Online Class: Concierge 101 — How to Run a Personal Service Business

Learn how to successfully run a profitable errand business with this innovative online class that will not only provide the right strategies for success, but also help you avoid the most common mistakes and pitfalls of the concierge industry.

$70.00
no certificate

- OR -

$95.00
with CEU Certificate*

Start Right Now!

$95.00 (with CEU Certificate)

Taking multiple courses? Save with our platinum program.

11

Lessons
24

Exams &
Assignments
1,485

Students
have taken this course
11

Hours
average time
1.1

CEUs

Course Description

Whether a full-time mom, a young business person or simply someone looking to build a growing and viable business, an errand service is ideal for those with an entrepreneurial spirit. Small upstart dollars, flexibility and a growing industry are just some of the benefits to this business.

This course will help you to get the upstart information under your belt necessary for starting your own personal concierge service. You will gain practical business knowledge, insights into what is driving this new industry, information on how to best position yourself within it, how to market yourself and much more. You will learn what to do to make yourself stand out in the crowd and how to grow your new business.

The business is ideal for stay at home mothers, part-time artists and others who want a different pace to their livelihood. A personal errand service can be started with relatively small capital and can be expanded to your personal comfort level and in your timing. And remember, if you run your service as a business, then you will eventually expand it, eventually hire others to do the daily errands that you begin doing, and eventually become truly an executive of your own business.

Courses Frequently Bought Together:

Writing Help Course Bundle

Course Motivation

In the United States today there is a growing need for personal errand services. What would have in some circles been considered simple laziness a generation ago is now considered a necessity in many instances. Simply put, we are now an "overloaded" society. For the new entrepreneur, this is great news.

Trends in American Business and Culture Which Create Your Client Base

First, we have an aging population that disproportionately outnumbers the supporting youth. This does a few things: It creates a client base that is large, needy and less able; creates a working class that is overworked, overextended and exhausted; and creates opportunity for service oriented entrepreneurs. Some errand services find a niche in the elderly population by providing simple services such as the monthly balancing of the checkbook, household lifting, lawn services coordination, pest control coordination, changing light bulbs and other minor maintenance concerns.

Secondly, we have a youthful population that is burdened by the dictates of the previous generation's well-intentioned yet misguided insistence of new roles for women. While the baby-boomers accomplished much in the interest of equality for women, the current generation finds itself rebelling somewhat against the demand that women be everything a man can be. Much of the new client base consists of younger, educated women who simply refuse to do it all and conquer as a man conquers. Rather, these young women are building businesses [including concierge services] and seeking others to take care of the details of their lives so that their free time is indeed free for their families.

Thirdly, in the push for Americans to provide more service oriented businesses, what seems to have evaporated from the American business landscape is the business practice of customer satisfaction. Meeting or exceeding the customer's expectations is no longer a business concern as anyone can witness when you call and speak to an electronic system for 40+ minutes in the waiting cue. Busy people, both executives and average blue collar workers alike are wanting for time. They are in need of time, quality, shopping and information sifting. In many instances, the client of the errand services simply wants someone who knows the product to tell them which one is best for their needs and tastes, and to sit on the phone or in the business until they can obtain it.

Lastly, American businesses everywhere are feeling the demand to compete with the global economy in their related fields. The drive for a more equal playing field in the global economy is creating additional demands on businesses. Executives are faced with seeking services or surrendering their family time altogether. Many errand services are springing up simply to provide regular workers with time-gobbling services.

For example, in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex the average employee drives 40 minutes each way to work and spends 9 hours in the workplace before coming home to their family. This represents nearly an 11 hour day before picking up children, making dinner or running errands. Whether a father or mother, an employee who does errands each day before dinner will have no dinner time and no family time with his or her children. Likewise, a person who saves up all the errands for the weekend will have no weekend to enjoy with his or her family.

Growth in Non-traditional Clients

Traditional clients to concierge services are those who are from traditionally wealthy backgrounds, part of the business elite or both. But, as indicated above, the majority of the growth in this service industry comes from non-traditional clients. The single mom with three kids and two jobs is more and more likely to turn to errand services. It has become easier for such a mom to pick up the phone or to log in online and place her order with the grocer's concierge service. Large chains such as Whole Foods and Sam's Club offer such services for little or no extra charge. Sam's Club, for instance will allow you to shop online and send the order with an anticipated pickup time. When you go to their store, you simply check at the front and your order is already loaded up on one of their carts. You know before you go in what the charges will be and you simply pay and load. Most grocers do offer delivery as well for an additional fee, but many are doing more to accommodate the customer.

There are also more single dads now that in the previous generation. Single dads are a growing non-traditional client for concierge services such as laundry and dry cleaning pickup and delivery. More of the middle class/working class is reaching for errand services simply due to increased demands on their personal time. The services are becoming more and more affordable. For example, in the Dallas area, one average errand service posts its prices at $27 per hour during traditional hours and $35 per hour during late hours and weekends. It is now easier for an average worker to afford say $55 for the 2 hours it takes someone to drop off and pick up their mail, laundry and groceries in a week than before the explosion of errand services.

