How did we get started and where do we go from here! Two years ago, we had an amazing sitter. Evie. *sniff*. We miss you, Evie!! She graduated from OT school and is now working as an amazing OT in the Dallas area. Unfortunately that meant she moved from here. That was about the third time I had a great sitter graduate or leave or just get too busy to babysit. I have had an infant in my home for the better part of the last 8 years, and it is so hard to trust a new sitter with a baby. Will they change the diaper correctly, will they be able to handle her crying, will they refrain from shaking or hurting the baby? So, when Evie abandoned us, I decided it was time to find a better option. While I was in Dallas visiting a friend, I was introduced to SeekingSitters. From there it was a quick journey through researching the website and into purchasing a franchise. My husband and I had talked several times about opening a babysitting service in Lubbock on our own, but when I found this franchise I figured there was no reason to reinvent the wheel!
We opened in November 2009. I immediately hired 5 sitters and started getting our name out. We have had some wonderful coverage on the news stations and newspapers (Thanks Wendi and Karin!). And have partnered with some fabulous local businesses for some cross-promotion (Joyful Noise Music, Building Blocks Toys, Lil' Footprints, Sae Kim Tae Kwon Do, Jumpin' Jungle, Cookie Bouquet, KidSpace). And we have been the fastest growing franchise the corporate office has opened to date!! YAY Lubbock! I'll tell you the corporate owners were not 100% sure a franchise would do well here because we're a little smaller than their typical market. But with some great support from the franchise liaison there who happened to live in Lubbock in the past, they brought us on. And now look at us go! We now have 21 sitters and 72 families using our service including 5 corporate accounts (4 churches and Betenbough homes). It has been an amazing 6 months.
So, what type of sitters do we have? We have sitters from age 18 to 34. All of our sitters have First Aid/CPR training, go through an extensive background investigation, have experience with all age ranges of children, and have been personally interviewed by me. They bring a bag of activities to the family's home and leave behind an information sheet of what the kids did during the day. We provide sitters for all times of day, all days of the week, and even for vacations and holidays! Here is some of the feedback from our members:
Yas was a supersitter. Somehow she managed to play, draw pictures, bathe children, put children down for naps while baking cookies!!!!! Wow!!! What a trooper too, the baby spit up all over her and she still had a smile on her face! I was very impressed... Marie,Lubbock
Kristen did a fabulous job for us! She helped the kids make Mother's Day cards for us, and played with Play Doh, too! Also, the house was spotless when we got home...she even cleaned up from dinner and put away the dishes! (Definite plus for me!) All the kids have asked when she will be coming back...we hope soon! Amanda,Lubbock
Ann is absolutely wonderful! The kids loved her and I felt great about leaving the baby. When we got home all 3 were fast asleep. We will definitely have her back. The kids still talk about her. Kaci,Lubbock
Ann was terrific. Our two boys thought she was one of the best sitters we have hired. Gary,Lubbock
This was my first time with seekingsitters. I think seekingsitters is a wonderful service. From the time we left to the time we got back, Danielle was entertaining my girls. She came with a big bag of activities. My girls really enjoyed their time with Danielle. Very well organized from the food the kids ate, to the activities they did, to the times the youngest went to the potty. Will definitely use seekingsitters and Danielle again Ronnelle,Lubbock
So great! When I got home my 2 year old was trying hard to tell me all the fun things they did and was dancing around "like a bird and an airplane". Stephanie figured out her favorite cartoon and made puppets out of paper bags that looked just like "Max and Ruby" Really Great, will for sure ask for her again! Brittni,Lubbock
Families join as a membership with us. It generally takes 24 - 48 hours to activate a family membership. We also screen our families to make sure it is a safe environment for both the sitters and the families. There is a one-time membership fee that gives access to the website, a Family Information Packet, and the option of requesting a sitter online anytime. Families can view sitters' profiles and mark sitters as preferred (or blocked). Hourly fees for the sitters are based on the number of children in the home. We provide constant support, easy scheduling, guaranteed sitters, and peace of mind. You will get an extraordinary sitter with no hassle and no worries. We do it all for you!
So, what comes next? Next, we're launching our VIP program (Very Important Parent). Families with a monthly membership with us will receive a VIP card which provides discounts in local businesses. We are currently meeting with local businesses to see if they will partner with us for this program. The business will offer a discount to our VIP members and we will provide free advertising in return. We will list all our partners on our website and will feature one business per month in special notices to our members and on our social media accounts. I think it will be a great opportunity for us and for our business partners. Already Lauren Clark of laurenclarkphotography.com has joined us and is offering $50 off her sitting fee for portraits! This program should launch near the end of summer once I have accounts set up and ready to go. If you would like to be a VIP member, sign up today! And if you would like to be a partner company, call me!
I love the peace of mind this company has given me and the great sitters I have working in my home. And it's been fun too! Thanks for reading about us and sharing the information with your friends!
