“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.