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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 Jana Denton, founder and owner of Purple Nanny.
Agency Vitals
- Founded in 2010
- Serves the greater Charlotte metro area
- Specializes in in FT and PT nanny positions, temp and long-term; also offers babysitting services to established clients
How did you get started?
As a psychology major at NC State University, I began doing therapy with autistic children in their private homes. One of the families was in need of a nanny so I stepped into that role caring for their other children as well. I loved the nanny-family relationship so I pursued more nanny jobs while in college. After a detour in sales, I came back to nannying and working with children with autism. With a total of 15 years of experience working with children under my belt, I decided to open my own nanny agency.
What is your biggest challenge?
I find communication between the family and nanny to be the biggest challenge. I can place an experienced and wonderful nanny with a family, but the success of the working relationship is based on management and continued communication. I have created forms to help facilitate this communication on a daily and monthly basis, which gets them started off on the right foot. Nannies want clear and consistent communication from families. They don’t want to guess if they are providing the care in which the family is satisfied. Feedback from both parties is the only way to tweak and improve upon the relationship as a whole.
What strategies do you use for recruiting candidates?
We rely heavily on referrals from our nannies, but we also reach candidates through our social media pages and website. We have placed many nannies multiple times in our 8 years of business. The nannies know I have experience working as a nanny myself, so they trust I know how to structure and organize the details of the position.
How do you advertise/market your agency? / How do you find new families?
Word of mouth is the most frequent way families find us, but some find us online through web searches and social media. Referrals from happy families and nannies are by far the most successful avenues for finding new families.
How do you distinguish yourself from online agencies? / How do you show your value?
Many families come to us after trying to hire online. They tell me how complicated and time-consuming the process is and feel completely overwhelmed. Screening applications, conducting interviews, calling references and running background checks can be time consuming and difficult for working families. Purple Nanny caters to the family by taking care of those steps for them. We get to know the nannies and families and use their personalities, strengths, needs, and job experience as the basis for making good matches. Purple Nanny screens and finds the top-level nannies in the area from the larger applicant pool. Due to this prescreening process, the families typically interview only 1-3 candidates before selecting a nanny. If a family is screening without assistance, they might have to interview 20-30 candidates on their own and still may not find the right nanny.
How do you help families and nannies understand the benefits of paying legally?
First and foremost, we let them know that it’s the law to pay their nanny legally. We also explain the benefits they receive, as well as the benefits a nanny receives from being paid on the books. I stress that being a nanny is a profession, and being paid legally they will have stated income for loans, pay into social security, and remaining compliant with the law!
What changes have you seen over the years in the household employment industry?
When I started Purple Nanny in 2010, approximately 50% of families were paying their nannies legally. That percentage is so much higher now. More nannies are asking to be paid on the books because they understand the benefits of doing so. Regulations in the industry have helped with families understanding how to stay compliant.
How has GTM helped your agency and your families?
I bring a packet of information to my families including information on hiring and managing a nanny. I always include GTM materials in this packet as well as information on IRS mileage reimbursement rates and other details an employer might not think of. I explain how easy GTM makes the gross to net conversion and providing an actual pay stub to the nanny for her records. Most of my families use GTM. They enjoy how GTM simplifies payroll and taxes and alleviates the possibility of them making a mistake in those calculations.
What are some fun facts about you or your agency?
We have won the Charlotte “BOB” Award for Best Nanny Agency and Macaroni Kid Gold Daisy award for Best Nanny Service. We plan fun events like fire station tours and picnics in the park for our nannies and kiddos to enjoy. I’m also a native Charlottean, which is rare in this growing and thriving city. This growth brings many families needing nannies! I’ve been happy to serve the Charlotte area families and nannies for the past 8 years and witness the continued growth of our great city!
