How to Start a Personal Concierge Business

As a personal concierge, also known as a personal assistant, your range of duties is bound only by your own description of what you’ll do and the needs of the individuals who hire you. That scope of activity can include dog walking and pet-sitting, appointment scheduling and travel booking, moving assistance, home office support, and whatever else you’ll do or be asked to do by your clients.

You may also be interested in additional side hustle ideas.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the process with hands-on support.

Tailor Brands ($0 + State Fees)

Start a personal concierge business by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Personal Concierge Business
  2. Form your Personal Concierge Business into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Personal Concierge Business for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Personal Concierge Business
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Personal Concierge Business
  7. Get Personal Concierge Business Insurance
  8. Define your Personal Concierge Business Brand
  9. Create your Personal Concierge Business Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your personal concierge business. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Personal Concierge Business Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a personal concierge business?

One of the advantages of this field is the low startup cost. Your personal concierge business is more about you than about inventory or overhead. For instance, you won’t need an office — except perhaps a spare bedroom or kitchen table big enough for phone and laptop — since, virtually by definition, most of your activities will take place offsite. And when you are working from home, you’ll be alone, so you’ll impress no one with a fancy office. However, here are a few costs you might be unable to avoid:

  • Phone and computer — Zero to $1,500. Chances are good that you have both, but they’re both critical to the operation of your business.
  • Sales and marketing — Zero to $3,500 or more. The basics of marketing your services is business cards and flyers. You need to create or hire someone to create a logo and a website that clearly promotes your services. Trade show booth rental and a well thought-out social media presence might also be part of your efforts.
  • Transportation — At least a few tanks of gas or public transit travels to get you started. Your business will take you wherever you need to go, so include travel expenses in your budget. Similarly, you might have to pay for meals or pack your own.
  • Professional services and insurance — Several hundred dollars or more. This isn’t a complicated business, but you might want to run your business category options and your business idea past a lawyer and accountant. You should also explore your liability insurance needs with an agent.
  • Membership — $90 to $300 per year, or more. The annual dues vary depending on your location, but consider membership in the National Concierge Association if there’s a chapter near you. Benefits include continued education, marketing advice and the opportunity to network and exchange rate information and promotional ideas with others in your line of business.

What are the ongoing expenses for a personal concierge business?

Your largest ongoing costs will be for the marketing of your services and such fairly modest daily expenses as gas or transportation, meals, tolls, etc. You should also keep your wardrobe up to date and yourself well groomed. How much you invest in these efforts will largely be determined by the revenue you generate.

Who is the target market?

Look for clients who are busy and have the financial wherewithal to hire your services. These individuals’ lives might be hectic because they’re raising children, working long hours out of the home, or caregiving to parents, among other reasons. Another set of client types are elderly people who can’t function as swiftly as they used to. And some companies, particularly larger corporations, offer concierge services as part of their benefits packages — or could be encouraged to do so as a way of addressing some of the personal needs of their busy employees.

How does a personal concierge business make money?

Your main source of revenue will be from your clients for your services and, occasionally from their additional tips in appreciation. Also, consider exploring the possibility of developing referral agreements with such vendors as wedding planners, travel agents and moving companies that will enable you to receive commissions or discounts for business conducted by your clients.

How much can you charge customers?

The website Payscale estimates an average rate of $12.83 an hour, and about $25 at the top end. However, this heavily reflects paid employees of services offered by hotels and other hospitality businesses rather than independent contractors. Your own rates will be determined by how much perceived value you offer as well as by the wage rate in your location and the finances of the clientele you target.

How much profit can a personal concierge business make?

Payscale puts concierge salaries in the range of from about $21,000 to $41,500 annually. Glassdoor has the figure at a national range of around $25,400. However, both of these sources are primarily concerned with the salaries of employees for concierge services at hospitality centers. Your own revenue stream will depend on your reputation, marketing expertise, local competitive rates and other factors.

How can you make your business more profitable?

