Five Balancing Acts for New Business Owners

Thanks http://www.corporatejourney2u.com/business/five-balancing-acts-for-new-business-owners.html for this post.

There are five different services that could be providing some balancing acts for new business owners:

1. Family Care
2. Health
3. Meals
4. Office Help
5. Errands Services

When it comes to family cares matter, all parents of small children should have a backup plan for child care options. There has been many websites that sprung up online to serve parents across the world offering parents an easier way to find child care, elder care and even pet care by area. In most large cities, 24-hour day-care centers are popping up to cater to employees or business owners with odd work hours.

Walk-in clinics,24-hour vets, or pediatric pharmacy windows are some of the health options you can look for if you don’t want the waiting hours in a physician’s office.

Make-and-take meal assembly stores are the rage with dozens of chains, franchises, and stand-alone stores around the country, providing meals for working parent in getting dinner on the table. If you prefer those order on demand food, the Internet has made it easy for workers to order meals online and have it delivered to their door.

Virtual assistants will be a good office help to your small business. Virtual assistants can give administrative support remotely without the cost of a full-time employee. For example, the use of a Small Business Answering Service will save you quite some costing while having the same services as provided by a full time employee.

For your information, most virtual assistants work from their home offices and receive their project instructions by phone, fax, e-mail or even instant message. Other than secretarial services, some virtual assistant may also specialize in marketing, graphic and Web design, IT support or even translations.

Errand services will do the small things (buying pet food, plant watering, post office runs) or the big ones (personal shopping, travel coordination, party planning. There are a few hundred personal concierges throughout the United States.

You should find some creative solutions to conflicting demands, and new strategies to juggle responsibilities from time to time as the business environment is ever evolving with the advance of technology. Whether it is about becoming a millionaire, having multiple streams of passive income, or retire young retire rich, it is important for you to be living a purposeful life.

In summary, an unresolved conflict between partners, joint venturers, shareholders, or limited liability company members may destroy an otherwise promising endeavor. So it is very important to take care of the five balancing acts for new business owners to ensure a bright future for business and successful personal life.

We helped save Easter!

For the last 3 years Chocolates on MY Pillow has provided services to the employees of RSM McGladrey. RSM McGladrey offers our services as a benefit to their employees. Being a leading tax firm, the employees have their hands full the first half of each year. That’s when we step in to offer personal assistance when they need it.

Chocolates on MY Pillow’s owner, Tisha Littlejohn, recently received a thank you email from one of the employees who we recently assisted. Because of our assistance, she said she was able to have family over for Easter dinner. It’s a good feeling knowing we helped someone to that degree. That email put a smile on all the faces of the Chocolates on MY Pillow family.


"We remind you how much you value your time."

Facebook vs. Twitter For Business: Social Media Marketing Strategy Study

Thanks to http://www.onlineprnews.com for this article

SEO Social Media firm compares the business and entrepreneurial benefits of Twitter verse Facebook from an Internet and viral marketing perspective.

Online PR News – 02-March-2010 – SEO Social Media Internet Marketing firm analyzes Twitter and Facebook to determine which Social Media Marketing strategy or platform is best for businesses and online entrepreneurs. The analysis focuses on Twitter and Facebook strategies from a Viral Marketing, Business to Business, Business to Consumer, and niche perspective. What follows is an extremely condensed version of the original study.

The 1st category focused on Traffic and User metrics including but not limited to the following:

Facebook US and Global traffic ranking: 2
7 day Average daily time on Site by Users: 32.2 minutes
Twitter US and Global traffic ranking: 12
7 day Average daily time on Site by Users: 7.8 minutes

Facebook was declared to have the advantage due to its sheer size, traffic volume, and metrics such as Time on Site.

The 2nd category involved a comparison of both platforms as an online destination for potential clients in the Business to Consumer market.

Facebook was declared to have the advantage because its format allows for the inclusion of photos, detailed information, multiple outbound links, videos, and other business to consumer applications. Facebook also facilitates the building of a large network of followers in the shortest amount of time to help market a consumer product or service.

“The intention of this study was not to declare who was better because they both provide invaluable Social Media Marketing benefits. The goal was to try and determine which platform was the best fit for a particular business application or niche.”

