A Personal Concierge is so much more than a human word processor. Sure, being able to type up documents for you may be high on your list of job requirements, but it pays to consider what other tasks you can delegate.

The first thing you need to do is compile a comprehensive to-do-list. List tasks in priority order and include a due date. You can work through the list together or delegate particular jobs.  Your Personal Concierge may have an area that she specialises in, having qualifications or experience that she can bring with her.  Make sure that you find out what she likes to do and is good at before setting her the work.

Important birthdays and anniversaries are a good thing to delegate. Give your Personal Concierge a calendar of events. a budget and suggested interest for each person you need to buy for.  They can buy and wrap gifts for you, buy cards and arrange postage if required.

A Personal Concierge can research information and pricing on products that are hard to get, too.  Don’t waste your time trying to track down that one-off item when your Personal Concierge can do it for you. She can arrange quotes and even carry out purchases for you when you have made your choice. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have someone who can go shopping for particular items while you work and save you the stressful last minute dash around?

If you are thinking of travelling, your concierge can seek out the best value flights, hire cars, book accommodation and fill out a comprehensive itinerary for you.  How much easier is that than trying to do it yourself?

A Personal Concierge can source any other required services for you, book appointments and restaurants and tickets to entertainment events. The list of possibilities is only limited by your ability to delegate!

Call me – delegating is not painful you know – you’ll end up wondering how you have gone so long without doing it!

It’s been a busy and extremely enjoyable time lately for this personal concierge. One of the main tasks in the past fortnight has been researching availability of rental properties and inspection of suitable new homes for clients who are relocating from overseas and interstate.

The two couples who engaged me for this task are professional people – both with a similar budget – what I would call mid range but I soon discovered that finding rentals in this price bracket is certainly a challenge in Melbourne at present.

Thankfully we have been able to secure suitable properties for both couples, so smiles all round!

Another task these past few weeks has been to clear out a storage unit for a client who has lived overseas for the past three years. The contents of the unit include furniture, clothing, electrical good and some boxes that we haven’t been able to get to yet because of the larger items. What treasures will be revealed I wonder? This is a fun job – dirty but fun and we are now in the process of securing a decent price for the used furniture items.

You could say we like to move it, move it!

Need a hand with similar tasks? Give me a call.

My favourite thing in the whole wide world (except for pretty padded coat hangers – my therapist says I am making progress).

Of course there was a time not so long ago when all major travel planning, be it for business or pleasure, was organised through the local travel agent. Then along came the internet and now we have the opportunity to spend countless hours scouring websites for a great travel deal.

There is a “must look at” website called Trip Advisor. Any question you may have about accommodation, modes of travel or must see attractions in any place in the world can be answered on this site. The hours spent on this site are a delight as you are constantly educated and more often as not amused by the comments posted by fellow travellers. Of course when you a reading the recommendations take note of where the posters are from – need I say more?

When booking your flights and considering a stopover, whether it be Dubai, Singapore or another destination always check on the airline website to see what deals they can offer with hotel accommodation. You will find many 5* hotels at an extremely reasonable rate.

For those of you planning to holiday closer to home, check out the Stayz website. This is a fabulous site for finding accommodation throughout Australia. It is an extremely user friendly site and enquiries are dealt with promptly. Whether you are planning ahead or decide to go away at the last minute, I would have to say that this one takes some beating.

There are many fellow travellers who are willing to give you a few tips. These may include:-

Purchase a Lonely planet or similar book for your destination area and, during the mandatory happy hour rest period back at the hotel, go through your photos you have taken during the day and write down (in your travel diary) exactly where the photos were taken and of what using your book as a reference. All churches/cathedrals/duomos start to look the same; however you may wish to remember the name of each one.

Light a candle in each of these churches, always believe it can’t hurt and hopefully will give you good luck for your journey.

Before you head off, photocopy all documents, cards etc and keep these copies in a folder in your suitcase. Leave a copy with someone at home also.

If you are travelling with a partner/companion divide some of your clothes between the two suitcases. Hopefully the two cases won’t go missing at the same time and you will at least have something of your own to wear to tide you over.

Now this is mainly for the ladies, excuse us for a moment gentlemen. There are some wonderful travel clothes to be found such as the Mela Purdie range, Feathers and Vigorella. Even good old Postie fashions have some slacks (one of my favourite words, along with frock, yes the therapist is happy with my progress there also)

Happy travelling everyone.

If you would like a hand with your travel plans or need someone to keep an eye on your home while you are away, please get in contact with me – I’d be more than happy to help.

If your days are hectic and over-run with strife,
Maybe you need a personal concierge in your life;
Someone you can trust who will help pull you through
And do all the things you don’t care to do
Like running to the store to buy groceries
Or going to the locksmith and getting more keys;
And a thousand other things that can cause you dismay
That cut into your time and shorten your day.

A personal concierge can help lessen your stress
And bring you a lot more happiness;
A little more peace of mind and a little less grief;
A lot less frustration and a load of relief.
A personal concierge could do internet research for you
Or send out invitations for a barbeque
Or arrange everything on an office shelf
And give you more leisure time to yourself.

Whatever your business, whether big or small
Whether it’s in your home, or in the mall;
You owe it to yourself to be more organised,
More wide awake and more energised.
I’m Debbie Alford and I just want to say
I can make your life better starting today.
I’ll be your gal Friday for a reasonable fee;
And I won’t disappoint you; that’s my guarantee.