Starting a personal concierge and errand-running service was something Emily Parker had on her mind for a long time. In fact, she—along with her fourteen-year-old son, Alex and thirteen-year-old daughter, Julia—came up with the idea last summer. What Emily didn’t know is that she would ultimately launch her business right before the COVID-19 lockdown.
“I started doing this business the beginning of March,” says Emily. “Such a crazy time! I can’t really say how the virus has affected my business, because it’s all I know.”
Although Emily recently returned to Coronado after living in South Carolina for more than 17 years, she is no stranger to the island. In fact, her family has been in Coronado for more than 50 years, and she attended school at Sacred Heart Parish School.
And taking care of others is something that comes naturally to her, given her background as a nurse. Emily says knowing that she is helping others is the most rewarding part of her business. “The best thing about this job is seeing the relieved faces of my customers after I’ve taken care of one of their errands,” says Emily.
Emily spends five to six hours a day assisting her clients. She does everything from grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, taking pets to the vet, dog walking, and arranging appointments…she’s even working on adding notary services. The most-requested errand so far? Grocery shopping, of course.
For the safety of herself and her customers, Emily takes all the necessary precautions, and then some. “I always wear a mask, use gloves, and spray down items with disinfectant spray,” says Emily. “I always have a box of Clorox wipes with me!”
Emily will “most certainly” run errands over the bridge, and has driven as far as Ramona to run an errand for a customer at a farm. She says the most challenging part about her business is when the stores don’t have what her customer is asking for, such as…toilet paper.
But all in all, Emily loves her business and the connection it brings to others. “My errand running service is a wonderful way to get to know my community,” says Emily. “My goal was to lighten the load a little bit for everyone.”
Emily says she will always remember the way Coronado has remained strong throughout this crisis, but can’t wait to gather with her loved ones. “I will always remember the way the community has banded together,” says Emily. “But when this is over, I can’t wait to have my friends and family over for dinner. I miss their hugs!”
To arrange a service, please contact Emily at 619-844-7103.
