Did you know running errands for busy professionals who can’t afford time for doing minute tasks for themselves can make you money? Yes, working as a personal concierge or assistant can get you money in your pocket. The best part is you could start a business as a personal concierge and make a full-time living. Else you could choose to work in your spare time and make money.
However, if you are tired of doing monotonous work and looking for a change that can help you earn more money, you have come to right place. This article discusses what is personal concierge and how to start a personal concierge business to make more money doing what you love. So, let’s get started…
What Exactly is a Personal Concierge?
A personal concierge is someone who is hired to run errands for the employer or client. It’s simply a caretaker job where you will need to do multiple tasks such as booking appointments, arranging meetings, taking their pet to walk or delivering groceries for them. Generally, most of entrepreneurs and business people have less time to run errands, hence they hire someone who is jack of all trades. So, if you are one who can do that, you are already eligible for starting a business.
Some of the tasks you might have to do as a personal concierge are:
- Researching
- Planning meetings and appointments
- Booking travel tickets
- Pet walking
- Buying groceries
- Taking care of repairs
This sometimes sounds similar to virtual assistant job, but you will be physically available for performing tasks.
The advantage for a personal concierge is he/she can charge based on the experience they have and work they do. So, if you have enough skills you can charge anywhere between $25 to $50 per hour. You can even increase the rates as your experience grows and also grow your business by hiring assistants if you have good number of clients. Thus a personal concierge business has enough of benefits if you can invest a good amount of time. Again, the major highlight is it just needs minimal investment of money. So, ready to start your personal concierge business? Learn how to do it below.
Steps to Start a Personal Concierge Business
As said, starting a personal concierge business doesn’t need any investment of money, you can start it all with the means you have. Okay, let’s look at how to start a successful personal concierge business in 8 steps.
Gather Resources
You don’t have to rent an office space, buy equipment or hire people to start a concierge business. All you need to do is gather resources you already have.
You will need a car (to travel if needed), laptop with high-speed internet connection at your home (to work online), notepad (to note down to-do-list), an accounting software (to generate invoices, generate bills, track expenses) and cashback app on your phone to save money (if you have to purchase something).
So, you can get all the above essentials to start your business for almost free except the car, laptop and internet connection. However, you do not need to buy new ones, you can use the same which you were using before, right?
Set Rates & Offers
Now, you have everything you need to start a business right at your home, it’s time set rates for your service. Make sure you charge for every dollar and every minute you are spending. Your prices need to be fair and reasonable though. However, calculate every basic expense to avoid any losses in future.
At the same time, in order to start your business with a good vibe, you need to stand out from the crowd. Hence, you need to attract customers with discounts and offers. You can even choose to set discounts or additional services if they buy annual membership, so that you will even get paid for non-working days also.
Advertise your Service
You have almost set up a business with above two steps, now you need to promote your business to get clients. So, start advertising the services you offer, tell your neighbors about your newly started business, you know how powerful is word of mouth, right? Advertise for free on Facebook groups, Craigslist and any local business groups. Advertise with printed flyers and brochures in public places where mostly business people visit. This way you can get your business some popularity and eventually you get clients.
Grow Network
Growing network is important in any business. As Tim Sanders said “ Your network is your net worth”, focus on building your network with professionals, so that they may turn as your customers or at least refer leads for you.
Get First Client
Everything seems confusing until you get your first client. That is why getting your first client is a crucial step in your business. However, there are plenty of ways to serve your first client. It is good if you have a list of people who wants you as their personal concierge already. Even if you don’t, you can find them on websites such as Fiverr, Upwork, Facebook business groups etc.
Offer a Few Free Services Once in a While
It is important to run your business consistently and smoothly. This won’t happen unless you have clients round the year. One of the best ways to grow and keep clients in your business is to offer them discounts, free services once in a while. You don’t have to compromise profits, calculate your expenses and investments and plan free services.
Get in Touch with Previous Clients
As said, you need to have clients for your business every time to run your business successfully. One of the best ideas to grow your clients is to follow up the previous clients. Just dial them, ask for a feedback and be in touch with them. In the least case, you will be hearing a “no”, that’s it. But if they truly forgot to get back to you, you will have the client again, more the clients, more money. Following a few measures you can make your clients first-time clients come back for more.
Try to Save More with Money-Saving Sites
You will have many jobs as a personal concierge which also involves money. Try to spend less using coupon sites and cashback apps. This not only is useful for saving for your clients. You can also save money on your shopping using such sites, you may save little money each time, but they pile up after a few months. This can even contribute to your financial goals.
Bottom Line
Personal concierge services come into rescue for busy professionals and businessmen or businesswomen. Therefore it is a high-demanding service for you start a business and become successful. However, as it may not seem that smooth during initial days, try to start it as a side hustle. With time, experience and nourished skills, you will have more clients in your hands. You can make it a full-time business and make enough money., once you reach there.
