We pride ourselves on easy to use service

You know, our website has always been a source of immense pride for me. Every word, page, article and piece of information has been created with love, thought and of course always keeping in mind that it should be easy for our clients to use.

I was beyond chuffed when Leroux from Artificial Studio sent me  a mail that Louise at www.eduwrite.org had sent to him about Sitters4U’s website.

Hi there

I have just been using sitters4u. What a well-designed website! Usually these database-driven sites are slow, confusing and cumbersome. This site is a breeze.

All the best

Louise Sterling

Thank you Louise! You made my day.

See the best in everything..

Over the last week , I am sure everyone noticed, I have been a little quieter than usual. I have one sentence, ” As long as there is modern medicine, never say die.” South African’s reading this may think, ‘That sounds like an odd ever-ready battery advert. For the first time in 3 years I was struck down by a kidney issue and, boy it did put the usual day to day schedule into a tizz, everything I normally juggle easily, the mad morning school rush (mom’s and dad’s out there, you know what I am referring to), making what  I do seem effortless to the outsider, while behind the scenes working until crazy late hours to orchestrate a business run and inter-dependent on people, which is usually  is a feat in itself, nevermind the people.  Operating and remembering what is happening with over 400 people everyday, and which client needs what ,when and still tracking progress, marketing and assisting to make a difference everyday in the lives the people we work with.

Then returning to the late afternoon and switching, as if on autopilot, back to mom mode, getting dinner ready , making sure chores are done, bags are packed for school the next day, and spending time with your family. The bed time story and lights out. But not for you ( Gosh, being a child was always healthier when it came to sleeping patterns). Then its some time out, for you, for your partner, for silence, whichever works. Its at about this point I usually end up working late, really late. Its been a problem since I was young, I have this irratating habit of burning the midnight creativity. I think clearly and the silence, well its golden…Sounds well managed , well run and easy enough right?

Well, last week it all came to a crashing halt as I started to take stock  and was reminded ,as one often one is, of how, when in pain things can change, drastically, immediately, and you can go into a bit of a disorientated state.

However I find looking for the good in the bad a rule of thumb, until proven otherwise.

I was reminded of how amazingly supportive family can be at a time when you think the walls are tumbling down around you, I know for many this is not the case though, it wasn’t for me at one time. However I am blessed with the world’s most amazing guy, and a daughter,angels must have been watching from the word go! So that was the first highlight of the entire situation and that was the first found happy thought.

Then there is modern medicine, what a joy. How lucky are we to be alive at such an amazing time in history where new developments and new cures are occurring on a daily basis across the globe? Without the invention of antibiotics or at least painkillers, life could be a truly different experience. We have a headache, we take a panado; our child has a fall, we apply antiseptics; we now even have the option of prebiotic foods, we don’t even have to think about it! Isn’t Modern medicine a wonder. Well after the last week I can truly say how wonderfully grateful I am for not having to endure the stone age.

The funny thing is that its been helping other people, that got me through, seeing the best in everything and ensuring I persevered in the last week. Today that thought was what got me back on top, and has been since I have been back home.Well that thought, and the people to think  it of, of course. Everyone, including our clients and staff have been amazingly understanding and that has driven me to explore new  found enthusiasm for what Sitters4U does and how we do it! Thank you for the support and let’s make this an amazing month ahead, together!

From one of our newest recruits…

Just an email  we received recently that I thought too lovely to not share with you:

Hi Nicole, I just want to say thanks for the interview yesterday. I found your agency much more interested and helpful than previous agencies I have been to. You guys are really great. I look forward to joining your team. Have a great weekend. Siann

Thank you Siann, Welcome to the team and have a fantastic weekend!

A compliment to make my day!

This came in from a candidate we interviewed yesterday! Welcome to the team Mia! We are looking forward to finding you the position you are looking for!

Here’s the email:

Hi Nicole,

Thank you for a very positive service. I wish I had discovered sitters4u before I went to other agencies.

The interview really made my day!

Regards
Mia Steenkamp

…thank you for the email, it certainly made my day! It doesnt matter if you are a client or a candidate, either way Great service is our middle name!

New Website launched now…

I am ecstatic! Finally, months of work, sleepless nights and barely any social activity finally bears fruit…I am watching as I am typing this, our new website go live. Features include forms for every service, navigation that ensures you know where you are always, and some other wonderful features on our Content Management. Over 200 pages all neatly tucked into their individual spaces and all fully, easily navigable!

