How to start a babysitting business

Babysitting is an excellent way to make money as it is often a job that is performed at night or on weekends. It makes a perfect side hustle for students or anyone looking for a side gig outside their normal working hours. Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, it can be easy to make money babysitting!

We’ve put together the ultimate guide for how to start a babysitting business to help you with everything from finding babysitting jobs to negotiating your rate. So read on for all you need to know about babysitting, and get ready to start your new business!

How to start babysitting 

To begin, you’ll need some clients, and we recommend starting with the low-hanging fruit. This is friends and relatives with children who already know and trust you. You can offer your services for free to build up some clientele references or charge low rates to get the ball rolling and ensure you even like babysitting!

As you already have a relationship with these people, it will be easier for you to convince them to trust you with their children. This is also the perfect way to hone your skills and understand what the job entails before you begin to find new clients.

How to be a good babysitter

Once you have locked in some friends as your first clients, you can test some strategies to understand what type of babysitter you will be. Babysitters need to be excellent if they want to continue to get work, as word-of-mouth is a big deal in this industry.

To ensure you are a good babysitter, consider the following:

• Understand your comfort level and limitations, e.g., how many children can you babysit at once, what are the age ranges you are happy with, etc.
• Keep an open line of communication with the parents.
• Be prepared for anything that could happen.
• Be well-informed and organized.
• Stay active and have fun.
• Set rules and limits and stick to them.
• Always be watchful.

Becoming a certified babysitter to boost your credentials

In the US, there aren’t any specific certifications required to become a babysitter. However, there are some things you can do to make yourself a more attractive prospect for parents. For example, a Red Cross Babysitting Course assures parents that you have the basic knowledge to keep their kids safe. 

Completing a CPR and First Aid course will also help set parents’ minds at ease while making you stand out from the competition. You’ll also have a little more confidence that you can deal with any accidents that may occur.

How to find and apply for babysitting jobs

A quick search of the Airtasker babysitting listings will reveal plenty of potential babysitting jobs in your area. Signing up as a Tasker can be a great way to find new clients and build a regular customer base. This, along with word-of-mouth, may be all you need to keep your babysitting business booming. 

You can also search for similar keywords on Airtasker to reveal similar job requests, such as nanny services and after-school care pick-up. In addition, our platform allows you to set your rate and search within a specific distance, exposing you to many potential babysitting clients.

How to charge for babysitting jobs

The amount you should charge for babysitting depends on a range of factors, specifically how much experience you have, the age of the children, and what services you offer.

You can charge more in larger cities with a higher cost of living, but as a standard in the US, roughly $10 per hour is a good minimum for a new babysitter. The average salary for an experienced babysitter in the United States gets up to $18.92 per hour.  

So, is babysitting a good side hustle?

Yes! Babysitting is a great way to make extra cash by working outside of your regular hours of work or study. You have the freedom to choose when you want to work, and it can be a lot of fun as well. This is one of the many ways to earn money through side hustles, whether you’re looking to buy extra things or put a little more money away in your savings account.

Airtasker has a range of tasks that make for great side hustles. So join the gig economy, be your own boss, and start to build a business doing what you love!