5 signs you need a household management platform
If you’ve seen any of these signs in your household, it might be time to find a better system for managing properties, people and projects.
Every day, we hear from families, family offices, and private service professionals who’ve reached a breaking point. They feel overwhelmed by the chaos of managing properties and everything that comes with them, and they’re in search of a better way.
At Nines, we’re on a mission to help these households overcome the complexities that come with wealth (what we call, ‘the wealth spiral’) so they can live with ease, and we’ve designed a household management platform tailored to their unique challenges.
Along the way, we’ve noticed a handful of signs that show you’ve reached your breaking point, and it’s time for a better system for home management. Here are 5 sure-fire signals that you need a household management platform.
1. You’re asking (or being asked), “we have all these people here, what are they doing?”
Principals often ask this question after they’ve hired household staff. A household management platform gives principals and family offices a bird’s eye view of what’s happening across their properties, and gives household managers the ability to hold staff accountable.
A household management platform like Nines makes it easy to assign household tasks to staff and vendors, set reminders, and get notifications for completed tasks. Plus, Nines has a simple, user-friendly app for Apple IOS and Android, which means you can follow along in real time and get visibility into your team’s to-do lists whether or not you’re on the property.
2. You’re in a constant state of hiring
Some families are in a constant state of hiring. They might hire a housekeeper, and within weeks it doesn’t work out and they have to start all over again. A pattern like this suggests a mismatch in expectations.
A household management platform helps you document family members’ preferences and expectations, each team member’s responsibilities, and all of the information about your home’s fixtures, surfaces, assets, etc. These are all critical pieces of information your team needs to be successful, because every home and every family is unique.
3. You’re terrified of staff turnover
Chances are, if you have a household manager you couldn’t live without, or a housekeeper or groundsman who’s cared for your home for decades, you’re terrified that person will leave.
Nines creates continuity by giving you one place for all your household’s most important information, from seasonal checklists and weekly cleaning task lists, to vendor contracts for home maintenance projects and logs that keep track of what’s happening across your properties on a daily basis. Having a working platform for everyone involved in running your household allows you to automatically create a historical record of your homes, your assets, and your systems.
4. You can’t find answers when you need them
In the past, homeowners and estate managers hoping to get organized have relied on binders and household manuals, spreadsheets, and paper task lists.
But today, people want answers quickly, and a paper binder in a drawer on the property can’t possibly keep up. Even an Excel spreadsheet is too cumbersome to search on an iPhone.
Nines is easily searchable, so you can find answers instantly no matter where you are. When everything lives in a centralized, cloud-based household management platform, everything from your warranties and insurance policies to step-by-step instructions for operating your AV system are always at your fingertips.
5. You have too many tools
Over the past few years, tech savvy estate managers have built out their own systems using a mix of file storage apps, Google Calendar, simple list apps, and home organization apps that typically support with grocery shopping, meal planning, family calendars and household chores.
But with so many tools to balance, they find themselves wishing for one tool that can do it all. Complex households with multiple properties, a number of household staff, a long list of vendors and contractors, and a constant stream of major projects need a household management app built specifically for them.
With Nines, you can simplify the way you manage properties by moving everything into one tool designed specifically for you.
Ready to get started?
If any of these scenarios feel familiar, it’s time to explore a better way. With the right household management platform, you’ll be able to save time and take your household operations to the next level. Check out the household management platform built for families, family offices, and private service professionals today.