b'Maybe you are a nanny with nanny colleagues that you have Banking - Maybe you are bootstrapping this as a side hustle forconnectedwithfamilies,ormaybeyoureaparentwhojust additionalincome,oratrustedsomeoneinyourlifereallycouldnt find the right fit and wants to find a solution. You believes in your idea and wants to invest in your dream. Eithercould be in a similar business now and want to expand. Perhaps way, find yourself a great banking partner. Share your businessyou dont care for the online marketplaces, or you just dont like plan with him/her, even if you dont need their help now. As youwho you are currently working with! Either way, you are ready to grow, you will need to rely on them for advice, networking, andfind a solution, so lets go! obtainingorincreasingcredit.OneofthebiggestmistakesIhear from small business owners is, I dont need to know myAs an agency owner for over eight years, and as a coach to new banker, but then they wont be there for you down the roadownersandnumerousentrepreneurs,Iwantedtosharesome when you need them the most! So many businesses learned thisthingsyouneedtoconsiderwhenstartinganagency.Weve lesson the hard way in March 2020!madesomemistakesalongtheway,ashaveotheragencyfriends of ours, so Ive created the following for you to consider Marketing - Establishing an awesome brand (YOU) and socialbefore pressing the start button. mediamarketingmaybeyourjam!Butifnot,youllwanttoconsider hiring out this critical piece of your business. You willFirstoff,youareawesome,whichiswhyyouarehere!You need everything from SEO to content marketing to help fill yourshould be proud of your success. But running an agency is more sales pipeline. However, you must also know your market, fromthan being a great nanny or problem solver. The first step is to local to online competitors, so please know what separates youassemble a strong team of business advisors and partners. After from the competition. Your customer will ask!yearsofrunninganagency,Iwouldbetthatmyorderofimportance is different from where most people first create their SalesNow that all of your critical pieces are in place, you areplans! ready to rock and roll! How are you going to find customers, andwhat will you say when they call? You may have the mindset thatLegal - You absolutely must get your business set up the right you Built it and they will come! But what if they dont? You mustway, from business structure to state and local licenses that may have plans to grab sales from numerous areas: email, direct mail,apply. Start thinking now about how you and your investors, if networking,referralprograms,momsgroups,etc.Knowyourapplicable, want to get paid because it could mean a different demographic and find where they hang out in person and online!tax structure setup. Find an attorney that you can trust to help Havetherightblendofconfidenceinyourcompanybutwithyourcontractsandagreements.Unlessyouruncleisan humblenessnottooversell.Makeitaseamlesscustomerattorney,legalhelpisnotcheap,butthismustneverbe experience process, as anything too choppy may drive prospectsoverlooked! away. And remember that selling to potential caregivers is justas importantmaybe more sothan selling to future customers!Insurance - As the Under Armour commercials say, We mustprotect this house! Talk to an insurance agent about the right MentorFindsomebodyyouadmire,oragroupofsimilartype of general or commercial liability you will need to run your minded people to help in your journey. This could be from anbusiness based on the services you intend to offer. This is almost agency you respect, or another leader in the childcare serviceas important as your legal agreements to help protect everything industry. Most small business owners are happy to lend somethatyouhavebuilt.Anyonecanbringlegalactionforany advice and support to your ideas, so long as you are open andreason,justorunjust,soaproperinsurancepolicywillhelp honest about why you need their help! If you dont have anyonedefend against those claims.inmind,someagencyownersalsorunsuccessfulconsultingbusinesses (Full Disclosure: I do not charge for my time, whileFinance/Accounting - With a little business background, you many say I should!) Bottom line: you cannot do this alone. Youmay be able to work the first few months, or even a few years willneedasupportnetwork,outsideofyourpersonalfromanExcelspreadsheet,butthisisnotsustainableinthe relationships, to provide honest feedback along the way.long-term. Start thinking now about the bookkeeping you willneed,bothnowanddowntheroad.Mostownerscan There will be many ups and downs in your journey. Be flexible forsuccessfullyruntheirbusinessusingQuickBooksorsimilar thechangesthatwillhappen,andbepreparedforunhappyprograms. Find a great accountant to help you get this set up customersorunqualifiedcaregiversthatreactnegativelyand process your taxes as well! And dont forget to include your because you did not feel they were a good fit. Learn from eachsalary as part of your business plan. mistake and grow from it. The more you put into this, the moreyou can get out of it. IT- Now that youve got a great financial and legal team, startthinking about systems. Building a website can be cheap to start No matter how or where you start, make a solid plan, stick to it,onWixorGoDaddy,butthinkabouttheimageyoudliketo but dont be afraid to pivot when necessary. presenttopotentialclientsandcaregivers.Andhowwillyoumanage your day-to-day operations? There are no one-size-fits- Lastly, finding awesome caregivers isnt always easy, but it is veryall solutions in our industry, so you may need to piece together rewarding when you make a great match. You can do this!differentCRMs,applicanttrackingsoftware,andoperationalsoftware.Dosomeresearchonthispriortolaunchingtounderstand the best fits for your services.NannyMag.com| 37'