The 3rd category involved a comparison of both platforms as an online destination for potential clients in the Business to Business market.

Twitter was declared to have the advantage because the study indicated it provides more Viral Marketing flexibility while requiring less followers. Viral Marketing is a core business to business social media application for service recognition and other benefits. Popular industry related Tweets are redistributed creating a domino effect even if you don't have thousands of followers.

The 4th category involved a comparison of their market research benefits.

Twitter was declared to have an advantage because its search features can be efficiently used to monitor what people are saying about your company, service, product and even your competition. Twitter is also effective for tracking increasing or declining trends.

The 5th category involved a comparison of internal Viral Marketing benefits.

Facebook was declared to have an advantage because it's much easier to build a larger following. Additionally, Facebook's community 'wall' feature is much more interactive than Twitter’s internal communication features.

The 6th category involved a comparison of external Viral Marketing benefits

Twitter was declared to have an advantage because it has greater external Internet reach. Google's 'Real Time' search feature often streams live tweets. Additionally, a comparison of the number of Tweets an independent article/release receives verse the number times they are shared by Facebook accounts appears to strongly favor Twitter.

The 7th category involved a comparison of using each platform for direct Internet communication.

Facebook was declared to have an advantage because it has an instant message feature that allows you to communicate with other users globally.

The study concludes that in order to maximize your Social Media Internet marketing results it's best to create a presence on both. However, if trying to decide which one you want to engage first, or where to spend the most amount of your available time. It's important to perform basic Internet Market research, apply the findings to your Target Audience, and weigh the strengths of each platform.

What on Earth is a Personal Concierge????

Thanks to http://detailscovered.blogspot.com for this blog.

You may have used a concierge at a hotel….or at least looked at them as you walked through the lobby. Maybe you were offered the use of the concierge at the real estate company you were using to buy or sell your home. But what on earth is a personal concierge and what type of person would use one?

Hopefully this will clear it up for you!

If you haven’t figured out how to clone yourself, odds are you could probably use the services of a personal concierge once in a while! We all lead busy, hectic lives and most of the time it seems our to-do lists are so long that they will never be completed. Some of us have been lucky enough to manage to keep all the balls we are juggling in the air. That is, until something unexpected happens (i.e. an illness, an unexpected visitor, a big project at work or school, an accident, a minor or major disaster at home). Suddenly, a few of those balls get dropped. Others of us haven’t been so lucky and need to try to find a way to bring everything into balance. That is where a personal concierge can step in.

Here are some examples of what a personal concierge can do for you:

• Errand Services:
• Ship packages
• Shop for party supplies
• Make bank deposits
• Return movies and/or books
• Dry cleaning drop-off or pick-up
• Deliver forgotten lunches to school
• In-home Waiting Services:
• You no longer need to take off work to sit at home waiting for a repairman; while something gets installed; while a contractor works up an estimate; or waiting for something to be delivered. We’ll make sure that what’s supposed to happen is what happens and we’ll make sure everything is in good order and that your home is locked up when we leave.
• Gift Service:
• Do you need a hostess gift or a present for a birthday, holiday, or anniversary? Just tell us what you’re looking for and what you want to spend and we’ll get the gift, get it wrapped, and have it delivered or deliver it to you in time for the occasion.
• Modified House Sitting:
• We can check on your home while you are out of town to water plants, bring in the mail and the papers, and make sure that all is well while you are gone. All you have to do is let us know what you need and we’ll see that it gets done. You will have our cell phone numbers in case you need us to check on something you’ve forgotten while you are gone and we can call you if something unexpected happens or if there is an emergency. If something unforeseen were to happen in your home while you were gone we could act as your liaison until you arrive home and if you desired we could start the process of getting any issues resolved.
• Spend the winter in a warmer climate but wish you had someone who could drop by your house on a weekly basis? We can be that someone. We will visually inspect the interior and exterior of your home for vandalism and forced entry. We will check doors and windows and throughout your home for evidence of flooding from burst water pipes or a failed sump pump. We will check for evidence of rodents and insects, bring in any mail, newspapers, or flyers, and water plants. We can flush toilets and run faucets to clear stagnant water and run your dishwasher and washing machine through a cycle each week to make sure seals don’t dry out. We will also reset and timers and check on appliances in the event of a power outage. Additionally, we can turn on lights and furnace (or A/C) prior to your arrival home for added comfort.
• Something you think should be on the list but isn’t?? Just ask us!!

