Press Release Fun Getaway Gal

She'll handle it

March 4, 2007
By LAUREL WEMETT
Messenger Post Correspondent

A Canandaigua woman has made a business of planning get-togethers and parties for other women who don't have the time.

CANANDAIGUA — All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl.
And frankly, says entrepreneur Susanne Wright, sometimes planning the “play” can be work, too. So Wright has built a business, Simply Just for the Girls, planning parties and getaways for women who don’t have time to do it themselves.

Sometimes, Wright organizes a surprise birthday celebration or puts together a reunion of college friends. "Women are an incredible species. As they age, they want to help each other," she said.

Typical excursions in the Finger Lakes region might include a tour of wineries, specialty shopping, and an afternoon at a spa. While many hotels and other groups offer similar packages, Wright personalizes the itinerary. Currently, she is working with an international visitor to plan a March weekend gathering of 10 women.

Wright begins with a one-on-one consultation to determine what a group wants to do. She charges an up-front fee for the consultation but refunds it if the client books her services. Her fee is a percentage of the package she puts together. "People love having a personal concierge," said Wright, who introduced herself to tourism business owners around the region before starting her service in July 2005.

She takes care of all the time-consuming details, phoning, faxing, and e-mailing her client and vendors as she plans an outing for two or 22. She does have one rule: "I only work with one person in the group," laughed Wright. And she tries to make it easy on that person, too.

"The nice thing is that anyone can contact me privately from their home. They don't have to come to see me in an office. Women love that," she said. She doesn’t just work with women. Men are welcome too if they want help planning something special for a mate or significant other, she said.

Her latest project is a club she wants to form called "Wine and Wahoo for Women" for those like herself who would like to learn more about wine.

Here are the basics about Suzanne Wright's business:

• Fun Getaway Gal, 111-C Holiday Harbour, Canandaigua
• Products: Customized getaway planning for women
• Contact: (585) 393-9365 or www.SimplyJustForTheGirls.com

And here's a bit about Suzanne Wright:

The movie, TV program or song that best portrays what your business is like:

"Movie: 'Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood.' Song: 'I Am Woman.'"

Stroke of luck or moment of inspiration that made your business possible:

"My best friend had called from Stetson University saying she just wished there was someone she could call on a personal basis who would organize a two-day trip for her and her sorority sisters because her schedule was so hectic."

Besides your business, the community's best kept secret is:

"The Ontario County Historical Society. It contains something for everyone."

This item is always in your fridge at home:

"Salad fixings."

If you could have dinner with one person, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

"The person I'd most like to have dinner with is Nelson Mandela, to understand how and where he came by his determination to persevere and survive while in prison."