Wildcat Gold - The Optical BBS/Wildcat Gold - The Optical BBS (The Golden ROM Series)(Volume 4 Number 1)(The Digital Publishing Company)(1992).ISO/sdn/siter105.sdn/MANUALS.EXE/HOWTO.PT1

Text File | 1991-08-06 | 44KB | 935 lines

HAVE YOU BEEN WANTING A BUSINESS OF YOUR OWN?

Like  people?   Not shy?  Have some experience with  kids  and/or
adults?

A  sitting service basically brings together the worker  (sitter)
and  the employer (patron) and you as the "go-between"  work  for
the best interests of both parties.

                  -How to start your business-
MICRO  DATA  ASSIST  -developers  of  the  program  'SITTER',   a
simplified computer program for a small sitting service, has made
arrangements with Audrey Schneer to help you.

Audrey  (she likes her first name) is an experienced teacher  who
over  10  years ago became involved with a  sitting  service  and
liked  the work so much she now devotes all her time to it.   She
has  consulted  with many individuals such as yourself  over  the
years and will work with you to get you started.

A  session or two, over the phone,  with Audrey will  cover  what
you need to know from - how to set up your office, what  licenses
you may need, how to find the workers and the clients and the day
to  day operation. The computer program 'SITTER', which  you  are
currently testing, was developed especially for this business and
has in her words "changed my life".

Contact  Audrey to set up a telephone consultation . There  is  a
small  fee for this consultation service but you will find  it  a
great  savings,  in time and money, in the long run.   After  you
have paid for and set a date for this consultation materials  for
you  to  study  will  be sent to you prior to  the  date  of  the
consultation.

You will learn:

What does a sitting service offer to the public?
What legal involvement is there?
Can I make a living from this?
How much money do I need to start?
Where should the business be housed?
How do I find the clients (patron), the workers (sitters)?
What is the day to day operational flow?
Why should I have a computer program right away?

 --------- EXCITED?  YOU SHOULD BE!! BETTER CALL NOW ----------

     Audrey can be reached M-F from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm (CST)

                       at: [phone]
              or write to: Baby Sitters of Dallas, Inc.
                           P.O. Box 12534
                           Dallas, Texas 75225


   A "HOW TO" MANUAL FOR A COMPUTER OPERATED PLACEMENT SERVICE

                       TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Need for this service and Possible spin-offs
     Child care
     Respite care

Community factors
     Selection of a community

Startup
     Legal considerations
          Incorporation
          Independent contractors versus employees
     Financial
          Size of business
          Where will you be housed
          Level
     Contracts and forms
          Application
          Sitter medical
          Agency contract
          Patron letter
          Temporary live in
          Permanent placement
     The Physical plant
     Personnel
     How to find sitters
          Interview and orientation
          How to contact
     Billing information

(Many other topics are covered in materials supplied by Audrey.)


NEED FOR CHILD AND RESPITE CARE:
================================
CHILD CARE:
===========
The  need for childcare in this country is discussed  prominently
in  the media on an ongoing basis.  With the high  percentage  of
women  in the workplace and the need for young mothers to  return
to  work  following  the  birth  of  a  child,  the  need   grows
constantly.

The concern is for QUALITY care for our nation's children. Where
to obtain this care this care is the problem.

The  daycare  centers have received their share of  the  negative
publicity due to the widely publicized cases of child abuse,  and
the   lack  of  quality  care.  While there  are  no  doubt  many
hundreds  of  high  quality centers, parents may  choose  not  to
utilize  these  centers  for other reasons.   The  incidence   of
childhood  disease, easily spread in such facilities, as well  as
the preference for more individual attention to their children
brings many parents to look for in home care.

How  do parents select a caregiver?  Newspaper ads,  friends  and
relatives?   Advertising  may  bring an  influx  of  many  poorly
qualified applicants and requires considerable time to  determine
those best suited even for an interview. Busy professional people
oftentimes do not have the time for such a procedure.  While well
meaning  friends,  relatives  and  neighbors  may  recommend   an
applicant, that person may not be best suited for the  particular
position  and again there is "weeding out" to do.  Therefore,  an
agency  which  can do the groundwork and refer  a  job  applicant
(SITTER) to the parent (PATRON) as one "best suited" can offer  a
much needed service to the community.

