Hot Stuff
Ready to make your move in '99? First check out our predictions for the hottest businesses of the year.
Concierge Services In the past, concierge services were available only to guests at
posh hotels. Today, just about anyone can pick up the phone and
have their personal concierge buy tickets to the theater, shop for
and send gifts to a long list of valued clients, or plan an
elaborate party. With the results of a recent survey by The
Families and Work Institute showing the average worker spends 44
hours a week on the job (an increase of 3.5 hours from 1977), the
concept of a personal assistant begins to look very attractive for
those who can afford it. "Downsizing has really put pressure
on the white-collar work force in terms of longer hours and less
free time," says Jim Proser, founder and president of Los
Angeles-based Elite Concierges. "And these individuals are
truly feeling the need for daily assistance." While there is little information on the growth of this industry
as a whole (the National Concierge Association was founded only
last year), several concierge companies, including Capitol
Concierge in Washington, DC, and LesConcierges in San Francisco,
are now doing more than $1 million in sales per year. Content Continues Below
Personal Chef Fast food, takeout or TV dinner? Busy families, working couples
and culinarily-challenged singles-with stomachs turning at the
thought of eating one more hamburger or slice of pizza-are paying
personal chefs to come into their homes to prepare gourmet dinners
that can be frozen and reheated for quick, easily prepared
meals. "People are just too tired to cook when they come home from
a long day at work," says Becky Trowbridge, 38, who started
Marvelous Meals, a personal chef service in Dana Point, California,
in 1996. "When we do all the planning, shopping, preparation and
cleanup, clients don't have to do anything except approve the
menu, come home and heat it up," says David MacKay, founder of
the U.S. Personal Chef Association (USPCA). There are currently
about 1,800 personal chefs nationwide, and the USPCA projects their
ranks will grow to more than 5,000 over the next five years. Chefs
most often work alone, serving between 15 and 20 clients, but some
bring in additional help to increase sales. With the USPCA
predicting industry sales to reach $100 million by 2000, it smells
like something is really cooking in this industry.
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What makes a good client gift?
What guidelines do you follow when buying gifts for your clients? Have you ever received an unusual or inappropriate gift?
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