A personal concierge can do a lot of different things to make your life just a little bit easier. Our job is to help you lead a more balanced life. So whether you’re taking a long trip or you’ve just gotten a little overwhelmed, give us a call and let us lighten your load.

Visit Chocolates on MY Pillow today.

27 Fun Things To Do in Downtown Chicago

Thanks chicagofree.info for putting this list together!

What are the fun things to do in downtown Chicago?

1. Find a great Chicago hotel in downtown Chicago to set up as your headquarters.
2. Pull out your wallet and shop morning to night along Chicago's Magnificent Mile, a roughly eight-block stretch of North Michigan Avenue offering every kind of store imaginable.
3. Slowly make your way through Millennium Park, an extraordinary testament and home to world-class art, music, architecture and landscape design.
4. Take your kids to the Chicago Children's Museum, with three floors of engaging and educational exhibits.
5. Enjoy one of the world's greatest art collections at the Art Institute of Chicago, especially when free on Thursday nights from 5-8.
6. Come see all the fishes and more at the world-class Shedd Aquarium.
7. Go cheer for one of Chicago's two Major League Baseball teams. Watch the Chicago Cubs (now under new ownership – yea!) at one of America's oldest, smallest and best-loved stadiums, Wrigley Field. Or catch the Chicago White Sox at the modern U.S. Cellular Field.
8. Visit the trendy boutiques of Oak Street or venture to revitalized State Street to browse through historic anchor Marshall Field and other fun shops.
9. With jogging paths and plenty of water sports, everyone will want to spend time on Lake Michigan.
10. Sail off into the sunset on one of Chicago's dinner cruises like the Odyssey or the Spirit of Chicago.
11. For an awe-inspiring view of the city from above, go out on the ledge at the Sears Tower Skydeck or the Hancock Observatory.
12. For family entertainment from the famous Ferris wheel to free public shows, Navy Pier is a fun place to visit.
13. Take your kids to the wild side at the free Lincoln Park Zoo.
14. When you're feeling blue, stop by one of the longstanding favorite haunts for blues music: Blue Chicago, Buddy Guy's Legends, House of Blues or Kingston Mines.
15. Get jazzed! Chicago is home to some fabulous Chicago jazz venues like Andy's Jazz Club, The Back Room and Joe's Be Bop Café & Jazz Emporium.
16. Soak up the sun while you lie on the beach, inline skate or play sand volleyball at the Oak Street Beach, a popular spot to see and be seen.
17. Where can you find a WWII German submarine, a baby chick hatchery and the Apollo 8 Spacecraft? At the Museum of Science and Industry, the oldest museum of its kind with more than 800 exhibits and 2,000 interactive units.
18. Stroll through Grant Park, Chicago's most prominent and beloved park, where you can enjoy an outdoor concert or throw a penny into Buckingham Fountain.
19. Imagine what the world was like when dinosaurs roamed the earth when you visit the Field Museum of Natural History, home to the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex.
20. Check out a concert happening — a visually stunning and musically powerful performance by the Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theatre.
21. Chicago is home to a vital, vast and varied Theatre District where you can enjoy everything from traveling Broadway hits to experimental theatre to world premieres from up and coming theater companies.
22. Test your luck at one of the local casinos and gaming establishments like the Horseshoe Casino.
23. Walk around and admire one of Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpieces, the Robie House, a premier example of his Prairie School style.
24. Chicago pizza is a complete dining experience. That's why a visit to the legendary Pizzeria Uno is a must for Chicagodeep-dish lovers. Our favorite for deep-dish Chicago pizza is fresh ingedient king Edwardo's Pizza
25. History buffs and architecture enthusiasts will love the Tribune Tower. The facade is constructed of a collection of stones from other famous edifices, like the Parthenon, St. Peter's Basilica, Notre Dame, the White House and the Berlin Wall.
26. Girls of all ages will love American Girl Place, a special boutique shop with the complete line of American Girl dolls.
27. Embark on a culinary adventure to Chicago's finest restaurants. Guests are chauffeured around the city in a stylish coach bus to enjoy Hors D'oeuvres served at the first restaurant, the Main Course at a second restaurant and Dessert at a third restaurant. This Progressive Dining Tour offers a unique, fun and exciting way to experience Chicago dining.

