Launch of SitterBank.com - Online Babysitting Website

Online babysitting website. Parents can now take advantage of a new community resource for babysitting. SitterBank.com manages the trading of child minding between a group of trusted parents who, together operate a branch of SitterBank. Using a virtual currency known as a SitterBuck, your SitterBank account is credited when you babysit for another branch member's children and debited when another branch member babysits for your children.

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND (PRWEB) November 15, 2004 -- Netrix Limited, today announced the launch of a new online babysitting website. Parents can now take advantage of a new community resource for babysitting. SitterBank manages the trading of babysitting services between a group of trusted friends who, together operate a branch of SitterBank. Using a virtual currency known as a SitterBuck, your SitterBank account is credited when you babysit for another branch member's children and debited when another branch member baysites for your children. One SitterBuck is equivalent to 15 minutes of babysitting.

When you require a babysitter, you enter when you want the babysitter and choose the friends you want to ask. SitterBank will send a message (email or TXT) to these branch members asking if they can be a babysitter at the requested date and time.

It costs nothing to start a new branch of Sitterbank but to join an existing branch an annual subscription fee of US$20.00 (UK15.00) is required. No fees are paid for any babysitting session and no agencies are involved.

"Choosing a babysitter to care for your children can be difficult and expensive", says Trevor Knopp, CEO of Netrix Limited. "Agencies do their best to ensure a Sitter is qualified and trustworthy, but the bottom line is - someone supplied by an agency is a stranger. The occasional media report of an errant nanny is gut wrenching to any parent."

A traditional babysitter network can solve the problem of both trust and expense. Unfortunately, the secretary of the network has the time consuming tasks of maintaining membership lists, phoning each member to find a sitter, manually recording each babysitting session, and keeping track of who owes whom.

How can SitterBank.com help?
SitterBank.com takes the hard work out of managing a Babysitter Network. By making use of the Internet, SitterBank creates and maintains Sitter Groups online. It helps members of a group to find a babysitter and it keeps a record of the swaps. SitterBank can also increase the links between parents in their local community. Because SitterBank is an online service it is available 24 hours, seven days a week which means if something comes up over the weekend or a public holiday you can still find a babysitter.

How does it work?
A parent visits the SitterBank.com website and creates a new group (branch). This person becomes the branch manager. The branch manager invites friends to join the branch and approves their membership.

All members of a branch are issued with an online SitterBank account. Whenever they babysit for another member of the branch, their account is credited with SitterBucks (a virtual currency). Whenever another member of the branch babysits for them, their account is debited. The amount of the credit or debit is calculated by SitterBank based on a variety of factors. A member can view these factors and a statement of their account, online, at any time.

When a member requires a babysitter they login to SitterBank and enter when and for how long they want a babysitter. They also choose which members of the branch they want to ask. SitterBank sends a message (email or TXT) to each of the chosen members. If a recipient wants to, they reply (online), accepting the job. SitterBank then notifies the requester, informing them who will be doing the babysitting.

Other features of SitterBank
SitterBank can arrange for the branch manager to receive a commission (in SitterBucks of course) for each babysitting Session. This is a bit like a tax, which is automatically credited to the branch manager's account. (Let's face it, wouldn't we all like to be a SitterBank branch manager?)

SitterBank includes an event management system to enable members of a branch to get together for social occasions. Just describe when and where the party is and what to bring. SitterBank will send out your invites via email and will manage your guest list including the RSVPs.

It offers an online disputes resolution service which can be used if a babysitting session doesn't go to plan.

There is a feature that allows a member to gift SitterBucks to another member. (Who knows what the recipient will offer in return?)

SitterBank allows a member to suspend their membership, perhaps for a holiday or a sickness.

About Netrix Limited
Incorporated in 2000, Netrix has an enviable reputation for developing web integration solutions. The company is privately held and headquartered in Christchurch, New Zealand. Netrix designed and developed SitterBank.com to manage the exchange of babysitting services between a group of trusted friends. For more information, please visit www.netrix.co.nz.

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