Better Than a Lemonade Stand!: Small Business Ideas for Kids

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Babysitting Broker

While your sitters take care of kids,

you’ll take care of business!

You arrange babysitting services for parents in your neighborhood. You act as a babysitting broker by hiring other kids to babysit.

SUPPLIES

You will need a phone or computer and advertising.

TIME NEEDED

To start up, you need to find a few responsible babysitters who have good references, and you need to find some parents looking for reliable babysitting services. When you are ready to start, allow time to communicate with parents seeking babysitters, contact other kids to babysit, check on babysitters while they are working, and follow up with parents to make sure they are satisfied. You may have to babysit when one of your babysitters gets sick or doesn’t show up at the scheduled time. Make yourself available on babysitting nights for such occurrences.

WHAT TO CHARGE

Bill the parents $12 per hour. Pay the babysitter $10 per hour. You make $2 per hour. That may not sound like a lot, but if the babysitter works for three hours, you make $6. If you have five babysitters working one evening, you make $30 and don’t even leave your house!

HOW TO ADVERTISE

As soon as you have parents who are using your service, ask them for a quote about your business to include in your advertising. Ask neighborhood coffee shops, grocery stores, and libraries if you can post flyers or business cards on their community bulletin boards. Advertise in your school’s, club’s, team’s, and community or religious center’s newsletters. Talk about your business on your website and by commenting in other people’s online discussions. Explain that a reliable, friendly babysitter will be available on the night parents request. Emphasize that parents should contact you at least three days before the requested time to arrange for a sitter, and mention that you take calls and answer emails only in the evening, because you attend school. Don’t forget to tell your friends’ parents in person when you go over to their house.

HINTS

You might consider offering higher “last-minute” prices for people who have sudden need for a babysitter and can’t give advance notice.

Tell older kids in your area that you would like to find them babysitting work. If they want to participate, have them write their name, address, phone number, and email address on a list. Be sure to pick responsible kids. Find kids who will show up for work and be kind and attentive to young children. Create and sign a detailed agreement with your sitters.

Also create and sign a detailed agreement with your parent clients, especially noting what they need to pay if they cancel at the last minute. When parents call you, write down the date and time the sitter is needed, the address of the house, and the ages of the children. Call a babysitter on your list and convey the necessary information. Notify the parents to tell them the name of, and something about, the babysitter you have scheduled.

On the day of the appointment, call the babysitter to be sure that person doesn’t forget! Remind babysitters to note the number of hours they babysit but not to collect any money. You will bill parents and pay the babysitter.

To be successful in this business, you must please parents. Follow up babysitting sessions with a phone call or email. This business requires paperwork and phone calls, but you can make money without leaving your home.

INSPIRATION FROM KID

ENTREPRENEURS JUST LIKE YOU!

NAME: Farrhad Acidwalla

TITLE: entrepreneur, CEO

AGE: 17

WHERE: India

WHAT: Farrhad is all things PR, founding and running Rockstah Media, which helps corporations strengthen their online and offline presence.

HOW: From $10 borrowed from his parents four years ago to now, Farrhad has become an internet mogul, buying, developing, and then selling for a profit several websites. With these as stepping stones to ever bigger success, Farrhad founded Rockstah. And he still finds time to study, as a student at H. R. College of Commerce & Economics.

FUN FACT: Rockstah Media’s one goal, according to its website: “Creating Awesomeness.” Awesome.

RESOURCE: www.rockstahmedia.com