Actually the only thing you need to do to prepare yourself for a professional organizer visit is, contact them.
Here are two major misconceptions regarding the first visit.
#1 You do not need to clean up your disorganized area.
#2 There is no need to 'buy' anything for the first visit.
Many people think the organizer has never seen anything like their problem area. Whoa! They are so very wrong. We have seen it all.
One of our very first priorities is making you feel at ease. From the very beginning you will be reassured.
We will work together or not. This all depends on what exactly it is you need done.

If, for instance, you have piles of paper which are overwhelming you, we will need to decide together what needs to be purged or saved. While doing this everything will be put in specific piles for filing later. It's good to have a shredder for personal information or offers from credit card companies, etc. These items do not need to get in to the wrong hands! Identity theft is a major issue in today's world.

I believe in setting up a client specific structure. Everyone has different needs. In order to fulfill your needs we will work towards what works for you and you alone. Many clients end up with an extremely simple filing system. After all, if you've gone from 'nothing' to 'something' you don't need to be overwhelmed once again.

Other people need much more detailed systems, again, it's client specific. Large corporations, for instance, are inevitably more complex than a working family.

We're not limited to filing systems by any means. For the family it could mean a closet, kitchen or garage. For which there is no need for filing. For the corporation it could mean analyzing their systems for a more efficient work flow. Reevaluating specific job responsibilities as well as downsizing, if necessary. Not to mention seminars for the employees on organizing or time management. Or, possibly a particular employee is struggling with time management or disorganization. This situation often is impeding the company's profits.

As far as purchasing containers or some sort of filing cabinet, etc. There is no way to know what you will need, until your needs are evaluated. In some cases this may take numerous visits to narrow down.

Another issue often confronting an organizer is what exactly is it you the client want. Do you want to get ready for a move? Or, do you want to learn new techniques to help with you be organized. There's a big difference and you will need to make this decision before the organizer arrives.