Babysitting has evolved over the years from a simple
enterprise to a multi-million dollar business.
Although it accommodates young entrepreneurs looking for a source of
income the business is also done large scaled.
Babysitters provide an essential service to couples and
parents. The service reduces stress and allows couples quality time together. Working
parents who need additional support to take care of their kids hire
babysitters.
Startup for this business is small and the rewards great.
It also offers lots of flexibility, part-time structure and negotiable wages.
The business is done all year round and is not subject to
undue licenses and interference. If you are interested in babysitting business
then you need to know what obtains in this kind of work
Get Experience
Before you start a babysitting service you need to have
some experience in child care and safety. Attend seminars, symposiums and
workshops to learn child care and safety.
You can find lots of courses in vocational colleges and
institutions. Many non profit organizations have such classes and you can gain
more knowledge from books.
Get certification from organizations as Red Cross and
learn basic first aid treatment. Other relevant things you need are
certification in child and infant care. You can choose Red Cross Babysitter
Training and Safe Sitter courses.
The reason for going through training and certification
is because your job entails taking care of a child. The training prepares you
for emergencies and proper child handling.
Get References
and Recommendations
You need lots of references and recommendations for
potential clients. Parents want to know the competence of the person they leave
their children with.
Having such credentials is a proof or endorsement of your
professionalism. The references should be from authentic sources and satisfied
clients.
Register
your Business
Your enterprise needs a business name and identity.
Choose a befitting name for your company. Then register your company with the
corporate affairs commission.
Register your business either as a sole proprietorship or
limited liability company. Having a business name shows more professionalism
and seriousness.
Choose
Age Range for Your Services
Choosing an age range for our services is important so
clients know what to expect. The younger the child the higher the difficulty
level and service your company renders.
It costs more to take care of children younger than 2
years old. Taking care of babies is costly compared to children with 3-6 years.
Once you have chosen the age range for your services put
them in a list and add prices.
Establish
a Price Schedule
The price schedule is aimed at your target customers and
services you render. The price schedule is based on age grade, experience and
service provided. Your price should be based on hourly rates and work scope.
The duration and level of care dictates the price you
charge. To remain competitive study what other agencies are charging. Make your
charges reasonable and competitive.
An average price range between $10 and $28 per hour this
depends on the country and locality.
Charging
Parameters
1. Decide
what to charge based on Scope of work and age range
2. Study
pricing regime of competitors
3. Find
out what the client needs
4. Charge
per hour
5. Extra
experience and professional service attract extra cost
Open
a Business Account
You need a business account to collect earnings from clients.
The business account also helps in sourcing soft loans to expand your business.
This is where the name you registered becomes very
important. To get a business account part of the banks requirement is a
registered name, utility bills and tax evidence.
Interviews
Prospective Clients
Once your company is contacted for a job you need to
interview the client. You need to get acquainted with the child and understand
the client’s expectations. Having inside knowledge of the type of care they
expect allows effective pricing and better care.
How to
handle the Child
Learn how to handle emergency conditions such as
accidents, fire and natural disasters. Make sure you interview parents to
understand their needs and requirements. This will guide you in matters of
feeding and basic rules.
Pay full attention to the child in your care and save
parents contact phone number. Let the parents provide a list of things the
child can eat and things he is allergic to.
Build trust with the parents and kid by being nice and
attentive.
Build
a Website
You need a website targeted to your immediate
environment. Local businesses do well when they have an online presence.
Buy a domain name, host your website and offer
babysitting service to people in your geographical location. Place online
advertisements in social media and add your site to yellow pages.
Advertise
your Babysitting Service
No matter your business format either sole proprietorship
of Limited Liability Company you need to advertise your services. There are
many players so you need advertisement to reach new clients.
Start your advertisement campaign by printing handbills,
poster and banners. Give out lots of brochures and complementary cards. Put you
paid adverts in newspapers, church bulletins and local child care magazines.
You also need a dedicated phone number or office to
receive clients. You can hire a secretary or answer the calls yourself.
Case
study of sittercity.com
Sittercity.com was founded by Genevieve Thiers when she
was in college. She loaned $120 from her father to register a domain name for
caregivers.
Today the business has grown having over a million
registered caregivers and 70 full time employees. Like most businesses that
have zero startup capital the inception of the business venture was difficult.
It took several years had hard work by the young
entrepreneur to bag a seed investment of $5 million and the rest is history.
The message here is to love what you are doing, find a
niche and work hard.
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