Today’s customer spotlight is on Sensible Sitters.  Sensible Sitters is a babysitter’s club turned small business, founded by Vanessa Wauchope. Vanessa started this company back in 2005 at the age of 22 when she saw an opportunity in the market to make a difference in the world of babysitting.

How’d she do it? Let’s take a look.

Where did the idea for Sensible Sitters come from?

Like most businesses, the idea for Sensible Sitters came as a result of Vanessa’s previous experience.  Vanessa grew up babysitting and as a young adult, spent her summer traveling with the families she babysat for.

In 2005, Vanessa took her nannying skills to the city.  When she moved to New York City, she started working for families who appreciated her ability to help the children with their homework, navigate her way around the city and the fact that she was certified in CPR and first aid.

Vanessa quickly realized there was an opportunity here and knew there were plenty more people out there like her.  This was a real turning point for Vanessa and Sensible Sitters.

The Launch of Sensible Sitters

They started out small working one on one with college students with the goal of being a liaison between sitters and families.  Essentially, it was a small trusted network of babysitting referrals.

As Vanessa says, “it was a babysitter's club that turned real, very quickly.” Sensible Sitters became one of the first full service babysitting agencies.

Sensible Sitters launched at a time when there were few opportunities for parents to find great babysitters and for young adults to find babysitting jobs.  One of the very few ways to do that was through Craigslist.  Hmm…Craigslist or a full service babysitting agency? It’s pretty clear why this business turned profit in its first year!

Right now you can find them in New York City, the Hamptons, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Palm Beach, and Atlanta with plans for expansion into more cities.

What makes Sensible Sitters Different?

As mentioned above, they’re a full service babysitting agency meaning, they handle EVERYTHING for their clients.  From interviews, to background checks, scheduling and funds – they do it all and from a client’s perspective, it couldn’t be easier to get set up.  When a client decides they need a sitter, all they have to do is go online and request one. Sensible Sitters takes it from there. Awesome, right?

Also, all sitters have some sort of child education background which parents appreciate because not only are sitters familiar with children, they can educationally engage them. This was one of the key things Vanessa realized in the beginning that parents were looking for and appreciated.

Another benefit of Sensible Sitters is that their sitters come from all over the United States bringing with them a variety of skill-sets ensuring there’s a fit for every family.

What started out as a babysitting referral business is now growing by leaps and bounds through word of mouth, community outreach, connections at college career centers and of course, social media. Their very organic approach to growth has got them into their newest location in Atlanta with future plans for Denver, Seattle, and who knows, maybe somewhere near you!

Love what you've heard about Sensible Sitters so far? Then be sure to check out Sensisble Suggestions - The Sensible Sitters Babysitting Blog, for awesome tips, tricks, and babysitting stories, written by Vanessa.

**To learn more about Sensible Sitters, check out their site, follow them on Twitter or head over to their Facebook page. **