Each month we highlight one of our agency partners, and get to know a little more about them and their insights into the household employment industry. This month we spoke with Christine Lasser, owner of Naptown Nannies.
Agency Vitals
- Founded in 2012
- Serves the Annapolis, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. areas
- Specializes in FT and PT nannies, event and wedding child care; partners with other agencies for specialized care
How did your agency get started?
Growing up in southern New Jersey near Philadelphia, I was always around children, and I did a lot of babysitting as a teen and in college. I worked for an agency in New Jersey where I learned all about the business of running an agency. When I moved to Annapolis, I saw a gap in the child care services and a need for an agency between Baltimore and D.C. People had the income to hire nannies but no agency to serve them, so I knew it was a good place to open one. Plus, I wanted a job where I could also have time to raise a family.
What is your biggest challenge?
A relatively new but important challenge is finding candidates with legal work documents. Due to recent federal laws, it’s become more difficult in our industry to recruit immigrants. Our clients want to be legal, but unfortunately we’re seeing a lot of qualified applicants who do not have the legal documents to work here.
What strategies do you use for recruiting candidates?
My best recruitment tool is my network of nannies. It’s important for our industry to make sure our nannies have a great experience working for an agency, that we set a high standard. When a nanny moves to another location, we want them to seek work through another agency rather than trying to go it on their own. So through word of mouth, we find great nannies because our current nannies enjoy working here and recommend us to their nanny friends.
What do you look for to make successful placements?
Because I’ve been both a nanny and an agency owner, I pride myself on understanding the needs of both parties. Annapolis is a small town, so I know the families and nannies well, and the personal service I offer lets families and nannies trust that I will make a good placement. The nannies know I personally visit families’ homes, so they trust they will be placed in a safe environment. My families know how well I get to know my nannies, so they trust I will send them someone reliable and great for their family.
How do you advertise/market your agency? / How do you find new families?
Word of mouth is our biggest source of finding new families. I try to give our agency as much exposure as possible around town by supporting local businesses and events, such as school fundraisers and community events. It’s been a slow but steady building of my client base, and then word of mouth has helped immensely. I’ve done some advertising in various publications, but I’ve found that the money is better spent sponsoring community events.
How do you distinguish yourself from online agencies and show your value?
Simply put, I offer a personalized service that families and nannies can’t get online. Families know they are getting a much better experience and spend far less time on the process than they would online. I understand the desire for the do-it-yourself approach, but I’ve found families just don’t have the time to weed through the multitude of candidates online and make a good choice. An agency’s service can’t be matched, and clients who get frustrated using the online sites and need help find our personal service a welcome change.
How do you help your families and nannies understand legal pay?
GTM has been very helpful with this issue, quickly and clearly communicating the benefits of paying legally to both families and nannies. I let families know from the beginning that our nannies are expecting to be paid on the books. Some still decide to not be legal, but I am clear about what their responsibilities are, including things like workers’ comp insurance. I let my nannies know that if they want to buy a car or a home, they need a credit history and they can’t get that by being paid under the table.
How has GTM helped your agency and your families?
Most families want to be legal, but it’s overwhelming, and that’s why I’m thankful for a partner like GTM to be the expert and guide them through it. Families are understanding more and more about the benefits of paying legally. I give them GTM’s info and direct them to GTM for help, and I know they’ll get expert advice.
What are some fun facts about you or your agency?
I believe very strongly about giving back to our community – it’s a big part of my business. I support a non-profit that provides after-school programs for Annapolis schools, and in November we participate in Kindness Rocks at a local winery. There’s a kids’ band playing, and the children paint rocks with messages of kindness and place them around town for people to find. It’s a great event!
Get your free: