Provide A Great Service

 

Service businesses are great to start, because you have no product there is no initial outlay on stock. Your business idea- to let people purchase your time. For these types of business you still need to be a people person, as you have to build strong rapport with customers, because you’re not selling a product you’re selling yourself. But the key to providing a great service is organisation. You must be able to fit in a number of customers at different locations, customers like services to be prompt and professional. Marketing yourself is key and word of mouth is great for these types of business start up, but remember consumers are five times more likely to report a bad service experience than a good one, so you really do have to be exceptional to stand out from the crowd

Home Services- Ironing/ Cleaning etc- These are great ones that anyone can do. You only need some basic kit. However you must build a trustworthy reputation with your customers as they are letting you into their home! Build a routine of tasks so that you can increase speed and efficiency. But remember to do a good quality job, as this is a task anyone can do, so you must prove hiring you is more worthwhile than customers tidying themselves. Build packages including different tasks at different price points.

Dog Walking- People are willing to spend more and more on their pets nowadays and this is a great idea, but make sure you love the outdoors whatever the weather! This is a great business and it can be easily expanded to include pet sitting and care of other animals once you have a consumer base. Remember to take out insurance though and make certain you are confident working with a range of dogs. Plan schedules carefully so that you can take out similar dogs all at once and ones that are harder to handle individually.

Personal Shopper- This is great fun for any shopoholic! Getting paid to shop is always going to be fantastic. The hardest part- getting people to pay for a task they feel they can do themselves. There are two tacks to this, time saving or luxury. You are either going to save your client time by finding the right outfits when they are to busy or give them a luxury experience, take them to the best locations, do runs to the changing room for them and make them feel like a celebrity for the day. Keep on top of trends and make friends with store staff. Research what’s in the shops so you don’t waste time. Make sure you get a tight brief of what your client is looking for and remember to take precise measurements, maybe also have a look in their closet to get a feel for their style.

Personal Assistant- You need to be highly organized and focused on your client’s goals, your job to save them time and help them reach their goals. Clearly set out each client with a portfolio, what tasks they have you do and their key contacts with whom you may need to liaise with. Keep clear records and make sure your client is aware of everything you arrange for them. Be prepared to go the extra mile when it counts you may want to expand this into almost a concierge service. Be clear with your clients if you work set hours or are always available.

Gardening- Again this is a business anyone can undertake but physical fitness does help! Pick a target market-helping the elderly, the busy professional, providing advice on restyling or design? A portfolio can help, especially if you are aiming for the design market. Be clear what tasks your customer expects you to undertake maintenance could go from mowing the lawn to full garden care-planting, watering, paving. Be clear if they are paying for certain tasks or time. Work out- if this is a restyle you may want to price the whole job and provide designs. If you are just maintaining an elderly neighbour’s garden you may want to charge a weekly rate for a certain number of hours.