BALANCING THE WORK AND HOME LOAD EFFECTIVELY

This is the post that should have been done yesterday.

See what I mean about opportunity! It is all around us in great abundance -we just have to recognise it. This is a great concept! It also reminds me that I have to have my passport renewed, now where did I put Caleb's number . . . . . .

Balancing the work and home load effectively

If you find it hard to do everything, why not let someone else do it?
Katleho Khoaele02 August 2007 at 06h00

How often do you hear people complain about not having enough time to do the work that needs to be done? We live in a society where people are constantly at work, working overtime. As a result of spending too much time at the workplace, not much time is left to take care of responsibilities at home. "I don't have time to go queue at Home Affairs to renew my passport - you know how long those queues are." "I need to take my laundry to the dry cleaner but I just don't have the time." Does this sound familiar?

Times have certainly changed and people are constantly consumed with their busy lifestyles. This has influenced our modern way of doing things. One might say that taking 30 minutes during lunch to go renew his license is a waste of time and complain that he could be using that time for something else. Standing in queues, making reservations, going to the bank … these things have created employment opportunities for other people. Concierge services are popular in other countries, but now the concierge concept is slowly being introduced in South Africa.

A concierge is basically an employee who assists with errands and is hired to do minor duties such as collecting clothes from the dry cleaner or simply making restaurant reservations. The question of security and trust is one that is still of concern to many people. It's not easy to let strangers into our lives, especially when they have to get involved in our personal lives, let alone handle our money matters. But Terrence Levin, owner of Round About Concierge Services, reassures that "you can't judge a book by its cover". He understands the fears that people have but has also developed a level of trust with his clients. Most of his clients know where he lives, his personal details.

He makes a point that clients can contact his references as a source of backup. He points out that his company attends to the essential chores for people, freeing them up to enjoy more rest. "I got the idea to start a concierge service from my father who works as a medical professional. Like many of his associates, he barely has time to think, let alone attend to all the chores and minutiae of daily life. "I took his advice, did some research and found a gap in the market with plenty of opportunities," says Levin. Some of the basic activities that Round About Concierge

Services manage include:

Paying accounts - rent, water, cellphone, municipal rates;
Drop off/delivery of documents, Sars payment;
Making personal appointments;
Banking;
Dry cleaning collection and delivery;
Holiday/travel booking flights, accommodation.

Work is slowly consuming one's life and as a result of that, people don't have time to attend to household tasks. A concierge service makes one's life easier to manage.

For more information contact Terrence Levin on 082-997-0661 or info@conciergeservices.co.za