Chris & Emily- Paco Services
Chris is a Kiwi who runs his own commercial real estate business in Lisbon. He’s clearly a multitalented bloke because he’s also just written a brief six thousand year history of Portugal.
Emily is a Brit who has set up and runs a concierge business called Paco @pacoservices catering to expats from all over the world, drawn to Lisbon for all the reasons we know. But needing a little help with navigating the not always wholly transparent machinations of the ‘system’ in Portugal. Where do you even begin trying work out how to get wifi connected to a flat you’ve just rented?
We met up with Chis & Emily in what can only be described as their fantasy apartment. A penthouse overlooking the city from the front and back. Filled with uber cool modernist furniture as if lifted straight from the Design Museum in Copenhagen. And the walls adorned with modern art straight out of the Tate.
But the showstopper of this generally jaw dropping apartment is the library bookshelves which run from the floor, all the way into the pitch of the exposed roof.
The origins of this impressive literary display soon become clear. Because as well as starting and running two businesses and having a baby, Chris & Emily also manage to have a competition between the two of them each year (which comes with a silver trophy complete with winner’s names engraved on it – competitive? Moi?) over who can read the most books. In fact, it’s slightly more specific than that, it’s who can read the most pages in the year. (You need to bang through over 16,000 pages a year to be in with a look in of getting your name on the silverware).
The idea for Paco came from Emily’s experiences when she first arrived in Portugal and trying to set up her flat. All the stuff which is tricky (and a bit boring tbh) moving house in your own country, but quadruply tricky in another country, especially if you don’t speak the language. But the challenges Emily had, are common to everyone moving there. And from that, the idea of the concierge and PA service was borne. In no time at all she has racked up a huge roster of clients from across the world, all attracted to the Lisbon lifestyle.
Chris eulogised to us how welcoming to start ups and entrepreneurs the country and in particular the city of Lisbon is. And it’s this breath of fresh air approach to the entrepreneurial culture which has driven the inexorable rise in the numbers of expats arriving over the past few years.
Drawn as much by the climate (weather, business and all-round friendliness) as much as legging it from whatever political disaster is going on in their home country, there are now so many kindred spirit expats in Lisbon, Emily & Chris have been able to build a hugely successful business catering to their needs.