RESPITE CARE:
=============
Persons  seeking similar types of service may often call you  and
you   might   consider  also  offering   respite  type care.   It
is very important that complete information  regarding  the  type
of   care to be  provided  is obtained since  oftentimes  persons
requesting care for their loved ones will minimize the situation.
An  order form should be developed and utilized when  taking  job
orders  so that all appropriate information on the job is  known.
There  have  been  occasions  when  a  worker  (sitter)   arrives
expecting  respite  care  and  finds one  who   is  bedfast   and
incontinent and  really requires skilled care by  one trained  in
nursing.   For that reason, extreme caution must be exercised  in
accepting job orders. Persons requiring some assistance following
an  accident  or  surgery  or needing  help  running  errands  or
management  or day to day activities are the best candidates  for
those not skilled in nursing .


SELECTION OF COMMUNITY:
=======================
A  service  whose  function is  to  refer  qualified  individuals
(sitters) to clients (patrons) for these services is welcomed  in
most  communities.   However  a community  must  have  sufficient
population to support  such an operation and consideration to the
size of the city and the surrounding suburban area which might be
served  by the service should be of prime concern in  determining
if  such an operation would render sufficient income to meet  the
needs  of  the  operators. If you will not be  depending  on  the
income  from your business to provide complete support  and  only
need  pocket money and an occupation to utilize some spare  time,
this will not be factor for you.


PRIMARY STARTUP FACTORS:
========================
Before  engaging in the operation of a 'SITTER'  service  several
factors must be considered:

1. Legal
2. Financial
3. Physical plant
4. Personnel

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS:
=====================
States  differ in their regulations regarding the operation of  a
service  which in most cases will be an employment  agency.   The
very  first action before any other steps are taken should be  to
consult  the  appropriate  state agency  and  ascertain  what  is
necessary  to  operate an agency.  In some cases  the  "operator"
must be licensed  and pass an examination; in others no licensing
or  certification  is required.  It is strongly advised  that  no
further  steps be taken until this is made clear since you  might
be influenced by the requirements.

From  the personal standpoint you might also consider if this  is
to be a second income in the family and the fact that you may  be
thrown  into  an  upper tax bracket from the money  you  will  be
earning.

INCORPORATION:
==============
Since  you,   operating  as a proprietorship,  would  be  legally
liable  for  all obligations of the business you  might  consider
incorporation.  In doing so, the company is the entity and  would
be  the responsible party and except for certain matters such  as
federal taxes, you would not be responsible. Incorporation is not
inexpensive, but it may become so in the long run.


At  this point, one might say that it is a good idea  to  discuss
this  with  your attorney, but many attorneys have little  or  no
knowledge  of  employment agency law.  Do a great great  deal  of
shopping around to determine someone who DOES know these laws  or
is  willing to research them for you.  It is important that  your
attorney have experience in your field  and an honest person will
tell  you  if  he/she is not qualified. Selection  of  the  right
attorney  cannot be overemphasized and  you should  keep  looking
until you find an attorney with whom you are comfortable and whom
you feel you can trust.

Your state will provide you with a copy of the law and you  might
very carefully study this.  When you meet with your attorney  you
will then be better prepared to ask the appropriate questions.  A
good  source for an attorney is an established agency  which  may
be  able  to  recommend someone whom they know is  aware  of  the
regulations  governing this very specialized industry. The  local
and/or state Bar Association would also be a source to consider.

At this point, you might also seek out an accountant who will  be
as  important  to you as your attorney. A  good  accountant  will
provide  advice as to how to maintain your records and should  be
aware  of the computer program and how it is setup to  make  both
your  work  and  his  work easier.  The  program  in  the  system
described here will be detailed later .


INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS VERSUS SENDING OUT YOUR EMPLOYEES:
==========================================================
It  is  important  for  you,  your  attorney  and  accountant  to
understand  why you would choose to work as an employment  agency
rather  than  as  a  temporary help  service.  Most  persons  are
familiar  with  the  services rendered by  this  latter  type  of
business when they need temporary help. And you WILL be providing
this type of service.  However, for financial reasons, you  would
choose not to operate in this manner.

A  temporary help service sends to  client  THEIR  employee  whom
they  have  insured  and bonded and whom they  pay  for  services
rendered  to the client. The client will verify the hours  worked
and the worker will submit this to the service who will issue the
pay  check to the worker.  The cost of insurance, bonding,  taxes
and  related work involved will bring the cost to the  client  to
such  a high figure that clients will very likely choose  not  to
use the service.


