APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers

What APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers does

APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit professional association registered in England and Wales and headquartered in Balderton, UK. Founded in 2004, it positions itself as the UK's primary industry body for the decluttering and organising sector and serves members worldwide. The organisation sets professional standards, publishes a Code of Ethics, and supports a member base that includes sole traders and micro-SMBs operating across specialisms such as hoarding, productivity, digital organising, and neurodivergent-friendly approaches.

Its core offering is an annual membership programme with multiple tiers including business membership, supplemented by a suite of CPD-approved training courses (Starting a Professional Organising Business, Effective Listening, Paperwork Simplified, A Collaborative Approach to Complex Situations, Introduction to Hoarding Behaviour), a one-to-one mentoring scheme, and an annual conference (APDO Conference 2026). It also operates a consumer-facing Find an Organiser directory that routes demand toward credentialed members and runs recurring awareness campaigns (National Organising Week, Spring Clearing Week, World Organising Day). On-demand conference recordings for 2023, 2024, and 2026 events are sold as digital content.

Revenue is generated through three disclosed streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions, paid training courses delivered via Zoom, and conference/event participation (including a multi-year partnership with the Home, Life & You Live consumer home event). Go-to-market is community-led and content-driven, relying on organic social (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, blog content, and event-based engagement rather than paid acquisition. No revenue, headcount, or membership count is publicly disclosed, and the organisation has no disclosed parent company, institutional investors, or M&A activity.

Name

APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers

Legal name

APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers

Website

https://apdo.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APDO is the UK's volunteer-run, not-for-profit professional association for the decluttering and organising industry, founded in 2004. It serves a worldwide membership of professional organisers through annual subscriptions, CPD-approved training, mentoring, conferences, and a consumer-facing Find an Organiser directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Balderton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for professional organizers seeking credentials, networking, and professional development resources.
2. Training Courses: CPD-approved training courses for professional organizers including Starting a Professional Organising Business, Effective Listening, Paperwork Simplified, and Introduction to Hoarding Behaviour.
3. Conference and Events: Annual conferences including APDO Conference 2026 and participation in events like Home, Life & You Live.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APDO is a volunteer-run not-for-profit association that provides membership, CPD-approved training, mentoring, conferences, and a public Find an Organiser directory for the decluttering and organising industry. It sets professional standards and supports the career development of professional organisers in the UK and internationally, while connecting consumers seeking help with vetted practitioners.

Product overview

APDO is a volunteer-run not-for-profit association providing a membership programme to professional organisers worldwide. The core offerings consist of APDO Membership, the One-to-One Mentoring Scheme, and Find an Organiser directory service. Training products include the CPD-approved Starting a Professional Organising Business course as a signature offering, along with supplementary training courses (Effective Listening, Paperwork Simplified, A Collaborative Approach to Complex Situations, Introduction to Hoarding Behaviour). Digital content products include Conference Recordings from annual events (2023, 2024, 2026). Events include the annual APDO Conference 2026 and awareness campaigns such as National Organising Week (NOW). The portfolio forms a unified professional development ecosystem supporting the decluttering and organising industry from training through to community and ongoing professional support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• APDO Membership Annual membership programme for professional declutterers and organisers providing community access, professional development, standards-setting, and industry support, available to members worldwide.
• One-to-One Mentoring Scheme Mentoring programme connecting professional organisers with mentors who provide guidance, support and motivation to help start or develop their businesses.
• Find an Organiser Directory Public directory connecting individuals seeking decluttering and organising help with qualified APDO members, offering both in-person and virtual assistance across specialisms including hoarding, productivity, and digital organising.
• Starting a Professional Organising Business CPD-approved signature training course for those considering or starting out on a career as a professional organiser, providing an educational pathway into the industry.
• A Collaborative Approach to Complex Situations Training course exploring complex situations in professional organising work, teaching a person-centred approach delivered in collaboration with other professionals.
• Effective Listening Training course designed to deepen listening skills so professional organisers can better understand what clients are saying and not saying.
• Paperwork Simplified Training course to build confidence working alongside clients with diverse paperwork challenges, either in person or remotely.
• Introduction to Hoarding Behaviour Bitesized course providing an introduction to hoarding behaviour and ways professional organisers can help affected clients.
• Conference Recordings On-demand recordings of talks and workshops from APDO annual conferences, including 2023 (Moving Forward To Flourish), 2024 (Inspiring A Sustainable Future), and 2026 sessions available via instant access.
• APDO Conference 2026 The Organisers' Conference taking place in 2026, offering two inspiring days of learning, connection and community for professional organisers at any stage of their journey.
• National Organising Week (NOW) Annual awareness week (Monday 14th - Sunday 20th September 2026) shining a spotlight on overconsumption, providing daily blogs, tips, and resources to inspire positive change in homes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sets industry standards for professional organising
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Home, Life & You LivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Home, Life & You Live (formerly Clean & Tidy Show) is partnering with APDO for the fourth year in 2025. The event is the first consumer home event focused on cleaning, decluttering and organising. APDO has a presence on the Main Stage, Demo Stage, Ask The Expert stage, and APDO stand.
• Home Sweet HomeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate friend and sponsor of APDO. Provides support for the association's mission and community initiatives.
• FillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate friend and sponsor of APDO. Supports the professional organising community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Declutter Hub: UK-based community and education resource for decluttering and organising practitioners, providing training, networking, and practitioner support — overlapping materially with APDO's training and membership offering.
• National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals (NAPO): US-based professional membership association for organising and productivity professionals. Closest functional analogue to APDO, offering membership, training, and an industry directory in a parallel national market.
• Professional Organisers in Canada (POC): Canadian national association for professional organisers providing membership, education, and a consumer-facing Find-an-Organiser directory — a near-identical operating model to APDO in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• KonMari Media: Global consumer brand built on the organising category, offering certified consultant training and media. Operates adjacent to APDO's territory by providing a competing practitioner credential and brand-led consumer demand generation.

Regional players

• International Association of Professional Organisers and Home Stagers: Australia/NZ-based professional body for organisers and home stagers with a comparable membership-plus-training model, operating in a distinct geography from APDO but serving an analogous practitioner community.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/apdouk
• Facebookfacebook.com/apdouk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apdo-association-of-professional-declutterers-and-organisers
• Instagraminstagram.com/apdo_uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APDO Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers