Fini Concierge: Consider It Done

Fini Concierge Holiday Food Drive

2010-11-21T22:13:00.004-05:00

During the next 6 weeks, highlights of the holiday season often include festive times with family, large group meals, gift giving, fun parties and travel. It is also an important time of year for us to remember those within our communities that may need extra help providing for their families and would greatly benefit from our generosity.

"In Eastern Massachusetts:

320,000 people or 7% of the population uses emergency food programs annually.

57% of the people served have to choose between food and rent, medicine, or heat."

This year Fini Concierge is hosting a dry and canned food drive and we are inviting the Fini Concierge community to join our efforts.

Individual Contributions:
Leave us a bag of canned or dry goods and we'll pick it up at no cost to you to add to our donations.

Company Participation:
Get your workplace involved - we know that the end of the year is a busy time for most workplaces and designating someone to organize a charity campaign can be difficult. Fini Concierge will do all of the organizing for you, all you need to do is promote the food drive to your team. Our staff will provide a collection bin and pick up donations as needed. We'll even provide a flyer that you can email and post with information on how to donate.

Our goal is to make giving easy for you and your companies this year - and together we believe that we can make a really big impact on our local communities. All participating individuals and companies will be named when donations are made.

Fini Concierge will be donating food collected to the follow organizations benefiting Greater Boston and Cape Cod:

Greater Boston Food Bank

“The GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England with a mission to help end hunger in eastern Massachusetts. Each year the Food Bank distributes more than 34 million pounds of food and grocery products to nearly 600 member hunger-relief agencies”. Please click on the following link for more information: The Greater Boston Food Bank

Lower Cape Outreach Council

The Lower Cape Outreach Council “provides emergency assistance of food clothing and financial support to individuals and families in Brewster, Chatham, Eastham, Harwich, Orleans, Provincetown, Truro and Wellfleet”. The LCOC has opened food pantries in each of the towns they serve. Please click on the following link for more information: The Lower Cape Outreach Council

Preferred Items for Food Donation

Pasta/Tomato Sauce

Soups and other canned goods

Coffee

Condiments

Cereals/Rice and other boxed goods

Turkey's for Thanksgiving

Toilet Paper, Hand Soaps, Toothpaste, Liquid Laundry Soap

Please contact us to let us know how you would like to get involved. In advance, we appreciate your support of our holiday food drive!

Chantal, Eddie, Marissa and Allison

The Fini Concierge Team

Organizational Strategy #3

2010-11-02T16:57:00.004-04:00

Get rid of stuff. Set a time frame that you are comfortable with -- 6 months or 1 year. If you haven't used or touched an item in this time frame, put it in the to be donated or to be junked pile. Ask Fini Concierge to help you by picking up clothes, books, toys or anything else accumulating in your space and we will drop it off to Goodwill or other non-profits that have a need for these items.

Did you find this strategy helpful? What areas are you having the most trouble with? Let us know and we can work with you on your specific needs. Also, please share your own favorite organizational strategies with us or let us know if you have questions about how to make any of our tips work for you.

Organizational Strategy #2

2010-10-19T13:36:00.004-04:00

Never touch a piece of paper more than once (in some cases this may be impossible but if you practice this as much as possible you will end up saving yourself a lot of time and may naturally start to avoid procrastinating). Check off the to-do item that the piece of paper provokes -- whether that means making a phone call, sending an email, or putting it away in a file to be saved.

Organizational Strategies

2010-10-14T14:48:00.005-04:00

Sometimes just thinking about getting organized is overwhelming. What do you start with first? Computer files? Photographs? Closets? Your office? There are so many places to start and so many steps to take -- but even taking that one step can help tremendously. There are many strategies to use to get organized. Some we've heard along the way and many we have used ourselves. In the upcoming months we will be sharing our tips with you. Here is the first one:

Always keep daily items in the same place. Keys, wallets, sunglasses and anything else you take with you every day. Use a bowl or a valet that sits near your door. By creating a routine for these easy to lose items you will lose them less often and will save yourself time. Being more organized at the start of your day will lead you to a more productive day with less stress.

Second Home Owners on the Cape

2010-09-27T10:53:00.005-04:00

For the second home owners on the Cape the fall is not peak season to visit or rent, so instead use this time to your advantage to spruce things up at your home or vacation rental. It’s definitely time to “clean house,” whether it’s by finding a new housekeeper or tending to a project you’ve been putting off. The easiest way to start is to go room by room making a list of what needs fixing. Let us know if you need or want ideas, assistance or referrals.

As Summer Comes to a Close

2010-09-07T12:01:00.005-04:00

As summer comes to a close, it’s time to put your swimsuit away and switch into another gear. When you think of Cape Cod you think of the beach and sun, but there are plenty of activities to do in the fall. Which in many opinions is the best time to visit the cape.

The Cape is full of fall festivals and art and craft fairs. The Harwich Cranberry Festival in September kicks off the harvest of the famous cranberry bogs, and the Oyster Festival in Wellfleet is one of the largest in the area. Provincetown also hosts many fall Arts festivals that welcomes local artists and musicians from all over the Cape.

It may be a little cooler, but you can still enjoy some of the same activities you enjoy during the summer. Bike trails, nature walks, sand dunes, and unforgettable sunsets are even more beautiful with the crisp fall air. Most restaurants and shops stay open during the off-season and offer some great discounts. And here’s a little secret: the public beaches are free and welcome dogs after Labor Day so dust off Busters leash!

Social Networking

2010-07-21T16:56:00.005-04:00

Fini Concierge can now be found on both Facebook and Twitter! Like many other small businesses Fini has decided to jump onto the social networking train. But everyday, as we post new info and tweets we find ourselves asking: does business actually get done on these sites and can they actually help our business grow?

Apparently, each day 5 to 10 thousand new people join Twitter and current estimates of total users top out around 5 million. Now that’s a lot of potential To Do lists, right? We know they won’t all become clients, but it definitely is a lot of exposure. With every tweet our brand grows, and with every re-tweet Fini’s info is spread to new places that we might not have otherwise reached. This exposure also gets us thinking: should we put together a Twitter marketing plan (I have been told that there are tools to help create one) and schedule a certain number of tweets a day?

Being green to the Twitter “phenom” we are realizing there is much to be learned. Some of the best advice I have read is to find a peer in your industry and “follow” them and then check out who they are “following”...sure enough you will find a Who’s Who list that you must “follow.”

As we become more Twitter savvy by tweeting, re-tweeting, following, etc., our list of “followers” continues to grow day by day, and we begin to realize the full potential of this PR tool. We are betting that these new “followers” would not have stumbled across our info and website without the aid of Twitter. Therefore, Fini Concierge IS getting a lot of business done and we sure are growing! Consider It Done!

Win 4 Free Hours of Fini Concierge Personal Assistant Services!

2010-07-18T17:31:00.012-04:00

Could you use some help tackling your to-do list? Getting help is as easy as helping others get the assistance they need…Introduce your clients, friends and family to Fini Concierge! Fini Concierge is giving away 4 free hours of assistance to the real estate agent on Cape Cod who refers the greatest number of people to Fini Concierge between July 15 and August 31.

Last spring, Boston-based personal assistance company Fini Concierge expanded its service area with an office in East Orleans to serve Cape Cod and the Islands. Fini Concierge is a team of experienced personal assistants. Our team is available to perform a wide variety of time-saving tasks, streamlining the lives of Cape Cod residents and visitors by providing one resource to call to handle a wide variety of needs in their lives.

Since 2004, the Fini Concierge team has provided as-needed personal assistance to Greater Boston residents, handling everything from dry cleaning pick-up, bringing cars in for service and waiting for repairmen to planning parties and arranging complex travel arrangements. In addition to the day to day services that we offer to our Greater Boston clients, we also offer services such as:

· Opening and closing seasonal homes
· Stocking kitchens prior to guest’s arrivals
· Conducting home check-ins during the winter months for second home owners that are

not available to come down to the Cape frequently
· Planning seaside weddings and family reunions

Fini Concierge’s Cape team also handles small projects that make a big difference such as:

· Taking clothes to the laundromat
· Delivering a picnic basket lunch
· Providing recommendations on area activities and restaurants
· Running to the store for forgotten provisions such as sunscreen and bug spray

Personal assistant services cost $47 an hour, with a one-hour minimum in addition to monthly packages with reduced rates for clients in need of ongoing assistance. Referrals must pursue learning about Fini Concierge in one of the following ways: have a phone or email “conversation” or in person meeting with a Fini team member about our services.

Do you need to learn more about Fini Concierge so that you can pass along helpful information? View our website at http://www.finiconcierge.com/ or contact Allison Boxer at anadeau@finiconcierge.com to learn more or request brochures to pass along. You can also follow the Fini Concierge team at TWITTER and FACEBOOK.

On September 1st, Fini Concierge will announce the winner of our Cape Cod Summer Promotion – and if you’re the winner, starting utilizing your free hours or give them to someone who could use an extra hand. We look forward to working with you soon!

Testimonial

2010-07-06T18:18:00.004-04:00

Recently Fini Concierge has been collecting new testimonials. We really appreciate your willingness to share your experiences with others about the work we do. We are happy to share a recent client testimonial with you below:

"Fini Concierge was able to pick up my race packet for the Boston Marathon. This was a one time incident, but Fini definitely made my life less stressful that day I need the race packet. Marissa and Chantal were prompt and courteous to any requests and/or questions that I had leading up to the service I had asked them to do."

S. Quintanar
Chicago, IL

If you would like to share a testimonial about your experiences with Fini Concierge, please contact us for details at mbennett@finiconcierge.com

Host with the most

2010-06-23T14:08:00.009-04:00

This is the time of year when your calendar begins filling up with summer events. Some of these events will be hosted by you. From the 4th of July to Labor Day summer months are filled with weddings, birthday parties, anniversarys, evening soirees, backyard bashes, picnics, private dinners and large events. We are here to help you organize a seamless event!

During the hot and hectic summer months you may find yourself running in all sorts of directions to pull together a special occasion. To keep your cool, discuss your plans with Fini Concierge and let us incorporate our event planning expertise into your summer. We will work closely with you regarding all details to ensure your personal style shines through. You will also be able to relax and enjoy yourself at your own event.

We can make sure that you are the host with the most by taking care of the following:

Invitations (ideas, themes, addressing, stamping, and mailing to guests)

Coordination and follow up of RSVP list

Decorations (ordering, setting up, taking down and returning rented items)

Liaison with hired professionals (caterer, bar service, servers, florist, entertainment, photographer, rental/furniture equipment, cleaners for before or after event)

If you are not planning on hiring a professional, Fini Concierge can take your beverage, flower, grocery and/or rental order and deliver to your event)

Menu Planning (create menu for guests, grocery shopping, and hard to find items)

Gift or favor ideas (including pick up/order, wrap etc.)

Clean up and rental return

Moving Tips

2010-06-17T12:55:00.006-04:00

If you or anyone you know is moving this summer, you already know that there are a million things that need to be done to get ready for a move. From finding resources and making contact with vendors to planning timelines and packing all of your possessions. Fini Concierge will help you sort through your moving to do lists, will help you complete items on the to do list and will even send you reminders about important dates.

We also wanted to share a few moving related tips with you to help you get started. Contact Fini Concierge directly for the rest.

1) Obtain more than one moving quote. Compare estimates, references and costs.

2) Take photos to create a digital inventory of your items.

3) Secure any travel or hotel arrangements that you may need during your move--for you, your children and/or your pets.

4) Make a plan for the day of your move. Who is going to be on site to monitor the packing and moving? Who is going to coordinate the arrival of the cleaners or locksmith?

5) Research local resources before you move. Find a new school, a new doctor and make sure you know where the local dry cleaners and grocery stores are so you can pick up things you need right away.

Fini Minimizes Travel Hassles

2010-06-10T12:42:00.006-04:00

We know your travel calendar begins looking very hectic during the summer months. Whether for business or pleasure, reducing or eliminating travel related hassles will make your trip more enjoyable and well worth the time. Fini Concierge is here for you in order to take care of the following tasks:

PLANNING YOUR VACATION OR THREE DAY WEEKEND GET AWAY: Fini Concierge will assist you in finding the perfect new spot to venture to with friends or family this summer. We can provide you with a day by day itinerary filled with dining, lodging and activities based on your personal preferences.

MAKING YOUR RESERVATIONS: Fini Concierge will place all of your reservations. In addition to making reservations for flights, we will also be sure your hotel reservation is made and any sightseeing plans are booked and confirmed.

LAST MINUTE ITEMS: Fini Concierge will pick up everything you need for your trip. From travel activity bags to keep your kids occupied on the plane or in the car, to sunscreen, batteries, or snacks.

PASSPORT SERVICES: Fini Concierge will make sure all of your travel documentation is taken care of in time for your trip.

GETTING TO AND FROM THE AIRPORT: Fini Concierge will hire and arrange car service to pick you up at home and drop you off at the airport to be sure you arrive on time for your flight. With this option you eliminate parking hassles as well.

PEACE OF MIND CHECK IN: Fini Concierge wil check in on your home, giving you peace of mind. We can also check your mail, feed your cat and water your plants while you're away.

Tips on Choosing the Right Cape Cod Rental

2010-06-07T15:02:00.006-04:00

So you've decided to rent a beach house this summer on the Cape for your next trip or family vacation. Great! But where do you begin? The amount of vacation rental websites can be more overwhelming than useful. Here are some great tips for finding a nice vacation rental and you're in luck because rentals are still available.

Start Early

Ideally you will want to begin planning your summer vacation right after the holidays. If you do so, you will have a larger selection to choose from. When you begin your early search ask about early booking discounts. Sometimes you'll find that in exchange for the security of having their property rented, an owner and agent will offer a discount, sometimes as much as 10 percent. But don’t worry if you didn’t get a jump start there are some advantages for a late planner.

Know What You Want

1. Need to bring Buster? Make sure pets are allowed.

2. Have small children? Make sure the house is equipped with baby gates for the stairs.

3. Vacationing with an older family member who isn't very mobile? You might want to make sure you're only a short walk from the beach and there is a ramp or first floor bedroom available.

4. Plan on having cookouts? Ask if the grill is in good shape. Get the details in writing and bring them with you to be sure everything is as promised.

5. Have your heart set on an outdoor shower? Make sure to ask before committing.

6. Planning on spending the entire time on the beach? Find out how long of a walk the rental is from the sandy shore.

7. Also, be sure you have the name and phone number of someone you can call if anything goes wrong during your stay.

Imagine

2010-05-31T17:07:00.006-04:00

Imagine arriving at your vacation destination and discovering a fully stocked refrigerator, fresh flowers on the table and wine chilling on the deck instead of spending your first few hours of vacation fighting the crowds at the supermarket?

Imagine not feeling stressed if you can’t make it down to the Cape to check in on your second home during the winter because you can call your as needed assistant to check in for you?

Imagine having your to-do list completed while you’re enjoying time with your family, putting in a couple of extra hours at work or lying on the beach?

Fini Concierge provides personal assistance on an as needed basis to people on Cape Cod and in the Greater Boston area at surprisingly affordable hourly rates.

Preplan for gifts for the month or the season

2010-05-25T12:11:00.011-04:00

Purchase birthday cards, personalized stationary, wrapping supplies and stamps weeks ahead of your needs so you can mail cards and gifts right away. Find gifts that are appropriate and meaningful for all ages. Consider online gift cards (or online e-cards), Visa check cards and other simple gifts that will be appreciated by everyone. Personalize your gift with a message to create a signature touch.

Fini Concierge can assist you with every aspect of this process. We have frequently helped our clients by providing gift options and then making sure the gift is picked up or ordered and delivered on time! Time and time again our clients have expressed their feelings of gratitude for assistance with this task because it is time consuming but is something they still want completed with their personal touch.

Fini Concierge, Your Car & The Ferry

2010-05-19T19:51:00.008-04:00

Having your car on the Island during your vacation makes life a lot simpler. Getting your car to and from the Island can sometimes put a wrench in your vacation planning!

But now it doesn’t have to…

Fini Concierge is available to help coordinate the transportation of your vehicle. Fini Concierge will:

Make ferry reservations
Drive your car to and from the ferry
Ensure that your car gets on the ferry safely

Supporting Local Community

2010-05-13T13:38:00.008-04:00

Fini Concierge has been dedicated to supporting the local community over the past number of years by attending community events, participating in local walks and donating to local charities and auctions. This is one of the many reasons I (Marissa) love working here! These experiences not only enrich the business as a whole but also enrich each of us personally. I believe that each of our daily interactions with clients and service providers is always another chance to support our community. If you are a business owner, how do you support your local community? And if you are not a business owner, how would you like to see local businesses supporting the community?

Seasonal Tips

2010-05-11T16:24:00.011-04:00

The long winter months are over, spring is in bloom, & before we know it summer will be here. To make sure your home is prepared for the season, start on these seasonal maintenance projects.

Running low on time? Call on Fini Concierge to help with all your spring & summer maintenance needs and Consider it done.

Inside Your Home:
1) Have your AC vents checked.
2) Make sure that your window and door screens are intact.
3) Remove any insulation you put on outdoor water pipes in preparation for winter, and check for any possible leaks.
4) Clean, clean, clean. Hire house cleaners to do a through cleaning.

Outside Your Home:
1) Spring is the time for gardening and flowers.
2) Make sure that your sprinkler system is in working order.
3) Take out your patio furniture and make sure it gets a thorough cleaning and repair.
4) Clean your gutters
5) A fresh coat of paint on will make a dramatic difference on anything indoors or out.

Working with Service Providers

2010-05-07T18:17:00.004-04:00

Have you ever felt frustrated, stressed or upset when working with a service provider? Sometimes it can be difficult to communicate with a professional when you don't have the terminology or knowledge about your project or when your service provider doesn't understand your needs. Tell us about an experience you have had with a service provider, good or bad, and share the kind of support or tools you think could have helped you get through the project?

There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a service provider and sometimes you just don't have the time. From start to finish, communication is a big part of working with a contractor. The project needs to be clearly outlined, a time frame needs to be estimated, a cost estimate needs to be provided, follow up is essential and flexibility is required. Many times when starting a project, other projects are discovered and the scope of the original project changes. With the steps of this process in mind it is no wonder that miscommunication can happen and that frustration or stress can develop.

Through experience, we have developed relationships with many reputable, reliable and trustworthy service providers. By understanding the in's and out's of this process we can really save our clients time and stress in order to complete well done projects. This doesn't mean every project goes off without a hitch; but we are experts in making sure these hitches don't hinder the integrity of the project.

Gearing Up For The Cape

2010-05-06T13:05:00.008-04:00

As the weather starts to warm up and we start taking our summer gear out of the attic, it’s a sign that summer is FINALLY around the corner. There are many summer destinations, but there isn’t anything better then hopping in the car after work on Friday and in a quick 1.5 hours you find yourself on the Cape with your toes in the sand and drink in hand before the sun sets.

We at Fini Concierge are especially excited about this summer on the Cape. With the opening of our new office last spring we were able to meet a lot of great people and to develop a lot of new ideas that we are excited about sharing with our clients this summer. However, we are always looking for new ideas to help grow Fini’s Cape office as well as develop relationships with new and old vendors. This is where we enlist you (our blogger) to help do some foot work.

What services do you think would be helpful to offer to our Cape clients?

The Fini Concierge Blog -- Revitalized!

2010-04-30T17:46:00.006-04:00

The Fini Concierge blog has been dormant for many months but will have new life breathed into it with the help of other members of the Fini Concierge team. Now, instead of just hearing from me – Chantal, you’ll now have the opportunity to hear from other members of our team, including Allison Nadeau and Marissa Miller Bennett.

We look forward to continuing to share our experiences, tips and lessons learned with you through our blog – we hope you’ll enjoy reading it and please, we always want to hear from you, so send us your feedback!

Chamber of Commerce

2009-06-29T09:23:00.004-04:00

Fini Concierge became a member of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce earlier this year. As a new member, we have been welcomed into this group warmly and been given many new opportunities to connect with fellow members. Most of which we haven’t even taken advantage of yet.

Similarly, we just recently joined the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce and received a similarly inviting reception. Within days of joining the Chamber, it had reached out to our Cape Cod staff member Allison and invited her to several events. They made several announcements regarding our launch of the Cape Cod office through its website and Twitter account.

As with any opportunity or group, most of your success is based on what you make of it – how much time and energy you put into developing relationships with fellow members. How much you give of yourself in the process, volunteering to help out on committees and making time to meet with members to learn about them. But when you join a group and have the reception that we have had with both Chambers, it makes you more eager to want to put that time and energy in – which is always in competition with some other valuable activity. Both Allison and I have been very impressed with the respective Chambers that we are involved in and appreciative their outreach to us.

Fini Concierge: Volunteering Policy

2009-06-23T09:24:00.005-04:00

Over the years Fini Concierge as volunteered our time to various charity events. It’s a fundamental goal of ours to give back to the communities that we live and work in and something that we want to continue as Fini Concierge grows.

We’ve participated in charity walks and bike rides , delivered pies for Pie in the Sky , and supported many fundraising events with auction gift certificates for Fini Concierge services. At times, Eddie and I still felt that we were far off from our goal to consistently support the many great causes that have so many needs in our community.

Most recently, Liz Moran, one of our team members, volunteered her time for the Caritas Good Samaritan Hospice luncheon and auction fundraiser. When she returned from the event not only did she feel really good about being involved but she had had a really great time – and had felt excited that she was not just representing herself but Fini Concierge.

It was at that time that Eddie and I decided to take a first step in implementing a volunteering program that would grow into the type of community commitment that we eventually hope to make through the business. Our staff is now strongly encouraged to volunteer up to four hours on ‘company time’ per quarter to a charity of their choosing. In an effort to support our team in making this commitment, we discuss volunteer opportunities at staff meetings and share ideas about what they are interested in so that we can help them get matched up with rewarding opportunities.

Our hope is that we are on a pathway to developing a strong community based organization that supports those in need around us and that we create opportunities for our team to make an important impact through volunteering. I know that there are many companies out there that have well developed volunteering programs and I look forward to learning more from them and from our future volunteering experiences.

And the winner is...

2009-06-17T20:29:00.003-04:00

Over the last several years we’ve had our share of experiences with good vendors and with some bad ones (and some really, really, really bad ones!). When we find a business that we respect, both for their work and business conduct, we strive to build a strong relationship with them that benefits our business and our clients, and that provides them with repeat business. Through all of our moving coordination, we have had the chance to work extensively with Arlington’s Big Foot Moving and Storage – a fellow small business run by Mike Bavuso. While we have a strong relationship with Mike, we’ve also gotten to know most of his moving staff – who end up being the face of Big Foot Moving and the ones who make or break the company with each client experience.

Because of our positive experiences with the Big Foot team, we continue to refer our clients to them.

Along with Fini Concierge, Big Foot is a member of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce. Last week the organization held their annual Excellence in Business Awards to recognize the achievements and community involvement of their member businesses. Big Foot Moving and Storage was not only nominated as a candidate for Small Business of the Year Award, but won!

I want to congratulate the Big Foot team but more importantly recognize that I understand why they were deserving of the award. Big Foot’s team is dedicated to the same values that we embrace – ensuring that client’s needs come first and that they have a good experience when they work with them. In addition, it’s about developing strong partnerships with fellow vendors and with your community. It’s about doing business in an ethical and responsible way, with a good team of people who enjoy what they do.

Congratulations to the Big Foot Moving and Storage team!

Cape Cod office officially up and running...

2009-06-15T12:46:00.004-04:00

It’s been about a month since we launched our newest office in East Orleans on Cape Cod, serving Cape Cod and the Islands. The office will serve year round residents, part-time residents with second homes located there and vacationers.

In addition to the day-to-day services that we offer our Greater Boston clients, we also offer activities such as opening and closing seasonal homes, stocking kitchens prior to guest’s arrivals and conducting home check-ins during the winter months for second home owners that are not available to come down to the Cape frequently. Our Cape staff will handle small projects - such as taking clothes to the laundromat - that make a big difference to people on vacation or with limited time to enjoy their vacation homes. On the other end of the scale, we’re available to manage large projects such as planning seaside weddings and family reunions.

So far, the reception has been very strong – and the summer season hasn’t even kicked into high gear yet.

Keeping you posted from Cape Cod…

Passing the "secret" along

2009-03-20T13:08:00.003-04:00

There’s not a better feeling than when a potential client contacts Fini Concierge based on a current client’s recommendation. Not only does it confirm that our clients are happy with the service and support that we are providing to them but it also means that we have a big enough impact on their daily life that they think to share information about us with their friends and family. It also strikes me that they care enough about Fini Concierge to help us grow and expand.

As a business owner, I want to make it easy for our clients to refer us on to their contacts but never as a burden to them. Our clients certainly don’t need another thing on their to-do list…that’s why they have us! We do have a “tell a friend” type of program at Fini Concierge. But when it happens naturally is when I get most excited because it feels as if they are passing along a “secret” – the secret to living a simplified life!

Jim Blasingame – The Small Business Advocate

2009-03-10T13:02:00.005-04:00

Many of our clients, vendors and contacts are business owners themselves – which is one of the aspects of this job that I enjoy the most. Through our service, we are exposed to so many industries, work with many entrepreneurial people, and learn about the ins and outs of their businesses. Sharing resources with each other is a great benefit of the relationships I’ve built with other like-minded business owners.

Recently, I was interviewed by Jim Blasingame on The Small Business Advocate radio show for the second time. Jim has been very supportive of the Fini Concierge concept but also of our perspective on doing business in this climate.

Check out his website, which is full of useful resources for small business owners: The Small Business Advocate

And you can listen to both of my radio interviews at this link: Chantal Boxer with Jim Blasingame

Many thanks to Jim and his staff for having me on his show and giving me an opportunity to share a bit about our story.

Valuing Time and Money

2009-03-03T22:21:00.005-05:00

These days it’s a daily question – “how’s your business surviving ?” My answer is always the same – we’re doing really well. Now that’s not to say that we haven’t seen things change in the past few months but as a business we’re feeling really positive about our current position and our future. We’ve retained all of our clients and have signed up many new ones that are using us consistently as well. We are even opening a second office in the Spring which means adding an additional staff person and many new opportunities. Of course, like many other companies, we’ve had a few clients that are using us less frequently than they have in the past, but that is to be expected. Overall, morale is good . We are enjoying our work because in many instances its valued even more by our clients because they are working longer hours and have more stress and less time to focus on their personal lives.
People often think that a person must value either their time or their money – but we offer people the opportunity to do both. Our flexible model allows our clients to utilize our support when needed and budget the amount of money they allocate to our services accordingly. We’re here to help them regardless of whether they use us one hour a month or 15 hours a week. Good economy or not, our business model is the same – we offer personal assistance to people on an as needed basis to make their lives simplified.

Blending part 2

2008-11-24T14:43:00.002-05:00

I recently posted about the idea of blending life and work as opposed to trying to balance them. Offline I had some interesting discussions about people’s thoughts in response to this idea. One friend pointed out that it’s different for a business owner to live a blended life, as they have a greater connection and usually a greater reward from the business. That, of course, business owners would live and breath by the success of their business because it’s “their baby”.

In my prior post, I wasn’t trying to advocate for “24/7 workaholism” nor was I meaning to imply that people should not be focused on their families, friends or themselves and put work completely aside at times. All are important to living a healthy lifestyle, being rejuvenated and exploring all aspects of life. Instead I was advocating the idea of viewing yourself as a person who has a family and friends, hobbies and a career, someone connected to many different communities…that the various aspects of your life do not have to be separate from each other and specifically from work. That at times you’ll spend more time at work than in other areas of your life and at other times you’ll work less so that you can volunteer your time for your child’s school project or to take time off to care for a friend in need. The balance of where your energy and focus lies will shift. But during all of these activities you are learning, connecting and doing things that inevitably impact other areas of your life.

At the Boston Pink Magazine Conference in October, Marilyn Carlson Nelson of Carlson Cos, reflected upon all of the life goals she has had and achieved. She noted that early on she knew that she could have it all and do it all…but that she just couldn’t do it all and have it all at the same time.

Seven Cycles

2008-11-23T22:42:00.005-05:00

So many people ask us what the strangest thing we were ever asked to do is. Unfortunately, we don’t have too many juicy, sensational stories for them (and we probably wouldn’t tell you even if we did!) but what has continued to be exciting are the projects that we find ourselves working on that we would have never guessed that we would have been called upon for when we founded Fini Concierge. Every once in a while I plan on highlighting such a project – to give you more of a flavor of what we’re doing everyday at Fini!

One such project is my ongoing involvement in the recruiting efforts of Seven Cycles. Seven Cycles is the largest exclusively custom bike frame builder in the world, headquartered right here in Watertown. We had the opportunity to start working with Rob Vandermark, CEO and Founder of Seven Cycles, 3 years ago, helping him primarily with personal projects. In the spring of 2007 he presented us with a challenge – help him with the recruitment of an executive administrative assistant. Amazingly, Rob had worked for over 8 years as the CEO of Seven Cycles without any admin support partly because he had been so disheartened with candidates during past searches with and without the help of professional recruiters. Rob trusted us with this project because we had developed such a strong working relationship with him and knew his working style. In an effort to get Rob the help he needed right away, we had one of our team members, Marissa, work part time at Seven to help pave the transition for the new full time assistant. It took us several months but we were successful in helping to find the right match for Rob – and we’re so happy to say that she is still working with Rob – because it makes Rob’s life easier but also because Denise is so awesome to work with!

