process has made to them.

You’ve been part of the Entrepreneurial Spark business accelerator programme for a month now. Has it helped your business? 

Yes, in that I've met some fantastic and innovative people of all ages.  It's a thrill to be part of such an energetic and purposeful people group of people, plus I've learned a great deal.  It's also been a great opportunity to talk about my area of expertise - most people had never heard of a decluttering and organising business, but love the concept.  I have already done some work for some of them at their homes and offices. 

What is your top tip for starting up a business? 

You may have a great idea, but make sure there's a market for your product or service.  Then consider the best way to promote your business, whether it be advertising, demos, networking etc - I have learned that the best way to promote my business is by word of mouth, so it is vital that I do a good job every time.  Promote your business whenever possible - for me it has been through blogging, giving talks to all sorts of groups, offering a few hours free as a competition prize in local magazines in return for free copy, interviews in local papers and radio. Be imaginative about who you can link up with as well - I have linked up with estate agents, letting agents, undertakers, solicitors, services for new mums etc, a storage company.  We promote each other's services, which benefits everyone. 

Thanks to Helen Clutton from hspace Professional Organisers 

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk