Tuesday, September 1st, 2009
The invisible Mom

It’s hard enough for parents and children to get back into the routine of lunches, homework, and the overall school routine when September rolls around. At Canadian Sitter headquarters, thousands of families are searching for child care, which means my service is drowning in requests for before and after school nannies and babysitters.

Having someone assist you at home can be a wonderful help to your family.  Caregivers can help you by picking up the kids from school or the bus stop and escorting them home, being there when your child comes home for the day, as well as assisting in other household tasks after school. However, many parents set their hopes too high when looking for before and after school care. Last week, I had a parent post a job looking for a part-time, French speaking, educated nanny. During the 2 ½ hours of care needed, the parent is looking for a caregiver that can do some house cleaning, laundry, walk the dog, shop for groceries, drive the kids to their various activities, helping them with homework, and have a home cooked meal ready for 6:15. Sounds busy right?

While this type of care is not completely impossible to find, it is close. It’s obvious to me that this parent is looking for someone to replace him/herself in the few hours afterschool while they are at work. This really makes me reflect on the responsibility of a parent. In a very short period of time, parents are able to do an unbelievable amount of multitasking and juggling to make the family operate. The good, and bad news is that you really cannot be replaced. A caregiver isn’t able to do everything that you can do in that time, and is usually primarily interested in taking care of the kids, rather than folding your laundry.

I can tell you first hand that you can’t pay someone to step into your shoes with the same passion you exude and handle multi-tasking in the same way you can. My advice is that if you do find that person, do not – DO NOT - tell it to any of your friends that have kids. I’m sure they will do anything to have her.

Posted by EntrepreneurMom
on Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 at 10:55:04 AM
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Monday, August 24th, 2009
Unwelcome 4-legged backyard visitors

In the spring, I am always so keen on my gardens. In May, I spend hours working on them, but by the time July hits I have lost all interest in them. Last week, I decided to take a few hours and tackle the jungle we call our backyard. As I venture into the back yard, I notice that a large branch has broken off the tree. When I go to investigate this further, I notice a large pile of poop under the tree. We don’t have a dog, and our yard is completely fenced, so I don’t think a neighborhood dog could get in to it.

After looking at the pile, I have an idea of what it might be, but decide to do some research. So that I have something to compare, I take a picture of it (yes, I know I am taking pictures of poop), and compare it to pictures I find on the Internet. I was very surprised at the abundance of photos of every kind of animal dropping you can imagine. As I expected, it resembles Ursus Americanus scat, or to you and I, Black bear poop. We don’t live particularly close to any large forested areas in this part of town, and we live in a cul-de-sac. Since we moved here 4 years ago, I haven’t ever heard of bears coming into our area. We do have a hotline to call here, as we do have quite a bit of forest where I live, and I called to report what I saw. I hope we don’t have a closer encounter.

My daughter’s are now terrified to go in the backyard. “Mom, can you please get my soccer ball out of the backyard for me?” my oldest, Sophie asked. Charlotte, my youngest, has even blamed the bear for her missing running shoes. I’m not sure what to do at this point, as there is a slight chance our bear friend will be back. I guess all I can do it wait for hibernation season, and go from there!

Posted by EntrepreneurMom
on Monday, August 24th, 2009 at 2:18:14 PM
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Monday, August 17th, 2009
Hiring a Single Mom

A few weeks ago, I was attended a business function. I overheard a conversation, and was disappointed with what I heard. A male and female business owner team were talking and I heard “I would never hire a single mother”. “Hey,” said the woman, “that is way more work that it would be worth.” The man went on to describe how a single mother is too overwhelmed all time and couldn’t handle anything more on her plate. I went away from the meeting mad at myself, mostly because I did not step in to say something. I was raised by a single mother, so I felt I had an obligation to straighten these people out.

In the history of my business, I have hired 3 single mothers. I know that being the sole parent and breadwinner is difficult; these women all had an unmatchable strength and were determined to keep their lives together. Really, the main sacrifice they made was having less for them. Overall, I found these ladies always arrived on time, did not take off excessive amounts of time, had a great attitude and were committed to their job. All three of these moms were wonderful and I would hire them back in a second.

I am amazed at what a single mother can get done in a day. I guess instead of calling these three “single moms”, I would take it a step further and call them “inspiring moms”.

Posted by EntrepreneurMom
on Monday, August 17th, 2009 at 12:38:01 PM
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Monday, August 10th, 2009
Living in an Island Paradise

Running an online business has lots of benefits. The biggest one for me is the ability to relocate. About 4 years ago, my husband and I packed up the kids, our house, and our business and decided to fulfill my dream; living out west. We moved to Vancouver Island, which many people agree is *one* of the most beautiful places in Canada; we sure think so! As wonderful as it is here, there are things we miss, like our friends and family we left in Toronto. However, it has been a wonderful change of lifestyle.

BUT… every once in a while, EVERYONE here goes a little crazy. Why? The ferries. Vancouver Island has pretty much everything you need here from bustling downtown Victoria, the capital of BC, to remote and rustic places where few people live, and all the nature you could dream of. But, there does come a time that you need to leave and get to the mainland. If you want to leave, your best option is the ferry, 1 hour and 35 minutes. Crossing the breathtaking Straight of Georgia isn’t the issue. The problems lie in the waiting and the cost.

Sometimes, it is necessary to pay the reservation fee to reserve a spot for your vehicle on the ferry. Otherwise, you can end up waiting 2-4 hours (or 1-2 sailings in ‘island talk’) for the next one during peak times – a.k.a. Thursday to Monday every week of the summer and any holiday or long weekend. Every once in a while, the boats have technical or mechanical issues, or there is the odd bomb threat. The one thing that will get in your way every time you take the ferry though, is the cost. For a family of four in our vehicle, it costs us over $100… each way. It costs an adult almost $15 just to walk on the ferry!

Like I’ve said, living on Vancouver Island is my dream, and it really is a dream living here. Even despite all the challenges of the ferry, they are still a wonderful thing. We never get tired of looking at the scenery pass us by. The last 3 ferry trips I’ve taken with the girls, we’ve seen orcas, seals, and otters, in addition to the usual scenery. I guess you can’t have it all!

Posted by EntrepreneurMom
on Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 12:49:07 PM
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Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
Who's the Boss

At this time of year, the business gets so busy that we need to look at hiring extra staff.  From going from an employee (in someone else's company) to being an employer, managing staff has been one of the hardest transitions for me. I didn't ever have any training in management, so therefore I have had to wing it. I have learned lots of lessons over the years and I feel I now have what it takes to be an effective manager/boss.

My office environment is very relaxed, but very busy.  My staff receives extensive training to prepare them for the huge variety of questions and situations that may arise - you never know what you'll encounter when the phone rings. I am always close by if there is a question from staff. On a daily basis, we help stressed out parents with babies screaming in the background to caregivers that really need to find a job. All my clients are important to me, and therefore I put a priority on personal customer service. I am not a fan of automated services that keep you on the phone pressing keys and wasting your time. It may be a little old fashioned, but with my business, a customer reaching a live person is very important to me.

My business is successful partly because of the great staff that I have hired over the years. I think being aware of that as an employer is one of the most important business skills you can have.

Posted by EntrepreneurMom
on Tuesday, August 4th, 2009 at 2:46:40 PM
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