Like I said I am ecstatic. Check it out www.sitters4u.co.za

April….the month of many new things!

Change…Are you ready for it? I certainly am, whilst most people spent their Easter weekend away with family, my family went to Saldanha, visiting family and can you believe it, working. Whilst my daughter had lots to do, my partner and I packed in an incredible amount of time into Sitters4U’s new website? Why?  I have been so excited about our new launch and it looks like its finally here!We are about 6 hours work away!

Its got a new look and feel, its going to be extremely easy to navigate, all services are now accessible from the website, so a client need never download forms, fax or email a form, its now all accessible online.

To add to the current forms online, which include au pairs, babysitters and house sitters, New service forms previously only downloadable, include:

On the child care side we have Drivers, Tutors and Nannies;

Home care now includes online requests for Domestics.

and Frail care Services can now be requested online,  include: Nurses, Paramedics, Care givers, Companions, Medical Administration Staff, other medical services, Treat a Senior options and Home Management services which include everything from gardeners and electricians to plumbers and more.

To make it even more incredible we now have online staff applications for each and every service, obviously as a candidate you will still need to come and see us but at least it makes processing your applications alot easier, meaning faster processing of applications as well!

Okay but that’s not all I have up my sleeve! We have also just launched a new child care course in Cape Town for Nannies, domestics and Au pairs. As far as I know it also happens to be the most well priced course at a rate of only R 500 per person ( the next course up starts at R 1500)! Very exciting stuff, covering:

•    Basic Childcare
•    Etiquette in Employers homes
•    Communication between Employer and Employee
•    Communication between Child minder and Children
•    Safety
•    Health and Nutrition
•    Child Development, month to month
•    Age Appropriate activities from newborn to Preschool

and with ongoing support and a monthly newsletter, this course is well worth it!

So watch out for the new website, launching in the next few days! Looking forward to the new challenges, clients and staff we will be assisting.

March…Already!?!

So you have probably been wondering, why so quiet lately? Well I have been extremely busy on our updates for Sitters4U’s major website update coming to your PC in what will evidently be no time at all ( seeing how fast the year has moved).

So much has happened, I have spent extensive hours working out all the kinks with our current system and finding what works for our clients. Well apparently what everyone has been loving the most is our application forms and request forms being online, no need for faxing or emailing, unfortunately this is a very expensive update which we will be applying to all of our services soon with new forms online for every service we offer. However this means an increase or a slight change in a number of our policies, the number one being our registration fee for services. It is sad how so many clients have taken advantage of this system over the last year, filling in the form, we find the candidates we have available who are appropriate and interested in the position and we never hear from them again or if we do its months later when all of those staff have already been placed and we need to start from scratch! We need the clients interest as much as they need ours, if they do need it that is. So the saying is true, a few bad apples spoil the lot.. and we will now be requesting an administration fee instead of a registration fee before a client is assisted, how else are we going to afford the convenience our clients crave?

On a lighter note though, its been an amazing hard month for many especially my family and I, we moved homes and our offices all in one go, my daughter finally started swimming (which makes me want to jump up and down and shout “Hooray!!”), we welcomed a number of new staff to our listings and they are working well, and 2 close friends of mine welcomed their new bundles of joy into the world ( a boy and a girl), most of the written updates for the website have been completed (well, now its just the technical side, which apparently could take until the end of March or longer) and even with all this I can say I feel good giving myself a pat on the back for sticking to the Taebo Kick boxing!

Bring on March 2009! Im ready to make this month the best yet! Having stuck to almost all of my New years resolutions thus far is definitely leaving with the sense of accomplishment I have been craving!

Inspiration, the power of intention

About two years ago I received a piece of paper from a stranger . She looked at me and said, “This will help you”. It was a completely random occurrence that changed my life. I now believe she was definitely a guardian angel or had one working through her. Today I look back and realise how much that piece of paper assisted me, stuck to my fridge and although almost impossible to live up to,  trying to do so, has definitely assisted. I would like to share it with you today, so please take a few moments to view the wise words of the Dalai Lama that changed my attitude and perspective. Perhaps you will glance over it and have a wonderful day, or print it out and make it your Mantra, whatever you do, whether you take it seriously or not, I am positive, that just by reading it, it will assist you in making a great success of your life. It stays in the corner of your mind, hidden and slowly but surely new connections are made in the mind, altering reaction and action alike:

Instructions for Life by The Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
3. Follow the three R’s:
   -  Respect for self,
   -  Respect for others and
   -  Responsibility for all your actions.
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
8. Spend some time alone every day.
9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and
    think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.
14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
15. Be gentle with the earth.
16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

So there it is, I now try to run my life and business according to the wise statements above, and it has assisted me greatly. I hope it will assist you to in all areas of your life.

