Nanny Employer Blog

Last weekend, I attended a conference of the Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) in Philadelphia. It was my first meeting as a member of the board of directors. I have been a member for many years and I am honored to now have a more participatory role, serving on the board. APNA is an organization that represents the best and brightest agency owners from across the country who have averaged at least 10 years in the business, many closer to 20 or 30. Keynote speakers included Alyssa Dyer who gave us some great marketing ideas from her book, No Time Marketing, and Deborah Smith, queen of social networking, who shared with us all the ins and outs of Facebook, Twitter, and more.

The conference format was a “Apprentice” style case study on a fictional struggling agency (whose P&L’s were in need of serious help) which was given $5k in marketing funds to spend on generating additional clientele most effectively. Attendees were divided into 5 groups and given a few hours to compose the most convincing PPT presentation. Some interesting ideas were inspired from this creative group of entrepreneurs.

It seems very apropos that such originality would flow in a city with such rich history and the origin of such creative genius as the Declaration of Independence. The beautiful architecture and historical significance of the location were not lost on this group. I look forward to getting more involved in the running and management of this important organization whose mission is to “establish and enforce standards of professional industry practices.”