Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

on my rough looking site http://oncall.piczo.com . I have put down what services will be provided and rates. I would really like to target individuals. and yes I would love to market myself as a personal assistant that is actually what I would love to be but i never new how to get into the field so I had decided to start my errand business.

Y`know, this reminds me very much of the same idea I had a long time ago, back when you had to wait 5 hours for the phone company to come. I still think it`s an excellent idea, but here`s something you might want to include: some sort of "bonding" certification.

As I pondered it, back then, I realized people would have my employees (or me, at first) sitting around in their homes, waiting, or doing personal things. To help them feel more comfortable about that, I thought maybe I could get some sort of licensing or bonding organization to validate my errand people.

I don`t even know how that works, but you could look it up. Like for people who drive armored cars, like Brinks drivers.

thank you for the welcome. Actually a few services offer pet sitting so it isnt that unique

Yes I am lookin into that right now. thank you.

Hi Sabrina,

Welcome to SuN and to the boards - lots of great advice to be found here.

I work part-time for an elderly lady driving her to appointments and handling some household stuff for her and her live-in son.  I thought that I might market myself to other folks to do the same, except for transporting (I would not suggest you do that in your business...others in the errand/concierge business all say so, to) and did some research on it. 

I decided not to pursue because my husband and I are working on something else together, but I still have some sites saved in my favorites.  Hope this helps:

http://www.triangleconcierge.com/index.htm

http://www.honeydomylist.com/index.htm

http://www.emissary-lifestyle.com/

http://www.enotalone.com/article/6343.html

http://www.familymanager.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage& amp;Itemid=1

If nothing else, maybe the info will help you define your niche and give you some ideas on pricing, etc.

Good Luck and I wish you Great Success!

Debbie

 

Hi Sabrina,

One great way to get going in the right direction is to work with a new business coach.  There are many with lots of different specializations.  Last year, when I was looking for a virtual assistant to help me with the technical aspects of my business, I blogged about the best way to find someone who is a good fit for any service you may need.  You can read that post here: http://feliciaslattery.typepad.com/transformative_journeys_l /2006/10/searching_for_a.html

If you`re looking for a very budget-friendly coaching option, there are many coaches just starting out who are trained but want more experience with someone other than their friends or family.  You might be able to find a coach willing to work with you for a period of time for free.  I belong to several new coach forums... there are often folks there willing to help.  It`s a complete win-win situation!

It`s just a suggestion for finding a mentor to help get you focused.  There`s so much "out there" and I`ve found having a coach to bounce ideas off and to keep me on track has helped a lot.

Good luck to you!  You have an excellent business idea.

Warmly,

Felicia

 

 

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Felicia J. Slattery, M.A., M.Ad.Ed.
Communication Consultant, Speaker & Coach
Want more business?
Discover how you can Increase Business by Communicating Your Credibility. FREE e-course at: http://www.communicationtransformation.com/creating-credibil ity-ecourse.html

 

Thanks for the great information. what is the link to the new business coach forum because I tryed looking it up and I can`t seem to find it.