Completely Online
Self-Paced
6 Months to Complete
24/7 Availability
Start Anytime
PC & Mac Compatible
Android & iOS Friendly
Accredited CEUs

Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider

Course Lessons

Average Lesson Rating:

"Extraordinarily Helpful"

(862 votes)

Lesson 1 : The Growing Need for Your Services

Lesson 1 Video
Lesson discussions: Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: Lesson 1: Emerging Needs for Your Services
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Assessment: Lesson 1:The Growing Need for Your Services

Lesson 2 : Knowing and Understanding Your Target Market

To create or build any business you must first know and understand your target market. Before starting your particular errand service you will want to identify what segment of the population you want to serve. 35 Total Points

Lesson 2 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 2: Identify and Know Your Market
Assessment: Lesson 2: Knowing and Understanding Your Target Market

Lesson 3 : Professionalism and Good Manners

Professionalism and good manners are essentials for the errand services industry. Both your client and the client he asks you to visit on his behalf, expect and need top notch professionalism and manners from your staff. 28 Total Points

Lesson 3 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 3: Standards of Professionalism
Assessment: Lesson 3:Professionalism and Good Manners

Lesson 4 : Business Philosophy

There is no other intangible or attitude that will have a greater impact on your errand service business and its success than your personal belief system and business philosophy. 35 Total Points

Lesson 4 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 4: Emergency in Errand Service Business
Assessment: Lesson 4:Business Philosophy

Lesson 5 : Upstart Costs

A lot of your initial success in business is dictated by your upstart costs and your ability to handle those costs effectively. 34 Total Points

Lesson 5 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 5: Starting Errand Service Business
Assessment: Lesson 5:Upstart Costs

Lesson 6 : Pricing Your Services

How you price your company's services is one of the most important decisions you will make from a logistical concern. 30 Total Points

Lesson 6 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 6: Individual Task Pricing
Assessment: Lesson 6:Pricing Your Services

Lesson 7 : Packaging Related Business Services

Packaging or bundling related business services is one of the most effective ways to make your services indispensable to a particular company or industry. The more effective you are in doing this, the more you will have their undivided attention. 33 Total Points

Lesson 7 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 7: Personal and Business Needs
Assessment: Lesson 7:Packaging Related Business Services

Lesson 8 : Marketing Your Services

How you market your services to your community or target market will largely depend upon your personality and demeanor. 30 Total Points

Lesson 8 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 8: Approaches to Market Service
Assessment: Lesson 8:Marketing Your Services

Lesson 9 : Growing Your Business/Expanding Your Services

To grow your business or expand your company's services, you must first learn to let go of you, your pride, your need to control everything and your worries. 35 Total Points

Lesson 9 Video
Complete Assignment: Lesson 9: Virtual Offices in New Cities
Assessment: Lesson 9:Growing Your Business/Expanding Your Services

Lesson 10 : Time Management & Misconceptions

In every type of business in the world there are always issues of time management and client misconceptions. What makes one business more favorable to clients than another is the finesse with which these issues are handled. 30 Total Points

Complete Assignment: Lesson 10: Time Management Issues
Assessment: Lesson 10:Time Management & Misconceptions

Lesson 11 : Client Contracts

If you are young, new into business, or have never owned your own company, then you may have a somewhat naive set of ideas about client contracts. Some folks hold to an idealism that simply doesn't work when it comes time to do business. 85 Total Points

Lesson 11 Video
Lesson discussions: What is your opinion of this course?; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
Complete Assignment: Lesson 11: Important Elements of Client Contracts
Assessment: Lesson 11:Client Contracts
Assessment: The Final Exam

411

Total Course Points

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Summarize the current need and career choices in starting and running and personal service business.
Describe the target market.
Summarize skills needed to retain clients.
Summarize the business philosophy behind a personal service.
Describe upstart costs.
Define the appropriate price for your services.
Describe how to package related services with your business.
Describe methods of marketing your business.
Describe method for expanding your business.
Utilize client contracts.
Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.

Additional Course Information

Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online

View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

Course Title: Concierge 101: How to Run a Personal Service Business

Course Number: 7550099

Lessons Rating: 4.4 / 5 Stars (862 votes)

Languages: English - United States, Canada and other English speaking countries

Category:

UniversalClass.com > Entrepreneurship > Small Business

Availability: This course is online and available in all 50 states including: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.

Last Updated: November 2022

Course Type: Self-Paced, Online Class

CEU Value: 1.1 IACET CEUs (Continuing Education Units)

CE Accreditation: Universal Class, Inc. has been accredited as an Authorized Provider by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET).

Grading Policy: Earn a final grade of 70% or higher to receive an online/downloadable CEU Certification documenting CEUs earned.

Assessment Method: Lesson assignments and review exams

Instructor: UniversalClass Instructional Team

Syllabus: View Syllabus

Course Fee: $95.00 U.S. dollars

Choose Your Subscription Plan

Course Only

One Course
No Certificate / No CEUs

$70

for 6 months

Add to Cart

Billed once
This course only

Includes certificate	X
Includes CEUs	X
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	6 months
No. of courses	1 course

Certificate Course

One Course
Certificate & CEUs

$95

for 6 months

Add to Cart

Billed once
This course only

Includes certificate
Includes CEUs
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	6 months
No. of courses	1 course

Platinum Yearly

ALL COURSES
Certificates & CEUs

$189

per year

Start Now

Billed once
Includes all 600+ courses

Includes certificate
Includes CEUs
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	12 Months
No. of courses	600+

Platinum 2 Years

ALL COURSES
Certificates & CEUs

$299

for 2 years

You save $79.00!

Start Now

Billed once
Includes all 600+ courses

Includes certificate
Includes CEUs
Self-paced
Instructor support
Time to complete	24 Months
No. of courses	600+

Student Testimonials

"This course was very helpful because I learned the key points of concierge business precisely. I can actually apply the things that I learned here." -- Hyun kyu S.
"All lessons were very imformative with useful links for further reading." -- Shelley D.