Casual babysitter booking agency

Families needing evening, weekend or occasional care, and hotels or event venues that want childcare for guests.

A booking fee or a percentage added to the sitter's hourly rate on each job, plus an optional annual family membership fee.

• Scheduling and quick coordination
• Careful screening of sitters
• Friendly, reassuring communication with parents
• Basic website or booking tool use

• Working With Children Check (or equivalent) rules differ by state and territory, so check what applies and how to verify it
• Check whether sitters work as employees or as independent contractors, as this affects tax, super and workers compensation
• Some states have labour hire licensing, so check with your state's regulator
• Public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and clear terms about incidents and cancellations
• Last-minute bookings can be unpredictable, so avoid depending on a few sitters
• Check council rules on running a business from home

Startup costs are typically around $1,000 to $4,000, depending on your booking tools, sitter screening, insurance and marketing. This is an estimate, so price your own setup before you start signing up sitters.

Monthly revenue is typically around $800 to $4,000, depending on how many bookings you arrange and the booking fee you charge. These are estimates only, and last-minute bookings can be unpredictable.

Things to check: Working With Children Check rules in your state or territory, whether sitters are employees or contractors, and any labour hire licensing. Also check public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and council rules on home businesses.