Wednesday September 17, 2003
Professionals these days are busy people. Discretionary time is limited and easily fragmented, especially during the week, putting pressure on the time available to spend with family, friends or simply relaxing and looking after your own health.
And what better way is there to remain focussed on the things that are most important in your work/life balance than to have someone else take care of the more time consuming and menial tasks which become such a distraction. That's the thinking behind premium concierge services like The 25th Hour, an organisation that provides support to busy professionals by taking care of a myriad of tasks might otherwise interfere with more important aspects of your life or simply remain on your 'to-do' list indefinitely.
A multi-million dollar industry in the US and UK, The 25th Hour have been offering premium concierge services in Australia for around 18 months. As a 'broker of time for busy people' The 25th hour offer individual and corporate membership packages tailored to meet particular needs as well as a 'one-off' service sold in blocks of 5 or 10 hours that caters for hectic situations like moving house or having a baby.
Research is the most sought after assistance according to The 25th Hour - finding out what's out there when shopping for a new car or booking a holiday can be a vortex when it comes to consuming precious time.
Other services on offer include catering and event co-ordination, tickets and restaurant bookings, home management from pool cleaning to pet grooming or car maintenance and shopping for groceries or the birthday gift you would otherwise never get around to.
Because the service is offered to both corporations and individuals with the aim of promoting good health, increased energy and improved productivity through enhanced lifestyle management, looking after yourself is also a key aspect of the service. Errands like getting keys cut or picking up dry-cleaning are catered for as well as organising music lessons, yoga or fitness glasses or sorting out your Saturday morning golf tee-off time.
The one-off 'Quick Fix' membership is available in blocks of 5 or 10 hours and all requests are charged at a flat rate so it's also a good way to trial the service.
Lifestyle Assistance is an annual membership designed for busy executives and there's also an 'Ultimate Lifestyle' package that includes a dedicated lifestyle consultant, 24 hour request turn around and a 'business extension' service that allows for overflow support for your personal assistance.
See www.the25thhour.com.au to learn more.