If you are a natural caregiver and don’t mind giving up a few good nights sleep, with this business idea you could be a lifesaver to parents of newborns.
Most parents would agree -- the most sleep deprived people in the world are new mothers. (Second, of course, would be new fathers).
You can offer them the help they so desperately need as a newborn nanny and sleep consultant.
Although a certain degree of sleep deprivation is expected after the arrival of a newborn, it can be dangerous.
Proper sleep is vital to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc with a job, school, health, and relationships, and in order to function properly, the body needs a minimum amount of sleep.
If it isn't getting enough, it will try to compensate in other ways, putting strain on all systems of the body.
Fatigue and drowsiness can also impair a person's reflexes and thought processes.
Driving or operating machinery in a sleep-deprived state can have devastating consequences, and caring for an infant is an infinitely more delicate process than operating a car or other machinery!
Sleep-deprivation can also contribute to postpartum depression in mothers, leading to more complicated issues that the new parents will have to face.
If you have personally overcome the perils of sleepless nights due to a crying newborn that is unable to settle down, you are likely already an expert and would be in a good position to help new moms get their babies to sleep through the night.
And you can research and educate yourself to become even more knowledgeable and skilled in this area easily and inexpensively.
Then you can instruct new parents on how to train their new little one to sleep through the night.
In the process, you will also give these sleep-deprived parents a brief respite from the crying and sleeplessness while they learn how to comfort and train their baby themselves.
Newborn nannies are in demand for parents of all kinds but they would be vital for single parents, new parents, parents of twins, parents who are employed full time or travel frequently, and parents in other kinds of situations.
You could charge a minimum of $25 per hour for your special skills with newborns.
In addition to good communication skills and unlimited amounts of patience, you will also need a certification in CPR and basic first aid.
You should also be able to provide references to the parents, (who are often quite nervous when it comes to leaving their precious new baby with a virtual stranger), showing that you have extensive experience with children.
Parents of newborns are desperate for sleep and for help. The service you will be offering is one that is critically needed and will be overwhelmingly appreciated. First though, they need to be able to find you.
You will want to advertise your service in a local phone book.
Offering your potential customers a
website
with photos and extensive descriptions of the services that you are making available would be even better.
People are more likely to turn to a person or service with a friendly face than just an impersonal phone number.
Check out
Babiease.com
and
VivianSonnenberg.com
to see how two woman have utilized this business idea, and how their websites give them a great way to showcase their services and establish their credibility.
You should also list your service with an online business directory and also promote it by printing up flyers and posting them in places where people of all walks of life would be likely frequent. Be sure to include popular lunch places and coffee shops!
Most post offices and grocery stores also have bulletin boards that they will allow you to place an advertisement on. Be sure to take advantage of any public bulletin boards in your immediate area to find the people who are looking for you and your services.
Don't neglect places like medical service buildings, health food stores, libraries, and community center bulletin boards.
You should also request to place your flyers on the information boards of obstetricians' offices, community medical centers, and baby stores.
You should also cultivate relationships with other newborn and pregnancy service providers such as expectant parent class teachers, lactation professionals and more.
This business would also be a great add on to Business Idea #71 –
Infant Massage Instructor.
If you are already established in this area, you will have some of the necessary credibility to offer parents your services.
And you can also teach them infant massage as part of your education in caring for newborns.
The best service business ideas are born from finding a desperate need and providing the solutions to solve it.
So if you love babies, and can see yourself helping parents establish healthy sleep habits for their newborns, you may have just found the perfect business idea for you.
