Personal Assistant Resources » Getting Started

How to market your personal assistant business

Admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

WOW… it’s been a long time since we posted, and that’s all about to change…and definitely for the better. For the last year we’ve been carefully working on all kinds of information that is focused on teach you, the Personal Assistant or Concierge how to grow your business on auto

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Overcoming Challenges as a Personal Assistant

Admin — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Every new business has it’s challenges. As the economy has been slumping, fewer and fewer businesses and families have turned to the services of Personal Assistants and Personal Concierges. Does this mean you shouldn’t pursue building your business? Absolutely not. The biggest challenge is figuring out where

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Work Life Balance. Give this book to your clients.

Admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Having a work – life balance is important. Sometimes, it may be difficult explaining to your clients just how valuable your services can be. Understanding everything that a person can do to improve their quality of life is important and can be overwhelming. It often is not as easy as just working less

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Build your Personal Assistant Network of Resources

Admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

To provide high quality Personal Assistant services you will need to be prepared. It’s not possible to do everything yourself. That’s why it is extremely important to build a network of vendors within your area.

A Personal Assistant or Personal Concierge is often asked to perform miracles and make things happen in a very short and imaginable period of time. Whether it is planning a trip, arranging a party or doing some last minute shopping for your clients loved ones. Having an established network of resources will be critical to your success and make you extremely valuable to your client.

The secret is to have this network in place now and not scramble to put it together at the eleventh hour.

Understanding Your Network Knowing where to start

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35 Ways to Market Your Concierge Business

Admin — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

35 Ways to Market Your Concierge Business By Katharine Giovanni

For beginners, the first step in growing your new business is to find the customers. For those of you who are already up and running, the next step (now that you have clients) is that you must continue to generate new business every month, even if you have dozens of clients and no time for marketing! Why? Because there might come a day when the clients are not there, a VERY lean month when the phone doesn’t ring. This is not the time to begin marketing … the time to market is now. Here are some cost-effective tips on where to find clients. Please note that not every tip will work for everyone. It really depends on both the type of service you have and who you are marketing to. Persistence is the key here! Don’t give up after only one or two tries because it might take more. Remember that you are selling an intangible service that everyone needs, but none of them think that they need it, so it is up to you to convince them of its value — and this takes time. E-mail signature Most email software programs allow you to put an automatic signature at the bottom of your emails. You know … those few lines of contact information at the bottom of

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Part-time Personal Assistants

Admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Over the years we’ve had many people ask how we started our personal assistant/personal concierge business. Our business started like many others in any industry, slowly.

We found that when getting started, we could set our own schedules. We negotiated our scheduled with our clients in advance and many times, they were more than hapy with what we suggested. In their eyes, as long as their tasks were completed on time and accurately, everyone was happy.

The Lifestyle Management industry as it is sometimes called, is growing. As your clients spread the word about your services the demand will increase. We found that we could have become full time Personal Assistants more quickly, but decided against it. We wanted to assure ourselves that we had everything we needed in order to provide the best possible services and not over commit.

Setting Your Niche The are several wonderful things about the Personal Assistant and Personal Concierge business. If you have an interest in one specific area you can focus on it. Whether that be a certain type of client in a specific industry or only performing a certain set

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How to find clients for your personal assistant business

Admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

One of the most difficult tasks when starting a new business is getting clients. There are several ways you can get your business name out while saving money. Referrals: If you already have at least one satisfied client you can ask for a referral. If your current clients are happy with your service and offerings they will be more than happy to refer you to someone else. Provide an added incentive to your customers by giving them 1 free hour of service for each referral they provide that signs up with your. Gift Certificates or Donations: Many opportunities may arise where you can potentially donate a block of time or gift certificate for your time. We have seen this used in silent auctions and charity events. These type of donations will usually get high visibility and you will more often get additional business from this approach. Bulletin Boards: Many grocery stores, gyms, daycare centers and cafe’s offer bullentin boards where their customers can post business cards. Often these are ideal places to find your potential clients. If you check the board regularly you can track the number of business cards taken over a period of time. Car Decals/Magnets: Full color car magnets can be purchased for under $100. These magnets attach to the side or back of your car and can be another ideal method of marketing. While sitting in traffic or running errands your potential customers will easily see these signs. Be sure to include your phone number and website address on your magnets. Networking: Check local newspapers and magazines for networking meetings. Your local chamber of commerce may have a list networking groups as well as host their own networking meetings. These meetings can be a valuable resource for not only obtaining new customers, but building your network of resources and vendors. Have other ideas on how to build your business? We’d love to hear them. Please post your comments.

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Becoming A Personal Assistant

Admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Personal Assistant’s have gotten a lot of press lately due to movies, TV and the Internet. Everyone thinks that being a Professional Personal Assistant is glamorous and that’s not always the case. It has also become apparent that it’s not only the Rich and Famous that need the help of a personal assistant.

There are many more families that have dual incomes now than 10 years ago. All of the time at work creates little time for the everday tasks. Add to the mix that many of the families have small children and the errands and tasks stack up. The last thing that busy working parents want to do when they get home is take care of those errands. Working for the weekend is no longer an option as busy families work just as hard on their personal to-do’s list as they do at their everyday job.

Enter the Personal Assistant. Personal Assistants can dramtically improve the work-life balance of busy families and individuals. Many think of a personal assistant as only something that the Rich and Famous have, but these new breed of assistance have become a necessity for busy families. Running errands, shopping, making travel arrangements, planning parties are all things that the Personal Assistant, Concierge or Lifestyle Management assistant has been known to do.

Those interested in becoming a Personal Assistant should know than it can be hard work. However, the gratification you receive by making your client happy make it worth it. There can be long hours, weekends, early mornings and holiday hours. Time management is critical as you are managing not only your time, but your clients.

A good Personal Assistant should have several resources at their disposal and understand their clients needs. One day you may be picking up dry cleaning and grocery shopping. The next day you may be planning an elaborate dinner for an anniversary. The number of services you can offer is endless. The more difficult or skilled your task, the more you may be able to charge for the task.

The number and type of clients you attract may also allow you to become specialized in specific niches or markets. For instance, if several of your clients are realtors, you may find yourself making “Thank You” baskets, helping to stage houses or prepare for an open house. You will quickly begin knowing what your clients need before they do. This is a sign of a good Personal Assistant.

Becoming a personal assistant also affords you the ability to set you own hours(within reason) and work from the comfort of your home. Several Personal Assistants have started from simply working with clients part-time. It is not always required to have an office or someplace to meet as many of your clients will require you to come to their home or office and become aquainted to their surroundings and needs.

The necessities for any good Personal Assistant are a mobile phone, computer with Internet access, reliable transportation, a professional appearance and a “can do” attitude. Remember, many of the tasks you may be fulfilling for your client may not be the most desirable and a positive attitude will go a long way.

If you do decide to make this your career of choice, remeber it will take time. Every new client is a reference and an opportunity to grow your business.

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