So

Who knew that a personal concierge was a thing?

Do you have a virtual assistant?

What do they do for you?

Will 2018 be the year that you employ some extra help

To ease the chaos in your life?

Having tasks pile up can add to the stress of an already busy lifestyle. For all the organisational apps and lists you make, sometimes they are just ways of avoiding completing the actual things you need to do! Enter the age of the personal concierge. Once a vestige of the upper class elite, a rise in the popularity of personal services such as concierges means more competitive rates and packages to suit a variety of households. Here’s what you need to know if you are thinking of outsourcing some assistance.

If you are completely new to the concierge industry, there are two major types that you might consider. A dedicated company or individual that will handle all your matters or a more ad hoc arrangement. The benefit of hiring a personal concierge is that they will be able to get to know your preferences and habits. By developing an ongoing relationship, you are more likely to get things done the way you like, but with a lot less explaining on your behalf each time you need something. These services can be more similar to what an assistant might do for an executive in a corporate setting or a live in housekeeper at a residence. As many types of concierges exist from domestic assistance to more professional geared support, consider what your needs are before reaching out to several companies for a quote.
Many people also access these services when they travel, you’ll get fully end to end service that travel agents can’t provide. This can range from organising pet sitting and managing your mail while you are away to organising hire cars or ensuring you have a fully stocked fridge when you arrive at your destination. For many people, having someone put together sample itineraries saves a lot of time whether you need to look into hiring a bus in Sutherland shire for an event or need fun family activities in Geelong. No more wasting time on TripAdvisor either as your concierge can find and book restaurants that suit your requirements or advise you when the best time is to attend a certain attraction.

If you need help less regularly, put technology to work for you and outsource some of the more mundane or time consuming chores that you need to complete. Hiring a virtual assistant can make for a more cost effective option, especially if the work you need done is repetitive or relatively monotonous. With business booming across sites such as Upwork and Fiverr, hiring someone through these sites can save you serious time if you need to make a bunch of phone calls, enter data, format documents or manage anything else that’s done online. Many people will bill you in blocks of time or can be hired to complete set tasks at a fixed rate. For more locally based errands, Airtasker is popular as you can post a job and your budget and wait for people to contact you who are able to complete it in person.

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