THERE are not enough hours in the day. It's an age-old saying but one with increasing relevance in the 21st century as we attempt to juggle the time-consuming pressures of work with the demands of home life.

Liz Riley does not claim to provide her clients with more hours than the allotted 24, but her lifestyle management company Vivavida is able to take some of the stresses and strains out of the day.

The Leigh-based firm offers a personal assistant service for busy people, whether it be orchestrating an office move or organising a surprise birthday party at home.

Miss Riley, 30, said: "It is a consultancy service which is charged by the hour. There is no monthly charge or membership.

"It's about lifestyle management. We can be an office assistant or a personal assistant, arranging anything. We arrange to take the headache out of everything."

She added: "I know of a lot of people who do not want a PA all the time but need one at certain times."

Vivavida boasts it can arrange almost anything, whether it be last minute tickets to the FA Cup final, holidays abroad or a business launch.

This is thanks to the contacts made and the experience gained during the 12 years Miss Riley spent working as a personal assistant and then an events organisor in London.

After more than a decade of tiresome commuting she decided to set up her own business closer to home after seeing a niche in the market.

Miss Riley, a chamber of commerce member, said: "It is a unique concept for Essex. There are a few lifestyle management companies in London and people understand them, but people in Essex are not as used to it.

"We are a new concept people need to get their heads around."

Vivavida was launched in April and operates from Miss Riley's home in Leigh which allows her to be on call to clients out of office hours, when often they need her most.

She said: "The thing I found frustrating in London was not getting home until 7.30pm.

"If you are having something delivered, a washing machine for example, someone working in London would have to take the whole day off.

"We can be at someone's home to take that delivery and we can project manage the whole kitchen refurbishment if they want."

It is the ability to create time for her clients by taking care of various tasks which has made those 24 hours in the day seem a little bit longer for Vivavida clients.

Vivavida's service costs £45 an hour. Telephone 07879 401403.

Web link: www.vivavida.co.uk

Taken from Business Essex, September 2005.