TL;DR
Kathi Burns started her organizing and image consultancy broke and on $49, and says the hardest part of owning a business is staying focused instead of busy. Her tips: stay organized as you grow, keep background systems such as contacts in one place, set up real business tools, and hire help for what you cannot do.
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on this interview with Kathi Burns, founder of Organized and Energized!, located in San Diego, CA, USA.
What is Kathi’s business, and who are her customers?
I am a Board Certified Professional Organizer, Image Consultant, author, and speaker. As the founder of OrganizedandEnergized.com, a professional organizing and image consultancy, I help smart, creative women entrepreneurs age 40+ go from overwhelmed, indecisive, and disorganized to move from chaos to cash!
How did Kathi get started?
My mission for almost two decades has been to end overwhelm, energize, and transform lives by creating systems people can stick to. While working for years as a travel writer and later as a licensed boat captain and living full-time out of a duffle bag, I realized the importance of living small, being organized, and merging art and style with practicality. Since then, I have published two books and created numerous online training programs.
What is her biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
In 2005, one year after launching my consultancy, Good Morning America featured me as a successful woman-owned business.
What is one of the hardest things about being a business owner?
Keeping focused and not getting stuck in ‘busyness’ – doing things that don’t move you toward the bottom line of creating the prosperity you desire in your business. That kind of drag is what Kathi calls the friction tax in your business.
What are the top tips for anyone looking to start, run and grow a business?
- You don’t necessarily need a lot of money to start a service-based business (I started mine broke and on $49), but you do need focus and the ability to stay organized as you grow.
- Speaking of that, it is important that you have systems running in the background of your business supporting you and not fighting against each other. Take, for instance, your contacts: they need to be all inside one container, not a few on your phone and others on your computer, with neither categorized or syncing with each other. This is just one example of systems in the background that are designed to support you and help you keep focused. A customer follow-up system is another.
- Make sure to set up your business like a business, which means investing in business scale tools. A real 6-foot (at least) desk, not the dining room table, an office-style chair that supports you ergonomically. If you have papers generated in your business, it pays to invest in a good file cabinet, one with good slides with drawers that open and close easily. Not a file basket with a lid; just saying! Here is how to plan a properly organized office.
- The last tip is to reach out for help with those things that you cannot or do not know how to do. Masters hire masters! The most successful entrepreneurs hire others to help them grow and succeed. Doing this accelerates your learning curve and allows you to do what you can do using the best of your abilities. Learn to call on others to either delegate to or learn from. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Keep reading
- About Kathi ~ an intimate interview with Ariane from Inspirational LuminariesAnother conversation with Kathi about the challenges of growing a business.
- Easy Tips to Increase Your ProductivityPractical ways women entrepreneurs can get more done without working longer.
- The Proper Office Organizing PlanHow to set up an office that lets you be organized and efficient.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need to start a service-based business?
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Not necessarily a lot. Kathi Burns started her professional organizing and image consultancy broke and on $49. What you do need, she says, is focus and the ability to stay organized as you grow, with systems in place that support you instead of fighting each other.
What is the hardest part of being a business owner?
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For Kathi Burns, it is keeping focused and not getting stuck in busyness: doing things that do not move you toward the bottom line of creating the prosperity you want. Staying organized and having the right systems in the background helps you keep that focus.
Why should all my business contacts be in one place?
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When some contacts live on your phone and others on your computer, and neither is categorized or synced, your systems work against you. Kathi Burns recommends keeping every contact in one container so the background systems of your business support you and help you stay focused.
What office setup does a small business owner need?
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Set up your business like a business. Kathi Burns recommends a real desk at least six feet long instead of the dining room table, an ergonomic office-style chair, and, if you handle paper, a good file cabinet with smooth sliding drawers rather than a file basket with a lid.
When should an entrepreneur ask for help?
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Ask for help with anything you cannot do or do not know how to do. Kathi Burns says masters hire masters: the most successful entrepreneurs hire others to help them grow. Delegating or learning from others speeds up your learning curve and lets you work at your best.
Originally published on Organized and Energized on May 24, 2023. Moved to addSpace and updated November 7, 2026.
