Biz Buzz: Anybody Need a Wife?

“Everybody Needs a Wife” owner Rebecca Osborne on her way to another ‘wifey’ appointment.

Picture this. You are sick at home with a terrible cough and signs of the flu.

by Kimberly Hunter

You rummage through every cabinet, drawer, and corner of your cabinets only to realize that there is not a single trace of aspirin, cough syrup, or medicinal relief in sight. As your mind races and you weigh in on whether or not you should find your car keys and head on over to the store, it hits you (well at least it hit me two weeks ago when I was in the same predicament!): Is there anyone I can call just to run this one errand for me so I don’t have to make a bad situation even worse?

Or, when was the last time you were running late to a meeting and needed to run two errands, but didn’t have time to do both?

Don’t you wish there
was at least one number in your Rolodex® you could call on the spot so
that you could get both things done and save some time? Well my dear
friends, there is never a need ever again for you to “go it alone!”
Like me, you can call the cutest errand service ever to be invented —
Everybody Needs A Wife.

Rebecca Osborne, owner of Everybody Needs A Wife, has been providing
commercial and residential cleaning, concierge, and errand services for
five years. When asked who has identified with the need for a side-kick
wife, Ms. Osborne replied, “My customers are primarily those who are
very busy people and are trying to make the most out of their time.”

Time? Who has the time? Do you? I don’t! I guess that is the point
isn’t it? Long gone are the days when errand and cleaning services are
reserved only for the retired, well-traveled, or nouveau riche. Time
has become (for some) a greater commodity than money. Ms. Osborne
discloses, “People from all walks of life have found the need for
errand services that specifically help them save time. Our services
include grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, gift shopping,
business-to-business deliveries, pet sitting, pick-up and drop off of
dry cleaning, and running by the post office. We provide a service that
assists people at work, and at home.”

I think some of you may be wondering, how was my ‘wifey’ experience? I
must say for the record, I have NEVER wanted a wife… a husband YES — a
wife NO… well, I guess, not until now! I called Everybody Needs A Wife
to pick up the standard cold and flu medicine I needed at the grocery
store, she took my order over the phone, asked me if I had a preference
on grocery stores, and gave me an estimated time of arrival based on
her present location. Fifteen minutes later I was enjoying the potent
power of the nighttime relief cough medicine I had had delivered to me
to enjoyed a decent night’s rest. More than anything it not having to
get into my car and brave the cold to pick up a six dollar bottle of
cold and flu medication.

I asked Ms. Osborne, “Is this an expensive type of business to run?”

“Not here,” she says. “But if you are transporting people or pets,
insurance requirements can be very high.” (Everybody Needs A Wife does
not transport people or pets).

According to Ms. Osborne, “Everybody Needs A Wife is like a retro,
gal-Friday who is speedy and happy. She is quick and conscientious of
saving time.”

As I am interviewing Ms. Osborne, I realize she isn’t holding a
blackberry, gps system or ringing gadgets. As I take an even closer
look, I realize she holds only a notepad with pen, a calendar and a
basic cell phone. Hmm, I wonder if being a good wife or at least
providing time-saving errand services is more about simple practices
than hip gadgets? So I asked Ms. Osborne, “What makes you good at what
you do?”

Without hesitation, she replies, “Hard work and motivation. In order to
be a business owner, you have to be flexible and self motivated. You
don’t always feel like going to work. Or if you have a bad day, you
can’t just close down for the day. I keep myself motivated and I remain
flexible. You don’t always have the resources to do things the way you
want to do them. You don’t always have a budget for marketing. But you
do have motivation and flexibility.”

Over the next five years, Ms. Osborne sees her business expanding to
include an online grocery store where you can select grocery items,
errand services and delivery times for both. Currently, aspects of her
website are under construction. However, visitors are still able to
view the basic menu of services and pricing structure for services.

Whether you are single, a business professional, working mom, college
student or retiree, next time you are running short on time and long on
obligations think about hiring a wife! I did and now agree that
everybody, and I mean Everybody… Needs A Wife!

To schedule errand or cleaning services or find out more about
Everybody Needs A Wife, visit www.everybodyneedsawife.com or call (828)
242-8781.