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Lackeys for the harried
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September 1, 2000: 2:34 p.m. ET
Personal concierge service company will walk your dog, cut your hair
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - In an increasingly demanding workplace, it seems, few people can work a full day and still attend to their daily needs outside of the office. Who has time to clean the house, run errands or wash the car anymore? Melinda Hinson does.
 Or rather, Hinson's company does. Hinson's startup company, Seattle-based MyLackey.com, was founded to look after the needs of the too-busy-to-look-after-myself set. The self-described lackeys at MyLackey.com will shine your shoes, walk your dog and even show up at the office to cut your hair, if that's what you need.
Indeed, many corporations are expanding "personal concierge privileges" to their overworked employees. Perks like these can draw, as well as retain, harried employees in this extremely tight labor market.
Cashing in on the concierge trend
MyLackey.com is hoping to cash in on this new trend. Hinson said Friday in an appearance on CNNfn's Market Call that, although the company is not yet profitable, revenue has been doubling every month.
"In less than six months we have managed to get 50 companies on board, which translates to about 7,000 employees so certainly companies are buying into this concept," said Hinson.
For $180, companies can buy eight hours of lackey time during which they will run errands. Companies can also buy corporate "spa packages," $1,300 for eight hours of in-office pampering including massages, manicures and hair cuts.
Its clients, said Hinson, recognize they can increase productivity if their employees no longer have to dash out of the office to run personal errands.
The self-described lackeys at MyLackey.com are not the only ones who see a bright future in this burgeoning business. The young startup recently secured its third round of venture financing, a $6.5 million infusion from a team of investors led by San Francisco-based WaldenVC.
The venture financing will help the company fund its expansion plans. So far, MyLackey.com's services are available to companies only in Seattle and Portland, Ore. Later this year, it will expand to Washington D.C., New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and the California cities of San Diego, Irvine, and San Jose. 
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mylackey.com
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