Concierge Business Owner Looks to Create 'Lifetime Experience' for Napa Guests

Ania Gatto said one of the things she likes best about her work as a concierge is the feeling of accomplishment “knowing you have made someone’s trip a lifetime experience.”

Source: Concierge looks to create 'lifetime experience' for Napa guests | 10 Questions | napavalleyregister.com

Ania Gatto said one of the things she likes best about her work as a concierge is the feeling of accomplishment “knowing you have made someone’s trip a lifetime experience.”

“That is what lets me sleep well at night,” said Gatto.

Three years ago Gatto joined Wine Country Concierge. In 2015, she bought the business from then-owner Jackie Richmond.

 

1. You said you were born in Warsaw, Poland. How did you end up in the U.S.?

My dad was an Olympic coach for sailing. He worked for the Spanish, American, German and Portuguese team (for 40 years).

I tell people my heritage is Polish, my education is Spanish and I’ve lived 20 years in the States. (Having) lived in three different cultures allows me to adapt quite quickly and I think that’s one of my gifts.

2. What’s a common misconception you get about your business?

They think I’m a limo driver. Or that I have a driving company.

3. What does Wine Country Concierge provide?

We are a high-touch, non-pretentious, luxury concierge service. We have intimate relationships with local wineries, farmers, owners and of course, we also (arrange) lodging.

4. What was your first job?

I started my long-time love of hospitality and wine during college in Philadelphia. I was a daytime bartender at a restaurant in downtown that featured 120 wines by the glass. Ristorante Panorama is still in existence and holds the largest Cruvinet system, which is system where the wines poured on tap, meanwhile the bottles are hooked up to a line of Co2.

5. What’s the worst job you ever had?

When I worked harvest in Stag’s Leap, I realized that wine making and production was not for me. I am programmed to be around people and missed human contact. After working for the Ritz Carlton and Four Seasons I realized that hospitality and people are what I thrive in.

6. How did you get into this business?

 After working four years at Panorama in Philly, I worked for the Ritz Carlton Hotels in the wine department which led me into my sommelier career in New York City.

After eight years in NYC and being part of four opening teams of multiple Michelin star restaurants, I moved to Napa so that I could stay close to my love of wine and yet distance myself from the restaurant world, while using my skills of hospitality, attention to detail and wine knowledge. Wine Country Concierge allows me to thrive in all of those.

Learn how to start a concierge business today at Concierge101.com.

7. What is the biggest challenge your business has faced?

Our challenge has become our biggest asset, which is to be able to work with clients that we don’t meet in person and yet fulfill all of their wishes when visiting the wine country.
 

8. What’s on your to-do list?

 I have visited over 300 wineries in Northern California and tasted thousands of wines. While I keep a tight schedule to continue my search and knowledge on a weekly basis, my goal is to visit and meet the people behind all of them.

 

9. Which three people would you most like to have dinner with?

-Julia Child would be a hoot, especially if we could dine in one of Napa’s three-star Michelin restaurants so that I could hear her thoughts on the cuisine.

-André Tchelistcheff would be the ideal winemaker to share current Napa’s cult wines.

-George Yount because he was the first permanent Euro-American settler in Napa Valley.

10. Who do you most admire in the business world?

-Robert and Margrit Mondavi for creating a brand that is world famous and put Napa Valley on the map.

-The Gamble Family for continuing to farm Napa Valley since 1916. Specifically, Tom Gamble for continuing the family legacy meanwhile supporting sustainability and preservation of agriculture in Napa Valley.

-Dick Peterson, Heidi Barrett’s father. He is an incredible winemaker that is an open book about farming and wine making in Napa in the late ‘60s. His book “The Winemaker” is one of my favorites and so is his sparkling wine.

Entrepreneur Opens Concierge Business for New Moms

Source:  Julie Cross, Manly Daily
A CONCIERGE service dedicated to helping mothers with their list of household chores has been launched by a northern beaches entrepreneur.  Natalie Kilburn, 41, from Beacon Hill, said New Mum Concierge was the only service of its kind in Sydney where mums could get their laundry done, their house cleaned and the dinner made, with just one phone call.

“Usually if mum needs help in a few different areas (such as cleaning, laundry and meal delivery), she’d have to call three different companies and organise three separate services,” said Ms Kilburn, who has two young boys.
“That’s three phone calls and three companies to co-ordinate, while she is already time poor.
“With us, all she needs to do is make one phone call and we’ll co-ordinate the separate services through our verified partners.”

Natalie Kilburn’s new business New Mum Concierge offers to help mums with their to-do list. Picture: Troy Snook

Learn how to start a concierge business at Concierge101.com today!

Ms Kilburn, who is originally from the UK, said the service was great for mums who didn’t have family nearby.
Friends and family can purchase a concierge gift package for someone, or mums can phone up and pay themselves.
The premium gift package, which costs $395, includes one hour of personal concierge for mums to help with the to-do list, three delicious meals, two laundry runs and a two-hour cleaning appointment.
“Think of us as your personal assistant for your home life,” said Ms Kilburn. “We’ll take care of the little stuff, so mums spend quality time with their precious baby.”
For more information visit newmumconcierge.com.au

At Ad Agencies, the Concierge Will Now Shine Your Shoes and Cook Your Dinner (So you never have to leave the office)

At Nashville’s Bohan Advertising, staffers sometimes get too busy with work and travel to shop for groceries, return library books or wait at home for the cable guy. When that happens, they call “Aunt Tilly” and such personal chores get done. Likewise, at Young & Rubicam in New York, when folks can’t find 10 minutes to leave their desks for a shoe shine, or drop off and pick up dry cleaning, they contact Ben Rydell, and he makes sure their Oxfords are buffed and dress shirts creased to perfection.

