How do I hand my home organizing client relationships to my assistant?

Home organizing is personal. Clients let you into their closets, their paperwork and sometimes their grief over a loved one’s belongings. Moving that relationship to someone else works best when it happens in steps rather than overnight.

Begin by having your assistant attend sessions with you. Introduce them as a colleague with a role, and let clients see how you work together. Over time, let the assistant lead part of the visit while you observe, and eventually take the visit entirely while you remain reachable by phone. Prepare handover notes for each client: their goals, what they found hard, which items cause stress, and what they said they want from future visits. Keep the notes private and tidy, and consider asking clients how they feel about their information being shared inside the business. Think about whether the assistant is staying with the business or taking over from it. Ask your lawyer and accountant how their role, pay and any ownership should be arranged.

Then check in with clients after each early session, and listen carefully to any hesitation.

Key takeaways

• Move clients over in steps, from shadowing to leading, rather than all at once.
• Write respectful handover notes about each household’s needs and preferences.
• Check in with clients after early sessions and respond to any hesitation.
• Decide with your lawyer and accountant whether your assistant is staying on or taking over, as that changes the conversation with clients.