Stacy Mafera wants to make your life easier.  What an excellent idea! Well, she's full of them.

Her latest brainchild is called Errands, Etcetera, a customer service driven company that offers everything from grocery shopping, laundry, organizing, event planning, meal preparation, pet sitting--- she'll even have your car detailed and throw in an inspection sticker, just for good measure. Anything on your 'to do' list, she'll do.

It is very much like her first company, Commonwealth Concierge, which she started several years ago while attending the University of Massachusetts, Boston--- except, that company was catering to corporations. Errands, Etcetera, on the other hand, has the everyday individual in mind. And, what's great about this fledgling company is that Stacy's services are reasonably priced so that anyone--- even in this economy--- can afford them.

"I'm not gearing the company toward affluent clients," Stacy told South Shore Woman. "It is geared toward blue collar workers, who, because of the state of the economy, have had to pick up a second job and don't have time to go to the grocery store, or get their car inspected, because they are working Monday through Saturday."

Pricing depends on the service, but typically she charges between $18-to-$24 per hour. If you just need an hour of Stacy's time, that's fine. But services can also be bundled at a discounted rate for a one-time project, or contracted out for regular services. Stacy also offers monthly specials. For example, it's tax time, so for the month of April she's focusing on helping you get your paperwork and receipts ready for Uncle Sam. She'll then offer some advice on how to make the process easier next year, along with some budgeting tips.

How does this 20-something know so much? Well, aside from having her first business at age seven (a lemonade stand),  Stacy, who has her bachelors degree in psychology and business management, also worked as a banker, a nanny, a personal assistant, as well as a restaurant manager. In addition, she's a networking addict. She loves to team up with other like-minded business people to deliver uniquely tailored services to her clients.

More than anything, she's driven. This is a young woman who loves to do her homework. Before launching Errands, Etcetera, she sat in Barnes & Noble reading every event planning book she could get her hands on. She researched the business model and came up with a plan. Meanwhile, in her free time (she has free time?), she is participating in triathlons, creating crafts, and trying out new recipes in the kitchen to share with her clients.

Currently, Stacy has 10 regular clients who use her general services, and 30 clients that depend on her specifically for meal planning. She will  travel distances of up to 30 miles from her home base in Quincy, which makes sense, as at the moment she is a one-woman show. By June, however, Stacy hopes to have three full-time employees--- mostly to help with meal service delivery, as she wants to maintain control over the general services.

That 'control' thing runs deep. "It's always been in me," Stacy says. "I've always thought about what I could do to be my own boss and to better myself at the same time."

She knew from a very young age that she was blessed with the heart, soul, and determination of an entrepreneur.

For more information, contact Stacy at:

703-304-4067

www.errandsetcetera.biz

By Stephanie Neil

Stephanie Neil is a journalist. Her business, technology, and human interest stories have appeared in a variety of print and online newspapers and magazines including eWeek, Managing Automation, The Harvard Alumni Bulletin, Huggies Baby Network, South Shore Woman, and The Boston Globe.  She lives on the South Shore with her two kids, two cats, and a dog. Contact info: stephanieneil@comcast.net  or 781-378-1652. Follow her on Twitter @StephanieNeil