In today's busy world, people are increasingly looking for ways to save time and simplify their lives, especially families juggling work and kids. If you add aging parents into the mix among those in the “sandwich generation” with both kids and elderly parents to care for, the stress skyrockets even further. Division of responsibilities at home has even passed arguing over money as the number one conflict among married couples with kids.
One solution busy families are increasingly turning to is hiring a family assistant to help with their personal tasks such as keeping up with their kids’ activities, meal planning, shopping, scheduling appointments, and making reservations just to name a few. Here’s a whole list of tasks that Sherah's team of personal and family assistants does for its members, but it doesn’t stop there.
Sherah provides these types of services to lower members’ stress and give them back time for more important things in life. We provide assistance to families by completing tasks both virtually and in person. Our assistants divide the tasks and complete them quickly and efficiently while members can focus more at work and be present more at home.
But how much does a personal assistant or family assistant cost and is it worth it?
In Sherah’s experience, the amount of support it takes to help a mom feel significantly better isn’t as high as most think. We find that the average member spends about $2,200-2,500 per year in total or about $180-210 per month to feel relief. Whereas people often think they may have to spend as much as $5-10,000 a year or even $35,000 for a full salary to get the support they need. In our experience, the average family feels much better for less than they think.
Crunching the numbers
When you break down the costs, the $2,000 figure makes sense. Sherah charges a monthly fee and then members pay $1-1.34 per minute for the time it takes Sherah assistants to complete tasks.
Over the course of a year, the monthly fee and the per-minute charges add up to an average of around $2,200-$2,500 per member. This breaks down to about $200-250 per month on average.
It’s important to note however that most members have a longer to-do list in the first three months as they begin the service and have a backlog of tasks that need to be completed. The first three months can tend to cost closer to $300 to $350 per month as our team knocks out years of tasks in the first weeks and months for a family.
Then after this initial period, the personal to-do list slows as we get better systems and solutions in place for a member, and they settle into more of a maintenance mode. The later months tend to be as low as $100-$150 per month with some peaks during busier seasons like family birthdays and holidays.
Obviously some families do end up needing more and less than the average which is why we created several options for membership plans.
The keys to productivity and efficiency
Another advantage of using Sherah is that tasks are often completed more quickly than if the member were to do them by themselves. This is because Sherah's team of assistants are completing the same repetitive tasks over and over again for hundreds of members with the same needs. We know exactly who to call, what to do, and many times, we can get you scheduled faster than you can yourself.
Plus thanks to Sherah’s relationships and network of preferred vendors, the assistants know exactly who to call and how to get things done efficiently. They are also highly focused on completing tasks in a timely manner, as this is their main priority. In contrast, members may get sidetracked or distracted when trying to complete tasks which can slow down the process.
How many times have we all sat on a work Zoom call pretending to pay attention while multitasking and creating our Instacart order, responding to school emails, and signing the kids up for basketball?
By outsourcing tasks to Sherah, members can rest assured that their tasks will be completed quickly and efficiently, allowing them to stay focused on more important things.
Is it worth it?
Despite the increased costs to a family’s budget, Sherah members repeatedly tell us that “it’s worth every penny.” Many members report feeling lighter, less stressed, happier, more focused, and less anxious. One woman executive said she was able to go after a promotion that she would never have gone after without Sherah. Other couples have told us (jokingly of course) that we saved their marriage!
By outsourcing time-consuming tasks to Sherah, members are able to focus on the things that matter most to them, whether that's spending more time with family, pursuing their careers, or simply enjoying their free time.
One of the advantages of using Sherah is its flexibility. Members can use the service as much or as little as they need, depending on their needs and budget. Some members may use Sherah for just a few tasks each month and like having us in their back pocket for peace of mind when life gets crazy. Others rely on us for a wide range of tasks consistently every month. Plus you can pick a pricing plan that’s best for you.
We’re here to support you and your family. You don’t have to do it all alone. As we say at Sherah, get ready to rise up, don’t give up.