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Candi Wingate, President of Nannies4Hire.com explains what makes her business unique, what you can expect to pay, and dishes (a little) on nanny drama.
BTS:
What sets you (Nannies4Hire) apart from other online caregiver search services?We are an exclusive nanny referral service, specializing in helping families find nannies and nannies finding families. Our nannies at
Nannies4hire.com expire compared to other sites that keep them on their site forever. Our nannies are on the site for 35 days, keeping the database up to date. We also have a no tolerance program, when a nanny receives a complaint from a family, they are immediately removed from the Nannies4hire.com database.
BTS: Do you pre-screen applicants for Nannies4Hire and Care4Hire? Do you pre-screen the families? If not, what precautions do you prescribe to potential nannies and families to ensure a smooth interview process?
No, we do no pre-screening on the nannies. We do give families the tools to screen the nannies. There is an online investigation service on the site and registered members also have access to sample interview questions, a sample reference form and a sample contract. Nannies can also list references on the site that they can grant families access to. We highly recommend all families and nannies do background checks and take advantage of the resources we provide.
BTS: What is the going hourly rate for a nanny to watch 2 children for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week? I know this may vary across the country so it would interesting to compare NY nanny costs with the Mid-West, and even LA or San Francisco if you have it.
Salary is negotiable directly with the nanny, but could range anywhere from $10-$15/hour on average. It varies depending on duties, experience and geographic location. At Nannies4hire.com; nannies can include in their profile the salary they are looking for but they are also willing to negotiate on salary and duties.
BTS: What would you give as a holiday bonus/gift to your nanny?
Here are several suggestions that families have given nannies as Holiday Bonuses: money, flight tickets, memberships, day spas, or something as simple as lotions.
BTS: Let’s talk drama (we are behind-the-scenes after all)
Do you find there are more disagreements between a caregiver and the woman or man of the house?
Usually the relationship is between the nanny and the woman of the household. Communication is key when employing a nanny. You may want to sit down with your nanny once a week or once every other week to confirm you are both on the same page on what is going on in the household. We highly recommend signing a contract before the nanny starts detailing the duties, salary, responsibilities, etc.
BTS: Is there a nanny black list – families they simply will not work for?
No; we are not aware of a nanny blacklist; where nannies will not work for certain families. Every nanny and family looks for something specific in a position/nanny. We highly recommend families do not just hire a nanny just to hire someone and recommend the same to a nanny.
BTS: Finally, there are people who have very strong feelings about either staying at home to raise their own children and those who prefer working outside the home full-time – how do you respond to them?
Every family has a different goal for their family and every family has a different need. Families need to know what works best for their family and specific needs.
It seems every parent has an idea for a great product that would make life with young kids a little easier. But Jill Leech took her ideas and turned them into a business. Potty Tots is a potty training program that Jill developed for her third child. So how do you go from good idea to Mompreneur? Here’s the poop, I mean scoop…
How long does it take to go from ‘ah-ha’ to getting press in the magazines?
For Potty Tots, it took us two years from the idea phase to having a complete product that we could market. From there it has taken us a year to get some coverage in the media (mostly social media and local parent magazines). It is difficult to get into the major parenting magazines as a feature article. We are actively pursuing all avenues of marketing including retailers, children’s catalogs, and trade shows. We have even sent Potty Tots kits to over 50 celebrity parents! (even Hollywood stars have to potty train their children!)
How do you go about finding an illustrator?
I found most of my artists online at www.ifreelance.com. (illustrator, animator, musician, printer etc…) I was so fortunate to be able to find a talented illustrator (Jennifer Ware of Zenware Designs) who captured my vision of the Potty Tots and brought them to life! I am happy with the way everything turned out, especially considering I worked with most of the development and design team online! (very 21st century!)
Did you partner with someone who had experience starting a business or did you just figure it out as you went along?
Most of starting Potty Tots was learning as I went along (and I learned a lot! ) Luckily my husband had the business background and experience with manufacturing and sourcing in China and was able to find a great printer for us and handle the logistics of shipping etc…
Did you ever consider just throwing in the towel?
I never considered throwing in the towel. We launched Potty Tots right in the middle of a recession and I knew it would be tough. But I knew we had a great product and that there is a great need for help with potty training so I kept on believing!
You partnered with your sister. What do you say to the people who warn against going into business with family?
With family, as with any business partner, you have to make sure that you are on the same page when it comes to anything from ideas on how to develop the product to how much money you are willing to spend on production, advertising etc… My advice is to find someone with the same vision, excitement and work ethic and you will be successful.