Holiday Season- A Time for Family,a Time for Giving!

The sun is shining, the bells are ringing, everyone is on holiday and now is a time for family, fun, games , outings ,giving and recieving.

If you happen to be in the Western Cape at this wonderful time of year there are so many things to do!Besides the beaches, forests and wonderful places like the aquarium, monkey town in Somerset West, Spiers cheetah farm, family friendly picnic areas and birds of Prey Sanctuary in Stellenbosch, the Zoo in Tygerberg or a visit to Ratunga Junction, a day at the gorgeous Kirstenbosch Gardens, The World of Birds in Hout Bay, the wonderful child orientated plays and ballets happening at the Baxter and Artscape ( My daughter and I recently checked out High School Musical at the Artscape! Wow, what a production, totally worth the price tag!) Bugz World in Tygerberg, the museums full of discoveries waiting to happen and so much more, Cape Town has an action packed day for every day ahead and for most of us this is great, but take a moment to spare some time and thought for those less fortunate than ourselves. You may think whats a thought, you may think what can I do to make a difference, well we can all make a difference in our own little way..

Over the past weekend my daughter was lucky enough to meet Santa and bring light to the life of an underprivileged child at the same time in Marina Da Gama.What fun! Santa arrived on a boat along with Mrs Clause and presents in tow. The price to take part in this fantastic experience, we brought a present for my daughter and a present for an underprivileged child! What an inititive.I was proud to be able to take part. The children were called by name and given their gifts. It was smiles and joy all round, a wonderful vibe to say the least!

Something we can all do to make a difference without having to make a dent in our already stretched wallets, while impacting positively on a number of peoples lives, is to go through your closet, your toy boxes and even your house. If you havent seen or used an item in over 6 months, you probably wont be using it anytime soon, so why not donate. In our family the thing we do at this time of year is clear our wardrobes and house of things we no longer need to donate either to Red Cross or Orphanages in the area. This year was the first time my daughter also got to take part in this long held family tradition ( as far back as I remember we have always done this) . Surprisingly she had no qualms with letting go of her old unused clothes and toys, knowing that she would be adding a little light to the lives of children less fortunate than herself. It has definately given her something to be proud of and the letter she recieved ( which was addressed to her)  put a big proud smile on her face and mine!

So share the love this festive season and light up the life of not only those less fortunate than you but also your own and that of your childrens, count your blessings, teach your children the true meaning of sharing and spirit and what christmas is really all about, sharing, good will and peace to all. Happy Holidays!

Why we started….help those that help themselves to help others!

So there I was! Working up a storm as usual, the clock had just struck midnight. I thought, why am I working this late?

Today reminded me of what makes Sitters4U different. We started because I could never find the reliable help I needed, when I needed it for my daughter… We started so that when a mother needs to go to her graduation she doesn’t need to worry about whether or not her child will be in safe reliable hands( this happened today, she sounded so nervous yet ecstatic and thanked me for the service). We started because there are 1000’s of candidates out there! Some are people you would never want in your home, some are so over qualified they deserve to have work on a regular basis and can bring the help needed by so many moms and dads out there, we started because this is our Country, our Beautiful country and I believe that any positive contribution to that, whether it is in the form of jobs or growth of other kinds is something we should all be doing!

So today I look at the delicate balance I have created between my daughter, my partner,  my clients and the candidates I have met and helped, and I am grateful for the late hours, I am happy to have the luxury so many parents do not, time with their child, I am happy to be able to help other parents get the most out of time they have with their children and I am happy to be helping so many wonderful people find work and jobs they deserve to have and are dedicated to having…Helping feels good! I know I wont always work these long hours but i also know that by putting these values and time into this business that it will flourish….

I firmly believe it, you should do too….Help those that will help themselves and you help so many more!