Imagine trying to prepare an eight-course meal by yourself, all day, every day. You have several pots going at once, each at different stages of completion, each with different cooking instructions scribbled on notes scattered about the kitchen. You have to remain hyper-aware of every detail; otherwise, you’ll be stirring one pot too long and realize too late that you’ve forgotten another. If only you had a way to automate the process, or at least a protocol in place to streamline it.
If you’re an estate manager, this scenario may have a ring of familiarity. Your “pots” include managing a multitude of daily activities (i.e. manage house staff, preparing invoices, and delivery schedules) and the budget; overseeing seasonal maintenance (i.e., winterizing the property) and renovations; and organizing social events from kids’ birthdays to charity balls. Then you have things that come up at the spur of the moment, such as repairs or the principal’s impromptu trip, the preparation for which throws your carefully planned schedule out the window. You may live in a state of organized chaos, but it is chaos, nonetheless.
Digital tools – be it Excel or a cloud – have helped somewhat, but at the end of the day they are little better than those notes in the kitchen. You have to scramble from one to the other and expend a lot of energy trying to make them fit together. This is why having software tailored for estate managers like EstateSpace is a true game-changer.
With EstateSpace, you can:
- Create a schedule of tasks assigned to specific staff members, which they can then update so you’re always abreast of what has been completed and what is delayed.
- Build a virtual catalogue of physical assets, including their provenance and proper maintenance. This way, they retain their value and the principal always know what they have and how much it is worth. It also makes things easier for you should the principal ask you to assist in a sale or acquisition.
- Design a comprehensive manual for the running of the home. Think of this as the standard operating procedure for a small business, outlining everything that needs to be done and how and when to do it. You can also have a list of service people and vendors so don’t have to go searching when you need assistance.
- Silo sensitive household information so that it is only seen by the appropriate eyes.
Having software tailored for estate managers like EstateSpace means you never have to jump from platform to platform searching for the information you need. It is always in one secure space and never farther away than your cell phone. More importantly, the manual can be shared with other trusted staff should they need to step in for you. This way, if you go on vacation or are suddenly called away to deal with a family emergency, you can rest easier knowing you’ve left a roadmap behind.
