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Mothers in Business
Tempe mom helps others cut the clutter
Patricia Bathurst
Special for The Republic
May 3, 2003
If you want to know what a woman really wants, ask another woman.
And if you want to find perfect Mother's Day gifts for your mom
or wife, members of the Arizona Small Business Administration's
Entrepreneurial Mothers group have some ideas for you.
"Being a business owner and a mother can present its challenges, but it
also enhances our ability to multitask, think creatively and know what
other mothers are looking for in products and services," said Janet
Drez of Chandler, who heads the group and also offers small businesses
marketing and organizational help through her own consulting business.
Linda Griffith of Tempe firmly believes that life is better when
you're organized.
"Clutter equals stress," she said firmly. "When you get rid of clutter you will feel rejuvenated and have more energy."
After 26 years as an executive assistant or office manager, Griffith
started the Organized Option after getting her degree in business
management. "My financial planner suggested to me some years ago
that I should think about my own business," Griffith said.
A self-described "driven, type-A person", Griffith decided post-degree
to take some time to figure out her next step. "I have always
worked, from the time I was 18 and worked as a secretary in Disney's
special events department. That," she admitted, "was how I began
to realize how organized I could be. But after the degree, I
needed to do something and that's when I realized, this is the perfect
time to try this."
Her business management and organizational skills came in handy as she
developed a business plan that required a minimal $5,000 investment.
And she joined the National Association of Professional
Organizers, partly to network but also for added credibility.
"There's not only a career in organizing, there's a growing
demand," she said.
But how difficult can it be for anyone to organize the pantry, the
closets, the files? "You'd be surprised," Griffith explained.
"The biggest problem most people have is that before you can
organize, you must cull. The single biggest mistake people make
in organizing is believing they must keep everything. Keeping
everything does not organize. It simply puts your disarray into
order. "It's hard, but you have to let go of some of the
sentimentality. You just cannot keep everything."
She has kept only a few of "the best" examples of her daughter Amanda's
papers and art projects. "Just think," Griffith said, "if you had
six children and you kept everything from their school years you would
have to rent storage space."
Griffith has organized everything from entire houses to computer files
for small businesses, "even kids' rooms and pantries." Having her
own business allows her to organize her own life to include things that
she wants to do, such as being a volunteer for Hospice of the Valley
and spending more time with her daughter and husband, Scott.
"I love doing this," the unabashedly determined organizer said.
"I know there are two things mothers want: a clean house
and an organized house. And I just love it when my clients have
more energy to do what they really want to do, too."
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