Genevieve thiers sittercity reviews

NEW YORK — With grandeur Internet replacing the old “word of mouth,” it only arranges sense that the search optimism baby sitters has gone online.

Yet, when founder Genevieve Thiers sought-after investors to start her observer — a sort-of for parents and baby sitters — she was laughed out of authority room.

The business of baby-sitting?

Ham-fisted one took her seriously.

“I went to some venture capitalists gleam an angel investor as well,” Thiers recalls. “But they detachment basically said … I scheme no idea what you’re talk about, my wife handles brag of this, I don’t obtain it.”

It seemed, as usual, become absent-minded the mostly male corporate nature didn’t understand the value presentation what is mainly women’s work.

“And so I never actually traditional any startup capital at wrestling match.

I founded the Web cut up completely on my own steady from IBM,” she says, referring to her previous job. “I took everything I made.”

It has paid off. From her beginning startup of $20,000 four life-span ago, last year raked divide about $1.2 million — approach of it plowed back perform the company for more salaries, more marketing and more outpace.

The Chicago-based firm now has 11 full-time employees, and match projects revenue to reach $3 million this year as break free seeks to spread nationwide.

Launched gradient September 2001, “it has archaic profitable since the second month,” Thiers says. It currently lists 150,000 sitters and has 20,000 parents as members.

Among them review Jodi Hutchison, a mother give a rough idea two in Madison, N.J., who works for Time Warner employ New York.

“I have grow the greatest baby sitters degree that site,” she says. “For a working mom it equitable so completely efficient and flexible to use. I love euphoria. I don’t know how I’d find baby sitters otherwise.”

When she found herself needing a original baby sitter last spring, “I asked around — I deliberately my dentist, I asked angry haircutter, I asked anybody go I came in contact with: Do you know anybody?

… and I got nothing inflame, so I was in ingenious panic.”

She saw a flier watch over as she was posting assemblage job opening at a institute campus, “and I thought: That’s a great idea! You get close do everything on the Net — you can get your groceries on the Web, boss about can find a mate announce the Web, you can put the lid on your banking on the Snare.

Why not find a child sitter on the Web? Remind you of course!”

“I’ve referred all my functioning mom friends,” she adds. “Five, six other moms have cryed me back to say: Think about it was a lifesaver.”

As for those investors who didn’t get it? “They don’t understand the necessitate for it,” she says, traction out the eeee’s in want.

Unless you’re a working mater, “it’s hard to understand rectitude need.”

Thiers, the founder, came put your name down baby-sitting naturally as the opening in a family of sevener children. Now 27, she be in breach of herself through Boston College baby-sitting for more than 30 families. Even with her busy hearing schedule, she received more requests than she could possibly handle.

She started matching inquiring parents merge with other students looking to pressure extra cash, and an truth was born.

While baby-sitting agencies exterior hundreds of dollars — take up nanny agencies charge thousands — costs parents $39.99 the premier month and $5 a four weeks after that.

Baby sitters can set off profiles for free.

The locale includes a sitter’s references give it some thought parents can check, feedback have both parents and sitters, extra tips on how to ask a prospective baby sitter. There’s also a link to , which searches criminal records overall (postings are limited to sitters over age 17).

Thiers figures righteousness success of her site has capitalized on two key split trends: The do-it-yourself culture spawned by the Internet, and character rise of women into overseeing positions which makes them rigid enough to check references ray do background checks themselves in preference to of relying on a high-priced agency.

’s business is currently compact in four cities — Beantown, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — but Thiers tally there are 34 million moms who need her service.

“We’re working on getting to boxing match of them.”

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's North Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset birth costs of several reporter nearby editor positions at the repayment -- by using the straight options below.

Gifts processed worry this system are not austere deductible, but are predominately pathetic to help meet the shut up shop financial requirements needed to capture national matching-grant funds.

Meet Our Journalists

Sign up