Too busy? Hire a concierge

Cheri Ada is hoping to change the way Orange County residents look at running errands.

The former financial consultant is launching a personal concierge service aimed at busy executives and nuclear families taking root along the Newport Coast. For about $35 per hour, you can hire Ada to do just about anything ? pick up groceries, book travel arrangements or even grab a gift for a loved one.

Her personal concierge business is part of a national service trend that has been surprisingly slow to reach Orange County. With time at such a premium, Ada said her clients are willing to pay her to handle time-consuming tasks so that they can spend more time with their friends and family.

“I help a lot of people who keeping putting things off until they have a mile-long to-do list,” she said.

The concierge profession is nothing new. For decades, hotels have employed concierges to help guests find dinner reservations or theater tickets, but in recent years, the service has grown beyond the hospitality industry and popping up in corporate offices, gated communities and even medical offices as a premium benefit.

It’s only natural that concierge service would expand on a personal level, Sara-ann Kasner, president of the National Concierge Assn. said. Once thought just to be available to celebrities and the ultra-rich, the service is gaining a broader appeal just as the personal assistant and life coach industries are catching on, Kasner said.

What separates a personal concierge from a hired aid is that a concierge needs to have an intimate network of travel agents, entertainment connections and home services to quickly meet client demands. A client might want tickets to the NBA playoffs or an emergency tailor and a concierge has to be able to respond quickly.

“People come to me and they rely on the information I give them,” Kasner said. “I get paid to be a master of trivia.”

Ada said the public response is tied to the ever-increasing time demands of business executives and large families, especially those in which both parents work.

“Most people don’t want to spend their Saturday afternoon shopping at Costco ? they want to spend that time with their families,” Ada said.

Ada’s willing to do just about anything for her clients ? as long as it’s legal. Besides the basic shopping work, Ada said she’ll visit your pets while you’re out of town, remind you about important birthdays or even assist with elderly clients. Most of her clients make errand requests over the phone, or sometimes through e-mail.

While most of her time is spent running errands, Ada said the other large component of her concierge business is event planning. Ada’s clients often rely on her to put together corporate events and private parties for friends, family and clientele. Ada said she likes to subcontract catering and act as event director, making sure that all elements of the event come together.

“People want someone they can count on to organize important functions,” Ada said. “Someone that can give it a personal touch.”dpt.08-bizspot-C.1PhotoInfoAR1QNJFJ20060508iyx54encLINDA NGUYEN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Cheri Ada, owner of Mon Cheri Concierge, shows she’s ready to work and shop for her clients.