Explore the possibility of adding life coaching to your service offering. Visit this website to learn about life coaching and how to gain industry certification.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your personal concierge business is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your personal concierge business were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

Ready to Turn Your Business Idea Into a Reality?

Tailor Brands is our top recommendation because it guides you through every step of the formation process with hands-on support — from paperwork and compliance to devising a detailed plan to help you achieve your business goals.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our How to Start a Business guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best Business Formation Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Certain state permits and licenses may be needed to operate a personal concierge service. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

For information about local licenses and permits:

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Services Contract

Personal concierge businesses should require clients to sign a services agreement before starting a new project. This agreement should clarify client expectations and minimize risk of legal disputes by setting out payment terms and conditions, service level expectations, and intellectual property ownership. Here is an example service agreement.

Recommended: Rocket Lawyer makes it easy to create a professional service agreement for your personal concierge business when you sign up for their premium membership. For $39.95 per month, members receive access to hundreds of legal agreements and on call attorneys to get complimentary legal advice.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Personal Concierge Business needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Personal Concierge Business.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a personal concierge business

A savvy online and social media presence is critical. Make sure you clearly express the range of your services. Join Facebook groups where potential client types gravitate, but don’t hard-sell here. Get to know your new web friends before explaining what you do, and wait for them to come to you. Another way of promoting your services is with a simple flyer posted where your prospects congregate. Ask permission first, but you might post your services in employee lunchrooms, restaurants where workers take midday meals, in coffeehouses where moms hang out, and in the local malls and supermarkets where they shop. If you have more capital for marketing, consider renting booths at trade shows for brides, home and garden shows, and other relevant shows and events.

How to keep customers coming back

First, decide the profile of your ideal clientele. Will your services primarily be targeted to mothers with young families, harried workers, the elderly or other groups? Once you’ve established contact, handle your assignment with such a degree of excellence that your clients will tell their friends in similar need or offer referrals if asked. Don’t be afraid to ask your clients to refer you to their family and friends.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Energy, flexibility, organization, and an entrepreneurial spirit are your friends. Each client and their needs might be wildly different, so you should enjoy meeting each day’s unique challenges. You must be good at marketing yourself and enjoy meeting people and being a part of their lives to the extent they need and allow.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a personal concierge business?

Your typical day is too hard to define since each will be different depending on the mix of your clientele and services extended, but you must make room for the following basic activities.

  • Promoting your services and seeking clients in unique and creative ways
  • Scheduling time to meet with new prospects
  • Undertaking the assignments expected of you
  • Handing the everyday office tasks demanded of everyone in business, from scheduling your time to invoicing clients and paying your bills

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful personal concierge business?

You must get along well with others and project an aura of self confidence and accomplishment. You must be a well organized multi-tasker with strong sales skills. You should also be able to create a website that effectively introduces you to your public and be adept at social media to broaden your appeal.

What is the growth potential for a personal concierge business?

Since this is a field of business that can be considered a luxury that some could dispense with if personal budgets had to be cut, personal concierge services are closely tied to the economy. As long as the local economy stays at least fairly strong, there’s opportunity for growth. Or you might strive to become so indispensable to your clients that they’d see your services as more of a necessity than a luxury.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a personal concierge business?

Start slow, with a single client on a part-time basis. For instance, it might be a mom who needs you after the kids get out of school and that might allow you to continue another part-time night or weekend job. Another idea is to approach businesses first as a concierge to employees. That way you can possibly count on enough business to devote your full-time energy once you sign a contract. Approach larger corporations via their human resources department.

If you have more cash on hand than answers (if will cost you $20,000 upfront) consider buying a franchise of an existing concierge business. The advantage is that someone else got the kinks out of the idea and can serve as a guide to establishing your own successful business. But be sure to first carefully research the opportunity and make sure it’s to your benefit before investing in such a situation.

How and when to build a team

Unless you explore franchising opportunities of your own, you probably won’t have a need for employees. However, you can build collaborations with other service providers like florists or travel agents to support or expand your service offering.

Useful Links

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading

Entrepreneur Interviews

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