Nanny Service

Stay at home moms are steadily becoming a thing of the past, modern demands have meant that two working parents is now the norm many homes across the world. With this trend on the increase there is a high demand to fill the gap. A nanny is different from an au pair and handles everything a stay at home mom would, including looking after the kids, cleaning and even cooking. A nanny service matches households with nannies, it’s an expensive start-up with big management responsibilities but with stay at home moms on the decline you can be sure the demand is only going to increase.

Before The Start-Up – Let’s Not Get Ahead Of Ourselves

Small nanny services manage anywhere from 10 to 40 nannies at one time. There is no specific qualification required for this job but management experience is essential.

The Start-Up

Starting your own nanny service is no small undertaking. To begin you’ll need a home office including a work space, desk, and computer with a high speed internet connection, printer, scanner and copier. You’ll also need business stationary including business cards, a letterhead, brochures and an invoice and quote template. You might be mobile during a small part of your day so a cell phone will come in handy.

Your next task is to put together your staff list. Each nanny needs to be careful interviewed; you’ll also need to carry out a police background check on each new candidate to ensure they have a clean record. Put your service ahead of the rest and profile your nannies personalities using a standard personality test.

Making It Work

The interview process doesn’t stop with your staff; customers also need to be carefully interviewed. To achieve success you’ll need to accurately match nannies to suitable families. Knowing the personality type of every nanny on your staff will be invaluable information during the matching process.

Marketing

Initially you’ll need to market your services to both families looking for a nanny, and nanny’s themselves looking for work. Once you have an established service nanny’s looking for work will find you.

Advertise in the Yellow Pages and local classifieds. Develop a simple business website with a list of the services you offer, company information, history and contact details. Don’t forget to clearly state the areas your staff is able to service. Carefully place client testimonials on every page of your site to build trust and credibility. Register your site with local and specialist directories such as Google Local if you live in the U.S.

Don’t Forget

Hidden costs such as liability insurance, compulsory staff benefits and training make starting a nanny service an expensive undertaking. Make sure you have a comprehensive business plan and sufficient capital before you begin.