Just Kidding Babysitting

  • Written by Ben Tan
  • Published on

We recently caught up with the girls from Just Kidding Babysitting (JKB), winners of the 2014 Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES), to learn a bit more about their winning idea and their experiences being involved in the YES program.

The friendly team from Waikato Diocesan School for Girls aims to change the traditional baby sitting model from a closed-off system often fuelled by the word-of-mouth, to an open, transparent, and safe one backed by accessible web-technology and powered by sitters who almost qualify as having a degree in babysitting.

Each baby sitter goes through an interview process where they are put into scenario-based tests to gauge their suitability, and then are invited to a training day where they learn about child psychology and basic St John's first aid. The caliberr of babysitters is high, and upon request you are able to book a babysitter who can help with meal preparation, homework help, music, sports, and even birthday parties.

When we spoke with them they've already had 70+ completed bookings and were excited about the opportunities 2015 brings on their back of their win.


Plans for the future of JKB

After their YES success, the girls of JKB are looking at continuing to grow their business while they finish off their final year at high school. They have plans to grow the number of trained baby sitters by approaching ex-Diocesan school students at Waikato University to provide cover in times of high demand, introduction of a pet and house-sitting service which allows them to broaden their target market, and partner up with schools in Auckland to grow their customer base.


About the Young Enterprise Scheme

The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme is a high-school extra-curricular program for years 12-13 that places the students into a fast-paced, guided race to nourish their seedling of their business idea to a functional business. Events, workshops, dedicated mentors, and resources help and inspire and grow students' enthusiasm and business-sense along the way.

The end of the YES program closes yearly in November with an evening of ceremony, food, and awards, where teams compete on a national level.


Snowball's Involvement with YES

Snowball Effect proudly sponsors YES by donating a portion of our revenue directly to the Trust.

YES is a charitable trust which believes tomorrow's economic prosperity depends on having an education system that encourages students to develop positive enterprise and financial skills.

We believe that YES is a good fit for Snowball Effect - both of our organisations ultimately exist to drive economic growth in New Zealand through enterprise and enhanced investor financial skills.

Read YES CEO Terry Shubkin's blog post discussing growing entrepreneurship in New Zealand.