Do you want to start a profitable home-based business but don’t know what type of business to start?
Next, consider working as a personal concierge (also known as a personal assistant or house manager). Not only does this allow you to work from home with a flexible schedule, but it also addresses the most basic human need: not enough time and too much to do. People are willing to pay big bucks (up to $125 an hour) for extra hands to get the job done.
What is a personal concierge?
You’ve probably heard of hotel concierges, who help guests with show reservations and ticket reservations, restaurant suggestions, and other guest needs to make their stay a memorable one.
As a personal concierge, you’ll help busy individuals handle their tasks, errands, and to-dos to free up their time.
Here is a list of personal concierge services we can offer busy professionals.
- planning a trip
- Schedule an appointment
- Book a restaurant
- finish errands
- buy gifts
- party planning
- Grocery shopping and meal preparation
- Take your pet to the vet
- pick up dry cleaning
- Payment of bills and membership fees
- home organization
- internet research
- mail package
- Pick up children from school or nursery school
- Manage repair and service settings like cable and internet
- house and pet sitter
- watering plants
- Wait in line for concert tickets, renewals, and registration
- Packing and moving services
- Listing items for sale on Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or eBay
Becoming a personal concierge doesn’t require a degree, specialized training, or a large business budget. However, you must provide excellent service, have good communication skills, and be highly organized.
How much can you earn as a personal concierge?
Now that you know what services a personal concierge provides, let’s talk about how much you can earn. According to Entrepreneur.com, you can earn between $25 and $125 an hour, depending on where you live, the tasks you perform, and the number of clients you have. Some personal concierges are responsible for just one client and their entire home life. This is usually called household management.
As a business owner, you are responsible for paying self-employment taxes quarterly and tracking all income and expenses. This article explains your financial responsibilities as an independent contractor.
How can I start a personal concierge business from home?
1. Write a business plan
Many people think that business plans are for people who are trying to secure funding for their business, but that’s not the case. A business plan is a simple document that helps you take all the different steps you need to take as a small business owner. This includes the services you provide, what you charge, how you receive payments, how you market your business, and how you manage your bookkeeping, finances, and taxes.
Don’t worry; creating a business plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are easy steps and a free business plan template.
2. Business structure
As a personal concierge, you will likely be working alone, so choosing a business structure should be relatively easy (sole proprietorship). However, if you have partners or want additional legal protection, you should file for a partnership, limited liability company (LLC), or S corporation. Each structure has advantages and disadvantages. Consulting with a lawyer or accountant can help you determine which structure best suits your needs from a protection and tax perspective.
3. Register your business
If you want to use a name other than your own, you will need to apply for a Doing Business As (DBA). You should also do some research to make sure no one else is already using the name you want to use. To do this, search the U.S. Patent and Trademark website. Don’t skip this step. I don’t want to infringe on someone else’s trademark. This is also a good time to consider available domain names for your website and social media profiles.
Depending on your location, you may be required to charge sales tax on your services. This article will help you determine whether you need to charge sales tax and apply for a sales tax permit. If in doubt, consult an accountant familiar with your state’s sales tax laws.
You should also consider business liability insurance and surety bonds.
4. Financial situation
You should open a separate bank account for your business to track your business expenses and sales. To do this, you will need an EIN (employee identification number). Don’t worry; getting an EIN is easy and free if you do it yourself.
In addition to having a separate business bank account, you’ll need to figure out how you’ll receive payments and what type of bookkeeping software to use. PayPal is a widely used and accepted third-party payment solution that allows customers to pay with a credit card.
You also need to track your income and expenses. While this can be done in a spreadsheet, I find that using a bookkeeping platform helps me keep things more organized. Platforms like QuickBooks Online and Wave are affordable and easy to use.
5. Build a website
There are many affordable ways to create a website for your business. If all you want is a site where you can view your offerings, prices, testimonials, and a contact form, you can use something simple like Podia. We offer a variety of affordable plans and a variety of options if you want to grow your business. Of course, there are many other website platforms you can use. With so many options, you should consider your long-term goals when deciding which one to use.
6. Communication
You may need to designate a separate email account for your business activities. Once you purchase a domain name and hosting, you’ll be able to get an email address that reflects your business name. Having a separate phone line for your business is a good idea, but it also comes with additional costs, so you may not need it. Try different options such as using your smartphone, Skype, Google Voice, Zoom, or Viber.
7. Marketing your personal concierge business
Now that your website is ready, you need to get traffic to your site. Start by setting up social networking profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to promote your business. Place an ad on Craigslist, publish a weekly newsletter, print business cards, write a blog post, and ask family and friends for referrals.
You can also post flyers to your local chamber of commerce and promote your new business. Remember to take a little time each day to market (promote) your business.
8. Get your first client
Now that you have everything you need, you need to secure your first client to start making money. There are many ways to do this, see these articles for more detailed instructions.
Of course, it goes without saying that we provide great service on time or ahead of schedule. Word of mouth marketing can be one of your most powerful tools for acquiring new customers and repeat business from existing customers.
One company that regularly advertises these types of positions is Excellence Services, LLC. They are a family-run business that provides a high level of service to high-net-worth clients. Some positions on the site are location dependent and some are remote.
Test the waters before taking the leap
If you want to try out personal concierge or errand work before investing in your own business, there are plenty of on-demand apps that can help you see if this kind of work is right for you. Apps like Rover (dog walking), Instacart (grocery shopping and delivery), Taskrabbit (cleaning, personal assistant, handyman), and DoorDash (food delivery).
Using these apps, you work as an independent contractor and are responsible for paying self-employment taxes. The advantage of testing the waters this way is that you don’t have to invest any money upfront or find your own customers.
If you love what you do, consider starting your own personal concierge business, where you can decide what services you provide and what you charge.
Earn money by managing your clients’ personal lives
Now that I’ve given you some basic steps to get your personal concierge business off the ground, I highly recommend investing in your own personal development by reading books like:
- Concierge Life: What you need to know to run a successful business, live your passion, and change the world!
- Concierge Manual: The leading resource for building a concierge or lifestyle management company
It’s also worth your time to connect with other Personal Concierges and Assistants to share ideas and resources, bounce ideas from like-minded professionals, share your accomplishments, and get advice. There is. Check out organizations like The Concierge Academy that offer training and coaching. VA Networking to train virtual assistants.
Good luck and let me know how your journey goes!
The first edition was published in March 2015. Content updated in December 2024.
