How to find families willing to pay premium?

[Anonymous]

I find this woman’s twitter posts fascinating. She is a tv writer in Hollywood, as is her husband. So clearly resourced. I’m not sure how many families with means are willing to “pay the premium” after all.

https://mobile.twitter.com/audreyalison?lang=en

[Anonymous]

If there are private Facebook groups for the neighborhoods you’re targeting request to join and explain why. A colleague told me she did this and she was granted access and allowed to post her info. I haven’t talked to her since that conversation so I don’t know if she got hired, but it sounded like a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to a high-end agency. Parents who are willing to pay high fees to the agency are generally willing to pay higher wages.

Sure, but if you can cut out the agency, the teacher can pocket much more of those higher fees.

It will be harder to find a match, but it’s worth a shot for a bit given the difference in total pay.

People using agencies won’t pay less because of agency fees. I have worked for HNW families as a nanny before. The parents would leave cash for me each week to take the kids to lunch, see a movie, etc. I remember buying myself a box of overpriced candy at a movie I took took the kids to. It was easier to use the cash the parents gave me than to pay separately. I told the dad this and handed him the $7 or whatever I owed them. He laughed and waved it away. I thought $7 was a crazy amount to spend on a box of candy but I splurged. I later found out when he retired a few years later, that his retirement package was $200 million.

Do you think people who have been in public and are now scrambling for a private option (but haven’t gone fully private, possibly for cost reasons) given the cluster that is public DL have the unlimited funds you describe?

The OP asked where to find families willing to pay. Several posters, including myself, told her to register with an agency because people who use them tend to be very wealthy and don’t worry about agency fees. There are a lot of very wealthy people out there and this is how the OP can connect with them. I answered her question. I have no idea why you are writing about people who can’t afford to use these agencies. They aren’t relevant to this discussion.

Do you work for a staffing agency? What I wrote is entirely relevant to the discussion and is potentially a way for OP to make a lot more money than she could if she went through an agency.

Lots and lots of people are considering doing pods and or tutoring. These people have money to pay. That doesn't mean they have money to burn to the tune of the person worth $200M that you or someone else posted about. That's particularly true when lots of people talking about doing pods now have to date used public schools. They are willing to pay to get their kids an education this year, but that doesn't mean they are entirely immune to the cost. And, even for people who have very flexible budgets, they would rather not pay more than necessary. If you can cut out the agency, it works better for both parties. (Our HHI is $450k. We send our kid to public, in part because of cost. I could afford to join a pod my husband wants us to consider it. But, I would rather do it without an agency fee and, to the extent I am paying more, I'd rather have it go to the teacher directly. I'm sure I am not alone on either count.)

As others have suggested, if she tried listerves, Facebook, Nextdoor or similar groups geared towards UNW/Bethesda/Arlington, she may be able to find people who will hire directly without having to have the agency take a cut.

[Anonymous]

I agree with pp. Private schools are open, public schools are closing. Parents of kids in public schiols are not the ones willing to pay premium. If they were, theyd already be in private. If you want 20 grand a year, tops 35, you can get it. But you arent going to get more than private school tuition, which is what 45? Say you get 3 familes to pay 20, thats just 60, and thsts a lit of work and frankly a lot of exposure.

[Anonymous]

I stand by my earlier comment to use an agency - the entire point is that the (very expensive) agency fee is no problem for these families. They’re happy to pay a few thousand bucks to make their life easier and have the agency handle the legwork. I count myself among this group and I’m definitely not spending time scrolling care.com or Facebook groups trying to find staff and vet them myself. I hire a good agency and let them present me with candidates that are pre-screened and meet my criteria. The agency doesn’t take an ongoing cut - it’s a one-time (large) placement fee. This is how you find families willing to pay a premium, as the OP requested.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to a high-end agency. Parents who are willing to pay high fees to the agency are generally willing to pay higher wages.

Sure, but if you can cut out the agency, the teacher can pocket much more of those higher fees.

It will be harder to find a match, but it’s worth a shot for a bit given the difference in total pay.

People using agencies won’t pay less because of agency fees. I have worked for HNW families as a nanny before. The parents would leave cash for me each week to take the kids to lunch, see a movie, etc. I remember buying myself a box of overpriced candy at a movie I took took the kids to. It was easier to use the cash the parents gave me than to pay separately. I told the dad this and handed him the $7 or whatever I owed them. He laughed and waved it away. I thought $7 was a crazy amount to spend on a box of candy but I splurged. I later found out when he retired a few years later, that his retirement package was $200 million.