For  this  reason services placing sitters, respite  workers  and
such  have  chosen  to function as employment  agencies  and  the
workers  to  be  independent  contractors.   Therefore,  due   to
governmental  regulations, it is urgent that all criteria for  an
individual to be considered an independent contractor be met. The
agency should be  careful that:

1. No instructions for performance on the job are given.
2. No REPORT as such is made to agency.
3. Sitter be  allowed to make a replacement if not able to work.
4. Payment to sitter is made by patron.
5. Agency does not set rates for services provided to patron.

Over the years, the public has looked to agencies to provide  the
above services, but legally they cannot.

Agency should inform workers that they will be instructed by  the
patron as to performance on the job. When accepting a job  order,
patron  should  be  advised that when sitter  reports  for  work,
instructions may then be given but that agency does not instruct.

Agency  should  advise patrons what the going rates  are  in  the
community, but it should be made clear that sitter has a right to
negotiate if he wishes.

Agency  should not require any kind of report on work done.  Some
agencies  bill  sitters for commission due on a  regular  monthly
basis  and  this  would be an indication that sitter  is  not  an
employee of agency.

Workers should be advised that if necessary a replacement may  be
sent by sitter to patron with the permission of patron. If sitter
wishes  to do so, he may advise agency who will advise patron  of
situation and obtain instructions as how to proceed from patron.

Agency should be certain that payment is made directly to sitter.
In the case of , for example, a Gift Certificate, which a may  be
purchased  for sitting services, a Purchase Agreement  should  be
utilized.

It  would be to the advantage of the service if to operate  as  a
temporary  service.  With  some  type  of  help,  the  public  is
conditioned  to  higher  charge. However, in  the  case  of  your
sitters,  they  do not appear to be ready.  Therefore,  one  must
adjust  the  "modus operandi to meet the needs of those  who  are
supporting the operation.


In  some  states,  you will  have an  employment  agency  license
(perhaps certificate)  and must comply with  the  laws  governing
same.   Again,  you  are referred to your  particular  state.  In
Texas,  for example, one does not require a license  (certificate
of authority in this state) if placement is made for positions of
less  than  30 days duration and/or if the client pays  the  fee.
This covers nanny positions and all the short term temporary jobs
which  are the bulk of the business. However, it may be to  one's
advantage  to  be  licensed since this add  credibility  to  your
image.

The status of the independent contractor has been the subject  of
discussion  by  many agencies, both public and private  for  many
years and no conclusions should be drawn from what is here.   The
agency should carefully pattern its operation to be certain  that
this status is maintained.

There  ARE  advantages to operating as a temporary  help  service
since  you have better control over the sitters,  which  in  this
case are actually YOUR  employees. As such you can supervise  and
instruct  and,  in  many cases, provide  better  service  to  the
patrons  since  you  determine the manner in which  the  work  is
performed  and have the right to discharge a person from  a  job.
However,  as  indicated previously, the cost  may  be  considered
prohibitive  and patrons may not be willing to pay  the  elevated
costs.

It  is  to your advantage to become associated  with  a  national
organization which does lobby in behalf of the industry.  PRIVATE
CARE  most of whose members are nursing registries, does  have  a
number of sitting services as members and has provided assistance
and  promoted legislation which has helped. They have  an  annual
convention  at which time speakers from IRS and Labor  Regulatory
Agencies frequently are on the agenda and have been very helpful.

Your  state  employment  commission  and  Bureau  of  Labor   and
Standards might provide seminars which you can attend as well  as
having  materials which you can obtain that will be helpful.   Do
as  much  reading and talk to as many people as you are  able  to
learn  about  the  business.   Some  agency  operators  might  be
unwilling to reveal business methods due to fear of revelation of
trade secrets and this must be respected.  On the other hand, one
might  consider  consulting with you for a fee and  this  is  not
unreasonable.



FINANCIAL:
==========
Everyone asks what it will take to go into this type of  business
and unfortunately this question must be answered with a question?

How big is your business going to be?

What is the physical plant - your home? an office building?

At what level will you function - simplistic, moderate, affluent?

How  much  office  help will you require?  What  hours  will  you
operate? Will you need shifts?

Do you plan to purchase furniture, new, used, leased?

How much advertising do you intend to do?

The replies to these questions are not simple and must be given a
great deal of thought. How much money do you have to spend or  do
you plan to obtain a loan?

