Sometimes it seems there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Exhausted from the ever-increasing demands of the workplace and the daily commute, we drag ourselves home to give only sleepy-eyed attention to our families.

According to a recent study of the U.S. work force released by the Families and Work Institute, the average worker spends 44 hours per week on the job, and 36 percent of workers say they often feel completely used up at the end of the workday. And there is certainly no rest for the weary at home: Eighty-five percent of workers have daily family responsibilities to go home to, while 78 percent of married workers have spouses who are also employed. Weekends are consumed by errands and housekeeping; 70 percent of all parents feel they don’t spend enough time with their children. Leisure time? Never heard of it.

This nationwide drought of spare time has a bright side for entrepreneurs, however. It has encouraged the emergence of concierge services, small businesses staffed by resourceful people who do anything and everything from getting clients the best seat in the house at a Broadway production to designing resumes - all for a price.

LENDING A HAND

“Time has become the commodity of the ’90s,” says Holly Stiel, owner of Holly Speaks, a Mill Valley, California, concierge consulting business, and author of Ultimate Service: The Complete Handbook to the World of the Concierge (Delta Collins). “The popularity of concierge services stems from the fact that people are stressed, overworked, and need help dealing with life. These are busy people who need to spend free time nurturing themselves instead of running errands.”

Stiel, who served as a concierge at the Grand Hyatt hotel in San Francisco for 16 years, says that concierges first appeared in European luxury hotels in the 1930s. While many entrepreneurs who go into the concierge business today gained skills and contacts from working as hotel concierges, Stiel believes that anyone who has the desire can become a successful concierge.

“One of the great things about being a concierge is that you don’t really need a background in it,” says Stiel, 49. “People I know in the business have been engineers, biologists, geologists, homemakers and teachers. It’s really more about heart and soul than it is about experience. You should want to take care of people and help them. You should be savvy, worldly and able to multitask. You should love to do many things at once.”

A POTPOURRI OF SERVICES

For consumers, the main selling point of a concierge business is the convenience offered by its range of services. Entrepreneur Cynthia Adkins knows this well: After working for eight years as a concierge, the owner of Concierge@Large in San Diego has fulfilled her share of oddball requests. One client asked Adkins to find a used golf-green mower because he wanted to turn his backyard into a putting green. She did locate such a mower, but it wasn’t easy. “It’s not something you can just open up the phone book and find,” says Adkins, 39.

“The key to being a good locator is being resourceful to begin with and then having resources to draw on.”

Adkins also capitalizes on the tremendous growth in the number of telecommuters and home-based businesses by offering clients what she calls “a virtual assistant service,” in which one of her employees performs the duties of a personal assistant or secretary. “There are so many people telecommuting and working at home, and they don’t have staffs to call on,” says Adkins. “What we offer is an executive assistant you talk to via the Internet or the phone. They do things such as set up meetings and make follow-up calls. As long as everyone is comfortable using the technology, it’s something that can be easily arranged.”

Another service Adkins offers is posing as a “mystery shopper.” A client, usually a retail or service business, will arrange for Adkins or one of her employees to go to a store, act like an average customer and report back to the client on the quality of their treatment by employees.

BE OUR GUEST

A very popular niche for concierge services is entertainment and hospitality. Gary Stein, 38, founder of West Port, Connecticut, Your Personal Concierge, specializes in obtaining hot tickets to Broadway plays and reservations at popular New York City restaurants and hotels. “Our best clients are from out of town; they require concierge services far more than someone who lives in New York City,” says Stein, who worked for the Shubert Theater for four years before opening his business in the late 1980s. “While a certain number of our clients are individuals who use us for their personal needs, a majority of the people we serve are business executives with busy schedules.”

Stein says keeping up with New York City’s thriving cultural life so he can make the appropriate recommendations to clients isn’t as difficult as it sounds. “Once something becomes a hit, it’s not much of a secret anymore,” he says.

Many concierge businesses also offer event-planning services, which they market to corporate clients. The ongoing downsizing trend in large corporations seems to have much to do with the increasing popularity of this type of service, says Garrett Seaverns, 42, co-founder of Suburban Concierge in Essex, Massachusetts. “We noticed about four years ago when we were going into business that as companies were cutting their staffing levels back and making employees more productive, those employees had much less time to order flowers or make things happen for the holidays,” he says.

