At your service

You couldn't have paid me $5,000 to muster up the motivation to go to the grocery store on Monday. The thought of loading and unloading the car made me sick to my stomach. Instead, I decided to do what any smart woman should - I ordered them online @ Vons.com and had them delivered to my house. Genius right? I was a little skeptical at first but when that grocery boy arrived at my door the following day - on time with all my ordered items - I was elated. Why didn't I do this sooner?? This got me thinking...what other mobile services could help me lighten the load?

I have a pretty extensive list of mobile resources I already use and I’m always shocked to hear that people 1) don’t know they exist or 2) don’t take advantage of them. For instance, we use a mobile Drycleaning service. Our friends had never heard of such a thing. We put the bag of clothes to be laundered on the porch Friday AM, a man stops by our house and picks them up (no call or appointment needed) Friday afternoon and they are delivered back mid-afternoon on Monday. Doesn't get much easier than that. And no, they don't charge an arm and a leg. I did my research and it's the same cost. How they make any money, I don't know. But I don't care either.

People are naive to think that landscapers, housecleaners, and household repairmen are the only services that come to your home. Now more than ever there is a growing desire for accessibility and convenience and businesses have caught onto this notion that we want services to come us. As a mom with young children and a traveling husband, this makes sense. I can’t always leave the house. I need people to come to me while my little guy is napping/sleeping. Some perks - I save on gas, parking and babysitter fees. I don't waste precious time sitting in traffic. And I don't have to run around doing mindless errands all day long.

We're all busy right? It doesn’t matter if you are a mom or young, single executive, we can all benefit greatly from mobile services. And for y'all with Personal Assistants...think about this...it seems silly to pay for a PA to run around town when what they are doing (drycleaning, grocery shopping, oil changes) are accessible to come to you at a lower cost than what you are shelling out for the PA's time.

Obviously larger metropolitan areas are going to have more services available than smaller towns. They are usually not businesses you are familiar with. They are individuals that run a small operation. A massage therapist that carries around her massage table in the back of her SUV or a a man driving around his personal dog grooming truck. Do some research and ask around. You'd be surprised to learn how many there are at your fingertips.

Here are some mobile services that quickly come to mind. If you prefer the "Spa" experience, getting your hair, nails and massage done in your home might not be what you're looking for but remember they are usually less expensive, very professional and will set the mood (magazines, scalp rub, lights dimmed, music, etc).

Hair
Nails
Make-Up
Massage
Personal Training
Airbrush Tanning
Drycleaning
Alterations
Car Wash/Detailing
Oil Change
Computer Repair
Pet Grooming
Groceries
Milk Man
Meat Man

If you would like a referral for a mobile service that I've listed above and live in the Tacoma/Seattle area of WA state or Orange County, CA, please feel free to email me @ haileyshelpfulhints@yahoo.com and I'll try to help you out as best I can!