Where is this money to be spent?

Let's take each of these subjects separately.

SIZE OF THE BUSINESS:
=====================
This depends considerably on the community and the area you  will
be covering. Also, are there competing businesses to be concerned
about. Is this a community of young people or an area where  most
young  people  move out when they reach adulthood. Are you  in  a
college  town  or where there is a great deal of  industry  which
attracts  young people. Research into these factors can  help  to
prevent  failure  in the enterprise.  You might want to  do  some
investigation  by hiring a marketing firm or attempt to  do  this
yourself.   Methods  are  personal interviews,  direct  mail  and
telemarketing.

Selection  of a sample for your study is almost as  important  as
the  study  itself  and since each interview  or  piece  of  mail
represents  a cash outlay , care should be taken  in  determining
the group. Patrons at a large supermarket who have children  with
them  would  be  a  good  suggestion,  if  you  can  obtain   the
cooperation  of  the  management.  Another  good  population   is
patients in a pediatric center or children's hospital.


Items  for a questionnaire require considerable thought  but  the
prime factors in which you are interested are:

1.  What is your most utmost concern in the field of childcare?

2.  Would you use an employment service if you knew that it would
    meet your needs?

3.  What are you willing to pay for the service?

4.  What qualifications do you look for in a caregiver.

Telemarketing is successful if you have the "right" person on the
telephone  - not one who is pushy, but one who can at the  outset
establish  rapport with the person and make them feel  that  they
want to talk.  This is not easy. However, it is not expensive and
you, as the prospective manager of the service , are perhaps best
suited to do this.

Direct mail can be expensive and the returns are not always good.
You will be fortunate if you realize about a  one percent return.
Carefully develop your document and perhaps enclose a dollar bill
for  the  recipient. This is frequently  done  with  professional
research  and many who would not otherwise reply will do so  when
they  receive the money - not FOR the money but  perhaps  because
they are ashamed to accept it and not reply!

SAMPLE QUESTIONNAIRE:  (samples available)

It is suggested that this be sent by first class rather than bulk
mail  since it will demand more respect.  A good  quality  paper,
attractively developed will command attention.  A self  addressed
stamped  envelope and perhaps an incentive such as shiny  quarter
or even a dollar bill may be included.


WHERE WILL YOU BE HOUSED?:
==========================
If  your community allows you to operate from a home,  you  might
consider this because of the financial advantages.  However,  the
professional relationship with an office might be an advantage if
you  intend  to  meet  with the parents  at  your  office.   Some
operations have no actual contact with patron and others do.

Is  your  home easy to locate and would there be a  problem  with
parking  if several people were to come at the same time. Do  you
have a separate entrance and/or can you provide entrance into the
work area without going through the living area.


There  are some disadvantages to working from your home since  you
might  feel  you are always at work. If you can turn off the  bell
of  the  office  telephone  it  is a help  when  you  want  to  be
"closed".


LEVEL:
======
Many  people feel that the public will have more respect for  you
and  your  operation if you have a more affluent  appearance.  In
other words, we look successful and therefore we can provide  the
right kind of service for you. Others feel that there is no  need
to  do  this  and a plain functional appearance is  all  that  is
necessary with equipment required for the job, be it new or  used
as long as it works.

This  is a decision you will have to make.  Should you decide  to
purchase used equipment there are many sources to choose from and
you  really can save a great deal of money. In many  cases,  used
furniture  and  equipment  need not look  used.  There  are  many
outlets  which  can save you a great deal of money  such  as  the
Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries. These organizations often
have  a  furniture  refinishing department and one  need  not  be
ashamed of  the appearance of functionability of items  purchased
there.

Basic items you will need are the computer, printer and a suitable
desk, a functional  chair, and basic filing and storage equipment.
You  should  also  provide for  the guests  area  with comfortable
chairs.  An  answering  machine is  a must  ,and  a  copy  machine
optional.  In planning  your startup include sufficient money  for
all  the  small  items  such as stapler, pen and  pencils  and  so
forth.

Will you be having a logo ?  Do you plan to have a letterhead  or
business cards designed or will you take the less expensive route
and  do it yourself. A brochure is a great tool, but the cost  of
developing it and having it printed can be in the thousand dollar
vicinity.

