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Example of Childcare Business Ideas You can use the operational businesses below to help you start your own childcare business idea and give you a head start.

By Nicole Crampton

You're reading Entrepreneur South Africa, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

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Parents sometimes need help looking after their children, no matter what age. If you have experience with children and a youth development, education or caretaking qualification, you can start your childcare business idea. Here are 10 examples of childcare business ideas you can use to get your business off the ground:

1. Babysitting

If you have experience looking after children but don't yet have a qualification, a babysitting business could be the way to go. Before you get going, see what this operational business is up to and how it can assist you in starting your own babysitting business:

Business Name: Jackson Hole Babysitting

Website: https://jacksonholebabysitting.com/

Established Date: 2004

About the business:

Jackson Hole Babysitting specialises in individual childcare serving infants through to teens. They offer their services to guests of weddings or tourists on vacation, as well as full-time residents.Jackson Hole Babysitting also offers an on-call babysitting service, overnight care, full -or part-time nanny services for all ages, travel service and sitters for children with special needs.

Related: A Free Business Plan Example to Launch Your South African Business

Innovative business offering

Considering that this babysitting business does cater to guests and tourists they also offer baby gear rental for parents on-the-move. This enables this childcare business to cater to parents who might not need their babysitting services but do need strollers or cribs while travelling.

2. Rent Baby Stuff

Supplying parents with baby furniture and gear while they're traveling around the country or across the world is a great way to support the childcare industry. Before you launch your business have a look at what this successful business is offering to ensure your childcare business idea is competitive:

Business Name: Babylite

Website: http://www.babylite.co.za/

Established Date: 2006

About the business:

Babylite is a South African premier baby accessory hire and rental company. They offer their services for families visiting and travelling within South Africa. They deliver and collect the baby equipment and baby accessories from the airport or the client's accommodation.

Innovative business offering

Babylite offers reservations for those parents who know ahead of time what they'll need, as well as parents arriving at the airport and needing equipment or accessories. If customers are hiring cars, Babylite can leave the equipment with the rental car in advance, so their customers don't have to wait for the equipment.

3. Night Nanny

If you have knowledge of caring for a newborn baby or multiple children at once, new parents could hire you to look after their children through the night. Before you launch your service, see how this Night Nanny started her business in London and what services she offers her customers:

Related: 11 Uniquely South African Business Ideas

Business Name: The Night Nanny Service

Website: https://www.thenightnannyservice.com/

Established Date:

About the business:

Rae the founder of The Night Nanny Service, has nine years' experience as a Night Nanny, and she also has three grown children of her own. She offers experience, lessons and helping new parents in creating routines for their newborns. She will also answer any questions the parents may have and is happy to work around her customers schedule.

Innovative business offering

The Night Nanny Service also offers her customer life-long phone support free of charge for as long as they want or need it, and she offers troubleshooting and baby sleep training for babies who are battling to sleep and can't seem to stick to a routine. She will also help with developmental milestones like helping baby to switch to the bottle or helping toddler to sleep in their own bed.

4. Children's Party Service

If you love planning children's parties, why not start your own children's party service? Here is a successful children's party planning business that you can get ideas from before you launch your own business:

Business Name: Rainbows and Wishes: Children's Party Rentals and Events

Website: https://www.houstonkidsbirthdayparty.com/

Established Date: 2018

About the business:

Rainbows and Wishes: Children's Party Rentals and Events was launched to meet the demand for children's parties that it's parent company Tea-Light Parties was receiving. They offer party planning, children's destination event planning, themed birthday parties, teen/tween events and hassle-free pop-up party kits.

Innovative business offering

Rainbows and Wishes also offers party supply rentals for parents looking for children's sized furniture, tables, tablecloths, napkins and chair skirts. They also offer custom event planning for parents who want something specific for their children's birthdays.

5. Start a Creche

If you have an education background in youth development and experience teaching children, then this could be the childcare business for you. See what your competition is doing before you launch your own business to ensure you remain competitive and offer all the services you should:

Business Name: Toddies

Website: https://www.toddies.co.za/

Established Date: 1999

About the business:

Toddies offers care and educational lessons to children ranging from 3 months to 6 years with educational programmes that help to develop their social skills. They are given numerous opportunities to practise social interactions such as language, gross motor skills, mathematics, arts and crafts, drama and music.

