Business idea: Confinement nanny agency
I have not been blogging for quite some time. This is because last month I became a first-time dad and I was really busy with my day-time job. To manage time, I engaged a confinement nanny to look after both my wife and my little bundle of joy during this challenging period. The experience also gave me the business idea of setting up a confinement nanny agency.
During our research on confinement nanny agencies in Singapore, me and wife realised that there are not many established ones around, notably only a few. Eventually we settled for PEM which claimed to be the largest confinement nanny agency in Singapore.
The first nanny lasted for one week and left because she claimed her grandmother passed away and she needed to go back to Malaysia. The replacement nanny who stayed throughout the confinement period was old and slow.
We were not satisfied with the services of PEM but held on to their services because we felt it was a hassle to keep changing nannies during this short period of one month. Somehow we also felt that the services rendered wasn’t value for money.
During the contractual discussion, we stated that the nanny was expected to perform basic household chores, cooked for me and my wife and also take care of the baby. However, the replacement nanny ended up spending more time in the kitchen and less time looking after the baby. Below is a break-down of the cost:
1) S$700 to the confinement agency
2) S$1300 to the confinement nanny
3) S$300 worth of herbs for my wife
4) S$140 to CPF for the foreign helper levy
Looking at the amount of money I spent, confinement nanny services is definitely a lucrative and in-demand business in Singapore. There are not many such agencies around and most of them source their nannies from Malaysia. If you are looking for feasible business idea, this can be a potential business to invest in.
The risk is failing is there but it can be mitigated with careful planning and market research. For this business idea to take off, it is not necessary to have personal experience of being a confinement nanny (although it would be a bonus to have). What matters more is to have a feasible system, training, supplier network and stand operating procedures.
Read my other articles on business idea:
Magically yours,
SG Wealth Builder
No guarantee services from PEM. PEMConfinement poorly rated. Did you go to CASE?
I did not go to CASE as I don’t want to stress out my wife too.
Terrible quality of nannies from PEM. It claimed in its website that their nannies are trained by a hospital. All bullshits. The two nannies I questioned said they did not receive any training in Singapore.
Zero value added. They did not even impart any parentcraft to my wife or myself. I might as well hire a maid. Cheaper and better.
PEM wasted my money.
hmmm, sounds really fishy to me.. coz i engaged a CL through PEM, but through recommendation.. but the CL had issues with my grandmother regarding cooking and the next day, PEM called and say her father passed away in m’sia, she needs to leave ASAP, then there was a replacement.. wonder whether this is coincidence or is a common ploy used by PEM to get CL out of families they not happy with..
PEM is sux. don’t buy the $300 tonic, it totally not worth the price. if can better not to use their service. My nanny is sux. nobody in my house like her even my maid. She always boss my maid around and not doing things that she supposes to do. She did not know how to respect people’s privacy. Entering rooms without asking, checking on my maid’s personal drawer without permission. My mum found that she always eat in the kitchen(dunno what she was eating), and she would cook things that she likes to eat then told me that she cooked that is for my maid. What the hell, even my maid want to eat why must you cook for her? Crazy woman. Who is your boss? Even my maid know who is her boss. Then she would eat everything in the house without asking. Even my maid come to tell me about it. Come to take care of baby, she also not experience, she was so dirty and not hygienic. Then her cooking sux too!!! always cook the same thing everyday for me and she DUNNO any traditional confinement dishes. How can she be a nanny!!! Her name is ah xiang, or anyway don’t use PEM.