Vixen Valet Service brings the all-female upscale parking attendant to Atlanta. The ladies-only valet service is owned and operated by Ahsh Murphy. The thirty-something pharmaceutical sales representative moved to Atlanta from Maryland about two years ago. Murphy says she noticed that a lot of people in the ATL had their own businesses so she thought about finding her niche.
“Atlanta is inspiring for entrepreneurs because there are so many people here doing their own thing,” says Murphy. “I visited a ‘50s-inspired diner and came up with the idea to operate a valet service with all-female drivers in vintage-like uniforms. One of my best friends started brainstorming with me and Vixen Valet Service was born.”
Murphy saw an untapped market ripe with opportunity in Atlanta and started her engines. She began doing her homework and contacted other valet companies.
“I had to do a lot of research about the industry, particularly when it came to pricing, conducting site visits and hiring staff,” she says.
When it came to funding her dream, rather than hitting the breaks, Murphy did it herself. “The valet business requires very little start-up money, so I tapped into my savings,” she says.
Two years later, Vixen Valet Service employs about 17 female drivers. The valets undergo extensive training, background checks and must know how to drive anything from a Maybach to a Hummer. She also has a couple of guys working on staff for security purposes. The company has already developed a following in Atlanta through word-of-mouth marketing.
“We’ve been fortunate because most of our business comes from referrals,” says Murphy.
Celebrities like singer Gladys Knight and actor Boris Kodjoe have benefited from the company’s services.
Vixen Valet Service offers their corporate clients black uniforms accessorized with pearls. “We try to blend in with our client’s party or event theme because we are the first people guests see when they arrive,” adds Murphy.
The ladies could also be seen opening doors and parking cars in an episode of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” and outside the BET Hip Hop Awards Show style suite. “It’s a great feeling to have your own business,” says Murphy.
–marian anderson
To learn more about Vixen Valet Service, click here www.vixenvaletservice.com/
Marian Anderson is a travel and lifestyle writer and creator of Haute Travels Blog hautetravels.blogspot