CONTRACTS AND FORMS:
====================
Some of the basic forms which may be used are:

1. Application for placement on the registry
2. Sitter medical
3. Agency contract
4. Information letter to new patrons
5. Information regarding temporary live in placements
6. Patron contract for permanent placement
(Samples of these forms are available)


APPLICATION OF PLACEMENT ON THE REGISTRY:
=========================================
1.  Note that this is not an "application for  employment"  since
you  are not considering actually employing the  applicant.  Note
that there are laws controlling the information that you may ask
such  as  age, religion, race as well as other factors.  You  may
also  have difficulty with reference checks since many  companies
will only verify employment and therefore on the application form
you might request more references than you actually require since
some might not be able to help you.

Basic information you want to know about the applicant is:

1. Where they can be reached by telephone both day and evening.
2. An alternate telephone , pager or answering machine.
3. When is the applicant available for work.
4. Factors regarding experience and education.
5. Any  course work related to the field of child care - such  as
   education, nursing and so forth.
6. Experience, both professional and "life" experience . A mother
   who raised 5 children, should be a suitable candidate.
7. Church work, scouting, camp experience is fine for the  single
   individual.

It is helpful to know WHY the applicant has selected this type of
work. Many do because of the flexibility, but a genuine  interest
in  children is of prime importance. When the individual  appears
for the interview this can be further ascertained since personality
is a prime factor in selection of baby sitters.

Obtaining  the  name  of  someone to call  in  the  event  of  an
emergency who does not reside with the applicant is very  helpful
both  in  emergency situations and also in the case  of  a  legal
situation which might develop in the event of nonpayment of fees.

Factors  concerned with the individuals personality. A person  in
this  field  should  be outgoing and friendly.  Also  the  person
should  be able to take direction and be receptive to  criticism.
The ability to work with persons of all ages is important.


SITTER MEDICAL:
===============
The information requested on this form is basic and provides what
is  basic  for  performance on the job.   Although  it  does  not
request  results  of laboratory tests or blood  pressure  checks,
were  these results not within normal limits the answers  to  the
questions would preclude the individual from passing the test.


Consequently  these questions were selected and in most  cases  a
physician who sees the individual on a fairly regular basis  will
complete  the  form without cost to the applicant.   This  is  an
important  factor  since many applicants find that  the  cost  of
having  a  physical checkup to provide the answers  on  the  form
would be prohibitive.


DISTRIBUTION   OF  THE  APPLICATION:  Individuals  requesting  an
application  form may or not be provided with same by mail.   The
return  rate has been reported as poor and the cost of  providing
the application materials and the postage may not justify sending
out  applications.  On the other hand, the rate of  no-shows  for
interviews  may  be  high.  However, there is no  out  of  pocket
expense  for no-shows.  There is some justification  for  mailing
out  applications,  but  consideration should  be   given  as  to
whether or  not this will be your policy.
If  an  application is mailed a cover letter is suggested  and  a
sample  of one is included.  This explains that  the  application
may  be  returned  prior  to the interview  ,  but  this  may  be
adjusted to state that it may be brought . A  map of the area
or  very clear directions should  be provided.

When starting up a business, you might consider renting a room in
a  centrally  located hotel or motel and inviting  applicants  to
come  in  without an appointment.  This has worked very  well  in
several  cases and provided a new business with a startup  supply
of workers. Of course, a newspaper or other type of advertisement
set this up.


AGENCY CONTRACT:
================
While  it  may  not  be a requirement  in  your  state,  a  legal
document  will help to enforce within the applicant  that  he/she
has  entered into an obligation.  Unfortunately, too many  people
do  not think of the baby-sitting industry as a serious  business
and entering into a legal contract may help.

The financial obligation to pay the agency for services  rendered
in  referring  the  applicant to positions  should  be  carefully
reviewed  so  that  there  is  no  misunderstanding  as  to   the
obligation of the applicant to remit the necessary fees to Agency
for  the  service.


There  may be occasionally be an applicant whose intention is  to
obtain clients through the services of the agency and then resign
in order to avoid payment of commission.  While many states  have
laws regarding theft of trade secrets and while an agency has the
legal  right  to  bring a civil suit against anyone  who  may  be
guilty  of  conspiring to steal such trade  secrets  obtaining  a
conviction  may be difficult.  Nevertheless the applicant  should
be made aware of such a law if it does exist in your state.

The contract should be executed in duplicate and a copy given  to
the  applicant.  It  is  strongly  urged  that  resignations   be
submitted in writing to avoid any misunderstanding.

