Entrepreneur Spotlight

Find a contractor to repair the roof, pay bills, plan a birthday party, buy anniversary gift, pick up dry cleaning, make arrangements for dog and plant care…., and still spend three days in Dallas for a major share holders meeting. Does this list of ‘things to do' sound familiar? In this world of handling personal needs when traveling and/or working long hours can make surviving the "rat race" quite challenging. Hence, Andrea Arena founded 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc., a personal and corporate concierge service. Arena, owner and president, designed the company to take care of those tedious details for those whose time is allocated to other business, or those who would just like to realize more of a personal life. Whether your car needs a tune up or you need groceries delivered, 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc. makes it easy for you. Requests for service are placed by simply contacting 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc. by phone, fax, voice mail, or pager. The request is logged, and a runner is dispatched. All 2 Places At 1 Time associates are equipped with beepers and/or cellular phones for high quality service and quick response time.

There are few limits to what 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc. does, such as:

• Handling personal needs when traveling and/or working long hours
• Caring for pets and plants
• Placing orders for flowers, balloons, and gift baskets
• Having shoes repaired and polished
• Shopping for everything from gifts to groceries
• Supervising repair, delivery, and cleaning contractors at the home
• Planning parties and events
• Obtaining tickets to sports events, concerts, and theatrical productions
• Referring great restaurants and caterers
• Picking up and delivering dry cleaning and laundry
• Addressing and mailing invitations and holiday cards
• Paying bills and banking
• To name a few...

Arena's unique business style and professionalism show through in her associates and their commitment to making others' lives as easy as possible. In order to ensure her clients' expectations are exceeded. Arena only employs associates who possess extensive experience in the service industry. Arena's approach to effective staffing is to employ highly skilled, intelligent individuals and encourage them to utilize their talents within the business, "treating it as if it were their own." Arena believes in allowing her management staff autonomy. This approach has been quite successful. The offices are functioning superlatively and growth is constant.

In 1989, Arena graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in management. While at Tech, Arena helped finance her education by securing a position as concierge with the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Experience gained through this position would assist in fueling the creation of her concierge service business. Arena always had dreams of starting her own business. She knew in order to make owning a business a successful venture, she needed to strengthen her skills in accounting and finance. Therefore, Arena accepted employment with a local bank and entered their management training program. During her tenure with the bank, Arena conducted market research to determine the feasibility of a business such as 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc. She had speculated there was no existing business of this type serving her potential market. After having her speculation proven factual by a favorable report, Arena was ready to finalize her venture.

With her experience behind her and her life savings of $5,000 in hand, Arena founded 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc. in 1991. The company started initially as a personal errand service with a client base consisting primarily of small business owners, the elderly and dual income families. Constantly analyzing her market, Arena recognized a sub-market group growing out of her current market. She realized, after having corporate employees as clients, that the need for overall coverage of corporations was imperative. According to Arena, "The timing for expanding the business to include the corporate marketplace was perfect. It was a time when large companies were struggling with the issue of employee retention (due to the stress imposed by long hours and little time for personal life)."

While maintaining the personal errand service aspect of the company, she began establishing a corporate base. In January of 1993, she developed a corporate concierge service for Andersen Consulting's, Atlanta office. Since the successful implementation of that office, 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc has grown to provide concierge services for Arthur Andersen in Houston, TX, and Andersen Consulting in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Colinas, Miami, Phoenix, Portland, San Francisco, San Ramon, St. Petersburg, Seattle, Tampa, and in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Service for profit is not Arena's only focus, she is active in non-profit, community service ventures as well. During her time at Tech, Arena coordinated the Techwood Tutorial Project – a big sister/brother and tutoring program designed primarily to benefit the children of the Techwood housing community. Arena recalls, "It was surprising to find out how many children had never set foot on the Georgia Tech campus until they got involved in this program. They live right across the street." Arena saw a need to offer the community's children an opportunity to gain exposure to college life. Affording and attending college was something that Arena (and many) had taken for granted, taken as a given. "I never thought twice as to whether or not college was in my future. I always knew I'd go…one way or the other." In addition to doubling participation in the program, Arena maintained a strong relationship with her little sister, Tinecia Cullen, who is now attending Armstrong State College in Savannah. Arena is assuming full financial responsibility for Tinecia's education, and wishes to organize a scholarship fund to support other children's college education.

Arena's community service orientation is expressed through her business, and each office participates. She has created, "Let Us Do Your Running While Relieving You Of Your Old Soles," a campaign to collect adult and children's shoes and donation to non-profit organizations serving the needy. In Atlanta, Arena placed company designed shoe bins at various fitness centers. Arena, and the Atlanta staff of 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc., has collected, so far, over 3,000 pairs of shoes (and clothing) that will be donated to six different non-profits. With all that she does, her business is still expanding. By the end of this year, 2 Places At 1 Time, Inc. will hold concierge service contracts with Andersen Consulting's offices in Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Arena has established herself as a true entrepreneur…with a big heart.