TaskPro is at your service

Growing up in a family-owned business, Nathan Hickman has a deep appreciation for both the rewards of managing a growing business and the struggles of balancing the time needed to work and the time for family and friends.

As it turns out, it's that intersection of work/life balance and the demands of work that inspired Hickman to launch his business, TaskPro, a personal concierge and lifestyle management business that serves residents of greater Grand Rapids.

Hickman says TaskPro provides a wide variety of services, including home watch (keeping an eye on a individual's home while they are away for extended times), personal concierge  (errands and personal shopping), lifestyle management (personal representative for travel and estate issues), and in-home, non-medical personal and companionship care services (family advocacy, companionship, transportation and light housekeeping).

Besides growing up in an entrepreneurial family, other inspiration for the business came from personal experience. Hickman's parents had used a home-watch service in Florida to maintain their property while traveling for extended periods. More personal was the experience of caring for his brother, who was born with a serious medical condition. "My parents could not find adequate care," he says. "I watched my parents really struggle with managing his special needs."

After launching the business in 2013, Hickman says he initially will be working solo but is planning to scale the business by hiring and training a team once he becomes more familiar with the specific needs of the West Michigan market. "I'm just starting the company. It will be interesting to see what services stick. When I created the business I created it to have staff. I'm certified in human resources and I excel at hiring and training," he says.

To learn more about TaskPro, including pricing and more detailed information on the services, you can visit Hickman's site here.

Writer: John Rumery, Innovation and Jobs News Editor