About the Clutter Community
- 10 years of working with determined declutterers
- clients in 15 countries
- over 400 1-2-1 clients
- over 1,000 eBooks and DIY Kits sold
- 5,000 hours in people's homes taking them through the Clutter Clearing Process.
Wow - I've spent a lot of time talking about, dealing with and working through clutter! Hardly surprising when you consider that I'm one of the few - if not the only - person who is able to work with anyone, anywhere in the world.
Of course it hasn't always been that way.
2001
No one wakes up one day and decides to become a Clutter Coach! It all began when I had my own Clutter Challenge back in 2001. I didn't want someone to come to my home, tell me what I 'should' and 'shouldn't' keep, decide what value to place on my belongings. After all, what to them may be a worthless piece of paper may be to me a last letter from a loved one - how would they know?
I spent a year modelling naturally clutter free and organised people, worked out what I was doing wrong and consequently discovered the Clutter Clearing Process. I then used it to deal with my own clutter and, wondering whether it could help others, I then found 100 willing 'volunteers' to test the process and, with a little tweaking here and there I discovered how it could work for anyone and everyone.
However, I wasn't sure if there were other, discerning clutterholics like me. I know we live in a world of quick fixes, instant solutions, miracle makeovers. Surely there were others out there like me who knew that there was no quick fix that would last when it came to their clutter?
2002
Obviously, before I launched my life, soul and savings into a career in clutter I needed to find out whether there were in fact people who wanted to do what I had done i.e. get back control themselves and learn the skill, rather than have someone do it for them.
I soon realised that there were - people who were in the same position I had been in, people who had paid for 'experts' to come to their home to 'do it for them' and regretted it, and even people who had been on the TV programmes and realised that it didn't last. So I placed an advert in my local newspaper in the December of 2001. It read, simply 'Got Clutter? Need Help to Clear it? Clutter Clearing Clare can help.' plus a few more details. It had only my phone number, and all I offered were the home visits. I didn't know how to charge for my services, the only thing I knew was how to teach people the skill of clearing clutter.
Even I couldn't have expected quite such a response. I had 6 people call me up in the first week alone, and 1 even bought vouchers for their partner for Christmas!
The calls continued to come, and soon I realised that I needed to invest in a website. So, 3 months later I launched the first website using all my savings to pay for it, and even more calls came in.
I remember sitting at home, in my lounge with a friend waiting for the call to say that my very own website had gone live! Oh the disappointment that the phone didn't ring instantly! (although it did ring more regularly when I launched the website - back in 2002 the web was not as developed as it is now).
As more 'experts' appeared in the decluttering field, I was fascinated by their methods. As a former Clutterholic who wanted back control herself when she had her clutter challenge, I was intrigued by how they were able to help people help themselves when they hadn't struggled with clutter themselves.
It's a question I still ask myself - how can someone who hasn't had a problem with clutter claim to help someone who has to clear it themselves and for good? How can they understand the struggles we have with decision making?
2005
In 2005 I produced the DIY Kit and eBooks so that people could get access to the Clutter Clearing Proces without the need for a home visit. Until 2005 years ago I was still exclusively helping people on a 1-2-1 basis in their homes, with follow up support via the telephone for 6 weeks.
2007
Having called myself a Professional Declutterer and Organiser since beginning, 2007 marked a turning point. I realised that I did not wish to be labelled as this after seeing an article in which the representative body recommended the use of off site self storage facilities as a solution to attic clutter. As a former clutterholic myself, I couldn't believe that they were recommending this (although I understood it from a business perspective because the storage companies were almost certainly offering them, like me, commission for any client who used the facility).
As the recession began to bite, I also got an increasing number of calls from people who wanted to do what I did, believing that the only skills and qualifications required are to be 'super organised' and 'great at decluttering friends'. This could not be further from the truth.
It further highlighted the fact that I was a professionally trained coach, applying my skills to the field of clutter - not someone who liked telling someone what they 'should' and 'shouldn't' keep, so.......
2009
In 2009 I repositioned myself in the market place as a Clutter Coach.
2010
The biggest change in Clutter Clearing took place in 2010 when, due to the economy, I had to charge more for visiting people in their homes thanks to the cost of travel. Because of the struggle that more and more clutterholics were having in paying for help in their homes, I introduced the 'virtual' clutter clearing sessions. This literally transformed both the way I helped people, and the number of people I could help on a 1-2-1 basis without it costing a fortune.
Those brave former clients who were my guinea pigs were great! Indeed, for many of them they found they were better than the home visits because they were having to turn the theory into practice themselves, therefore they learnt it quicker and more easily with me guiding them through the process on the end of the telephone or skype.
2011
In 2011 I introduced the 3 month Success Club for determined declutterers which initially provided the knowledge they needed, and then provided both the knowledge AND virtual 'doing the doing'. It relied soley on the 'virtual' clutter clearing sessions and focused on the clients 'doing the doing' with my guidance and advice.
Such was the success of the Success Club members who had weekly 'virtual' Clutter Clearing Sessions with me via the telephone or skype that, as of 2012, these 'virtual' Clutter Clearing Sessions are the standard form of help to anyone, anywhere in the world.
2012
Now, in 2012 the Clutter Community is born with access to all the resources, information, advice and top tips that previously only my clients have had access to. All you need to add is the time and determination to use all the resources to turn your dream of a clutter free home into a reality - and like my clients clear the clutter and move on with your life.
The Common Goal.......
The Clutter Community is about a Community of people with one common goal - to Clear their Clutter for good - and one common need - to have support from people who understand.
They are all determined declutterers with all levels of clutter, joining together to help each other understand and achieve more when they do some Clutter Clearing. Consider the Clutter Community a place where you can meet fellow Clutter Clearer's who are all following the same process, on the same journey and experiencing the same challenges and issues as you. People who struggle with overwhelm, procrastination, lack of energy and lack of support.
Clare Baker is like a host - you and many others who want to declutter meet at her place and we all talk about our challenges, share ideas, give support to those of us who are struggling. When you visit the Community you may have a particular challenge that you need ideas or support to deal with, and you can find what you need when you need it. You can return whenever you have a particular challenge and get what you need - just like a library of information and resources. It's there whenever you need it.
Whether you are taking a course or having 1-2-1 coaching from Clare, the Clutter Community keeps you growing with ongoing inspiration and education.
The Clutter Community is not a professional training programme or a substitute for Clare's coaching programmes. If members want to become a Clutter Coach or have some Coaching with Clare to help turn the resources into practice. We aim to enable people who are struggling with their clutter to connect with others in the same position, and to support one another through their journey to a Clutter Free home while also providing the resources and information they need to be able to achieve that.
