The Ground Floor: Anaman Concierge Service aims to pick up and drop off

Felix Anaman said he loves challenges and loves to solve problems.

'Problems make business people successful,” he said.

Anaman's new business is intended to solve at least one problem frequently experienced by busy people - lack of time.

'Basically I'm providing services to help people maximize their time,” he said.

Anaman Concierge Services provides transportation to and from the airport, running errands and event planning for clients, among other options. If a client needs to take a car in for an oil change but doesn't have time to do it, Anaman will pick up the car and take it in.

If someone is traveling between meetings and needs to get work done along the way, Anaman will do the driving.

A native of Ghana, Anaman had started his own fashion label, Felix Anaman Clothing, and came to the United States in 2011 to work in the New York fashion industry.

He got married and moved to Iowa City, where his wife, Omolola, is a Ph.D. student, with the hopes of convincing her to return to New York. But that didn't happen.

'With the cost living and raising a family, New York is not the place,” he said.

While he still dreams of Iowa becoming a fashion hub someday, Anaman decided he needed a business idea better suited to his current circumstances. The inspiration for Anaman Concierge Services came from a comment made by his wife last December as they were adjusting to life with a newborn.

'She said she wished we could hire someone to run errands for us,” he recalled. 'Immediately I thought, that's the idea.”

Anaman established a business entity and created a logo. He also began developing relationships with area hotels and businesses for referrals from among their guests and employees.

'I now have quite a network of people and resources,” he said.

In May, he left his position at University of Iowa Health Care and launched Anaman Concierge Services on a full-time basis.

Anaman provides most of the services himself but has a number of people on standby to help when demand requires. He covers Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities, and said he looks forward to expanding the business to Des Moines and other markets in the future.

In the short-term, Anaman's plans include launching a website within the next two months, which will allow clients to save even more time with online booking.

l Know a business in operation for less than a year that could make an intriguing 'Ground Floor”? Contact michaelchevy.castranova@thegazette.com.

At a Glance

l Owner: Felix Anaman

l Business: Anaman Concierge Services LLC

l Telephone: (718) 801-9531

l Email: anamancs@gmail.com

l Facebook: www.facebook.com/anamancs