Seaverns believes that reliability and dedication are important qualities in an event-planning team. “You have to be very attentive to details and know whom you can count on,” says Seaverns, who runs the business with his wife, Lauren, 39, a former executive administration manager. “We use an extensive database of vendors who are really into good customer service. You’ve got to be able to deliver what you tell people you’re going to, and you’ve got to care.”

START ME UP

As a service-based business, starting a concierge service doesn’t require a large capital investment. If you have access to information, you already have the business’s most vital asset. “Start-up is not very expensive,” says Stein. “[Costs] really depend on how elaborate you want to get. We have a computer network and a lot of information we’ve gathered over a number of years that would take time and money to build from scratch. For less than $20,000, you could set yourself up quite nicely.”

Adkins agrees. “While you need to purchase the basics, such as a phone line, stationery and business cards, most of what you really need to run the business you get from established relationships,” she says. “The key to being a good concierge is having contacts. I was developing my contact base for years before I started my business. It gives me a distinct advantage because I can call in a lot of favors.”

Concierge services, both personal and corporate, have a strong potential for growth, particularly outside the big cities, says Stiel. “In smaller places, concierge [services] may still be an unfamiliar concept, but the need for these services is certainly not limited to big cities,” she says.

Located 30 miles north of Boston, Seaverns’ Suburban Concierge combines a big-city concept with small-town friendliness to distinguish itself. “What sets us apart from the other services is that we are outside the city,” says Seaverns. “Unlike city. services, we offer a very personalized service.”

Corporate concierge services also have plenty of room to grow. As good workers become harder to find, businesses are looking to concierge services as perks to keep valuable employees happy. “I see large corporations wanting to give that extra benefit to their executives and other employees, says Patty Dreiseszun, founder of three-year-old Phoenix-based World Class Concierge and a former concierge at the Phoenix Hyatt Regency Hotel. “They do this by either bringing a concierge into their lobby or offering access to an off-site concierge service via a toll-free number.”

Driven by time constraints, a desire for prestige or just plain convenience, more and more consumers are using concierge services to improve the quality of their lives. Although no official estimates are available, an Internet search reveals only a handful of independent concierge services in business, leaving a profitable market wide open to anyone who can provide service with a smile.

NEXT STEP

The National Concierge Associations (NCA), which provides networking opportunities and information resources for members, will hold its annual conference this month. For more information, contact the NCA at P.O. Box 2860, Chicago, IL 60690-2860.

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COPYRIGHT 1998 Entrepreneur Media, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group

As you move into building your virtual practice, choosing clients will be one of the most exciting and difficult things you’ll have to do.

So we offer this list of things to think about as you move through the process.

1. Am I deeply moved and excited by the client’s work and personality (do I like who the person seems to be)?

If you’re not absolutely jazzed by both, the relationship isn’t worth pursuing because it will end up being a huge energy drain for you later on.

2. Does the client clearly understand the concept and power of working with a Virtual Assistant?

Does the client think that “pay for the time you use,” means “piecework,” or “on a project basis, only,” or does he really understand that this is an ongoing, talk and/or communicate in other ways almost daily, kind of thing? If he’s thinking piecework/project work, refer him to a local office support services company.

They do that kind of work, all the time.

3. Can the client easily afford my fee?

The key word is “easily.” You don’t want the client struggling to pay you, and maybe having to choose between paying you or paying the mortgage.

4. Do I really want to barter for services?

When you start your practice, it may seem great to barter with a client. Bartering sometimes seems like a smart way to get what’s needed when a business is new. Consider it only if the client has something to barter with that you want and cannot afford to pay for. That’s the most important point. If it’s something you could pay for, then you have no reason to barter. Don’t accept a barter arrangement just to get a client. It will end up being a problem for you later on.

If you’re considering a barter, make sure that the client is really terrific at what he offers. Not everyone is a great (or even good) marketer, or coach, or web designer, graphic artist, etc. Check them out before you commit your time and energy. You could end up with next to nothing gained.

And make sure that the barter is for a limited time, and for a specific thing. Don’t ever barter unlimited time for, say, two months, in exchange for X. You’ll probably end up on the losing end of the deal.

You want to build into your original agreement that the barter arrangement will end at a certain point, and the client will agree to continue to work with you paying your then current fee. If a client balks at that idea, it probably means the client doesn’t really want the relationship to be long-term.

