With under a week to go until Valentine's Day, the pressure's on to organise a day your other half won't forget. With these lifestyle management sites you can maintain every ounce of the magic whilst minimising the mundanity. Not a fan of the 14th? The web now has an increasing number of concierge services that cater anything your heart desires to anyone from mums to businessmen, both in the UK and around the world, leaving us to have all the fun. All work and no play…
Quintessentially
Taking a trip down to your private members' club has taken on a whole new meaning with Quintessentially: it can now be done with a few clicks of a mouse! Sick of fraught telephone conversations brimming with miscommunication? The 24 hour global concierge service prides itself on its team of multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-talented co-ordinators awaiting your call. Whether it's exotic discoveries or foodie temptations you're after, the site allows you to refine areas of interest to suit every aspect of your lifestyle management. The winner of 2011's Best Concierge Company of the Year Award, 32 luxury sister businesses compose the wider Quintessentially Group fixing you up with anything from fine wine to art. With over 10 years market-leading experience, members benefit from exclusive benefits that will have you swinging that wait-listed handbag from your shoulder in no time at all.
Ten Group
At Ten Group time is money and why waste yours when their market leading Corporate Concierge are on hand to help? Each request saves your employees an average of 90 minutes, leaving the organising to their team of fast and efficient experts. Entertaining yourself, your friends and family can be demanding enough but when it comes to business clients, it's a whole different ballgame. Luckily Ten can provide personalised insights into the trickiest of customers whilst offering thousands of exclusive opportunities that are not available to the public anywhere around the world. Who said you can't mix work with pleasure?
Beyond Concierge
If you're looking for something a little more flexible then Beyond Concierge may just have the perfect package. With no annual contracts or commitments, the company pinpoints exactly what you want without the unnecessary frills. It's not just extravagance but memorable and once in a lifetime experiences that the site offers from as little as £125 a month. Promising to take the mundanity out of life, the concierge service offers discreet advice and strives to go above and beyond the port of call. The team are lead by Penni Pike, personal assistant to none other than Sir Richard Branson for 31 years. Well, if it's good enough for Richard…
Duda Does
www.dudadoes.co.uk
duda does offers clients a personal and reliable way of finding a balance between their working and personal life. No challenge is too big or too small at duda does and clients can fall on its services according to their schedule and personal needs. Clients can expect to deal with the same person every time ensuring their confidence and comfort when entrusting duda does with any kind of administrative or organisational task. Most importantly, all requests are responded to in under two hours as a matter of course.
CanDOO Concierge
When former Travel and Tourism Marketeer Lisa Forbes found that her life had become one big juggling act between work, social and domestic goddess duties, it was time to revert back to plan A. Whilst studying Hospitality Management at university, Forbes had the brainwave of taking the desk away from the concierge service experience and bringing it to the home and workplace. Years later the entrepreneur has been landed with Home-Based Business Woman of the Year 2011 award whilst BBC Dragons' Den judge Theo Paphitis chose it as one of his Small Business Sunday winners. The Norwich based business operates on a pay-as-you-go basis with three options; CanDOO "a little", CanDOO "a lot" or even CanDOO "it all". Got a birthday party to go to? Why not come baring the gift of time with a beautifully presented gift voucher?
Time etc.
Time etc. will put Mrs Moneypenny to shame with its very own selection of online PAs. A rigorous interview and training process ensure that candidates are up to the challenge. Your PA will quickly get to know you and the way in which you like to work without having to provide contracts, office space or payroll hassle. Need to book tickets from London to Manchester? Or maybe create a sales powerpoint presentation? The pay per minute scheme means you won't be paying through the nose for time gossiping beside the coffee machine, just for what needs doing.
A Mother is Born
The arrival of a newborn can leave mums out of the spotlight. A Mother is Born makes new mothers the focal point with it's Mum's Concierge Service. Far from the nine to five, motherhood is a 24/7 job with endless tasks from shopping to sterilising leaving you with very little time to just "be" with your baby. The service brings a helpful pair of hands to your door and a good pair of ears for those who can inevitably find early motherhood a tad isolating. In addition the site offers a range of yummy mummy support including Weight Management and Return to Work that will have you back in the saddle asap!