Subsequent to the execution of the contract, should an  applicant
be found not suitable, it can be considered null and void.


PATRON LETTER:
==============
When  a prospective patron calls for information and is  provided
with same, it is doubtful how much retention there is. The agency
employee knows what he is accustomed to telling about the service
and  feels confident that the patron has been properly  informed.
However, it is best to follow-up with a letter advising just what
the service is, what is provided and what is NOT provided.  It is
not advisable to reiterate the charges since an employment agency
does  not "set" fees and hopefully the employee talking with  the
client has made it clear that the fees quoted are the usual  fees
charged for the type of service requested in the area.

All  new patrons should be provided with such a letter and/or  an
agreement denoting the service.

(An example of a more formal agreement is available)


TEMPORARY LIVE IN:
==================
When   a client patron service for a temporary period for a  live
in sitter the information regarding the arrangement discussed  on
the telephone call should be sent.

The  form is available that lists this information and  has  been
found  to  be  very helpful.  It also includes a  portion  to  be
returned  to  Agency with the placement fee.   A  self  addressed
envelope is provided along with the new patron letter and a  live
in guideline which assists both the parent and sitter with  facts
concerning  the children, their schedules, rules and  regulations
and information about the home.



PERMANENT PLACEMENT:
====================
This contract is sent in duplicate to individuals seeking to hire
a permanent employee ( such as a nanny) prior to referral of  any
applicants.   This  document sets forth the  obligations  of  the
agency  and the parent in the arrangement.  Permanent  placements
are not discussed in this document.


THE PHYSICAL PLANT:
===================
As  stated above, you must decide the location of your  operation
be it home based or in a professional office building. There  are
of  course  advantages  and disadvantages  for  each.   The  main
consideration,  of  course  is cost. An office  suite  will  very
likely  cost from a minimum of $300.00 per month whereas  use  of
your  home  will have no cost and will offer a tax  advantage  in
many cases.

Local  regulations  will be the first factor to consider  if  you
decide  you  would  like to home office. Do not  accept  a  "yes"
answer  from  one division, lest the informant  not  be  properly
informed.  Check with several different divisions  in  government
and also have your attorney check before you begin to plan.

If  you  have  the opportunity to  consult  with  a  successfully
operating business of this type, do so and observe the setup they
have  in their operation.  Will you be planning to function in  a
similar manner and if not, how would you do it differently?  Will
you  plan to have help in the office and will you  work  together
from  the start? How will you plan to share equipment  or  divide
the work load.  These are things to think about before you start.

Let  us  take the example of a moderately  sized  operation  with
about  150  to  200 sitters and many hundreds  of  patrons  which
operates with 2 persons in the office.

This  would  require 3  desks, one of which is  a  computer  work
station , one for the worker and the last for the owner  manager,
probably  in a separate office. Three telephones are located  one
on  each  desk  and carry 3 or 4 lines, one of  which  may  be  a
private  line  or used for workers only to call  in.  This  lines
should  be on a rotary so that they roll over when the  preceding
line is in use.  Two answering machines are used, one for  sitter
calls and the second for patron calls. A copy machine is a useful
tool  since many forms are used in this business and the cost  of
having them printed outside may be very high.


A  reception  area  may  be housed with  the  secretary  and  the
computer  station and managers desk be in a second office.  There
may  also  be provision in this area for  interviews  with  a few
comfortable  guests  chairs.   In your home you  might  use  your
living room for interviews if it is close to the office area  and
you  needed a private area on occasion but you must  consider  if
there  would  be traffic throughout the house and how  you  would
maintain a professional atmosphere.


PERSONNEL:
==========
Every business operation has a product or service and the success
of  the  enterprise  is  dependent upon  this  product.  You  are
providing  a  service which entails referral of  individuals  and
you,   therefore,  will  be  judged  by  the  quality  of   their
performance,   even  though  you  have  no  control   over   such
performance. Consequently it is imperative that you set standards
and procedures for selection of individuals who will  be  on your
registry. Your clients are basically looking for workers who are:

1. Knowledgeable about the work
2. Reliable, honest and dependable
3. Neat, clean and well groomed
4. Willing to accept direction
5. Willing to accept criticism
6. Pleasant and friendly.
7. Able to make judgments
8. Able to provide references as to above
9. Willing to work for wages offered.

