When it comes to finding the right company to provide you the best possible personal assistant, the Internet is the place to start your search. Since most companies providing personalized concierge services are Internet-based, it’s the easiest way to get a feel for who’s out there, what the differences are between them and what they have to offer.

There are a several competitors in the field, however, so being able to hone in on the right one will probably require a little research. Word of mouth or articles published in online magazines can help point you in the right direction. Recommendations from friends who currently use a personal assistant can also be extremely helpful. Be sure to read customer testimonials on company websites and run an internet search to find where people are talking about the company on message boards and in blogs.

Once you’ve narrowed your search, it’s time to determine which provider will most efficiently meet your needs and for the best price. Consider how much you can reasonably spend per month, quarter or year. Be especially sure to take into account the value of your own time. If you had to do all of the chores on your list yourself, how many hours would it take? Being paid an hourly wage based on your yearly salary, how much would it add up to? That figure is how much value you’ll get out of using a concierge.

Be sure to compare plans. Some allow for a certain number of requests or tasks per period and then offer a la carte pricing for any additional requests. Some offer plans with a certain amount of hours allotted to accomplish your tasks each month. If you know you’re going to be using your concierge extensively, accurately estimating how many hours per month you will need, or the cost for additional la carte fees, is crucial in budgeting correctly.

Check out what services each company provides. Are they more oriented to helping businesses or are they better for handling personal tasks for individuals? Perhaps they do both. If it costs more to have personal tasks done by a concierge from a company that handles both business and personal, it might be more economical to go with one that focuses solely on individuals and vice versa.

Finally, get in contact with the companies that seem to be a good fit for you. Most will have online forms you can fill out on their website for inquiries or you can send an email to their customer service department. Any company that is interested in your business will be only too happy to answer all your questions; even the ones you think might be tedious that you’re sure they’ve heard a million times before. When it comes to placing your trust in a company that will provide you with such a valuable service, their greatest asset is the trust and rapport they build with their customers – current and soon-to-be.