Start a Senior Concierge Business
Hey there, my friends. Kelly here.
Before I became a business coach, wrote The Concierge Life, and started helping other women build concierge businesses, I was a registered nurse.
I worked in geriatrics and served as the nurse manager of a 50-bed nursing home unit. I understood dementia care, medications, personal care, and the everyday realities of helping aging adults.
Then, in 2010, I took my love of caring for people and started my own personal concierge business.
I knew right away that I did not want to recreate my nursing career inside my business.
I wanted to help aging adults enjoy a better quality of life through companionship, errands, appointments, organizing, household help, and the kinds of everyday support that often make a huge difference.
That clarity shaped everything.
So when someone asks me what they need to start a senior concierge business, I do not begin with a logo, website, business card, or Facebook page.
I begin with five decisions.
1. Decide Who You Want to Serve
If you want to build a senior concierge business, start by choosing the people you want to become known for helping.
That may be:
- Independent aging adults
- Seniors who want to remain in their homes
- Older adults who need companionship and practical support
- Seniors going through a move, illness, or life transition
- Aging adults who need help with errands, appointments, and everyday tasks
One of the biggest mistakes I see happens when someone chooses seniors as their niche, starts talking about the business, and then gets nervous when clients do not appear immediately.
Suddenly, they are also trying to market to busy moms, real estate agents, vacation homeowners, and anyone else who might hire them.
That scattered approach makes marketing harder.
Choose the people you want to help and give yourself time to become known for that work.
2. Decide Which Services You Want to Offer
Make this decision before the phone rings.
Ask yourself:
What am I confident doing?
What do I enjoy doing?
What do I want to leave out of this business?
When I started, I had years of nursing experience. I could have offered medication management, bathing, feeding, transfers, and hands-on care.
I chose a different direction.
I wanted to focus on quality of life.
For me, that looked like sitting and playing cards, talking over tea and raisin toast, listening to stories, grocery shopping, running errands, going to hair appointments, helping with laundry, decluttering, organizing, and providing companionship.
That was the work I wanted to do.
I also knew what I did not want to offer. I did not want to handle medications, transfers, bathing, dressing, feeding, or other personal-care responsibilities.
Those decisions gave me boundaries.
When someone called with a request that did not fit my business, I already knew the answer.
Your service list should reflect your skills, your comfort level, your interests, and the kind of business you actually want to build.
3. Decide How Your Services Will Work
Your services explain what you do.
Your process explains how people hire you.
You need a starting structure.
Decide:
- Will you require a minimum number of hours?
- Will clients book one-time visits or recurring weekly support?
- Will you offer packages?
- How far will you travel?
- Will you provide transportation?
- Which days and hours will you work?
- How will new-client consultations work?
When I started my business, there was a local home care agency owned by two sisters who were both former LPNs.
Their business focused on hands-on care, including bathing, feeding, and medication assistance.
My business focused on companionship, errands, household support, and life management.
We became great referral partners because we both understood our lanes.
Their process also changed as they grew. They started with a two-hour minimum, then moved to four-hour shifts, overnight care, and eventually 24-hour coverage.
Your process can evolve too.
You still need a clear place to begin.
Otherwise, every phone call turns into a brand-new negotiation.
4. Get Insurance Based on the Work You Chose
Once you know who you serve, what you offer, and how your services work, you can have a much better conversation with an insurance professional.
Your coverage should match the work you actually perform.
Driving clients creates different considerations than running errands alone.
Entering someone’s home, handling keys, hiring employees, and providing hands-on support may also affect the type of coverage you need.
Transportation deserves special attention.
Do not assume your regular auto policy covers you while driving a paying client. Speak directly with a qualified insurance professional and explain exactly how you plan to use your vehicle.
You should also research the rules in your city and state. Requirements for companionship, homemaker services, transportation, personal care, and home care can vary.
This is why your services need to come first.
Your decisions guide the setup.
If you need help with who or how to talk about getting the right insurance – we have resources for you inside the Concierge Starter Kit HERE.
5. Then Start Marketing
Many new business owners begin here.
They create a logo.
They order business cards.
They build a website.
Then someone asks, “What exactly do you do?” and they struggle to answer.
Marketing becomes much easier when you already know:
- Who you help
- What services you offer
- What you do not offer
- How clients can work with you
- What makes your approach different
Now you can explain your business clearly.
For example:
I help aging adults remain independent and supported at home through companionship, errands, and household help.
That gives people something specific to understand and remember.
Your marketing does not need to sound clever.
It needs to help the right person quickly recognize how you can help.
You Get to Build This Around the Work You Love
A senior concierge business can focus on companionship, errands, transportation, organizing, household support, downsizing, appointment assistance, or helping seniors remain active and independent.
You get to choose.
That is one of the reasons I care so deeply about this industry.
So many women have spent years helping parents, neighbors, friends, patients, clients, and family members. They know how to listen, solve problems, stay organized, and make people feel cared for.
Those skills have value.
They can become a meaningful and profitable business when you give them structure.
Start with these five decisions:
- Who do I want to serve?
- Which services do I want to offer?
- How will my services work?
- What insurance and local requirements apply?
- How will I clearly market what I do?
You do not need every detail figured out today.
You need enough clarity to take the next step.
Ready to Turn Your Love of Helping People Into a Business?
Grab a copy of my book, The Concierge Life.
It will help you take your skills, experience, and love of helping people and turn them into a concierge business people understand, value, and hire.
[Grab your copy of The Concierge Life here.]
