Anyone can sit for one night. A service is a booked calendar, repeat families, and a name parents recommend. Drag the sliders to see what a real service earns you every month.
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Babysitting for a neighbor when they call is a gig: you earn only when someone happens to think of you. A babysitting service flips that around. You have a name, a set of packages, a simple way to book you, and a handful of families who put you on their calendar every week. The work looks the same from the couch — but the business behind it is what turns a few random nights into steady, growing income you can count on.
Start solo, then grow into a real local brand.
2–3 regular families, evenings & weekends
6–8 families on a real schedule, waitlist forming
You pass overflow to trusted friends for a cut
From a name on a flyer to a booked-out calendar.
Pick a simple, memorable name ("Maya's Sitter Squad"). A clean flyer, a logo, and one signature color make you look legit and easy to recommend.
Date-night sits, after-school care, weekend mornings. Clear packages make it easy for parents to say yes and easy for you to quote a price.
A shared Google Calendar or a free Calendly link beats endless texting. When booking takes 30 seconds, families book more often.
Start with people who already trust you — relatives, neighbors, family friends, your parents' coworkers. Offer a great first sit at a fair rate.
Show up early, leave the house tidy, text a photo update. Then ask, "Would you mind sharing my name with a friend?" Screenshot the kind replies.
Offer a free hour to any family who refers a new one. Referrals are the cheapest, most trusted way a local service grows.
Raise your rate once you're booked. Start a waitlist. When you're full, hand overflow sits to trusted friends and keep a small booking fee.
Steal these, then tweak the prices for your area.
The setup that makes you look like a pro — most of it's free.
A Red Cross CPR/First Aid or babysitting course (~$35) makes families trust your service more — and lets you charge more.
Track what you earn in a notes app, keep a simple agreement per family, and ask a parent about local rules and taxes as you grow.
Eyes on the kids, phone charged, emergency numbers ready. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222; emergencies: 911.
The questions new teen founders ask most.
A service has a name, set packages, an easy way to book, and repeat families instead of one-off jobs. You're not waiting for someone to call — you have regulars on a calendar and a system that brings in new families through referrals. Same babysitting, but built to grow and earn steadily.
Start with people who already trust you — relatives, neighbors, family friends, and your parents' coworkers. Do one great sit, then ask them to share your name with two other families. One happy family almost always turns into your next three, which is exactly how a local service snowballs.
Most teen sitters start around $15–$18 an hour and charge more for extra kids, late nights, or holidays. For a service, bundle it: a flat weekly after-school rate, a per-hour date-night rate, and a premium weekend rate. Packages make it easy for parents to say yes and lock in repeat bookings. Agree on the price before every job.
Not at first. A free Calendly link or a shared Google Calendar handles scheduling, and a one-page rate sheet works as your "website." Once you're booked out, a simple Instagram or Linktree page adds polish. Start with the tools you already have and upgrade only when it saves you time.
When you're fully booked and turning families away, start a waitlist. Then bring in one or two trusted, responsible friends to cover overflow sits, introduce them carefully, and keep a small booking fee for connecting them. That's how a solo sitter becomes a real little sitter network.
Casual teen babysitting is allowed in most places, but rules and home-alone ages vary by state, so check with a parent. As your income grows it's smart to track your earnings and ask a parent about local tax rules. Keeping simple records from day one makes it easy to stay on the right side of things.