Most  items listed   can  be   ascertained  by  the  application,
reference  check and interview. However, personality  will  enter
into  any relationship and unfortunately, negative   factors  may
surface following employment.


HOW TO FIND SITTERS:
====================
It would seem that advertising in the newspaper would be the best
method  for finding sitters.  Theoretically this is fine.  People
call  you, make appointments, you meet and interview them,  check
references, place them on the registry and get to work.  However,
the  advertisement will bring forth many unqualified  individuals
who  will  make appointments and not show up. You  will  find  it
difficult to plan your time when half of  those  invited  do  not
appear.   Therefore, you might have open interviews and not  make
definite  appointments.   Be certain that the directions  to  the
office  are very clearly given. This is a case where, if you  are
hard  to locate spending the extra money to rent an easily  found
address might be very worth your while.


If  you  decide to hold open interviews, utilize  every  possible
method to advertise this . You might consider calling:

1. child care centers
2. child nursery coordinators
3. school, both public and private
4. college placement centers
5. hospitals and nursing homes

Speak with the person in personnel who might know individuals who
are  looking for part time work , or perhaps who might  be  known
to  be looking for work. You might set forth your  qualifications
if  you intend , for example, not to have teen-agers, or  if  you
require  that  the registrant have their own  transportation.  In
some  cases,  you  are competing with  the  individual  you   are
calling  and  for that reason they may not be receptive  to  your
request, but that is the chance you have to take. Take  advantage
of  any contacts which you have.  Many years ago, a friend  whose
husband  is an optometrist said that she envied me since I was  a
teacher  and  had  so  many contacts which  would  lead  to  more
patients  for her husband were she in my place. If you belong  to
organizations,  do volunteer work, have a church  affiliation  or
whatever, be certain to make it known among these groups that you
are going into business and are looking for clients and workers.
You might also try to get a newspaper to interview you and  place
a story in the paper and see if a radio or TV station is  willing
to  give  you  some  free publicity.  Of  course,  if  funds  are
available,  paid  advertising will give you  the  opportunity  to
prepare copy to your order, but this cost may be prohibitive.


THE INTERVIEW AND ORIENTATION:
==============================
It is important that all sitters have a thorough understanding of
how  your  business operates and how they fit into  the  picture.
You, therefore, should allow sufficient time for the  prospective
sitter to learn about the operation and what their obligations to
you are, and yours to them.

Basically  the sitter should be advised that he\she  must  advise
of:

1. Availability to work, on a day to day basis
2. How to be contacted by telephone or pager
3. Billing information for preparation of statement


Although this sounds very simple in practice it is not.   Sitters
need  to  be  reminded  again and again  that  agency  MUST  have
knowledge of their availability to work. This cannot be taken for
granted even though someone has been working daily for weeks. The
week  that you have told a patron that so and so is open,  having
not  heard from that sitter, may be just the week the sitter  has
decided to take off. Therefore, it is imperative that all sitters
know that they must check in on the setup you have determined. In
many  cases this will be weekly.  One agency  does this  with  an
answering  machine and sitters are advised that the machine  will
be accepting their availabilities every Saturday when the  office
closes  at noon until Monday morning at 7:30 AM when  the  office
personnel  transcribe  the tape. Computer uses of  this  will  be
discussed below.


HOW TO CONTACT:
===============
This  is  very likely the number one problem  at  present.  Today
almost  no  one  stays at home very much  and  most  people  have
answering  machine.  Temporary sitters, when not  employed,  will
very  likely turn on the machine and leave for  whatever  reason,
with  no  indication  on the message as to the  time  of  return.
Therefore  when the office find a suitable position and wants  to
offer  it  to the sitter, it is not possible to  obtain  a  reply
quickly as to the sitter's interest in the position. The  patron,
in  the meantime, is pressuring the agency for a reply.  In  many
cases,  messages may be left on a half dozen  answering  machines
for  a  particular  job and no answer received for  a  number  of
hours.

A  solution  for the above is to have all workers  carry  pagers;
but  many do not realize the importance of making  the  financial
investment.  The cost of a pager for one month can oftentimes  be
met  by  one job!!  As an employment service, the  agency  cannot
make the requirement that all workers carry pagers and  supplying
them  at  the expense of the agency may be  prohibitive  although
worthwhile  in the long run. This is a factor to be  investigated
and  carefully  considered by all. There are many cases  where  a
client  calls in with short notice and the agency finds a  number
of suitable workers available, but is unable to fill the position
since not one can be found.



