My business, Simplify Home Solutions, is a lifestyle management firm. We manage our clients' lifestyle and household services so they can focus on other things. As co-founder and co-owner of a small business, I wear a lot of hats. I negotiate with service providers (for instance, we work with personal/household assistants, professional organizers, maids, etc.), cultivate new clients, manage existing client relationships, and build relationships with other companies.

EDUCATION | I have a Bachelor's in women studies and a JD, which helps me understand contracts and other legal issues. I don't think there's any particular training or education that is needed, because it's more important to have an entrepreneurial spirit. However, a business degree or a law degree helps.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Aside from having a really good idea that you're passionate about, I think it's important to do your homework. First, seek out who around you is doing a similar type business If there's no comparable business, think about who your client would consider going to as a potential competitor. Find out all you can about those companies - what kind of client they target, how they deliver their services, their pricing structures, etc. Second, do your research and get to know your potential target market and what's important to them, possibly even with a market research survey. That will better inform your business idea and your business plan.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | For someone to get started in this profession (running a company like Simplify), the two most important attributes/experience are common sense and customer service. While no special training or education is particularly necessary, it is helpful to be familiar with the concierge industry and also all the industries whose services we offer (housecleaning, yard maintenance, personal/household assistance, handymen, professional organization, interior decorating, financial organization, window washing, carpet cleaning, and more!). Finally, experience or knowledge in marketing, business development, contracts, and general customer relations is a plus.

how I got started | My business partner and I developed a plan for the company and steps for each phase-- startup, operations, growth, etc. We also did a lot of market research on our target market and similar companies. There really is no other company in the Bay Area like Simplify, so we had to forge out on our own with a new concept for the household services industry, knowing that our marketing would have to have an educational piece as well.

why this job?| Before I had my second child, I worked as an attorney. With my husband and I working full time, we found ourselves outsourcing a lot of our home stuff. It's always a challenge to find good people you can trust. So, I thought "wouldn't it be great if there was a company you could turn to for everything?" It turns out that my business partner had had the same idea and the more we talked, we found we had a lot of synergy.

why I love this job!| I love owning my own business because not only am I able to steer the business where I want it to go but I have flexibility while doing it. Both my partner (who is also a mom of 2) and I work part-time and I can set my own schedule, being sensitive, of course, to our clients needs. With Simplify, I am better able to balance my work/career with everything I want to do with and for my children. I also love meeting new people and learning what people are doing, especially people who are doing things out of the box.

my typical day| My first priority is always my clients. I review our client list and see what's going on: who is having services or upcoming services or if any issues need to be taken care of. Whenever a client has a new service, we accompany the service provider, make the introduction and make sure things go smoothly. My second priority is our service professionals. I make sure all of their needs are being met and there's nothing pending from them. Then I'll take care of larger issues, like marketing campaigns and potential strategic partnerships. I talk to my partner a couple times a day. A lot of it can be done from home, except for meeting with clients.

what they are | One challenge, which is pretty common with working moms generally, is when my schedule gets too full, such as when the kids are sick or have particularly busy school schedules or activities and I have a day full of meetings and appointments. Then, it is a matter of not only wrangling my schedule and the kids' schedules but also coordinating the schedules of my spouse and our extended support network. Fortunately, my in-laws live close to us and we have babysitters we can call upon.

all about growth | The growth opportunities are endless. As a business owner, I can grow the business exponentially in terms of customers, locations and profit.

my website| http://www.simplifyhomesolutions.com