Do you think people who have been in public and are now scrambling for a private option (but haven’t gone fully private, possibly for cost reasons) given the cluster that is public DL have the unlimited funds you describe?

The OP asked where to find families willing to pay. Several posters, including myself, told her to register with an agency because people who use them tend to be very wealthy and don’t worry about agency fees. There are a lot of very wealthy people out there and this is how the OP can connect with them. I answered her question. I have no idea why you are writing about people who can’t afford to use these agencies. They aren’t relevant to this discussion.

One of the reasons you work with an agency in return for their taking a % is the contract coverage they can provide. If something goes wrong, it’s going to be much easier to address with them being the point person than you.

Right now it might not be as needed with so many families and pods scrambling for teachers. If something goes awry with one, there’s very likely a line of others ready to take their place. But normally having an agency manage that for you may be worth their cut, is it’s not a big %.

[Anonymous]

^^ or having them represent you in return for a big placement fee, in return for that contract management.

[Anonymous]

Probably use White House Nannies but I’ve seen some families who have posted ads on Care.com. If you’re in the DC area search by the zip codes in the Bethesda Chdvy Chase area and sort by miles (eg 20815, 20816, 20817). I would also suggest setting your preferred hourly rate and responding even if it’s higher than advertised jobs because you’re offering a service that is not typically seen.

[Anonymous]

PP 15:31 here. I have a feeling that White House Nannies base will probably expand due to the need for qualified teachers right not but I can tell you anecdotally that my family and several other families I know have never used them because their fee is astronomically high. So while you may end up with a very well off family you may also end up with a family that has a certain level of expectations for household staff that you may not expect. That’s why I suggest going on care.com, setting your price, and seeing who comes looking for you through your profile and through positions you apply for. Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

So all of the people who are looking for jobs don’t consider salary? I highly doubt that. Salary is a top consideration for most job seekers. The OP isn’t looking for pods. She needs one family for whom money is no object. I doubt she’ll find that on Care.com but you never know. GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So all of the people who are looking for jobs don’t consider salary? I highly doubt that. Salary is a top consideration for most job seekers. The OP isn’t looking for pods. She needs one family for whom money is no object. I doubt she’ll find that on Care.com but you never know. GL!

No, that’s not my point at all. For me somewhat on principle and somewhat because of finances I am not paying WH Nannies’ exorbitant fee and I suspect others feel the same way. But I would be happy to pay a competitive salary for an extremely qualified teacher that I found on care.com.

[Anonymous]

How much do you want to charge? Depending what it is, I may have an idea for you.

[Anonymous]

OP-

How much do you consider premium?

Will this be virtual tutoring? I'm assuming that if you're quitting for health concerns you wouldn't want to be in and out of people's homes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stand by my earlier comment to use an agency - the entire point is that the (very expensive) agency fee is no problem for these families. They’re happy to pay a few thousand bucks to make their life easier and have the agency handle the legwork. I count myself among this group and I’m definitely not spending time scrolling care.com or Facebook groups trying to find staff and vet them myself. I hire a good agency and let them present me with candidates that are pre-screened and meet my criteria. The agency doesn’t take an ongoing cut - it’s a one-time (large) placement fee. This is how you find families willing to pay a premium, as the OP requested.

But it’s not “these families” who are now scrambling to put together a pod. They already attend private schools and may have tutors.

Maybe OP’s resume is so impressive that she can find a family willing to pay any cost, but that is a smaller universe than you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stand by my earlier comment to use an agency - the entire point is that the (very expensive) agency fee is no problem for these families. They’re happy to pay a few thousand bucks to make their life easier and have the agency handle the legwork. I count myself among this group and I’m definitely not spending time scrolling care.com or Facebook groups trying to find staff and vet them myself. I hire a good agency and let them present me with candidates that are pre-screened and meet my criteria. The agency doesn’t take an ongoing cut - it’s a one-time (large) placement fee. This is how you find families willing to pay a premium, as the OP requested.

Many agencies don’t work that way. Their fee is built in to what you pay and it is ongoing. So if the teacher is laid $50/hour, the family pays $75, and it goes on for the life of the relationship and there are steep penalties for hiring someone directly. That can make a significant difference in terms of the overall cost/