So, what is a personal concierge business? Most people also call this business a personal assistant. So, there are no fixed services in this business. Instead, the services depend on the descriptions that you have put on your business profile. Also, the services depend on the client for whom you will work.
The needs of different people will be different. The services can be pet-sitting, dog walking, travel booking, appointment scheduling, home office support, moving assistance, and whatever you will be asked to do or you will do.
What Is The Job Of A Personal Concierge?
The jobs that a personal concierge does are similar to the concierge services that a hotel provides. However, the jobs are more varied and go beyond what the hotel provides. As a personal concierge, you will need to add elements of personal assistance as well.
You will mainly have to work with professionals and busy moms as well. You will be doing grocery shopping, picking up dry clearing, and making restaurant and travel bookings at times. The services can be more, depending on what the concierge claims to offer.
According to Indeed.com,
“Personal concierge businesses offer an exciting, creative way of providing services for busy people. You are self-employed and have the option of working from home. There is a high demand for personal concierge services due to the growing economy.”
As a personal concierge, you are basically a person who does the extra tasks and makes arrangements for busy people on their behalf. You might find similarities between a personal concierge and a personal assistant. However, you must understand here that personal assistants work for a single employer/ company. As a personal concierge, you can have different clients of your own, as you can make arrangements for them too.
If you want to work as a personal concierge, one of the major advantages is that you will come across a variety of niches in which you can prosper. You will be able to perform multiple tasks, ranging from making travel arrangements, grocery shopping, landscaping, taking care of pets, and more. However, you can keep the options based on what your skills are.
For example, if you do not know how to handle pets, do not mention it in your skills. On the contrary, if you can make great travel arrangements, highlight that more on your list of skills and experience.
Major Functions Of A Personal Concierge
You have already understood that the job of a personal concierge is to serve the needs of the clients. The following are some of the major functions of a personal concierge on a daily basis:
- Making travel arrangements
- Grocery Shopping
- Coordinating household chores
- Carrying out personal errands
- Booking restaurant reservations
- Making dinner reservations
- Cleaning services
- Repair and maintenance services
- Event planning
- Relocation Services
- Pet care services
- Technology services, and many more.
Nowadays, more and more companies are hiring personal concierge services to offer benefits to higher-level managers. This increased the opportunities for personal concierge businesses to prosper. The services are also becoming common among busy families as well.
How To Start Personal Concierge Service?
As you are already aware of the service, then it is time to start a business.
1. Business Plan
For any business, a plan is essential. The business plan will guide you in every step of your business. First of all, you need to write your business’s mission and vision in the business plan. Secondly, there will be all startup and business costs so that there will be no problem when you actually run the business.
There are also other important things that you also need to write on your business plan. What will your target market be, how much will you charge, what services will you give, the name of your business, all costs of concierge services, what will be your profit margin, your business structure, and how will you make the profit structure?
2. Legal Entity Or Business Structure
This is the most important thing that you need to resolve before starting a business. What business structure will you make for your business? As this will make a huge impact on your business. There are mainly four types of business structures that business people do, and different structures will give you different advantages and disadvantages. So, you need to understand which structure or legal entity will give you the most profit. Here are the four main business structures.
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Corporation
- Partnership
- Sole Proprietorship
3. Register Your Company
When you have already decided that you are going to open a company, after planning, the first thing that you need to do is to register your company.
There are different state and federal registering that you need to focus on. And no business owner wants that someday the government will take action against the business for not giving taxes. So, register your company once you have decided what structure your company will be.
4. Business Account And Credit Card
So, the registration is done? And also the planning. Now it is time to open a bank account to run your business. This step is very important because there will be so many transactions that you need to follow.
Also, opening a bank account will separate your personal and business asset. So that if there is any trouble in your business, there will be no harm to your personal property.
5. Permits And Licenses
When you are doing business, there are different permits and licenses that you need. First of all, there are different states and licenses that you need to run your business. Then you need to check which town, country, or city, where you want to do business in.
After that, there are different permits, and you can find the lists on the official websites. You can also visit the clerk’s office or local associations.
For instance, you can start an LLC in Texas if you want to run your personal concierge business from there to protect you from personal liability.
6. Insurance
This is a very important step to follow. You need to protect your company from any financial accident. So, insurance is a must thing that you need to get. There are different types of insurance. You can start with General Liability Insurance. And small businesses commonly take this insurance.
7. Brand Definition
As you have already started your business, it is time to define your brand. First of all, there has to be a message that you need to spread.
As there are so many different brands in the market that provide personal concierge. So, you need to define your brand as something different so that you can make an impact in the potential consumer’s mind.
8. Business Website
Now that everything is ready, it is time to make a space on the web. First of all, create an attractive website so that potential consumers can see your existence. Secondly, you should give all the relevant information on the website.
The information can be pricing, services that you will offer, locations, and any other information that an interested consumer wants to know.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):-
Here are some interesting questions and answers that most people ask.
Ans: When it comes to charges for personal concierge services, the typical charge that different companies ask for is between $30 to $120 per hour. But there are different matters that depend. For example, when you are buying something on your own for a client, then you will charge for the product. But, if the client buys you the products, then the charge will be less.
Ans: Here are eight basic steps that you need to follow to start a residential concierge business.
⦿ Write a business plan
⦿ Choose the target market
⦿ Now, it is time to pick a niche
⦿ Business structure
⦿ Business permits and licenses
⦿ Register business for taxes
⦿ Business account and credit card
⦿ Promotion and marketing
Ans: There are different things that make the starting cost differ, but when you are planning to start a small concierge business, then it will cost you around $2,000 to 4,000. The amount mainly depends on the service you provide, the necessary equipment you use, your target market, your client’s profile, and others.
There are different consultancies for starting a business, so if you need help, you can contact them to learn all the things that you will need to start the business.
Final Words
Nowadays, every business exists on social media platforms. So, make social media accounts on different platforms, s that people can see your posts, can engage with people, or sometimes you can talk with them.
With good marketing, you can spread your business for sure. If you have any more questions about starting personal concierge services, feel free to ask in the comment section below.
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