This week I thought I’d share this article by Katherine Giovanni with you….

Why should you hire a concierge?  I can think of a hundred reasons actually. Here are just a few …

People around the world are trying to squeeze thirty-six hours into a twenty-four-hour day, and when you do that you don’t do it very well. If you continue to do it on a regular basis, then eventually your body will resent it and you’ll get sick. Concierge are here to give you your health back. They’re here to give you the extra hours that you have been craving and will do what has to be done, so that you can do want to do like spending more time with your children or spending a few extra hours at work.

Companies around the world are also getting into the act. They are not only starting to use concierge, but they are making them a part of their corporate benefit packages. They are reasoning correctly that the less time people spend running personal errands during the workday, the more time they can spend at their desks and, subsequently, with their families at night.

Still not sure you need a concierge?  Here are a few more reasons why you need to hire us …

• The average U.S. worker admits to frittering away more than 2.09 hours a day, not counting lunch, on personal business. This costs companies an estimated $759 billion a year.” – Salary.com and AOL Survey.
• The average worker skips 24 minutes of his or her lunch break every day, the equivalent of approximately two weeks more holiday per year (figures from Data Monitor).
• Since 1969, family time for a working couple has shrunk an average of 22 hours a week. U.S. Government
• Workplace stress is costing the Australian economy $14.81 billion a year. Medibank-commissioned research
• Stress related presenteeism and absenteeism are directly costing Australian employers $10.11 billion a year. Medibank-commissioned research
• According to the Health and Safety Executive, 6.5 million sick days are taken every year as a result of stress — costing £7m per week and £1.4m per working day.
• Approximately 13.7 million working days are lost each year in the UK as a result of work-related illness at a cost of £28.3 billion per year – National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

When looking at these statistics, it is easy to see why time has become the commodity of the century and will be even more so in the decades to come. The popularity of concierge services stems from the fact that people are stressed out, overworked, and need help dealing with life so they can spend their free time nurturing themselves and their families. As good workers become harder to find, businesses are looking for concierge services to offer as perks to keep valuable employees happy.

That being said, below is a list of 20 ways you can use a concierge (the real list of what a concierge can do for you is endless)…

1. Obtaining tickets to concerts, special events and sporting events
2. Transportation Services – train, plane or automobiles … concierge can get it!
3. Travel and Vacation Planning
4. Business Referral Service – need a landscaper or a plumber?
5. Restaurant Recommendations and/or Reservations
6. Pet services
7. Internet Research – need research done and you don’t have the time to do it?
8. Personalized shopping and delivery
9. Dry cleaning pick-up and/or delivery
10. Grocery shopping
11. Senior care
12. Picking up or returning a gift
13. Bill paying
14. Auto Maintenance
15. Home Organization
16. Delivering a Meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner
17. Prescription Pick-up and delivery
18. Repair and Service Calls
19. Sick Care – sick in bed? Call a concierge and they’ll do your errands, arrange for dinner to be delivered and can be on hand to help your family out

So get your life back!  Hire a concierge to do what has to be done so that you can do what you’ve always wanted to do.

About the Author: Katharine Giovanni is an award-winning author and the world’s leading concierge trainer and consultant as well as a Certified Concierge Specialist (CCS) and Speaker. She is one of the founders of Triangle Concierge and is the Chairman of the Board and Founder of the International Concierge and Lifestyle Management Association (ICLMA) as well as the author of several business books including her award-winning book Going Above and Beyond and The Concierge Manual.

I’m sure there are people out there that enjoy cleaning their home, but perhaps you’re not one of them.  If you prefer to spend more time enjoying life than cleaning up after it, here are a few tips on how to make cleaning quick and painless.

Top down

As a general rule, clean all top surfaces before you vacuum. You know that if you start at the bottom – the floor – you’ll only end up with crumbs all over it again once you start wiping down the benches.There’s something satisfying, too, about just sweeping stuff onto the floor ready to get sucked up by the vacuum later.  Don’t forget to suck up the dust bunnies hiding under your bed.

Start small

I like breaking down my cleaning to one room at a time – it makes cleaning the whole house seem like less work, which means I’m more likely to get on with it.  Tidy up, do the tops, then move onto the next room, vacuuming everywhere at the end.

High maintenance

Maintaining your place throughout the week makes doing that overall clean a lot easier.  All those things that your Mum nagged you about, like hanging up your clothes or washing up your dishes actually make sense after all.  Simple maintenance makes doing your regular clean a piece of cake.