So most people would get why Rob would ask for our assistance on helping him hire an executive admin, but most people wouldn’t imagine why Rob would have continued to ask for our help to fill other positions at Seven. I’m first to admit that I’m not a regular on a bike (although inspired by all of my time at Seven I did ride 30 miles for the MS Ride in NYC two years ago!) and didn’t have much knowledge of the frame building industry. But I’ve learned a lot and hiring goes way beyond technical knowledge. Although we certainly are just a small part of the team and don’t take credit for the successful hires they’ve had over the last 18 months, our role is to help them manage and facilitate the process…and as any of you who do your own hiring know, it can certainly be a frustrating and long process!

Even more valuable than the recruiting lessons I’ve learned while a member of Seven’s recruitment team, I’ve been inspired by Seven Cycles and the people who work there. As is evidenced by vast media coverage and positive reviews of its bikes, Seven Cycles is synonymous with unparalleled quality, precision workmanship, design innovation and handcrafted customization. All immensely impressive. What continues to impress me is the dedication that the Seven team has to the mission of Seven -- crafting each bike to meet the needs of its’ rider with uncompromising service. I feel honored to work as part of their team and especially to have such close dealings with Rob, whose knowledge, passion and devotion to his business is unrivaled…and who always looks for the opportunity to share his expertise with others.

So although Seven hires me to help them, often days I wonder if it’s me who’s making out on this one as I continue to learn a great deal from them.

Interested in working at Seven Cycles? Check out: http://www.sevencycles.com/career/index.php.

The Holidays have arrived!

2008-11-22T20:03:00.002-05:00

I can tell you that the holidays have officially arrived. How do I know? In addition to the Christmas music playing non-stop on a couple of radio stations, the decorated stores and the barrage of toy commercials on the TV, I’ve spent several hours this week wrapping gifts for one client and sending them to her family overseas.

This is one of my favorite times of year. Despite the arrival of the cold weather, I enjoy all the festivities that happen between Thanksgiving and the New Year. At Fini, it’s our busiest season as we help clients with all aspects of the holidays from gift shopping and wrapping to decorating and planning parties, plus last minute holiday travel.

It’s also a time for reflection. The year has gone by so fast and there are less than six weeks left before 2009! I’m not so committed to the idea of New Year’s Resolutions, but every year I do set goals and think about where I’d like to be at the end of that year, both professionally and personally. With only a few weeks left, I better get working on some of them!

Before you get swept up in the festivities of the season, take some time to think about how you want to finish off 2008…and start towards a wonderful 2009.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blending

2008-11-19T13:46:00.003-05:00

I had the opportunity to attend the 4th Annual Pink Magazine Conference on October 14th. Panelists included Jody Adams, Rialto Restaurant and Bar, Irene Chang Britt, Campbell USA, Julie Gilbert, Best Buy and Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Carlson Cos. The panel focused on what made each of these women so successful and the lessons learned along each of their journeys. I took away many interesting lessons from the discussion, more of which I will share in future posts. I think that their wisdom is applicable to men and women and to people in all stages of their careers.

The inevitable question that always seems to be asked when professionally successful women are being interviewed is the whole issue of work life balance and how they manage to do both.

Blend and not balance was the way that Irene Chang Britt described her solution to answering the demands of work and family. Instead of trying to keep them separate, which for many of us (me included, especially when your husband is also your business partner!) is impossible. She gave examples of how she made choices to integrate the two, looking at all of it as her LIFE, not squeezing each activity into the work or personal category. She talked about how on many an occasion she took her daughter to work with her, utilizing the opportunity to talk with her about business and her role. People could view this as putting her work before her time with her daughter. But as a result her daughter has grown up with an amazing entrepreneurial spirit which has manifested itself into organizing her young peers into fundraising efforts to help the people in Darfur.

The idea of blending is in conflict with how many of us have worked and lived. There’s guilt about always “being connected” or keeping the Blackberry on the bedside table. Yet in reality the two are usually not separate. We form relationships and partnerships that transcend both the work and personal aspects of our lives, we meet business contacts at social events and through lessons learned at work become better friends, partners and parents.

Blending is a more flexible way to view life and truly more realistic. Most of us can’t turn off our thoughts about work just because we’ve left the office nor can we avoid personal aspects of our lives needing attention during our work day. Viewing life as a blend lets each of us off the hook from always worrying about which side of the scale we’re on.

Cleaning out your closets

2008-10-28T13:24:00.004-04:00

It happens a couple of times a year – the need to clean out your closets and purge all of that “stuff” you’ve been keeping for who knows why. The inspiration hit me this past Saturday and I spent the entire day going through old clothes, desk drawers and my food pantry. About half way through with the closets, my home in a complete state of disarray, I paused, mystified as to why I started this project in the first place. I came close to quitting, but could barely find enough floor space to walk to the door so kept at it.

At the end of the day, I felt a sense of accomplishment and our home definitely felt “lighter.” Seeing all of our unwanted stuff that we don’t use always makes me feel glad that I can pass it along to someone who could really use my clothes or home items more than me. After all, having it under my bed does no good. I happily dropped off six bags at Goodwill on Monday morning.

The helping hand of Fini Concierge is often the “inspiration” (if you can call it that!) that our clients need. Some of our clients ask us to go through closets or basements with them and others have us weed through, sort and organize their stuff so that they can then make the decision to keep or pass items along to someone else or the junk pile. One of the steps that is most helpful to people is our coordination of the “getting rid phase.” It could be picking up items for donation to local charities – home items, construction related leftovers, clothes, or arranging for a junk removal service or charity organization to come and pick up certain items.

Because we can all relate to having a couple of bags of donations sitting in our spare room for months -- never making it out the door.

Save that Number

2008-10-22T14:19:00.005-04:00

One of my greatest frustrations comes when I know that I’ve been in too much of a rush to do something simple that will save me lots of time and aggravation later. A simple example of this is saving someone’s contact information in the right place – in my Outlook or on my cell phone.

You know what I’m talking about, right? You’re trying to call back someone that called you last Thursday in the afternoon so you scroll through your phone’s call log and accidently, dial at least one person who isn’t the right one. Now you have to make excuses, “Sorry, I dialed the wrong number, but yes, how are you…” How embarrassing.

Five minutes later, you’re running late and a call that should have taken you two minutes now is taken much longer. Yet, you still don’t know the number! Can you tell that this has happened to me at least once or twice?

I’ve made a new promise to myself. I’m always going to save contact information in the appropriate place starting now.

If you feel my pain, take the pledge!

Keepers of the Lists

2008-10-07T12:39:00.003-04:00

I’m reading David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done.” His book outlines methods to increase your organization and therefore, productivity. I’m only on Chapter 2 so I’m sure I’ll have more to share as I delve deeper into his ideas.

So many of us walk around with endless lists in our heads of projects we need to get to and lists of tasks we need to check off. Allen describes this as one major barrier to being organized and getting things done. Our short term memories can only hold a limited amount of information. We clog it up when trying to keep these lists creating distraction, overwhelm and stress.

Allen also talks about the way in which we define our to-do lists. We often make a list of general projects – mom’s birthday or re-do kitchen – as opposed to defining the next step of a project as an action item:

“the real problem is a lack of clarity and definition about what a project really is, and what the associated next-action steps required are.”

