I am a mother of one who is getting ready to start my own business, I have been researching it for over a year and am almost ready to put it all together. I recently found this site and thought what a great place to get the opinions of moms. My business idea is a errand/concierge service targeting new moms/parents, busy moms, busy professionals and senior citizens who wish to stay independent but need a bit of help. I would offer a range of services starting with shopping/grocery, pharmacy/dry cleaning pick-up/drop-off and hopefully expanding to more if demand is there. There is no service in my area like this except for one in a near-by town and i spoke with them as part of my research and they are very busy. My husband works and i am lucky that i am not hard pressed to make a lot of money- i have always wanted to start a business- so 2010 is my year to try- have no regrets-
My prices will be reasonable and i am planning out starting on a small scale- it seems that we all wish we could have more time to be with family and do the things that we enjoy. I read that most mom spend the weekend running errands and shopping, etc.. wouldn't it be nice to have more free time.
Would this be a service that you think would work ? as moms would you use it? Any thoughts ?
thanks in advance for your replies
Thanks so much for all your replies, it helped to reassure that the service was definitely needed. Now I am getting to work, finalizing my list of services, figuring out a initial marketing plan, and putting a web site together. I will let you all know how it turns out
Again thanks so much
B.
I think it's a FABULOUS idea! It would really serve the two-income families. I've heard of a similar thing here in PA...but not a lot so I think you're tapping into the niche just at the right time. Good luck!
I have thought of this myself back in 1994. good luck to you. you could also deliver food from restruants that don't deliver for those working that can't get away! Yes, as a person who worked full time & had a commute to & from work, yes I would use. As a mom of 2 under two at one time, yes I would use. As a business owner myself, I advise you set yourself up where you can take credit cards. We contacted our local bank and they helped us get signed up. We own a HVAC contracting company. we needed our guys to be able to accept cards in the field. they sest us up where we can call an 800 # from any phone including a cell and enter in the necessary info. at the prompts. It processes and gives you a confirmation #. money is deposited directly into your bank account usually within 2 days! Lots of people use debit cards now. Down side is they charge a 3% of total fee for each charge. just be sure to pass this on to customer! Best advertisement is word of mouth. Use electronic advertising when you can, send all your friends emails with your services & prices & ask them to forward them on. You will be surprised how much that will get you and best of all it is free! Other best advertising is a tuesday flyer in you local paper on bright yellow paper. hints from one business owner to another! also since we drive lots, I use the internet to tell me where the cheapest gas is on any given day so I save with each fill up on all our trucks. Best of luck, I think it is a great idea.
I, too, think it is a fantastic idea! I woulld ABSOLUTLY use a service like you will be providing. (if I weren't a SAHM)...for the EXACT reason you stated. I used to spend my whole weekend doing laundry, shopping, cooking in advance, and so on, and felt like I was always missing out on "quality time."
I'm sure , if you've been doing research for a yeaar, that you already know... But JIC!...Don't forget to keep reciepts for EVERYTHING...your shoes gas and mileage on your vehicle! (they are paying 50 cents a mile, now!)
Great idea, GF...go get 'em!
In addition to license and bonded, check into liability insurance as you would want to protect yourself if someone were to sue you. Good luck!
I would use a service like this for sure! I live a few towns over...so once you start it up please let me know and I will be one of your first customers/clients.
Also, I work at a law firm in Moorestown and the one attorney here helped my husband start up his own business, so if you need to speak with someone from a legal view, please private message me and I can give you more information. There is paperwork that needs to be filed with the State. You might know this already, but I wanted to put it out there just in case!
Good luck!! The best advertisement is the internet and word of mouth! I am sure you will be successful!!
J.
I've considered starting a business like this myself. I used to use a grocery service that delivered, they went out of business. When we lived in another state, there was a service that delivered from restaurants that don't offer delivery. We loved them! I wish we had that here as none of the surrounding restaurants deliver to our remote area. What I really wish I could find is someone who would chauffeur my kids. My daughter dances at a studio that is 30 miles away. I drive round-trip twice every day to drop her off, and then go back and get her... But the liability of driving other people's children is probably prohibitive of this kind of service. That being said--if the price were right, I'd have you take my cleaning, get my groceries, and mail my parcels. I hope it works out for you!
good luck!
I don't see why it would not work. My advice as a business owner is to get advice from a good lawyer and accountant. Keep very detailed records. You DO NOT want the IRS auditing you. Keep everything on the up and up and be conservative with your expenses, etc.
Good luck on your new venture!
I think it's a great idea! I would use a service like this especially now that I have an infant at home, it's such a hassle to get out that I let everything pile up until Saturday and Sunday when my husband is home. I would love to have some kind of help with grocery shopping, mail etc during the week.
I wish you the best in your new venture!
I know someone that does this in my area. Massachusetts. Would you like to pick her brain? I can arrange a phone call.
:)
if I could afford it maybe, If I needed to get out of the house no. men and elderly or sick would be most likely to use you. The bigger the town the better chances you have of making it. YOur town would have to be 20,000 or larger to make it is my thought.
I think this is a fantastic idea, and I have toyed with this idea myself--especially every time I am packing up my grumpy 3 year old and teething 9 month old to make, yet another, trip by myself to the grocery store.
One thing that I could REALLY use is someone to help me ship packages. I have bought so many gifts for friends, relatives, etc, but then after I wrap it and want to ship it, it can be difficult for me to make it into the post office and to wait in their long lines with my double stroller. On one day I went to the post office three times, but never made it out of my car, until the 3rd approach -- first I realized I had forgotten my wallet, the next time my son declared he needed to go potty, and then finally, after taking him home to relieve himself, I finally made it into the post office only to find out that their credit card processor was down and it'd be cash-only :) OY YEH! If only the basic staples and needs could all be done via drive thru!
Here in the Chicagoland area we have a service called PeaPod which is a home delivery service. I have used it a few times and think it is fantastic! You might want to check out their website to see what types of things they do, or what marketing strategies they use.
Good luck to you!
Make sure you are licensed and bonded. I thought of doing something like that myself. I think it would be helpful to be able to take kids to their sporting events if the parents are running late after work. I wish you luck and hope it works out.
