Final week, Hong Anh and her staff completed organizing the household closet of a feminine consumer in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District. The VND30 million ($1207.5) venture required 5 workers working repeatedly over a span of 4 days.
The household of 4 possessed an enormous quantity of clothes. Anh’s consumer alone had a complete of 230 skirts, roughly 300 shirts, 150 pairs of trousers, over 100 cardigans and sweaters, to not point out numerous different clothes resembling attire, jackets, fits, and fitness center garments.
“It is actually a mountain of garments. With out experience you wouldn’t know the place to begin,” mentioned Hong Anh, the 36-year-old founding father of an expert closet organizing firm in Hanoi.
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Earlier than the makeover, a part of a buyer’s wardrobe in Hanoi’s Ba Dinh District awaits organizational transformation by Hong Anh’s staff. Picture by Tudo |
“After a decade of working at a Japanese firm, the ‘kaizen’ (steady enchancment) mindset has grow to be second nature to me,” mentioned Hong Anh. “And I usually wished to make myself extra comfy when opening my wardrobe.”
After speaking to pals, she realized many different folks have been additionally equally annoyed with their cramped wardrobes. Thus, her concept of launching a closet group service was born.
Final summer season, Hong Anh determined to depart her skilled place as head of gross sales at an organization to pursue her imaginative and prescient.
She first enrolled in a web-based course for skilled organizers on the Worldwide Affiliation of Professions Profession School (USA).
Skilled organizers are individuals who make a residing serving to others set up their lives, together with help with many small niches resembling time administration, closet group, and efficiency enhancement.
The occupation, born within the Eighties, has seen important development lately. In keeping with Statista, in 2020 the skilled group market within the U.S. was valued at roughly $10.3 billion, a 4.7% annual enhance for 2019.
Within the U.S., a closet organizer can earn an annual wage of from $42,000 to $55,000, whereas the vary is between £20,000 and 24,000 per yr within the U.Ok.
In the meantime, in Vietnam, the business remains to be growing, and most of such companies are based mostly in Hanoi. Hourly charges for closet group vary from VND200,000-300,000.
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Hong Anh organizes a consumer’s closet in Hanoi’s Nam Tu Liem District in November 2023. Picture by Tudo |
Lan Anh, a 36-year-old mom of three residing in Dong Da District, has solely been doing this sort of work professionally for simply over a month, however already feels she was born for the job.
“I got here throughout the job posting earlier this yr and utilized instantly,” mentioned the previous homestay proprietor.
To grow to be a closet organizer, one should be skillful and meticulous, in addition to geared up with trend data and wonderful communication expertise, particularly when coping with high-profile purchasers.
Together with her life expertise and innate aesthetic sense, Lan Anh rapidly tailored to the function.
“After 20 days at work, I used to be already promoted to shift chief,” she mentioned proudly.
Lan Anh, together with her pure aptitude for group, drew inspiration from minimalism specialists and explored varied strategies, together with the KonMari Methodology developed by well-known Japanese organizing marketing consultant Marie Kondo.
She then developed her systematic method:
Whereas she first prioritized compactness, Lan Anh now categorizes clothes by shade and kind and pays consideration to small particulars that may improve the general aesthetics of the closet. Garments are neatly folded for simple storage and identification, whereas an identical hangers are used for hanging garments.
“I additionally discovered to rearrange garments utilizing a grid format. Hardly ever-used and low season gadgets discover their place on the highest rows, making certain quick access to frequently-worn items. Tops and bottoms are organized vertically, permitting our purchasers to rapidly put collectively their every day outfits”, shared the skilled organizer.
This previous weekend, her staff organized the closet of a three-member household on Pham Van Dong Avenue, Cau Giay District.
Though the household didn’t have an excessive amount of clothes, the gadgets have been all wrinkled and never correctly separated, leaving everybody within the dwelling annoyed about inadequate space for storing.
Nonetheless, after emptying the entire closet and sorting each garment, the staff was in a position to release house in three closet compartments. The consumer’s household was pleasantly shocked and glad with the consequence, calling it a “revolution.”
“Probably the most rewarding a part of this job is seeing a fantastically organized closet and receiving constructive suggestions from our purchasers. We’re serving to folks enhance their high quality of life,” she mentioned.
In sure conditions, clients rediscover gadgets that they thought have been misplaced, make some more money by promoting previous clothes, and even regulate their purchasing habits.
Thanh Hue, a 43-year-old resident of Hai Ba Trung District, had her household’s closet professionally organized in September 2023 for VND5 million. The closet house was totally cleaned, with all the garments neatly folded and categorized.
“It was a nightmare residing in an excessive amount of clothes. After utilizing the service, my closet seemed like that of a celeb and remained tidy for a minimum of 6 months”, mentioned Hue.
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After group by Hong Anh’s staff, a consumer’s closet house in Hanoi’s Lengthy Bien District shines in February 2024. Picture by Tudo |
Nonetheless, because the occupation remains to be new, it inevitably faces misunderstandings. In keeping with Hong Anh, many shoppers mistake her enterprise as a maid service.
“Our purpose is to boost our consumer’s residing house via logical group, not simply serving to with home tasks,” the enterprise proprietor clarified.
Within the early days of operation, Hong Anh had a 30-year-old feminine buyer in Thanh Xuan District in search of a wardrobe makeover earlier than shopping for extra gadgets. After giving beginning and staying dwelling for practically a yr, the client, Hoa, had not bought any new garments.
Taking a fast look on the wardrobe, Hong Anh might see the connection between Hoa and her husband was out of stability. The husband’s garments occupied two thirds of the house and their son’s clothes took up one other significant slice, whereas her garments have been tucked away in just a few small drawers.
“She then confided to me how her husband had been sad about how she was not dressing up when going out,” mentioned Hong Anh.
Hong Anh determined to talk with Hoa’s husband about re-organizing their shared wardrobe. Contemplating Hoa’s restricted peak and busy childcare obligations, her garments have been strategically positioned in simply accessible places.
Hong Anh’s staff of stylists supplied customized model consultations, making certain that Hoa acquired appropriate new gadgets. To at the present time, Hoa continues to collaborate with Hong Anh to keep up her organized wardrobe. And he or she seeks session at any time when she provides new clothes gadgets.
“After three months, my consumer has grow to be far more assured in her look and the way in which she attire. The couple’s relationship has additionally improved considerably,” mentioned Hong Anh.
Though the case didn’t earn Hong Anh some huge cash, it helped her notice the impression of her work.
Hong Anh remarked: “To some extent, we don’t simply remodel closets, but in addition the lifetime of our clients.”