Yes, babysitting is a business!
I know it seems like babysitting is just something you do to make money…but did you ever stop to think that when you babysit, you are actually a business person? You are in what is called a service business. You may babysit for just one family (even your own) or many. The people that hire you are actually your clients or customers.
Want to take your babysitting to the next level? Ask the families you work for to refer you to their friends. Don’t be afraid to tell them the kinds of kids you love to babysit for. If you love babies, say so! If you prefer to be out in the backyard hitting baseball, tell them that, too. Many moms don’t want to give out the name of their best babysitter – they keep you to themselves so you are available when they need you. You can certainly create flyers or hand out business cards in your neighborhood, but I prefer the word-of-mouth method for babysitting referrals. When you are in someone else’s home, watching someone else’s kids, it’s nice to have someone that is familiar with the family.
You can still be professional. Why not have some business cards printed up with your name and/or your email address on it. Printing cards will show that you are serious about wanting to work and makes it easy for people to refer you. Check out Vistaprint. They offer free business cards – you just have to pay shipping. You can also create your own. Office Supply stores like Staples have business card stock you can put through your home printer, but I think Vistaprint is probably easier and cheaper! We were really happy with our first cards and just ordered more. You can get 250 premium quality, color business cards FREE! Click here.