Related: The Ultimate 101 List Of SA Business Ideas To Get You Started

Innovative business offering

Toddies also offers numerous extra murals including swimming, playball, pottery, soccer, maths and music and dance to ensure the children are learning while having fun. They are open all year, except for two weeks in December, assisting parents with a safe, reliable and educational place to send their children.

6. Baby Swimming Services

Do you want to teach babies and toddlers how to swim? Then this could be the childcare business idea for you. Learn from this successful swimming business to ensure you cover all your bases before launching your business:

Business Name: MySwim

Website: http://www.myswim.co.za/home

Established Date: 2010

About the business:

MySwim follow's the Professional Baby Swimming Teachers Association (PBSTA) method of teaching babies and toddlers how to swim. Each child is allowed to progress at their own pace and ability. They offer baby swimming lessons from 6 months old.

Innovative business offering

MySwim also offers swimming lessons for older children and swimming training for adults, so the whole family can enjoy their services. They also offer their services to nursery schools as an extra-mural activity.

7. Kids' Taxi Service

Kids have so many extra murals and appointments that many parents just don't have the time to pick them up and drop them off. If you want to safely transport children from school to their afterschool activities and then home, then this could be the childcare business idea for you. Ensure you know everything about this type of business by studying competitors in your market, here is an example:

Business Name: Cool (kids') Cabs

Website: https://coolkidscabs.co.za/

Established Date: 2009

About the business:

Since its launch Cool (kids') Cabs has done 5 million kilometres as mobile caregivers, injury free. The vision behind this business was to provide the safest transport for children. They also offer direct routes, so parents don't have to worry about children waiting while they pick up and drop off other children.

Related: A Child Care Business Might Amplify Your Entrepreneurial Journey

Innovative business offering

Cool (kids') Cabs offers state of the art security features including: 24/7 live tracking, onboard cameras, trained drivers and appropriate car seats. They have also partnered with Bounce to give parents peace of mind while their children enjoy the fun and safe environment at the Bounce facilities.

8. New Parents School

There are thousands of first-time parents around the country that could use support and guidance on the practical aspects of being new parents. If you have experience with newborns and young children and perhaps have a degree in youth development, you could open a childcare business like this. Here is an example of a successful business you can learn from before launching your business:

Business Name: Nanny Options

Website: https://nannyoptions.ie/parenting-classes/

Established Date:

About the business:

The Nanny Options offers parenting classes covering a range of topics including baby health, playtime ideas, food, nutrition and sleep routines.They also offer group classes and workshops that are "hands on" courses and are ideal for all parents.

Innovative business offering

Besides the parenting classes, The Nanny Options also offer nannies, maternity nurses, housekeepers, sleep training, babysitters, au pairs, nannies for special events and tutors.

9. Day Care Centre

If you want to look after children during the day you could open a day care centre. Before you do find out what others are offering and what you need to know before you launch your childcare business:

Business Name: Babies First Day Care and Pre-School

Website: http://babiesfirst.co.za/

About the business:

Related: 25 Of The Most Successful Business Ideas In South Africa

Babies First aims to provide children with the highest quality of care, environment and the best opportunities in physical, social, emotional and intellectual learning. They have both indoor age specific designated classrooms and play areas, as well as an outdoor playground and picnic garden.

Innovative business offering

Even though Babies First is a Day Care they also offer facilities for a pre-school, which allows them to take on older children.This means that they can provide an educational and safe place for children to grow over many years until 5 years old.

10. Au Pair

There are parents who need a more involved service with it comes to childcare. Au Pairs typically pick-up children from school, take them to after-school activities, take them home, help them with homework and look after them until the parents come home. If this sounds like the childcare business idea you would like to start here is a successful business, you can learn from:

Business Name: Au Pair Agency

Website: http://aupairagency.co.za/

About the business:

Au Pair Agency vets and find part-time and full-time au pairs and matches them up with families looking for their service.. Each au pair needs to have over a year of childcare experience and a first aid course qualification.

Innovative business offering

Besides au pair services, Au Pair Agency also offers babysitting, house sitting and pet sitting services. This enables families to receive all the personal and child caring services from one business.

Related: Planning To Invest In The Nursery Franchise Business?

Nicole Crampton

Entrepreneur Staff

Sales Enablement - Content Developer

Nicole Crampton is an SEO specialist who contributes to Entrepreneur.com/za. She has studied a BA Journalism at Monash South Africa and has continued her studies with a Creative Writing degree from UNISA. Nicole has completed several courses in writing and online marketing, and continues to hone her skills and expertise in digital media, digital marketing and content creation.

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