Remember that bartering doesn’t “excuse” you from claiming the equivalent income for tax purposes. So whatever you barter for, make sure it’s really worth it to you.

5. Does what the client says about himself make sense?

If someone claims to be very accomplished, sought after, etc., professionally, making it seem that he’s really playing big professionally, yet isn’t sure he can afford a VA, or wants to barter, something’s not quite right.

Check the client out. Someone who’s that accomplished should be jazzed to talk about his work with you.

Ask smart questions, such as:

1. Who’s your publisher? Is this your first book? Why did you decide to self-publish?

2. Are you a member of a speaker’s bureau?

3. Where did you receive your training as a coach?

4. Have you spoken at any conferences I might have heard of or attended?

5. How long have you been doing X?

6. What other web sites have you designed?

7. Could I see some of the graphics you’ve created?

The answers will give you more insight.

6. Does the client seem to want a partner for success, or a mother?

Some clients really want someone to come in and make decisions for them. Don’t get sucked into this one. It’s one thing if a client routinely asks for you input. It’s another thing entirely if a client seems to want you to be responsible for business decisions he should be making.

If the client wants you so deeply enmeshed that your taking time off would be problematic, the client most definitely needs to consider something other than working with a VA.

7. Probe deeply, and read between the lines

It’s probably not enough to gauge fit from one conversation with a client. You’ll want to probe deeply about the client’s feelings and attitudes, and share yours about things like values, time, control, trust, standards, work-styles, important v. urgent, give and take, collaboration, privacy, boundaries, confidentiality, giving/receiving praise and criticism, and a number of other vital issues. You want clients where there is congruence on these issues, or at least a basic compatibility.

Be sure to speak your truth, and listen deeply when the client speaks. You need to become skilled at seeing, or hearing both what’s said and unsaid in order to understand things clearly.

8. Is the client flexible or rigid?

Flexibility, in terms of processes — trying new things, trying new ways of accomplishing goals, is a definite plus. Clients who are more rigid will have great difficulty adapting to using a VA (which is all about doing things differently!), and will struggle to even really hear, much less truly consider your great ideas.

9. How many things does the client have going on at this time, and how organized and clear is he about each one?

The more a client wants to do, and the less clear or organized he is, the more grief and hassle it will be to work with him. He needs to be very clear about his path before you can help him, successfully, get to his goals.

10. Does the client fit my ideal client profile?

If so, go for it. If not, ask yourself how much of a fit there is. If it’s 80 - 100%, terrific! If it’s more like 30 - 40% , forget it.

Don’t fill your practice with the wrong clients. You’re in business for yourself for a reason — conceivably one that has you wanting more for yourself than you had in the corporate workplace you left. Don’t get sucked into believing that you have to work with every client who shows interest. When you fill your practice with the wrong clients, on the other hand, you won’t have space for those who do fit, and it will be hard to get rid of the problem clients down the road.

By being committed to your standards, and by taking your time in assessing the fit of prospective clients, you’ll build a virtual business that will truly be of your own creation, and will support you in living a life you love.

About the Author

Reprinted with permission, Copyright 2000, Stacy Brice. All rights reserved, worldwide.

Stacy Brice changes work and changes lives. She is a nationally recognized expert on ‘virtual officing’ and virtual work, and President and Chief Visionary Officer of AssistU, the premier organization training, supporting, coaching, certifying and referring Virtual Assistants. She can be reached via e-mail at stacy@assistu.com, by phone 866/829-6757 or on the web: www.assistu.com. Article originally appeared in OfficePRO, the publication of the IAAP (www.iaap-hq.org).

The development of a niche is definitely a must have for a successful VA practice. Typically it’s what sets apart the successful from the struggling. While you may feel as though you are limiting yourself when you first start, remember “a confused mind always says no.” If you are offering a laundry list of services to everyone and anyone, what sets you apart from the crowd? When you stop to take the time to focus and develop and action plan, everything will fall into place.

Here is a brief exercise to get you moving in the right direction.

Become a Master Craftsman

Your “Niche Assignment”

1. List your five talents.

2. List five things you love to do.

3. What types of industries need the services you can provide?

4. What industries are you familiar with?

5. List as many of the qualifying demographics of the industry you have identified.

6. What are the defining characteristics that would draw a targeted market to you and what solutions can your business create for that market?

If you need assistance with getting your practice up and running, I encourage you to look into the January session of Virtual Assistant Training.

Becki