How to promote yourself as a babysitter

When you are just starting out, it can be hard to get babysitting hours. Once you have references under your belt, it becomes much easier. Here are some ways you can let people in your community know that you're available to babysit in meantime.




Use the internet

I used a website called Care.com and found a wonderful family that I helped over the summer. There are other sites that you can use as well CareSquare and Sittercity. These are great resources for parents looking for sitters as well.

Make business cards

There are places where you can have inexpensive business cards printed. Make sure you have multiple ways of contacting you on your business card, like your cell phone number and email. Indicate whether texting is OK somehow too. Write your name and underneath put something like "baby and pet sitter" or whatever will describe what type of jobs you have experience or are willing to do.

Word of mouth

Let people know that you're available to babysit. Send out an email to all of the contacts in your inbox that have kids. Or let your parents know to tell their co-workers that you're available to babysit. And if you got those business cards printed then you can give a stack to other people to give out for you.

Photo courtesy Daniel Oines via Flickr