Meet Carolyn Kraut of Hands of Time

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carolyn Kraut.

Carolyn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2001 I was working as a software consultant and worked primarily out of my home. One of my cats became diabetic and required blood tests and insulin twice a day. This made travelling more difficult as it wasn’t easy to find someone dependable who could give the kind of care required. It occurred to me that other people might be in the same position I was, needing specialized pet care, Since I worked at home and made my own schedule I decided to offer pet sitting as a side business.

Eventually in 2008 I decided that I wanted to change careers. I was part of a list serv and saw a conversation where someone mentioned having a personal concierge to run her errands and accomplish a bunch of other things for her. I thought I was well suited to this type of business. In addition to my years as a techie I also worked a variety of retail merchandising jobs. I liked the idea of doing something different everyday and I liked the idea of solving problems for people. I have always delighted in finding just the right gift or card for someone in my life and wanted to do that for others.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course there have been bumps along the road. Figuring out what services to offer and how to market them has been a challenge. Over the years the way we live in cities has changed. Younger clients are generally only interested in pet services. For everything else they use the internet. If they cook at home they are likely to use Blue Apron or one of the other recipe/food delivery services. Otherwise they eat out or order-in. In some cases younger residents as well as empty-nesters live in apartment buildings that have a concierge who will take care of some of their needs and that’s enough for them. We also have challenges like most service businesses in terms of customer retention, personnel and other resources.

Hands of Time – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Concierge has become a very trendy title in recent years. Traditionally it referred to a hotel concierge, someone who arranged theater tickets, dinner reservations and taxis for their guests. In recent years concierges have popped up in residential buildings where they screen visitors, take in packages and send out dry cleaning. Now there are concierge doctors, pet concierges, move/relocation concierges, and so on. They can be found not only in hotels and residential buildings but also at private clubs, large corporations, hospitals and senior living facilities.

Hands of Time focuses on individuals and small businesses. Our company provides services in-home and out depending on the needs of the client. Many of our clients travel regularly for business and/or pleasure. They trust us to be in their home getting things done, caring for their pets, getting their cars serviced and their clothes cleaned.

Although we’re known for our love of pets and our pets services, we provide a wide range of services. We wait for deliveries and appliance repairmen, we return unwanted purchases, we grocery shop and run to the dry cleaners, etc. We also work with seniors to pay their bills, accompany them to medical appointments and move into assisted living. These are our regular everyday services. We like to say we will do anything as long as its legal and ethical.

There are also special projects; organizing a basement, assisting a client in organizing an adoption shower, working with an elderly woman to settle her husband’s estate and then again with her heirs to settle her estate. We are currently working with a client who has a large art collection that he has decided to divest himself of. We are not only doing the administrative work on this project but also researching museums and collectors who might be interested in acquiring some of his pieces.

Serving our clientele well means asking the right questions, paying attention not only to theirs answers but also to the way they live enabling us to proactively offer services that will help them. A few years ago I purchased Christmas gifts for the children of a client. One requested gift was a keyboard for the client’s youngest son who was very interested in music. Unfortunately the keyboard wasn’t available locally and it was to late to order it online for Christmas delivery. Fast forward a couple of years and this son was graduating high school. The client wanted to get him a suitcase that would fit in the overhead compartment of a plane. I not only purchased the suitcase but wrapped it in wrapping paper that looked like sheet music. My client’s mother who took delivery of the gift was very pleased. I’m always happy when I can add a special touch that will make my clients smile.

At Hands of Time we do what we do to give our clients more time in their lives to do what they love, and to give them peace of mind when they’re away from home.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
The proudest moments of my career come from the work I do as a member of the leadership team of the Boston Chapter of Ellevate (https://www.ellevatenetwork.com/chapters/66-us-boston). As the Events Manager I work with the leadership team to create events that will help our members advance in their careers, build their businesses and meet other like-minded women.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.handsoftimeconcierge.com
• Phone: 617-359-6865
• Email: info@handsoftimeconcierge.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HandsofTimeConcierge/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/PairofHands
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynkraut/

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