Build a dynamic house manual to match your household

Is your household manual readily available when you need it, or is it sitting in a drawer? Is it comprehensive and accurate, or filled with information that became outdated as things changed in your household? Or worst of all, has “create a house manual” been on your to-do list for ages, looming over you because you know it would be helpful, but you don’t have the time? 

Household manuals are a critical part of estate management. You need a way to keep your household staff on the same page, whether you oversee one housekeeper or 30 private service professionals. House manuals help you communicate everything from standards of etiquette and emergency protocols to detailed instructions on how to care for specific pieces of fine furniture. 

But the problem is, house manuals often feel like an intimidating project. Historically, homeowners and household managers have filled heavy binders with every piece of household information they could think of, from emergency contact information and staffing procedures to endless lists of important tasks, household supplies, and phone numbers for plumbers and handymen. And, because things change on a daily basis, the binder is often outdated as soon as it’s finished.

The secret is this: your household manual shouldn’t live in a binder. Instead, your manual needs to be easily accessible and flexible — and it needs to work hard for you — so you get all the time you put into it back as it helps you run your household more efficiently every day.  

That’s why Nines is building the first household management app that allows you to manage people, properties and projects all in one place. Nines is designed specifically for discerning households and the people who support them, combining a modern approach with tried-and-true templates.

We want to help you build smarter, more accessible household manuals, so we’ve teamed up with the expert who knows them best: Marta Perrone. 

Now, you can make your household’s manual more accessible, searchable, interactive, and easy to update, thanks to built-in templates for organizing your household’s protocols, standards and procedures. Our intuitive house manual templates are inspired by Marta Perrone’s proven manual format, which is trusted by hundreds of discerning households. 

“There has to be something in place for everybody to understand all the moving parts to be able to run a house seamlessly,” says Marta.

“You need it to create order, and the risk is chaos.” 

At Nines, we believe your house manual should be an interactive environment, rather than a static document. All of your household’s data should be easily accessible, no matter where you are, and it should be connected, so it can work harder for you. Your household is always changing, and your manual should be, too.  

Whether you’re starting from scratch or digitizing your existing manual, Nines household manual templates for protocols, standards and procedures make it easy to bring your manual to life. 

Digitize your manual to match your dynamic household 

Your manual is only helpful when it’s easily available. If your Director of Residences travels between properties, a digital house manual guarantees that the information they need is always at their fingertips. Or, if your homeowners, your house manager, and your personal assistant are all based in different places, they can easily share updates in a digital manual.

Keeping your household’s protocols in Nines empowers your household staff with the information they need, no matter where they are — without compromising the security of your household’s sensitive information. Plus, Nines is searchable, so you can pinpoint exactly what you need in seconds.

An accessible, cloud-based format also opens up new opportunities for keeping your manual fresh and up to date. With Nines, your household manual is a daily part of your workflow. Rather than being a static document, it’s a living environment where you can link to important contacts, vendors, assets and more. 

For example, when you’re laying out your emergency procedures, you can @ mention residents, employees and contacts to create a contact list of emergency phone numbers. In your culinary protocols, you can @ mention specific staff members or family members to note responsibilities or preferences. And in your housekeeping protocols, you can @ mention zones to clearly communicate which cleaning products should be used in each area. 

Organize your protocols with help from Marta Perrone 

Not sure what should be included in your manual? Our protocols are organized into an intuitive chapter list inspired by Marta Perrone’s expert system for creating household and estate manuals.

“A lot of people don’t even know where to start,” says Marta. “Nines gives them the essentials.” 

Marta’s standard list of protocols includes staff, clothing and valet, housekeeping, property, inventory and more. It gives you a head start, whether you’re building a new manual or organizing the procedures you already have. With these built-in templates, you can create a guidebook of step-by-step instructions for household staff and document key information, from house rules and wifi troubleshooting tips to detailed landscaping plans, fire extinguisher locations, and laundry care preferences.

Tailor the manual to your own household 

In addition to Marta’s standard list of chapters, you can easily create custom chapters unique to your household. Plus, you can add nested sections under each chapter to keep everything organized and make your protocols even easier to browse.  

Every household is unique, and with our flexible protocols, your manual can be tailored to your exact needs. 

Build the manual your household deserves 

Ready to turn your manual into a dynamic tool that can keep up with your household life? Learn more about Nines and schedule a demo today.

Want to keep learning? Check out some of our favorite household management resources:

• Modern Household Management Workshops
• The ultimate guide to household manuals
• Easemakers Podcast for private service professionals

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