Learn how to start a concierge business today!  Low startup & overhead costs…quick, easy income!  Concierge101.com

Bohan launched its concierge service—christened “Call Aunt Tilly,” in honor of chairman David Bohan’s aunt—a month ago. Y&R engaged master concierge Rydell three years ago. Providing this perk gives the shops another tool to attract and retain talent in the face of fierce competition from tech companies and Wall Street. The programs also make life easier and saner for staffers who often spend 60 hours or more at the office during the workweek.

“Concierge services help staff reclaim more time in the day to handle higher priorities,” said Singleton Beato, EVP of Diversity & Inclusion Strategy and Talent Development at the 4A’s. The practice can decrease employees’ stress levels, boost productivity and ultimately “help an agency improve its employer brand” in the marketplace, she said.

Ben Rydell has been master concierge for Young & Rubicam for the past three years.

“We wanted to create a program to help with work-life balance,” said Shari Day, CEO at Bohan, an independent shop with 80 employees. “It’s the right thing to do for employees.” The agency offers the perk through local concierge firm Penterman Professional Care. Employees can sign up for 10 hours of free services per quarter—which costs Bohan about $20,000 during each three-month frame.

A few weeks back, Cristina Goodenough, executive engagement director at Bohan, gave the agency’s Aunt Tilly a spin, contracting a professional chef to prepare meals including Pad Thai, lasagna, tortellini soup and quesadillas, placed in storage containers in the refrigerator or freezer for later use. “My husband and I travel and work long hours certain times of the year, so this afforded us time to be together and have access to delicious meals at the end of our workday,” she said. (Goodenough paid for the ingredients, but the chef’s services were free.)

The upshot? Goodenough felt like she was truly “valued” and perceived as “more than just a number” by her employer, she said.  Meanwhile, at Y&R, many employees find Rydell’s services invaluable. He mans a command post in the third-floor lobby, coordinating various personal-care services, performed both inside and outside the office, for about 1,500 staffers. “Ben is everyone’s go-to guy,” said Shelley Diamond, the agency’s chief client officer. “There are days when the team is up against a crazy deadline, and Ben can eliminate some of their life stresses.” Rydell arranges weekly events (days for haircuts, manicures and massages), seeks out deals and discounts on dining and other New York City activities for staff and clients, and even has his own ZIP code at the shop for personal package deliveries.

Similarly, employees at Interpublic’s Hill Holliday in Boston rely on their “Beauty Room” for various health and style-related activities, including subsidized massages. “Our hours are so inconsistent that having these services in the office are a huge relief,” said associate creative director Ramon Ariel De Los Santos.
 
Joe Newfield, co-founder and partner at School of Thought in San Francisco, comments “We let people work where they want, as long as the work gets done,” he said. “If they need to stay home for the cable guy, or to take their kid to the doctor, we are fine with that.”

This story first appeared in the April 4 issue of Adweek magazine.

A concierge business involves performing routine errands for clients, such as personal shopping, picking up dry cleaning, buying the birthday cake for the little one, and so on. With the expansion of the workday, working people nowadays seldom have the time to do life’s little chores. If you do not mind performing these little tasks and enjoy doing something different each day, this is a business with excellent growth potential.

What kind of prices should you charge? As for prices, check on the web for websites of personal concierge businesses and check if they publish their prices. Typically $40.00-$50.00 per hour and a 10 hour package is $400.00.

Creativity and flexibility are the key qualities to establish a successful concierge business. You need to have strong affinity with people and a lot of imagination to make ordinary mundane things seem so special, even magically obtain tickets to a sold-out concert that your client craves. Think of yourself as a personal concierge. The most important component of this business is finding your target audience, which often consists of busy executives and working professionals. To reach this market, you can place ads in your local publications and social media channels, write a articles and blog  about your service, and send press releases to generate publicity for your business. You can also choose to personally visit a number of businesses and drop off your brochure and business card.

Start-up costs can range from $500 to $2,500, depending on the equipment you already have. You will need a computer, smartphone, Internet access, reliable transportation. Another possible start-up expense includes the cost of bonding and insurance to protect you in the event of accident, theft or mishap. You can expect to earn gross revenues of $50,000 to $75,000 and up, depending on the services you provide and the clients you target. You can charge clients with a variety of membership fees based on the nature of service and number of requests per month. You can charge for family or individual membership, a corporate membership for companies to give their employees, and a one-time service fee. Remember though, that whatever you purchase for your clients are billed to them.

I recommend that you check the following articles, books and websites:
Keys to Starting and Operating a Successful Concierge Service: Personal, Corporate & Residential by Janet Slater at Concierge101.com
http://www.nationalconciergeassociation.... -- National Concierge Association
Icea Web – International Concierge & Errand Association

Good luck!