Although personal concierge services are a fairly recent development, the number of companies that serve time-starved clients is mushrooming, right along with customer demand for such businesses. One San Francisco-based concierge business saw its client base double in 1996 and continue to grow up to 50 percent annually for several years after that. Some 2,000 miles away, a Chicago concierge firm that began with 25 clients in 1997 grew to service more than 85 clients in just a few years. Membership in the National Association of Professional Organizers, which includes some professionals who provide concierge services, swelled from a few hundred when founded in 1985 to more than 1,100 members by the late 1990s.

Why the booming demand for concierges and organizers? A big reason is that most people have accumulated so much stuff--both in the workplace and in their homes. Just glance at your desk or kitchen counter, and you'll probably see stacks of papers, bills, correspondence, etc. In fact, in a recent survey by Steelcase, a leading designer and manufacturer of office furnishings, 27 percent of office workers described themselves as "pilers," while 12 percent described themselves as pack rats. Taking care of all that "stuff" requires time and organization. Some people need help just to get organized; others could manage the paperwork if they weren't saddled with so many other chores. That's when they turn to (or would like to be able to turn to) professionals to help keep them organized, run errands, and see to it that business and personal obligations are met.