BILLING INFORMATION:
====================
Since the agency will be billing the worker for services rendered
in  making job referrals the agency needs to know the  amount  of
the bill.  Most agencies will be charging a percentage commission
based  on the sitter's earnings and this is not known unless  the
information  is  provided  by  the  sitter  following  the   job.
Therefore,  the sitter may call this in to the agency so that  it
may  be  entered  into  the sitter's ledger .  If  this  is  done
promptly  on a daily basis, the agency records will always be  up
to date.

At  the  time of the interview, depending on the  policies  which
have  been  set  for  your agency, you  might  request  that  the
individual provide information regarding :

1. lack of any health problem which might interfere with job
   absence of any communicable disease such as AIDS or TB
2. driving record with list of any violations
3. lack of criminal record of any felony convictions
4. intellectual ability by administration of a test

With  our complex world, we are seeing more and more evidence  of
emotional  and mental problems and these are often hidden from  a
prospective  employer. It should be made clear to  the  physician
from whom the information is requested that this is important  to
the agency. Occasionally, the interview will ascertain that there
is a potential problem when a prospective worker will talk  about
the recent divorce or death of a child , or other close  relative
and  the individual's ability to handle this situation should  be
known by the agency.  An agency discovered that an applicant  who
walked  into the office with only a slight limp actually  had  an
artificial  leg,  thereby  limiting  her  ability  to  care   for
toddlers.

Clients  are  not  always  understanding  when  they  discover  a
physical  limitation  which  was not disclosed  by  agency,  only
because  agency had no knowledge of same. Again, you are  limited
by the disclosure of the physician who completes the form.

Applicants  should  be advised that they should obtain  from  the
appropriate state agency a statement indicating that they have  a
clean  driving  record with no major traffic  violations.  Anyone
with  an  offense such as driving while  intoxicated,  should  be
carefully  investigated  to discover the  circumstances  of  such
offense  and whether it might prevent the individual  from  being
referred  to a client who needs to have someone transported in  a
vehicle  driven  by  the worker. All  positions  do  not  require
driving, but it is a good idea to have this document on file.


It is difficult to determine by interview and the usual reference
check  whether  an applicant has a criminal record and  for  that
reason asking the applicant to provide a statement that there are
no  felony  convictions  on  record is a  means  of  making  this
determination.   Many licensees and holders of certificates  such
as  teaching,  and nursing require a reply to this  question  for
issuance  of license and this can be a help to agency  when  such
individuals  are  applying.  Workers  who  are  bonded  in  their
professions  such as couriers, bank personnel and others  may  be
considered to be honest and reliable in most cases.

TESTING  is  done  in  many  agencies  making  placing  permanent
placements  such as nannies.  A service may provide for this  and
you  might administer it yourself and send it out for scoring  or
in some cases may be able to score it yourself. The cost of  such
testing  may  be as much as $50.00 and should  be  considered  in
deciding  if  you  want to go this route. It  WILL  help  you  to
determine  the suitability of the applicant and may provide  very
useful  in  making  recommendation  to  the  patron  as  to   the
suitability of the applicant for the position and may prove  very
worthwhile in the long run.

A  simple test instrument for determining knowledge  of  children
and judgment may be constructed by one in the field of  education
and  a simplistic scoring method developed so that  anyone  might
administrator this test. A sample is included in the Appendix.

At  the  time  of the interview  appropriate  materials  to  your
operation  may  be given to the applicant. These are:

1.  the  agency  contract
2.  a commission sheet to help with arithmetic
3.  guidelines  setting forth policies and procedures
4.  materials to give clients

In  order  to organize the interview a tape  recording  might  be
used.  Therefore, if there are interruptions or  deviations  from
the procedure as often occur, you will know that all factors have
been appropriately covered.

Because of privacy laws, it may be difficult to obtain references
in  all  cases.  Therefore,  if  one can  have  the  name  of  an
individual  to  contact directly instead of a large  company,  it
will be helpful.  Many companies today will only verify dates  of
employment,   but  will  offer  no  information   regarding   the
performance  of  the individual. An objective evaluation  of  the
applicant  is important and this cannot be obtained  from  anyone
who has a personal interest in the applicant but must be from one
whose association has been professional. An important question is
whether the individual is suitable for re-hire.