In this first episode of Hunting Hurdles, I am happy to have Jessica Boifio, the founder of Cosmopolitan Sitters. Her business is a fascinating one and I enjoyed learning about it from her quirky answers. I hope you enjoy it too.

1.       Who is Jessica?

A firecracker passionate about life and living it, mostly on her terms. Occasionally I grab it by the balls and create magic. I think ice cream is the best thing in the world.

2.       What is Cosmopolitan Sitters all about? What are your products or services?

Cosmopolitan Sitters is a babysitting service for kids between the ages of 2 and 12. It exists to provide support for parents who love to live life, socialize, are obsessed with career progression and who generally need/ want support taking care of their kids, so that they can go ahead and do just that. Our tagline is “we’ve got you covered” and it sums up pretty much what we’re here for. Weekend, After-School, Date Night, Travel and Holiday sitting services are what we offer. We provide sitters who love kids and are kids at heart, have some experience babysitting and are responsible and dedicated, taking care of your children and entertaining them to give you a break and allow you focus on you and the things you love doing outside of being a parent. Everyone needs that.

3.       How is your business different from other businesses?

Within the industry, we are the only service provider per our last check that offers in-home babysitting. We come to you and take care of and engage your kids in an environment that they are comfortable and feel safe in. We charge by the hour and so you get your money’s worth for the time that you need. Our CosmoSitters undergo CPR and First Aid training to ensure the safety of your kids. They also all are either in or have graduated from tertiary institutions and so can relate with your children in fun, creative and intellectual ways. We have our sitters take care of up to 3 children (maximum) so that they have their full attention. There are avenues for feedback so that we tailor our services to your specifications.

4.       What gave you the idea for Cosmopolitan Sitters?

The pressure to be superparent (supermom especially) is daunting. What this means for many, is giving up who they are as individuals, giving up on their favorite past times and dreams to focus solely on their kids, plus, you can’t really ask for help. It’s part of the unwritten laws of parenthood it seems. I don’t think this should be so. I think it’s perfectly possible to be a superparent with support and live a full life and achieve the things you set out to all the while loving the heck out of your child and providing the best care for them. And so…Cosmopolitan Sitters.

5.       Did you tell people about your idea? How did they receive it?

I did. With a PowerPoint presentation. After a year of mulling over the idea and researching and trying to talk myself out of it. There were mixed reactions. People generally think I’m crazy so many of them just hahaa’d and rolled their eyes at me and said, “as for you”. There were those who thought it was a brilliant idea and urged me to execute it. There were some concerns, what with our culture of having family to take care of kids and the seeming absurdity of having someone come into your home for a few hours to take care of your kids. Those were genuine concerns that helped. My parents run a school and so I got some insight into what childcare services entail which went a long way to help shape the business.

6.       How difficult was it to actually start?

The most difficult part was getting out of perfectionist mode to actually begin and iterate as it grows. Once that boundary was crossed it was fairly easy to go through with the rest – registration of the business, drafting contracts, recruiting sitters, getting police background checks done.  It was not a cost-intensive business to start, I must admit. Cosmopolitan Sitters is still at its early stages of marketing to get the service out there and have people understand our proposition.

7.       How do you market your business?

Currently we are active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In September, we’ll be at the Accra Food Festival at the Accra Polo Court to provide childcare services and entertainment for the kids who show up with their parents. Flyers will soon be out at selected shops, restaurants and gyms. We are also in talks with a few estates to provide services to their communities.

8.       Tell us about your employees or business partners, if any.

We have 12 babysitters in our network currently, all women who have graduated from tertiary institutions. Eleven of them are based in Accra and 1 in Milan. Interests/hobbies are diverse ranging from reading, hiking, DIY crafts, baking to writing children’s books. They all have been cleared by the Ghana Police Service and have no criminal records and have over 15 years of babysitting combined among them. My parents work with me as well. My mom is a pharmacist and our Health & Safety Manager and my dad, the Finance director.

9.       How does somebody get to work with you?

To apply to be a babysitter, visit cosmopolitansitters.com/become-a-sitter. Once the application is received, an interview is scheduled and background checks ran. As soon as clearance is reached, sitters are added to the network.

10.   What kind of clients are you looking for? And how do they reach you?

Parents who understand the need for help. Parents who want to indulge in the things they love, hanging out with friends, going out on dates, just taking some me-time. Parents who want access to temporary help at their convenience and per their specifications. And of course, parents who can pay for our services.

To reach us, visit www.cosmopolitansitters.com or call 0200112433. We can also be reached via our social media channels @CosmoSittersgh (Twitter), cosmopolitansittersgh (Instagram) and CosmopolitanSitters (Facebook)

11.   Is there a mission, beyond money?

Yes. To provide parents (especially women) with a safe space to adult without guilt while providing the best care for their kids.

12.   How does entrepreneurship compare to a regular job?

There’s never an off day. Everything I do leads back to Cosmopolitan Sitters. There’s also a lot more passion than I would apply to a regular job. It’s fun but serious business. With no one to pick up your slack, you have to do and be everything for the business. I like that. I like having that control.

13.   What can government do to help young entrepreneurs?

Create an enabling environment for entrepreneurship to thrive. Reduction in taxes (which the current government has got running), business incubators, lower interest rates should all be considered. I think it would be fantastic to have resource portals/centers (kept up to date and tailored for the Ghanaian market) that can be accessed for free as well.

14.   Any advice to other entrepreneurs or would-be entrepreneurs?

Give yourself room to make mistakes and change things as and when you have to. Do not get into the rut of thinking and feeling that your plan has to go one way only. Also, take some time to distance yourself from your business and look inside from other people’s perspectives. Ask for help and take all the help you can. My friends pitched in and supported heavily with their expertise because I asked for help (and I’m so thankful for them).

15.   Anything else you’d like to share?

Collaboration and cooperation are critical in this entrepreneurial space and I hope to see more of it happening with the seemingly huge shift towards entrepreneurship among my peers.

Thanks for your time Jessica!