He theorizes that establishing action items for outstanding projects and documenting those actions is a key to both getting them off of your mind so that you can focus on the task at hand and having a to-do list that is relevant.

In addition to reflecting on my own organizational skills it’s an important role that Fini Concierge plays in many of our client’s project/to-do list management. We have become a valuable tool in shaping our client’s to-do list into actionable items.
Working with Fini Concierge, clients can organize their life into actionable items by:

Regular Meetings – Schedule a consistent time to speak with Fini Concierge each week by phone or in person to download your to-do list. It also serves as a placeholder for clients to check in with themselves on the various aspects of their lives and talk things through.

The Fini List – Several of our clients have adopted a list that they keep with them, on their computer or in a notebook, that they review during their week. Clients jot down items that they want to pass along to us. It’s helpful as it gets the items out of their head and they don’t have to remember all of those tasks when they see us.

The Quick Email or Voicemail – As we all know, thoughts come to us at some of the strangest times. As Allen says, if we have a to-do in our head, our brain doesn’t know when to remind us of it or when to do something about it so it keeps popping up, and distracting us from other tasks. Shooting Fini Concierge a quick email, even if the whole project is not completely explained or leaving us a voicemail in the middle of the night is not uncommon from our clients because they know then that it is safely documented.

Fini Concierge serves as the “keepers of the list” for many of our clients. I can’t tell you how many clients have said with a sigh of relief – “Okay, that’s on your list now and I can forget about it, right?” And they can.

Life as a problem solver

2008-09-09T21:44:00.005-04:00

We’re problem solvers.

The “come up with a creative solution to this specific problem” problem solvers, yes, we do that everyday. But what I’m referring to is the “staying on a problem until its fixed” type of problem solvers. Our client’s rely on us for our persistence and ability to see projects through until completion.

We pride ourselves on our resolve -- daily phone calls, insistent questions, detailed follow up -- the most professional forms of persistence.

Everyone has experienced the frustration of calling customer service call centers. Dealing with the endless wait times, talking to representatives who haven’t been schooled in customer service, and the frustration of a manager not being available to get a matter resolved. You’d imagine that no one would sign up willingly to tackle these types of tasks because they can be maddening. But we do! Our clients can’t wait to pass these seemingly small projects to us because these calls often produce so much stress and feel like such a complete waste of time. Yet they need to get done!

We still get miffed at companies or service professionals who just don’t seem to care about their work. The ones who don’t show up for an appointment and don’t bother to call, or do show up but don’t complete their work properly requiring a second visit. It’s important to our clients that we know how to handle these difficult situations and that we solve the problem for them.

Have you had a difficult experience with a company or service professional that you would like to share with us?

If anyone gets it, I do!

2008-08-11T12:23:00.005-04:00

As you may be aware, I’ve been absent from my blog for a few months. I haven’t abandoned the Fini Concierge blog, but the truth is, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t found the time to write. Does that sound familiar to you?

Despite my lack of writing, I find solace in that I truly understand the need that Fini Concierge client’s have because most days I feel like I could use a personal concierge myself! I can honestly say that I understand and I think that makes me and the team at Fini Concierge better at what we do by helping other people and providing some relief.

People frequently ask me if my own life is well-organized. While I would like to say, “yes”, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. As they say, the cobbler’s children always have holes in their shoes. It’s true that it’s a lot more rewarding and fun for me to grocery shop for someone else or organize a client’s closet than my own. It also gives me great satisfaction at the end of the day to know that we completed a job well and as a result a client was able to spend some time with their child at the park or arrive to a well organized and unpacked new home. Or my favorite, that a client just sat on their couch and relaxed for a few minutes because of the help we provided.

The word “busy” means a lot more now since my husband and I started Fini Concierge. Notwithstanding the craziness that it adds to my own life, I truly still enjoy how we help people.

So, my goal is to get back to blogging starting with this post…stay tuned!

Going Green…trying to do our part!

2008-04-17T21:41:00.001-04:00

With global warming, oil prices, melting ice caps and recycling headlines in our daily news, we couldn’t help but commit to finding ways that we could go green.

Cutting our consumption of gas isn’t an option but we have found a way to reduce the amount of paper and plastic consumption on our daily grocery shopping trips for clients.

We have decided to invest in reusable shopping bags that our team can use on each visit to the grocery store. We’re still offering to bag groceries in plastic or paper bags for clients who request them – for their personal use at home.

It’s a little step but we think that every step counts!

We’re interested in finding out strategies that you personally use or your company uses…how are you “going green”?

In a Rush?

2008-04-11T16:35:00.003-04:00

In a Rush? Always feel like you’re in a hurry? Too much to do, not enough time? Most people we know would answer yes to all three of these questions. We think it’s one of the most widespread challenges of our time. This challenge is exactly the reason that we founded Fini Concierge – to provide an option for people to take advantage of, if and when they needed it, with the goal that our clients feel that they have more time and less to do.

We frequently read articles that touch on aspects of this phenomenon – too much technology, work-life balance, working parents, “having it all”, sleep deprivation, the culture of wanting it all, NOW!

I’m a firm believer that life is all about choices. The article “In a Rush? Learn to Ease Hurry Sickness” written by Maggie Jackson appearing in Sunday’s Boston Globe talks about just that…choosing to proactively combat the constant rush of life. Her article touches on the health effects that rushing has on a person. Many of us know too much about the mental and emotional effects that always trying to do too much can have, not to mention the toll on relationships with friends and families.

It’s not an easy life pattern to change but small steps can have a big impact on how you feel every day. Yoga, reading a book (for pleasure, not work!), meditation, locking your cell phone in a drawer for an hour each day or outsourcing…there are lots of choices to help slow down the pace of the internal race we’re running, even if for just a little while.

To read Maggie Jackson’s article, “In a Rush? Learn to Ease Hurry Sickness” click on the following link: “In a Rush? Learn to Ease Hurry Sickness”

What's the weirdest request you've ever gotten?

2008-04-09T11:36:00.007-04:00

People always ask us at Fini Concierge, “What’s the weirdest request you’ve ever gotten?” We often struggle to find an answer because we honestly don’t find our client’s requests strange…for the most part they are just projects that come up in people’s everyday lives.

On the other hand, there are definitely projects that we wouldn’t have been able to imagine that we would have been tasked with.

Below is a list of the top 10 most common requested projects and a top 5 of projects that we wouldn’t have imagined.

10 Most Requested Projects:

Dry Cleaning
Groceries
Car Service
Hire home contractor i.e. plumber, electrician, handyman
Book an airline or hotel reservation
Organizing a room or closet
Waiting for a home contractor i.e. cable tech, furniture deliveries, security company
Gift ideas and purchasing i.e. birthdays, hostess, corporate gifts
Peace of mind check in on homes while owners are out of town
Coordinating home moves

5 Projects We Wouldn’t Have Imagined We’d Have The Chance to Work On:

Purchasing a messenger pigeon for a client
Meeting the top of a wedding cake that was shipped on a bus (with no passenger) and delivering it for a couple’s first wedding anniversary
Providing player support to the Boston Lobster’s Professional Tennis Team
Recruiting and hiring support for vacancies at client’s companies
Leasing a car for a client

2008-02-29T15:07:00.003-05:00

Some Recent Stories in the News featuring Fini Concierge:

Fini Concierge appeared in the November 29 issue of the Boston Globe

Present Company
By Erin Byers Murray, Globe Correspondent

The holiday gift-giving games are well under way. You've mapped out treasures forthe spouse, the kids, mom, dad. But it doesn't stop there. Every year, it seems, the list of people to buy for grows: there's the helpful neighbor, the baby sitter, the colorist who gets your face-framing highlights just right.

