Ray Roberts, a former NFL player who lives on English Hill, is teaming up with his wife on a new business venture, which they hope will make people’s lives less stressful and more simple.

Roberts partnered with his wife, Beth, to form Simplicity Lifestyle Management, LLC, which provides a myriad of personal assistant services — from grocery shopping to airport transport — for busy families and business professionals.

“This is something totally removed from sports,” said Ray, who played nine years in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions before retiring in 2001. “It’s an opportunity to do something with my wife. Now she can be the rock star.”

Veronica Bowman, a personal assistant and a close family friend, is also part of the business, which is based at the Roberts’ home.

The trio has a handful of clients, including a cancer patient and a Microsoft executive, since starting up the business last July.

Beth said Simplicity offers a variety of services from car detailing to taking the kids to school.

“As long as it is legal, moral and ethical, we will do it,” Beth said. “Just tell me what you need and that’s exactly what I will do.”

Ray said the company’s target market is “busy couples who have families or busy individuals that need an extra set of hands or they just need to get something done so they focus on things more important to them.”

Beth said one of her main clients is a cancer patient who spends a lot of time in chemotherapy and is too tired to do daily tasks. Another client is a workaholic executive who just “wants to be able to have a Saturday with her family,” Beth said.

The business idea came about during Ray’s playing days when Ray’s focus was on football and Beth had the daunting task of raising three children while moving between Detroit and Seattle.

“When Ray was playing, I would come home sometimes and there would be no food in the house,” Beth said. “I had to call Ray and have him get food. If I would have had an extra set of hands, I would have appreciated it.”

Simplicity’s services may seem like a luxury, but it’s not if you see the impact it can have on making life less stressful and more enjoyable, Ray said.

“It may seem like an expense, but if you think about it, people are doing a lot more with less,” Ray said. “I think that’s where we fit in. We can eliminate some stress for people, so people can be with their families more.”

Sheryl Peterson, human resources director at Microsoft and mother of a 23-month-old son, is an appreciative client. She said she was looking for a “personal assistant or mother’s helper,” and when she put out a request on a Microsoft e-mail list “someone at Microsoft saw my request who knew Ray and Ray contacted me.”

Peterson said Simplicity does a variety of services for her, including laundry, dropping donations off at Goodwill, re-potting plants, wrapping Christmas presents, Costco runs and researching hot vacation spots.

“Using Simplicity has had a huge impact on my life,” Peterson said. “My stress level has gone down tremendously and I have more time to spend with my family. … I know that they are available to help me with anything. All I need to do is ask.”

Beth said the company is still growing and in time, they hope to add more staff as the clients increase.

For Ray, Simplicity is something to do after football with his wife. For Beth, it’s just part of her selfless personality.

“The spirt of what we do is more a reflection of my wife,” said Ray, who is the “face” of the business. “It’s a reflection of her willingness to give to other people and help other people. This gives her a purpose. It’s not like we’re selling jewelry. We’re offering a service that truly helps people.”

Beth added, “asking for help is not always a luxury, sometimes it’s a necessity that never gets met.”

Beth said the company does thorough background checks on all clients and is licensed and insured. For more information, call (206) 696-1835 or visit www.simplicityseattle.com.