Archive for November, 2006

Restoring the Art Conference Hosted by Starkey International

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

May 3rd through 6th, 2006, Starkey International hosted a conference for Estate Managers, Household Managers, Butlers, Enlisted Aides, Personal Chefs and Personal Assistants serving the Luxury Market.  Also in attendance were several agency owners who are also members of the National Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies:
Karen Ryan - President, Estate Staffing by Heartland; Denise Collins, […]

A Message From The President

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

The National Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies, (APNA) is 13 years old this year. We have had many volunteers in this organization over the past years. In 1993, at the Boston Strictly Business Conference, the following Agency Owners got together and talked about creating APNA: Denise Collins, Judi Merlin, Floreen Bishop, Allene Fisch, Dee Zarnowski, […]

Adventures in Babysitting: Hiring Part-Time Care in a Hot Market

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

Hiring a part-time nanny seemed like a simple thing to Peggy Seiter. The job she planned to offer — $250 for four afternoons of work a week, plus school holidays — seemed attractive.
But making a deal proved harder than she expected. After interviewing a string of unsuitable candidates, Ms. Seiter, an actuary and mother of […]

Letter to the Editor, Times Union, Albany, New York

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

While it is becoming more and more the norm to turn to the internet to find and purchase everyday items and even for more complex things such as “the perfect mate”, it is doubtful that it will ever be a safe place to find a qualified, screened sitter for your children.
Online babysitting services are doing […]

Taxes Time to Come Clean

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

by Kevin McCormally
Bernard Kerik seemed straight out of central casting when he was nominated to take over the Department of Homeland Security. Until, that is, we learned that President Bush’s first choice to replace Secretary Tom Ridge couldn’t run his own household legally. Instead of taking on terrorists, tough-guy Kerik was felled by the Mary […]

The Case for Paying The Nanny Tax

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

By Sue Shellenbarger
From The Wall Street Journal Online
Of all the touchy issues I’ve covered in my 14 years as a family columnist, none send more parents running for cover than the nanny tax.
Parents are willing to discuss nearly anything, in my experience, except whether they pay the nanny tax: the Medicare, Social Security and other […]

The Perils of Penny-Pinching on Background Checks

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

By Lynn Peterson, President of PFC Information Services, Inc.
Harvard Emeritus Professor, Derek Bok, once said, “If you think education is expensive, consider the cost of ignorance.” By the same token, if you think pre-employment background checks are expensive, consider the cost of placing a nanny with a criminal record.  While a typical background check costs […]

Customer Service - Why it Matters

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

A typical business hears from only 4% of it’s dissatisfied customers. The other 96% just quietly go away and 91% will never come back. That represents a serious financial loss for companies whose people don’t know how to treat customers, and a tremendous gain to those that do.
A survey on “Why customers quit” found the […]

Taxes and Labor Laws

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

The National Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies
POSITION PAPER
September 2003
Taxes and Labor Laws
APNA is committed to informing all agency owners of their responsibilities for encouraging household employers to comply with all relevant tax and labor laws.
APNA member agencies encourage all household employers to pay their employee(s) according to federal and state regulations. It is the responsibility […]

Marketing should focus on six pillars of a sound sales strategy

Thursday, November 30th, 2006

Houston Business Journal - October 20, 2003

ENTERPRISE
The Company Doctor
Scott Clark
When you have a company that specializes in large-ticket items, marketing — or getting your name and product […]