Child-Care Referral Service

This is a perfect job for those who like to work alone and as a valued resource person. As a child-care referral agent, you will develop a database of names and phone numbers of reputable child-care professionals in your area at a cost of about $150 per member. Be sure that the database does its own background checks on the child-care professionals, or you will need to do background checks for each prospective hire. You would most likely get your start by placing a classifi ed ad in your local newspaper, then talking with parents/prospective clients to discuss their needs. For instance, some single parents or career couples are in need of a caregiver to watch their kids all week long, while others just need part-time care for their children. Some will want to interview each potential caregiver on your list, while others will want you to do the legwork.


First of all, you’ll need the ability to multitask and pay attention to details. But with a minimal start-up cost of $500 for your advertising and Internet expenses, you could begin to pull in a profit with this business almost immediately. You will need to build a vast network of reputable child-care professionals, which you can easily accomplish by posting ?yers in public places (such as Laundromats and grocery stores) and combing the ads in your local newspaper to find babysitters who are offering their services. If you have a little bit of extra money to play with at the beginning, you should also invest in professional-looking stationery and business cards to convey the best possible image to your babysitters as well as to parents. You might need to charge each prospective caregiver an annual membership fee of $150 and use some of those funds to conduct online background checks.


What’s not to like about setting your own hours and having essentially complete control over a low-overhead business? While this business might not work well if you live in rural area, it could really provide some decent cash if you live in a city or suburbia.

Approx. cost of start-up:$500 to $3,500


Approx. potential earnings:$20,000 to $65,000


Typical fees: Free browsing through your Web site; membership fee of $150 per year for parents to use your search services and interview and/or book childcare providers through your Web site


Where to promote: Classified ads, display ads in local newspapers or regional parenting magazines


Qualifications: You may need to be bonded or licensed in your state


Things needed: Pager or cell phone, computer with database program, high-speed Internet access


Required staff:No


Hidden costs:None