How to Start a Babysitting Business

No matter if you're young, old, or in-between, babysitting is a great way to make some serious extra cash. Babysitting is especially lucrative for girls 13-25, who often make thousands of dollars a year on caring for other people's children. When my mom babysat as a teenager, she made 50 cents an hour. The pay has risen drastically- I make $10-$12 dollars an hour, an impressive wage for watching kid's play. I started babysitting around 3 years ago, and I want to tell you how to start and maintain a babysitting business.

Step 1: Get Some Training

Get Babysitter training from Girl Scouts or your local YMCA and get CPR and first aid certified from your local Red Cross. Just having certification keeps parents calm and can help you get $3-$5 more per hour than if you had no training. The expenses of certification will soon pay off, and your CPR skills might actually come in handy.

Step 2: Figure Out Your Schedule

Figure out when you're available. As a quality babysitter, you can truly plan your own hours. Decide when you want to work and you can accept clients who will follow your schedule. TO keep track of your engagements, keep a small pocket planner.

Step 3: Advertise

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise. Create flyers and put them on local bulletin boards and around local elementary schools. Advertise in your neighborhood newspaper. You can even use Internet sites, such as Craigslist, to advertise (just be safe about it). Create some business cards to pass out whenever an opportunity presents itself. Use promotions, such as giving clients a free hour of babysitting to gain reputation and a large clientele. SitterCity.com and Babysitter.com are two great on-line babysitter sites that will connect you to a huge list of possible clients.

Step 4: Actually Interact with the Kids- Get a Babysitting Bag