A Great Way That Very Busy Individuals Can Have More Time By Taking Advantage of Errand Service Companies

Thanks to the "Dealing with Difficult People Blog" for this post.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you for once could wake up one weekend after a long day at work and not need to run any errands? Now there are errand services that are run all over the country to help folks manage their time in a more efficient way. Errand services are a like a personal assistant, but they became more popular in recent years. Many homebody mummies are opening up errand services as a home based business to stay with their children and work at the same time.

Errand services are for busy people who wish that there were 1 or 2 more hours in the day. The services that are offered by these corporations are varied, but theyare generally separated into two different types of services, depending on your demands.

The private services can help with jobs like: food and household shopping, gift shopping, dry-cleaner drop off and pick up, post office and drugstore errands, library or video returns, package and gift delivery, appointment scheduling, home organizing, and special events help ( garage and estate sales too ). The professional services offer all the above-mentioned things, but with things included like : posting open house signs ( set up, etc . ), meeting and special event planning ( in-house or off-site ), delivery of packages containing documents, and all copying or banking needs.

Many of us are compelled to run their errands on the weekends or perhaps during their lunch breaks. Hiring somebody to do all of these jobs for you would reduce your levels of stress, while at the same time having somebody trustworthy you can count on for explicit needs. The price levels for these services vary substantially typically because the businesses are run regionally, and costs are according to local demand and cost of living indexes.

If hiring an errand service is something that seems of interest there are some questions about qualifications that should be posed to potential workers. You need to learn if the person that you are hiring is good with cut off dates. If you need a prescription picked up by a certain date each month, you would like to be sure that the person that is handling your errands is capable of remembering something that might not be as important to them as it is to you. Also, you should usually ask for references and really check them. Errand running is an easy start-up business and it requires no license, education, or qualifications. The person that you hire must be trustworthy, responsible, and organized. Sometimes, ambition can cloud folk’s understandings of what they are really capable of achieving. Finally, you need to discover how many clients the service caters to. An errand service which has too many clients will have too many tasks to accomplish in a single day, week, or month. Somebody’s list of to-dos must be put on a back burner, and you do not want that somebody to be you.

Letting somebody do your busy work can be hard because it does involve a fair amount of trust. If you think resolutely in the adage, “if you would like something done, you must do it yourself”, an errand service is not for you. However, On the other hand, if you can’t find sufficient time in the week to accomplish everything that you want to finish with no need to sacrifice sleep, this suggestion might be your answer.

Give Up Control to Get Control

This is an excerpt from a article on http://ldkid.com/npb/?p=1105.

For some reason, Americans think they have something to prove by doing it all themselves. People say to me all of the time, that someone else just can’t do for them, the things that are on the “to do ” list. Well, that is not only a ridiculous statement, but one that can be proven wrong over and over again. We all strive to appear in control. However, you cannot be in control if you are constantly struggling to juggle events and lists. So give up some of the control. I know that is a scary thought, but do it. By having professionals handle the items on your list, you will amaze your friends and family by having more time to enjoy life and you will seem more in control than ever. Don’t worry. We don’t expect you to do this cold turkey. We are going to give you tips on accomplishing this daunting task after we shock you into reality.


Don’t Be A Statistic!

Here are the facts……I think the expression is “read ‘em and weep.” I know I wanted to when I saw these numbers.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average U.S. family works between 105-115 hours per week. So let’s run the numbers.

168 hours in a 7 day week x2 (if 2 people are working those hours) = 336

Less 110 hours for work

Less 112 hours for sleeping

Less 28 hours for eating

Less 15 hours for commuting

So what’s left……..71 HOURS!!! That is 71 hours for both workers total. Look like a big number of hours? Keep running the math. (If you are single that leaves you with 35.5 hrs - cut everything in half)

Now what do you have to do in that 71 hours? Remember, if you are doing something as a family (both workers), you have to double the hours used when you subtract from the 71.