Our multitasking ways only make things more complicated. "Technology has broken down all boundaries of time and space," says Edward Hallowell, psychiatrist and author of "CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked and About to Snap!" "We're one keystroke away from everything that can be bought and we can do so much more in a minute or an hour than ever before."
And so we do, sometimes buying for people we know only peripherally because we think we should or, heck, because time is tight and it's just one more item in the cart. Even professional shoppers agree it may be time to reassess.

"Our circles widen each year, but you have to stop and think about the people you interact with on a regular basis," says Chantal Boxer, cofounder of Fini Concierge, who spends the season shopping for a number of clients who don't have time to do it themselves. "You don't need to give gifts to everyone you know."

But where do you draw the line?

"This is the time of year to make a list," says Jodi R. R. Smith, president of Mannersmith, an etiquette consulting firm. "Pretend you have an unlimited budget and write down everyone you would give gifts to. Cast a wide net. Then start thinking strategically and making changes."
Say you and an old friend from childhood exchange gifts every year but you live in different states and hardly see each other. Smith says: "In one of our frequent e-mails, I might say, 'Hey, why don't I just treat you to dinner next time you're in town?' If there's an established pattern, address it and make a change."

That isn't to say you should eliminate gifts altogether, especially to the people who make your life easier on a daily basis. The dog walker, nanny, concierge, the security guy in your building - many of these people deserve end-of-the-year tips. And that's something you can budget throughout the year, says Smith. "If it's hard to budget that out at this time of year, you might even split the tips up, giving one at the holidays and one on the Fourth of July," she says. "It's not fair to cheat them if you didn't budget well."

Likewise, even a small gift is better than a snub. "When in doubt, give something," says Boxer. "It shows your appreciation but doesn't have to be large. A $25 gift card to Anna's Taqueria is still a great gift." The easiest way to take care of a number of people on your list is to buy a large quantity of one or two items, which you can tie bows around and hand out as you see people throughout the season, she adds.

"It's really about acknowledging people," says Doug Gates, owner of Showroom Boston, a contemporary furniture and kitchen gallery in the South End. "And thanking them for all they've done over the past year."

Gates shows his appreciation to clients and friends by giving them all the same handpicked home accessory. "I usually find something that is beautiful and can work in any environment, such as a vase or a decanter," he says. He then buys 20 or 30 of them.

"The most important thing, though, is the handwritten card," he says, adding that he uses cards made by local company Obsessive Compulsive Design. "That way each one is specific to that friend. It's personalized."

Betty Riaz, who owns the Stil fashion boutiques, says her list has grown tremendously in the four years she's owned - and expanded - her business. Employees, business colleagues, even deliverymen, are part of her circle."You really do have to have a formula. It's a matter of being organized but you have to be thoughtful, too," she says, which is why for the past three years she's gone to pen and writing accessories store Montblanc to buy her employees leather gifts, like credit-card holders, embossed with their initials. The UPS and mail delivery people will get Starbucks or Dunkin' Donuts gift cards. She also has seven nieces and nephews who live in California and abroad, so she'll buy them all the same thing, like personalized sleeping bags, which she'll order online to be wrapped and delivered directly.

For Michela Larson, co-owner of Rocca Kitchen and Bar, the holidays remain her favorite time of year, despite the stress of gift giving."I've done a couple things to make it easier," she concedes, especially when it comes to friends. For her "book club" (they don't read many books, but do get together on a regular basis), she says they'll all make donations to a charity in each others' names rather than buy something. "You want to let them know that you're thinking about them without necessarily adding another thing to their life."

Larson also spends one day during the holidays shopping with two of her girlfriends. It started as a shopping trip for their families, but last year they started buying one gift for each other instead. "We wander down Charles and Newbury streets and have a meal together," she says. "It's very lovely and memorable. And it's no longer about shopping, it's about each other."

Fini Concierge appeared in the Winter issue of Upscale Living Magazine

Fini Concierge Hectic Helpers helps you get the job(s) done!
By Matt Robinson

To say that we all lead busy lives is a drastic understatement! Even so, full-time help may be difficult to justify. Thankfully, there’s a very happy, new medium. Its name is Fini Concierge. Fini Concierge is committed to providing clients with the support and assistance they need to better manage their time and quality of life. Their clients also gain two, most precious gifts: time and peace of mind. This company was started by two formerly-harried people — a husband-and-wife team. They came from the real estate and not-for-profit sectors, respectively. Fini Concierge is not some disconnected service. It is an empathetic offering from people who have been there, and who, on occasion, may go back themselves. "We were both busy professionals who basically had same needs as our clients," explains co-founder Chantal Boxer. "We were running in so many different directions with too much to do and not having time to get it all done. We wanted and needed to make a different choice about how to live our lives."

The Dilemma of Taking a Vacation

2008-01-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

We just returned from a week long vacation. As small business owners taking vacation is hard. Because Eddie and I are married (and like to vacation together!) and the co-founders of Fini Concierge, when we go on vacation it is a greater challenge to the team than if just one of us was gone.

I know that it is hard for a lot of people to take off, leaving their work behind, whether they own the business or not. But for business owners, and especially small business owners, I think there are several additional layers of challenge when they are away from their businesses. Will things run smoothly if you are not there to support your team? What if an emergency happens? How do you account for loss of revenue if you are not there to generate business? Not to mention the loss of control that we feel.

We took our first week long vacation last year when we only had one staff person working with us. It turned out to be one of the best things we ever did. Not only did it give us a break that we really needed but it also gave her the chance to be in control -- to successfully problem solve, deepen her relationships with client’s and instilled a new level of confidence in her own abilities.

And we’re always so pleasantly surprised at how happy our clients are that we’re going away – provided that we’re coming back! You deserve it! Enjoy yourselves! And have fun! are the sorts of responses that we get to our announcement that we’ll be away. Of course, it’s impossible to turn your brain totally off when on vacation. At dinner we’d find ourselves discussing clients or goals for the next year and even when on the beach I find my mind drifting to things I’ll work on when I get back. But that’s not all bad as it does give you a different perspective on things then when you’re bogged down in the thick of it.

We founded Fini Concierge based on the principles that people should have a choice to live life differently – to have help when and if they want it -- to make life easier and less stressful. We strive to help people feel that they have balanced lifestyles and that includes vacation and time off to rejuvenate and focus on themselves and those that are special to them. If we don’t do the same we’re not living what we are trying to help create for others. So this year, with a larger team to bear the burden of our absence, it was that much easier to leave know that they’d do great without us…and we really enjoyed our time away!

Chantal

Buried under Lights, Garland, Gifts and Wrapping Paper!

2008-01-23T14:02:00.000-05:00

Soon after excitedly launching our blog in October, we found ourselves in the midst of the holidays. You’ll have to forgive our blog absence.

Thanksgiving through New Years is a very busy time for everyone, which also means that the Fini Concierge team is called upon more than usual by our clients. We find ourselves buried in gifts, wrapping paper, Christmas trees, lights and holiday cards!

Although many of us (me included) make a vow to start our shopping and card addressing early, most of us break our promise to not make the season any more stressful than it needs to be and end up waiting longer than we should to start tackling our holiday lists. This is why I totally sympathize with some of our clients who are still making requests for help with holiday preparations just days (and sometimes even hours!) before their holiday celebrations.

