Want to know how to fit your very complicated life into your very small apartment? How to organize your clothes so you can find that great pink sweater on Friday night? What to do with those very valuable high school football trophies? Like many people, you may be faced with a seemingly insurmountable problem of clutter. As evidenced by the increasing popularity of TV programs like Clean Sweep (TLC), Clean House (Style Network), and Mission: Organization (HGTV), many consumers recognize that they suffer from home chaos.

For some of us, the clutter comes from excessive buying or an attachment to things, while for others the problem is simply a lack of organizational skills. A disorganized home or office not only lowers our efficiency but also create stress and interrupts the harmony of the space. Fortunately, there is help. Clear & SIMPLE^TM, founded in 1999, is one of a number of professional organizing companies that meets the growing need for home and office organization skills.

Because many of us seem to be missing a gene for good organizational skills, professional organizers like Clear & SIMPLE^TM help clients to build a harmonized life and restore order to their homes and workplaces. Clear & SIMPLE^TM owners Marla Dee and Lisa Parsons try to convince homeowners and businesses that "Getting Organized can be Fun, Simple, and Freeing!" The company offers clutterafflicted consumers a variety of services.

Their two major systems, SEE IT • MAP IT • DO IT and S.T.A.C.K.S.^TM, aim to train clients how to identify their problems with clutter and chaos and then show them how to better organize their space. Most of the objects we accumulate relate to our memories; we're afraid to throw away and/or give away these things because it means losing part of our past. Thus, a major part of the training is learning how to separate meaningful things that are also useful from those that no longer are very meaningful.

In addition to its training programs, Clear & SIMPLE^TM products include workshops, individual consultation and needs assessment, plus a variety of organizational skills books, kits, and self-study courses. Clear & SIMPLE^TM also introduced a certificate program to train more professional organizers to meet the growing demand in the market.

Despite its current success, Clear & SIMPLE^TM faces a number of challenges. The increasing number of competitors in the industry and the growing number of Internet Web sites on delivering organizing skills can have a direct impact on Clear & SIMPLE's^TM future success. While we wouldn't classify Clear & SIMPLE^TM as a luxury product, consumers may question if help in organizing their space is a necessary expense in times of economic recession. How can Clear & SIMPLE^TM build on its current success for a sustainable future that will endure economic ups and downs? Even more important, what should Marla and her colleagues do to make their brand stand out among their other "neat" competitors? You Make the Call

1. What is the decision facing Clear & SIMPLE^TM?

2. What factors are important in understanding this decision situation?

3. What are the alternatives?

4. What decision(s) do you recommend?

5. What are some ways to implement your recommendation?