What about products?

When it comes to products you generally get what you pay for. If you pay a little more the product often lasts longer because you don’t need to use a lot at each clean. Keep them stored together so you can see when it’s time to stock up again.  You’ll need a spray for your benches and surfaces, floor cleaner, laundry detergent, dishwashing detergent and a disinfectant. Try electrostatic dust wipes too – they are really fast and easy. There are all sorts of other specialist cleaning products available on the supermarket shelves but usually you won’t need to bother with those.Only buy the basics to begin with.

Cleaning is the thing most of us love to hate.  But the easier you make it for yourself, the more motivated you’ll be to stay on top of it – leaving you to get on with the things in life you really do enjoy, dust free.

Is your computer becoming progressively slower?  Are you finding it almost impossible to find important files?  If your answer is yes, then perhaps it’s time for a little computer organisation.  This is like behaviour management for your computer!

A good start is to clear out the old files that you no longer use.  If you haven’t used it in 6 months or more, you’re probably not going to.  There will of course be certain types of files that will be exempt from this as they legally need to be retained, but anything else that is of no value can go.  Old files can be saved to an external drive or a disc, or deleted if they are no longer needed.

Make sure that you have a good filing system set up.  Decide what categories of information you need and create a folder with each of these categories. You can always add subcategories later if you need them.  For now, just set up the main folders.  Once established, your files can be moved in to the appropriate folder and will be easily tracked down when you need it.  Windows 7 uses a system called libraries which provides a great starting point for organisation of your files.

It is also a good idea to go through your emails, and delete anything that is not required.  It makes sense to create folders in this area too so that you are able to keep track of clients, projects and topics or dates.  Go through your sent items folder and clear out anything that is no longer needed, particularly emails with large attachments because they take up precious space.

Just taking these few initial steps will help you to organise your computer, save you time, and increase your productivity.  And imagine how good it will feel when someone asks for something, and you know exactly where it is!  Start today!

If you need a hand – call me, your personal concierge, I’d be happy to help!

Have you heard of the Getting Things Done (GTD) system?

The GTD is an organisational method created by David Allen, which is detailed in his book of the same name.

In 2007, Time Magazine called Getting Things Done the self-help business book of its time.

David Allen and his GTD system is big business.  He travels the world giving private coaching sessions and seminars to big business and executives and has been hired by over 40% of the American top Fortune 100 companies.

So how does GTD work? According to Allen:

“- GTD rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of their mind and get them recorded somewhere. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate fully on actually performing those tasks.”

Have you ever woken up at 3am realising you’ve forgotten to do something? According to Allen, if you first make decisions about what needs to be done, then catalogue your to do list with your long term goals defined you won’t have those nasty 3am wake-ups.

Once the emails, phone calls and to-do lists are completely under control, that is when the big changes start. Your mind will be released of all those loose, nagging threads and will be free to dream up big ideas. It will also enable to you gain control of your life, relieve stress and achieve greater success.

You know, I think David Allen would approve of Personal Concierge’s.  We get things done for you. If you need help with your ‘to do’ list, give me a call.

Just signed the documents for your new home? What an exciting time for you!

Hmmm now for the packing. How on earth did I accumulate so much stuff you may ask yourself? It’s easy to do, so don’t beat yourself up – I’m sure we’ve all been there.

It’s a great idea to get rid of some of the clutter before you start filling up those boxes for the move to your new home. You may like to follow some of these suggestions to get you on your way:-

If you haven’t used it within the last year you probably never will – out it goes.

If it’s broken and has been so for the last 12-18months, you probably have no intention of ever fixing it or using it – toss it.

If it doesn’t fit you, and hasn’t for a year – in the op-shop pile

If it’s past its use-by-date – turf it

If it’s a gift you are hanging onto because it was a gift, not because you like it or use it – op shop

If I have 20 sets/pairs of the same thing – let it go people!

I’m sure by now you’d be feeling a lot happier about packing up your decluttered house. But what about the unpacking at the other end?

Just imagine coming home to your new home to find the boxes unpacked, your kitchen in order, your beds made and the rubbish removed. There might even be dinner and wine in the fridge for the first night in your new home. Pure bliss!

If you are thinking of moving in the near future, don’t forget that a personal concierge can help you with all this and more. Give me a call.

What “moving house” stories/tips have you got? Would love to hear them!