Part-time business idea – babysitting

You might think of babysitting as something teenagers do to earn some extra money. But these days people often aren’t prepared to entrust their children to the care of young people; they want someone who is more responsible and will know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Most requests for babysitting will inevitably be for evenings, so you need to be prepared to spend your evenings at other people’s homes, but you may also be asked to work weekends as well. But it represents a really good way to earn extra income and you could still do other part-time work during the day as well. Babysitting isn’t an arduous task; yes, you may have to deal with a child that doesn’t want to go to bed or one that’s had a bad dream, but you will also spend most of your time watching TV – not a bad way to earn extra money!

If you’re going to pursue a babysitting service as a serious part-time business venture, there are a few things you will need to do in preparation:

• As a very minimum, have two forms of identity available to show your customers. One of these should be a photo ID with your address on it e.g. a driving licence.
• Provide at least three references and encourage customers to follow up on them – this will give your customers the all-important reassurance that you are trustworthy.
• Get a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) check – it costs £36 and will show that you don’t have a criminal record. Anyone working with children should have a CRB and you can apply via your local police station.
• First aid training isn’t a pre-requisite, but a first aid certificate would give you an extra qualification. Organisations such as the Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance run regular courses all over the country.
• Have access to a car – being able to drive yourself home at the end of the evening is preferable to customers not being able to fully enjoy their evening out because they have to limit their alcohol intake.

Visit the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSP) website for more good advice on babysitting.