Lots has happened since Quintessential Concierge was launched and it seems like a good moment to look back at what we’ve learnt along the way.

Let’s start by going back in time.

It’s 2011 and New Zealand is still experiencing the economic recession which began in 2008. My twins are 10 months old and I’m super excited to start the business I’ve been exploring for many years but I’m very apprehensive about putting my babies into childcare and the prospect of paying for care with no work coming in.  At this point my husband and I made an agreement that if the business was unsuccessful once the twins turned five and went to school, the business would cease and I would return to full-time employment.

Well, forward flash to the present.  The twins are at school and we’re still in business – which is great!  We have a team of contractors that assist us from time to time and an extensive list of wonderful clients that we love working with every day.

Most business owners have heard this before…. 80% of businesses fail within the first couple of years.  You know you have made a dent in the business world when you celebrate your 5-year anniversary and we’re very proud to have achieved this.

So here’s what we’ve learnt during this time:

Listen to those that are willing to give you advice - you don’t need to put that advice into practice and you may not even agree with it at the time. You just never know when it may come in handy at a later date.

Attend networking groups and make connections – search and select a few networking groups to attend and do your utmost to make good connections with attendees.  You may find there’ll be a time that you’ll grow out of the group and you’ll move on to bigger and better things but those connections you’ve made will last a life time.

Make time on the weekends for family and friends – I started out believing the harder I worked the more successful the business would be.  I now work smarter not harder and weekends are all about time out with family and friends.

Hire people that are passionate about your business – these people are difficult to find but once you find them, look after them and never let them go!

Go with your instincts – not all clients are a good fit your business no matter what they’re prepared to pay you.  Stick with your values and never compromise on your ethics.  If you don’t feel right about the relationship, don’t go there!

Stay humble and always be professional – we don’t believe in the ‘hard sell’, spam advertising or direct marketing and prefer to make authentic long-lasting relationships with our clients.  The majority of our business comes through referrals from those clients that love our professionalism: our attention to detail, our clarity of communication and our dedication to their business.

Always be open to learn - we search for learning opportunities every day.  It may be something we’ve read online, a workshop or course we’ve attended or something someone has said to us in passing.  Never stop learning, otherwise you’ll find your clients are going down the road to your competitor.

Welcome constructive criticism – feedback is never a bad thing.  Embrace it with open arms and always thank the person who provided you with the feedback as it’s a way to improve something that may not be working well in your business.

Love what you do – and if it’s not, get out fast!  We love what we do as it provides us with a lifestyle second to none.  We work with people that are innovative and passionate about their lives and businesses, we have the flexibility to spend time with our children and see them grow and develop into wonderful human beings and we control our own destiny every day.  You can’t get any better than that.

If you’d like to know more about Quintessential Concierge’s services, contact Letitia on 021 898 661 or email her on letitia@quintessentialconcierge.co.nz for a FREE introductory meeting to discuss your requirements.

Normally worth $199, for the month of March just $99!

Book a date NOW.

The package includes me assisting and advising on the re-organisation of your wardrobe.  I provide a re-evalution of your wardrobe, down size, donate, sell and organise. Together we can organise your wardrobe according to your needs – by colour, style or seasonally.  We will create an organised and functional wardrobe. I will make suggestions throughout the process, but the ultimate decision is yours as to what you keep and what you discard.

You may run a business and have children.  You may travel a lot.  But all of this doesn’t need to interfere with Christmas.

Hiring help in a Christmas Concierge is getting popular and is ideal for those who need extra help to buy that perfect present, organise that last minute party or run that errand that was forgotten.

People are getting busier, and their time is valuable.  It’s a lot like cleaning services once were.  People weigh up the time that it takes to do it and the frustration that comes along with it, and often it just doesn’t make sense to do it themselves.

Quintessential Concierge offers their ‘Santa’s Little Helper’ Concierge Service designed for working people with no idea of what to buy for loved ones, and no time to do it.  We will take care of the Christmas shopping experience, from buying the gifts to wrapping and delivering them.  If you want to take the stress out of Christmas, call us NOW!

• Article or Book Research
• Chasing business opportunities
• Research for the best product in the market
• Research for contractors or vendors for your business

Administrative

• Create or edit presentations
• Organise and prepare files for tax
• Pay bills as they come due
• Plan and organise events for you
• Screen candidates for hire
• Provide project support for your clients
• Update your company Procedure and Training Manuals
• Update records
• Fix formatting issues in presentations and documents

Filing/Accounting

• Scanning and delivering signed contracts and agreements
• Organising files
• Bookkeeping
• Streamline your electronic filing system
• Input data on financial statements

Manage Tasks

• Organise tasks for you
• Prioritising and categorising messages in your inbox
• Send important reminders
• Scheduling appointments on your calendar
• Setting up phone interviews
• Make travel arrangements
• Update calendar by setting up or removing appointments

Data Entry

• Add and update contacts
• Data entry on websites, spreadsheets, presentation etc
• Build list of customers, prospects, suppliers, business associates etc

Communications

• Email response for questions or updates that need immediate response
• Sort emails that require your personal response and those that need to go to tasks
• Sort voicemail to those that need immediate response and those that need reminders
• Update email contacts

Personal

• Shop for your needs
• Send messages to important clients and vendors
• Arrange tradesmen, services and quotations
• Set up advertising and TradeMe listings
• Organising utilties when you move house

Marketing

• Update websites
• Manage social media accounts
• Post articles to blogs
• Web design
• Distribute marketing materials on emails, social networks etc
• Telemarketing

Sales

• Call prospects
• Keep track of customer’s feedback
• Monitor prospects that have been called, followed up and responded
• Prepare and send agreement form
• Act as sales support for client enquiries and followups
• Deliver goods or services to buyer

Customer Relations

• Send out thank you cards to clients
• Prepare, collate and ship proposals and meeting materials
• Send out requested information to customers
• Handle client enquiries by phone or email
• Keep in touch with old customers to set appointments with you or send greetings

Writing

• Proofreading
• Write articles/content
• Write reviews of your business, for clients or for products
• Write testimonials for clients
• Write press releases
• Write email templates