Watch younger kids, or help while a parent is still home.
There are two versions of this job, and knowing the difference is what gets you hired young. A mother's helper works while the parent is still in the house, playing with the kids so a parent can cook, work, or handle a baby. A babysitter is alone in charge. Start as a helper, even if you think you're ready to be the sitter. It's how you build the trust that gets you the second job.
Don't ask to babysit. Ask to help.
Ask three families with young kids:
"I'd like to be a mother's helper. I come over for two hours while you're still home and play with the kids so you can get things done. It's [your price] an hour. Want to try one afternoon?"
That is a much easier yes than "let me watch your children alone." Do it twice and the same parent will start asking you to sit.
Your own reliability, plus a small bag of things to do.
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Andre couldn't get anyone to hire him until he made the ask smaller. Nobody would hand him a whole job, so he took a piece of one and did it well.
Same move here. "Let me watch your kids alone" is a big ask for a parent. "Let me help for two hours while you're home" is a small one, and it's the door. Shrink the first ask until it's easy to say yes to, then earn the bigger one.
The full Young Founder kit walks you through everything Andre and Sophie learned: how to make an ask people can say yes to, price your time, and turn one family into a steady schedule. The book, the workbook, the videos, and more.
See what is inside the kitA kid walking dogs in their own neighborhood usually starts between $10 and $18 for a thirty minute walk. Professional walkers average about $21 for the same walk.
Read the answerLess than almost anyone expects, and for a lot of these ideas the honest answer is nothing until somebody has already said yes to a price.
Read the answerTen people who already know them, one prepared sentence, and an easy way for each of them to say no.
Read the answerFind out whether this is not working or just not fun right now. Those look identical from outside and they need opposite responses.
Read the answerThey are not buying feeding. They are buying a holiday where nobody is quietly worried about the cat.
See the ideaSmall money that arrives every single week without anyone having to be asked again. The cleanest lesson in recurring revenue there is.
See the ideaNobody puts it on the list, and everybody notices once it is done. The before and after photo does the selling.
See the ideaForty minutes, a bucket, and a customer who can see the problem from their front door.
See the ideaA program from Founder's Best Friend. Built for kids 8 to 18 who want something of their own.