Small Biz Spotlight: Simplify, Simplify

Liz August has been organizing homes and businesses for friends and family for many years, and in March of this year, she decided to turn it into a legitimate business. She called it Simplify, Simplify, and with it does just that: helps companies and home owners organize and simplify their lives.

Growing up in Schenectady, NY, she met her husband in Boston and moved to Marlborough in 2013. They teach at the same middle school in Framingham, and spend a lot of free time playing with their Shnauzer, as well as traveling and going to concerts.

August volunteers for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a cause very important to her.

While August’s business is based in Marlborough, she accepts clients from all around New England, and even in her hometown of Schenectady.

What made you decide to open this type of business? Organization is something I have always been good at, ever since I was a child. I explored owning a business through being an independent consultant of a well-known company, but realized that while the business side of it spoke to me, the products weren’t something I was passionate about. My father has always said that I have a lot of gumption, and that combined with offering a service that declutters my clients’ minds as well as their physical spaces, has led to finding something I truly love that actually helps people.

What do you like best about it? My favorite part of my business are both the before and after photos as well as the reactions of my clients upon seeing their organized space for the first time. Some have even cried from happiness!

Biggest struggle? The biggest struggle for me in owning and operating my own business is pricing. I’m very frugal and I know most people want the biggest bang for their buck. I try to work within everyone’s budget while still being fair to myself.

What do you see for the future? My husband and I love teaching but we recognize a drive within ourselves that wants more. He is now a real estate agent with Century 21 Framingham and we foresee a shift from education to real estate and my business as our careers. We’re also planning on a baby in the near future, just to add some more things to our busy schedules!

Politics and small business: how does government affect your business? So far I haven’t had any negative government effects on my small business. Here’s hoping it stays that way!

Do you have a business, or know of one, that deserves the spotlight? Email charlene.arsenault@patch.com.