• Spend time with your family
• Run/attend children’s activities (i.e. soccer, music lessons)
• Run errands
• Visit friends/relatives for special occasions
• Make purchases - clothing, gifts, daily needs

Anyone feeling exhausted yet? I am ready for a nap…oh that’s right…no time for that. Well here is some advice from the BusyB herself on taking back your life.


Remedying the Problem:

1. First evaluate the numbers that we provided above and adjust for your particular family. Some of you may work more than 110hrs, commute more, sleep less, etc. Also, stay at home moms count as working members of the family in our book so don’t forget that their hours count too!
2. Make a list of all of the things you do that take up the 71 remaining hours (or whatever number you now have).
3. Sort the tasks by type of activity. Feel free to make up your own categories.
• Family
• Home Repairs/Maintenance
• Errands/Shopping
• Social Activities
• School Activities
• Other
4. Star the ones you would rather not do (and sorry your job is one of those adult requirements in life so don’t star it - you don’t have a choice).
5. Estimate how much time it takes you to do each task (per week).
6. Now make a list of all of the things that are on the perpetual “to do” list that never seem to get finished. Sort this list as well. Having things that are constantly waiting to be completed, does nothing but add stress to your life.
7. Now here comes the difficult part. Giving up control to get control. You are really going to have to put on your positive change attitude to make this work. Ready? Circle the items that can be hired out. The possibilities are endless. If you are serious about change, then you will not be making excuses at this point as to why someone else cannot do the job. Do NOT, use money as an excuse at this point. You can’t afford to do that. This is your life you are talking about. Here are some suggestions:
• Lawn Care
• Home Repair Specialists (painters, handyman etc)
• Errand Service
• Personal Shopper/Concierge
• Nanny/Babysitter
• Car Specialists
• Financial Specialists
8. Make another list of things you would like to do but never have time to do.
9. If you successfully completed Step 7, you should now be able to make a new list of things to do each week that include your “wants.” Can you replace the “have to” items with the “want to” items? If you answered yes, you did a great job and are well on your way to taking back control of your life. If you answered no, then we still have some work to do.

Now some of you are probably saying, this is easy for her to say. Well, no it isn’t. I have been where you are and it took a major life-altering situation for me to realize what is really important. Do not put yourself in the same situation.

Stop now and take stock of your life and priorities. You may find that when you reprioritize you only need some reorganization and a little help from a life management consultant or you may have bigger problems and you need to schedule time each month for professionals to help you sift through the chores.

Get your life back but appear more in control. You can do it

Are Personal Concierge Services Worth it?

There is no reason to wait until the next time you're staying at a luxury hotel to enjoy outstanding concierge service. Many companies around the country offer personal concierge services and the ever-helpful Cranky Consumer column in the Wall Street Journal put a few from all over the country to the test. And with a name like "cranky," you might assume that there would be some complaints about some of the service they received, but there were really none worth making.

The upshot of their personal concierge trials was that the companies were all very professional and very helpful. They did everything from playing with pets when the owners were out of town to locating kosher caters for an upcoming party. Having a concierge service available is an indulgence, but when life gets busy or stressful, they can accomplish a whole to-do list in just hours. And with rates ranging from $25 to $50 per hour, the tradeoff is well worth it.

Time saving tips

Set limits: You don't have to serve on every committee and your child doesn't have to be involved in every sport. Decide what is important to you and your family, and get rid of the rest. If you want your child to experience the benefits of playing a team sport, then talk to your child and decide which team sport he or she wants to play.
Setting limits isn't about saying "no," it's about being selective about saying, "yes."

If you can't say no, delegate.

Lost time is never found again.

Benjamin Franklin once said “Lost time is never found again.” The personal concierge is born out of an ever-growing need for more free time. Today’s hectic lifestyle places an ever-increasing demand on the limited number of hours in a day to accomplish what needs to be done. Personal concierges are problem-solvers with the know-how to get anything done from running errands, arranging a special function or occasion, to home and office organization. They provide hands-on assistance for those who are short on time.

Concierges are most commonly thought of as exclusive assistants for the rich and famous or as staff to an exclusive hotel or posh resort. This is a misconception; concierge services are no longer too expensive for the average person.

