Starting a Nanny Agency in England

Running a nanny agency in England can be a satisfying line of work.

Many parents in England require nannies. A nanny agency can therefore be a profitable and enjoyable business, but there are pitfalls. Parents have different notions of how they want their children cared for and brought up. You therefore have to work hard to match the right nanny to the right family. If you succeed, your reputation soon spreads by word-of-mouth, and your agency grows.

Instructions

1. Limit your agency to nannies or include au pairs and maternity nurses. Opt for either a local agency service or regional. A lot of agencies restrict their work to a radius of no more than 40 or so miles from where they have their base. This makes sense because you need to constantly interview prospective clients and nannies.

2. Set up your nanny agency as you would any other business. Register with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for tax and national insurance. Find a suitable office. This must be in a convenient location because you may need to meet clients and nannies here. Ask a printer for business cards and formal stationery with letterheads. In England, you don't need a specific business license but you will need public liability insurance. Speak to an insurance broker for details and quotes.

3. Establish a website. Despite the traditional nature of nanny agencies, clients will often find you on the Internet. Employ a web designer to create the site and to keep it updated as your business grows.

4. Advertise your service to parents. Use county magazines, local newspapers and your website.

5. Interview the parents who contact you and listen to what they want. Ask them questions about the style of childcare they prefer, what their children eat, and their children's health and habits. Be thorough. Parents prefer this.

6. Recruit nannies. Place adverts in local newspapers and county magazines. Inform further education colleges that provide childcare courses that you can offer nannies employment.

7. Interview potential nannies. Bear in mind that in England, the law does not oblige nannies to have a qualification in childcare, but to give both yourself and parents confidence, you should insist your nannies have a minimum level of education. Suitable qualifications in England include the Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education and the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 National Certificate in Childcare. Arrange for criminal background checks for all your nannies. These checks take up to three months to come back, so prepare ahead.

8. Match suitable nannies to parents. Arrange for the parents to conduct interviews in their homes. Once a nanny has a position, charge the parents the agreed weekly fee, take a percentage, and pass the balance to the nanny. Your purpose as an agency is to connect parents with suitable nannies and to take payment from the parents. Your nannies are self-employed. They must arrange their own tax and national insurance.