But despite the stress and rush of the season, it’s actually fun and rewarding to help people with all of their holiday tasks. This year we put up nearly a dozen Christmas trees and hung our fair share of wreathes and garland. We bought countless gifts, addressed hundreds of holiday cards and wrapped dozens and dozens of packages. There were many hours spent in lines to send off packages at the post office and UPS. We helped coordinate several corporate outings and festive holiday parties.

Then of course there’s the clean up. The returning of gifts, the break down and storage of holiday decorations and the last minute travel plans to get away for New Years.

It’s a tiring time of year but at the end of the season we feel good about being part of what is a happy and magical time. We get the chance to help people to surprise a loved one with that perfect gift they’ve been dying for or take the hassle out of buying and putting up a Christmas tree when their time is more happily spent decorating it with their kids. Throwing a holiday bash is possible because someone had some help pulling together all the small details and a co-worker gets recognized with a thoughtful gift because they didn’t have to find the time to purchase it.

The details that we take care of during the holiday season are often those tasks that people dread but we’re a part of the spirit and thoughtfulness that makes the season special.

What do you enjoy most about the holidays? How could an “additional” hand help you out during the season?
-Chantal

The Stresses of the Holiday Season

2007-12-04T12:54:00.000-05:00

Last week we ate too much turkey and then we, Fini Concierge, put up our first of many Christmas trees for a client. Typically, we put up and decorate more than seven trees a season. Along with the tree requests, we’ve received many gifts lists from clients of items that we need to buy, which only means, that we’re in the midst of the holiday season!

Even though so many people look forward to this time of year, when it gets here they meet it with a certain amount of dread. People feel the extra pressure of all the gift buying, party going, cooking and family hosting. And with all of the things “to-do”, they forget about the spirit of the season.

I watched the numerous news stories starting on Thanksgiving Day about the thousands of shoppers who stay up late on Thanksgiving Day or arrived early at the stores on “Black Friday” to start their holiday shopping and take advantage of the holiday sales. They probably bought things they didn’t need because they didn’t want to miss a good deal.

I used to work with a woman who so looked forward to “Black Friday.” Her family tradition was making the pilgrimage with several women in the early morning dark hours to the shop the stores. She would spend the week before going through the circulars in the papers (this was before the days of finding all information on the internet) to identify the best deals where she could cross off the most items on her holiday shopping list. I would look on with dread (watching herds of people trample each other at the doors of a Best Buy still puts a pit in my stomach) as she gleefully mapped out their day. For her it was a productive day but also one that she most enjoyed for the camaraderie that she had with the women she went with – going into battle and coming out victorious. “Black Friday” shopping was their annual holiday girl’s ritual, equal parts enjoyment of getting a deal and celebrating the time they spent together.

Cooking a holiday meal with family, meeting friends for a night of holiday cheer, bringing the kids to ice skate on the Frog Pond or shopping on “Black Friday”, these are the traditions that truly represent the holiday spirit. Yes, we all have a list of gifts to buy and items to bake, but it’s important to not get lost in the things you have “to-do” and remember why you’re doing it. And, of course, you can outsource many of those “to-dos” to others such as Fini Concierge, leaving you more time to enjoy the festivities during the holidays.

Here’s wishing you much enjoyment of the holiday season!!

Chantal

Who Values Work/Life Balance Anyway? Who Is Responsible For Managing It?

2007-11-13T12:10:00.000-05:00

This week Monster.com released a study on the importance that workers and human resource departments place on work/life balance initiatives. The study’s results show that workers place a higher value on work/life balance benefits than their human resource departments.

The Worker's Point of View:

89% of employees believe that work/life balance programs, such as flextime and telecommuting are important when evaluating a new job

More than 75% of workers believe that work/life balance initiatives result in more loyal and efficient employees

29% of workers view their employer’s work/life balance initiatives as good or excellent

The HR Point of View:

50% of HR professionals believe that work/life balance initiatives to be important for their company

61% of HR professionals believe there will be more employer-provided work/life balance initiatives in 5 years

56% of HR professionals believe that general work/life balance will improve in future

60% of workers say that they spend too much time working

It’s a sticky problem. Employers want a few things in exchange for providing a good job and employees want to be rewarded for working hard. Employers want their staff to be productive and loyal, and live happy lives. Employees want their employers to recognize the time and effort they put into making their company successful.

Whose responsibility (the employee or the employer) is it to ensure that an individual achieves a balance between work and “life?" And at whose expense?

Some employees want their employers to offer creative ways to support work/life balance. May be an employer offers flex-time, but in exchange should the employees honor that work/life balance by exploring ways on their own to simplify their lives, so they can work harder at the office?

Employees find all sorts of ways to balance life at home and work. They have grandma or grandpa babysit the kids during the day. They sneak out during lunch to pick up the dry cleaning or have lunch with the kids at home. They arrive very early to work and then leave in the afternoon prior to everyone else. They work a full day then rush out to hit the grocery and department stores before closing. Employees even arrange conference calls in the evening after dinner. It seems with this running around it’s almost impossible to be productive at work and enjoy life away from the office.

The point is most of us can’t do everything that we are expected to and live happily with life/work balance – at least not all of the time.

Sometimes we need to call in the calvary. Concierge companies such as Fini Concierge offer a solution. Employees can outsource those personal projects or everyday tasks that they don’t like to do, don’t feel that they have time to do or realize don’t require their personal touch. It’s a choice to live life in a different way – and a simpler way.

And if you want your company to offer additional work/life balance benefits – make your voice heard to your HR department or your manager. After all, if your company can help you pick up the dry cleaning and get the car serviced while you work for them, then you’ll probably be a loyal and efficient employee.

Tell us: What types of work/life benefits does your company provide? What additional types of initiatives could your employer implement that would make a big difference in your life?

Thanks.

Chantal

Never Enough Time

2007-10-29T13:13:00.000-04:00

It’s Sunday morning at 11:00, we have two choices – join our friends, who we haven’t seen in months, for brunch or tackle that long list of errands and huge pile of laundry that desperately needs to get done.

Its 7:30pm on a Thursday night – go to the gym for the first time this week or make it to the dry cleaner in time to pick up the clothes we need for our weekend away…and oh shoot, we’ve been so busy at work that we forgot to make that hotel reservation.

Never enough time and always an endless list of life’s details weighing on our minds.

These were the dilemmas of our everyday lives. And we knew we weren’t alone.

It was on those busy days that we would dream about how great it would be if there was a personal assistant for the ‘everyday’ person. Wasn’t there someone we could call on when we needed some help? Then we could see our friends for brunch and eat pancakes with ease because everything was being handled. Thinking about it was easy, but who was doing it?

We had a vision. We would create the solution.

Since that “A-Ha” moment, its become our life’s calling: helping others escape the torment we often felt . Our model has always been grounded in the idea that we wanted to create a choice, free from hassle or complications, for people to live with less stress and more time to do the things they wanted to be doing. These were and continue to be our motivation for Fini Concierge – a company providing personal assistance on an as-needed basis.

Today, we have three years of experience behind us and know that we’ve helped to change many people’s lives for the better.

We’re excited to share how we’ve helped our clients lead less stressful lives and gain more enjoyment out of daily living. Although we still often struggle to figure out the balance in our own lives (we thought we were busy then!), we plan to share with you what the concierge industry is all about, plus the successes and lessons we’ve encountered on our own journey of building a business.

Can you identify with the torments of busy daily life – with too much to do and never enough time? We’d love to hear your experiences and what solutions you use to minimize your stress and enjoy life more.

Chantal and Eddie