Switzerland offers the ultimate in scenery, security and serenity but dealing with the problems commonly faced by both Swiss nationals and expats can prove overwhelming, time-consuming and as hazardous as any alpine black run.
Time-challenged families looking for hassle-free administration may be interested in the services of Chronologica SA, a private administration management company based in Nyon, which has made huge progress since we wrote about it on our site 2 years ago.
With Chronologica’s services the dream of a life with no paperwork, no invoices to manage, no frustrating liaisons with tradesman and more time for you becomes a reality. Managing director Lizzie Gent told knowitall.ch, “We’re offering a unique service whereby our clients enjoy the benefits of a private office and full-time personal assistant without the cost or responsibility of employment.”
Know-it-all passport 2015/2016 on display at one of the many sales points.
Manor Geneva, 3rd floor
That's it! The corrections are made and the new recommendations have been added in the 9th edition of Know-it-all passport®. The Imprimerie Nationale Rochat Baumann (thanks to Jacques and his team) in Geneva have done a great job. It takes 4 weeks of printing and 6 weeks of binding. This 10 week-long print process brings you the quality item that you will keep on hand for the next two years. There are also two bookmarks on ribbons that are hand-inserted by a little old lady near Fribourg! Get your copy at one of our distribution points for your copy hot-off-the-press!
LISTINGS
All the listings are entered free-of-charge. We base our entire work ethic on recommendations from people like you (these people have their name listed on the last page of the book). We would love to know that we are supported by all those that have their company or business listed. Please buy your copy and/or pass along this article to show your support! Thanks!
ABOUT THE 9TH EDITION
Sporting the new purple color throughout, the cover is lifted with a touch of green. Click here to see the the evolution of the colors from the first edition.
See the photo competition winners and runners-up entries in our article.
Lisa's selfie delivering boxes
of books last Tuesday!
How many times have you heard people talking about how wonderful it is that we live in such an international area as the Lake Geneva region? People are coming and going all the time - many plan to stay for just a few months, others inevitably stay longer, as they fall in love with a region that has so much to offer – not just to tourists, but visiting business professionals, and expats who have decided to make Switzerland their home.
Once the decision has been made to stay, be it for one week, several months, or even years, then it’s time to start looking for accommodation. A quick browse on the internet or through the local papers can be extremely helpful in identifying property to rent – however most of the properties advertised usually require long-term rental contracts or are not furnished. Even if you have decided to stay for a few years, many families, in particular, prefer to test the water first, by staying in a hotel until they have got the feel of the area. As time passes and suitable properties fail to materialize, costs can soon mount up.
20% Earlybird discount for tradespeople who sign up before end of April, 2014
A new website has just been launched to help homeowners in Switzerland find local tradesmen and artisans that they can trust.
Called TrustedArtisan.com, the website provides an online market place where homeowners can post a project online, receive quotes from tradespeople registered on the site, and then select a company to do the job, according to the quality of reviews posted by former clients. The service is free to homeowners, but artisans must pay an annual subscription to be listed on the site, and a small commission on any significant projects over Fr. 20K, undertaken as a result of being contacted through the site.
The idea for the new website came from James Amoah, a specialist in operations management at Kaleidoscope International, a niche supply chain and business solution consultancy, focused on finding innovative customer services for businesses. James told knowitall.ch, “The concept for TrustedArtisan.com came through my own personal frustration at having no immediate access to recommended artisans, nor any means to assess their performance or vent frustration when jobs were performed inadequately. When my wife, Sarah, and I talked to friends and work colleagues, we realised that we were not alone with these frustrations and things could be much better than they were.”
Claim your special 10% discount for knowitall.ch clients valid until end of June 2014!
One of the most frequent questions we get asked at knowitall.ch is whether we can recommend anyone to do odd jobs around the home. Whether you are new to the region, or have been here a while, it can often be difficult to find a company who will turn up on time, provide a reasonable quote, and produce work to a sufficiently high quality.
So when we received a recommendation recently for a company that has been operating in the region for approximately 4 years, we were only too keen to find out more!
La Boîte O Services was set up in 2010 by Johann Frain, a local entrepreneur with lots of prior experience working within a large international corporation and, therefore, very familiar with the way expats like to think and work! In less than 4 years, his new company has grown from a small enterprise doing odd jobs for customers to a large service-oriented organization employing over 30 people in the Cantons of Vaud and Geneva. So successful has the company been, that it will expand later this year into Neuchatel.