Today’s concierge serves everyone from the single parent to the overworked professional who is in need of assistance or time-strapped and willing to pay for what is known as “lifestyle management.” By contracting personal concierge services, one can devote their precious time to what really matters to them. The stress and guilt associated with getting something done vanishes and peace of mind is reclaimed.

Outsourcing one’s “to-do-list” or special project to a personal concierge is often more cost effective then taking time-off from work to do it yourself or paying overtime to staff. The value of a personal concierge is in their resourcefulness, organizational ability and disposition for multi-tasking.

Personal Concierges are not nannies or housekeepers; yet they may help their clients locate these services. Unlike an exclusive personal assistant under contract to one client (24 hours a day – 7 days a week), a personal concierge has a number of clients and dedicates only a few hours a week to that client or project. Since every client has his or her own unique to-do-list, personal concierges offer a variety of specialized services. The touchstone used in the industry is that if the request is illegal or immoral, the concierge will not oblige. Otherwise, most requests for services can be accommodated.

If you find yourself too busy, stressed-out and overworked to “do it all” perhaps outsourcing your to-do-list is the answer.

by Alicia Wright - http://hbmag.com/personal-concierge/

Contest Rules

Earlier this week we introduced a new way to enjoy our services, Chocolates on MY Pillow Monthly Membership (click here for details). And today you can WIN a 30 day Concierge Membership (click here for details).

New Concierge Membership Program

INTRODUCTORY SPECIAL: The first month is $20 for the first 20 who sign up by 8/31/09!

FREE MEMBERSHIP: Later this week we will also be giving away a concierge memberships to 4 of our Facebook fan page members. Join.

When people first hear about our company and the services we provide most think it’s a wonderful ideal but are not sure how to use it. So we started sharing how others use Chocolates on MY Pillow’s services via blogs, emails, and social media. While sharing how our services are being used we found out that many requests didn’t require leg work (which our current fee structure is based on). Actually, most requests are for concierge services. These services include but are not limited to the following:

• Finding hard to get tickets
• Restaurant reservations
• Travel arrangements
• Collection calls for businesses
• Wake up calls
• Research (we can find just about anything)
• Confirming appointments
• Gift ordering
• PDF Conversions (as well as many other file conversions)
• Service referrals (personal chef, handyman, landscaper, housecleaner, car services, mobile spa services, and more)

So we decided to create a membership program offering concierge services for a small monthly fee, $32.95/month.

What exactly do you get?

• Access to one of our representatives during regular hours
• 15 requests (which can be made via an online request, email or phone call)
• VIP status (making you a top priority client receiving prompt services and 20% off all other services we provide)

This is also ideal for small business owners. This membership will support your professional presences and help you work more on your business than in your business.

To find out more, contact Tisha Littlejohn, at 800.883.8713 or email info@chocolatesomp.com.

"We remind you how much you value your time."

Recent requests...

For Madeleine’s daughters wedding, we took care of all the little details like packing the gifts and decor at the end of the evening.

Chocolates on MY Pillow created, printed and mailed invitations for a 20th anniversary high school reunion committee.

We coordinated a trip schedule for a Texan client who will be vacationing in Chicago later this month.

During the time we were assisting Mark in find an office manager, a Chocolates on MY Pillow representative helped around his office until the new office manager started.

Eric was looking to create a memorable father’s day for his dad and hired Chocolates on MY Pillow to located a item he was having trouble finding; we found the gift within a day, purchased it and had it delivered it to his home.

Chocolates on MY Pillow stocked the refrigerator and picked up packages for a clients senior parent.

We searched apartments for Matt that included finding matches according to his specification and calling the owners or property manager for more details.

Laura and her fiancé was leaving the country for a few weeks to get married leaving their cat alone, Chocolates on MY Pillow visited the pet regularly during the time they were away.

We assisted Julie by packing delicates for her upcoming move.

Ron hired us to create a memorable evening for his 11th wedding anniversary, it included locating tickets to a sold out event and scheduling a personal chef who's specialty is Ron's wife’s favorite to cook for them.

Spotlight Service For The Week

Over 1/2 off New Monthly Membership Package

August 10th - August 15th, 2009

Take Advantage of this OUTSTANDING SERVICE before WE OFFICIALLY LAUNCH IT! We've added a new way of using our services, The Monthly Concierge Services Membership package includes 20 request points* and discounts on our errand running and virtual business support services. The cost is $32.99/month. Mention this blog and receive your first month for just $15.

