HELPING HANDS: July Parsons, left, and Margaret McCain Lawrence are the owners of SOS, Serving Our Seniors LLC. The business helps older people maintain independent lives in their homes. -- PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SOS, SERVING OUR SENIORS LLC

Two Collierville women are putting their homemaking and caregiving skills to use with a new business that caters to the needs of senior citizens.

They formed SOS, Serving Our Seniors LLC this summer. The aim is to help older people live independently in their homes. The business, which is owned by Margaret McCain Lawrence and Judy Parsons, serves the Germantown and Collierville areas.

“We’re just moms at heart,” said Lawrence, the business’s chief executive officer. “We know how to work around the home and what needs to be cleaned. We’re thinking of things before people need them. We know how to cook meals. We know how to serve people.”

Full range of services

If there’s something they can’t do, the company has 10 contract employees with the expertise to do the job, ranging from a cosmetologist to a yard worker.

“My son does the lawn work,” Lawrence said. “He’s 16 going on 17 and he likes to do yard work. He and a friend are on standby for me.”

Another contract employee is someone who can explain how to use computers and electronic devices.

The owners know every worker SOS might send to someone’s home and they have had their backgrounds screened, Lawrence said. The firm is also insured.

Lawrence, whose background is in marketing, and Parsons, whose background is in accounting and office management, began meeting in February to develop the business plan for SOS. They launched the company in July.

Services include errands, companionship, medicine organization, personal care, meal preparation, in-home hair styling and manicures, pet services, household chores, seasonal decorating, grocery shopping, transportation, seasonal plantings, technology assistance, supervision of home maintenance and communication with out-of-town children.

“All our services are non-medical, but a necessity for a secure lifestyle,” said Parsons, who is chief financial officer. “Since we own our own company we can be flexible when needed. Both Margaret and I believe this is a much-needed service and hope to find our client base in the Collierville and Germantown areas since we live here too.”

Personalized care

The cost for the services is $22 an hour with a three-hour minimum session.

“If it’s convenient and if our clients need different things during a week’s time, like picking up the mail and taking the trash in or our picking up medicines – where it is not going to take an hour – we will restructure a scale for those type services,” Lawrence said.

They put a lot of planning into the business with weekly meetings at Square Beans Coffee Co. on the Collierville Town Square. The duo briefly considered buying into a franchise that provides the same types of services.

“There are a lot of franchises set up,” Lawrence said. “You buy into them and they have the marketing laid out. Everything is almost turnkey with them. I kind of already knew how to do a lot of that.”

One of the first tasks was agreeing on a mission statement: “To keep our senior clients active, excited about life and help them be as self-reliant as they can be in their homes. SOS will honor and be discrete with personal issues while meeting the needs to assist our senior clients in day-to-day living.”

They decided on the SOS name for obvious reasons. People usually don’t ask for help until they’re in a crisis situation, Lawrence said.

The owners plan to adapt the company’s services according to the needs of its clients. However, they prefer slow, steady growth. For now, the services will be limited to Germantown and Collierville.

“We’re going to keep it small for starters then see where business takes us,” Lawrence said.