*Requests include but are not limited to the following - referrals, travel arrangements, wake up calls, confirming and scheduling appointments, research (we are very resourceful), finding hard to get tickets, booking services, key date reminder services, setting up vacation itineraries, gift ordering, making dinner reservations and more.

Call 800.883.8713 today!

"We remind you how much you value your time."

Chocolates on MY Pillow Martini

Chocolates on MY Pillow Martini


1 part vodka or vanilla vodka
1 part cask & cream
1 teaspoon of melted chocolate

Drizzle melted chocolate in chilled glass. Combine first two ingredients with ice. Shake and strain into martini glass.

It's unwise to pay too much...

"It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you lose a little money — that is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot — it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better." ~ John Ruskin

More hours in the day

A business associate told me once that it wasn’t fair that I get more hours in the day than he do. He has a good sense of humor. He is well aware that we are all given the same number of hours each day. So, why does it seem that some are able to accomplish their daily goals, while others wonder at the end of each day where the time went?

One of the best tips I can give you so that you can move toward joining the some who are able to accomplish their daily goals is to EVALUATE.

A lot of Chocolates on MY Pillow clients come to use feeling overwhelmed with the current project they are working on. We first tell them to take a closer look at how they spend their time. Purchase a special appointment calendar. Then for a week, write down in this calendar each and every little thing you do throughout each day. For example, if you spend one hour checking and responding to e-mail correspondence from 8am to 9am, mark this in your calendar. If you spend half an hour looking for a file from 2:15pm to 2:45pm, jot this down in your calendar as well. If you are occupied with a staff meeting, write it in your calendar. By the end of the week, you should be getting a clear picture of exactly where your time is really going.

Now you can clearly evaluate the way you are spending your time each day. Take a good, hard look at the ways you may be contributing to your hectic schedule. Are you wasting time checking e-mail or voice mail numerous times throughout the day, when checking once or twice a day would be sufficient? Depending on your circumstances and responsibilities, you may be able to limit yourself to checking e-mail and voice mail once in the morning, once after lunch and once at the end of the day. Are you interrupted throughout the day with telephone calls? Perhaps you can set aside a block of time each day where you will work undisturbed and allow all non-urgent calls to be transferred to voice mail. These and other simple changes can transform your days!

And as always, we at Chocolates on MY Pillow are ready and willing to assist by providing personal concierge services and virtual business support for those who have more to do than they have time for. Visit our website!

Recent request...

During the time we were assisting Mark in find an office manager, a Chocolates on MY Pillow representative helped around his office until the new office manager started.

25% off Virtual Business Support

Now thru August 8th receive 25% off Virtual Business Support. Call 800-883-8713 ext. 1 for more details.

To the small business person the Virtual Assistant can mean the difference between failure and SUCCESS.

Unlike the larger corporations the smaller business seldom has the space or resources initially for the extra employee to take the weight out of their ever-increasing work-load.

A Virtual Assistant will handle your reports and administration and enable you to spend more time marketing or enjoying the extra hours available to you.

You don't have to do it all, just contact Chocolates on MY Pillow (800) 883-8713 for all you virtual assistance needs. We cater to the needs of various business owners locally and globally. Our clients ask for assistance in various areas from general office support to contact management to website designing to social media marketing.

Virtual Business Support services include but are not limited to:
• Data Entry
• Project Management
• Email Marketing
• Creating/Editing letters, forms, etc
• Contact & Client Management
• Graphic Design – Logo creations, print ads, flyers, etc
• Custom Website Design

Spotlight Service For The Week

25% off Bedside Helping Hands services, July 26 thru August 1st.

This is a new service. If you or a family or friend is schedule for surgery, Chocolates on MY Pillow's BHH are available to assist.

Our Bedside Helping Hands department was conceived when we noticed the value our concierge/errand running services provided those needing assistance with preoperative preparations and postoperative care. The BHH team which consists of housekeepers, caregivers, errand runners, medical staff, and beauty specialist is carefully selected; they are highly qualified to offer you efficient peri-operative services.    Read more...