It All Starts With A Clear Vision, Paths Vary: Featuring Colleen Walsh Co-Owner of Unicorn Family Care

Hey, Colleen, thank you so much for joining me on the, how to build a nanny agency podcast. It’s so great to have you here.

Colleen: Danny, thank you so much for asking me to join you.

Danny: I had to because you have a really interesting background just like in business and it’s led you to having a nanny agency now.

Just tell us where that started.

Colleen: I guess that’s interesting. I ended up moving to Vancouver. I live here in Canada on the West coast. Was at loose ends a little bit. My niece ended up moving here to be closer to me and to us. And she’s always been very passionate about childcare.

And so when we ended up she ended up here in, in near where I live. And she had three little children. She said there’s just no place to get babysitting here. And I had never really thought about it. And it just ended up being something that evolved over time. I said, how hard could this be? It’s really easy.

You just need some scheduling software and a website and you just go for it. And that’s completely delusional.

Danny: So I was going to ask , how easy it’s. Sounds really easy now. This is so easy.

Colleen: It was just so easy. It was not easy. So I have, I don’t have a background in childcare, but I’m definitely passionate about children and especially seniors myself.

And we decided we wanted to be called Unicorn Family Care because we felt that we wanted to offer unusual childcare, things that you can’t get at, a daycare. You can’t and daycares are very few and far between here as well. So it started. Thinking it would be very simple. About two years ago, yes years with a why, we started looking for software and went through, the ups, the downs, the depression, the confusion, all the things then went finally hired some more people and spent six, five to six, Terrible months, honestly, you’re talking about it the other day, trying to adapt software that wasn’t made for nannies or communicating between, two sort of third parties and that, I could go on and on about that, but once we found engine hire it was we couldn’t believe it.

Like of all the months and months that we’ve wasted, I think we’ve only been with you since August or July or August. And this is the first couple of days of October. It’s been amazing. 

Danny: Actually, I just wanted to ask you. You were like, we just need some scheduling software.

What actually was it about the other software that Like it just wasn’t working. I don’t want to make this an Enginehire thing, but I actually am just curious.

Colleen: It depends how much time you have, but I’ll abbreviate it. First, most common issue is pay per user. Oh, because that’s not the number one issue.

That’s the number one hurdle. I would say the most difficult issue is that in order for someone to book their book an appointment with someone and there are two outside parties. So it’s not, we don’t want them having to deal with us continually. We want them to. To be able to communicate and deal with it outside of us, that ends up being the key item.

What happens is that the person who’s the caregiver in this case would have full access. It’s all or nothing. So they have the full access to the backend of the software as if they are an owner, which they’re not.

Danny: Oh, wow.

Colleen: So that is probably the number one hurdle. The number two hurdle is that if you’re going for a haircut, a massage, a chiropractor appointment, like whatever, it has a set amount of time.

So it’s half an hour, 45 minutes, 50, whatever the number is. And We need variable times. It’s four and a half hours. It’s nine hours. It’s 15 hours. A lot of softwares only allow 12 hours. They only allow it during working hours. They don’t like, you name it, a square set more. And then we thought we hit the jackpot with Vegaro, which is Hair salon.

Anybody who provides a service would basically get 100 percent access to the back end. Again, an issue might be able to get around that. But the next issue is that you can’t just give variable times.

You can’t say I want a four and a half hour haircut. You just can’t do that. Oh, then again, the nanny agency is going to be based on volume, at least to some degree I’ve realized. And in that sense, you can’t really do that because every single person, whether they ever get another. Whether they ever schedule one babysitting shift, maybe they have very little availability and they’re, moms and they’re at home and they’re here and they want to, they want to just keep their hat in the ring.

You can’t afford that because they’re actually called prestige, I believe. So that is a huge obstacle. Wow. There’s more to it in the sense that the software. That we used prior to engine hire. I’m not a hundred percent sure what it was made for, but we spent so long trying to like do workarounds.

I’m honestly, it’s very frustrating to even discuss it, but we spent so long trying to do workarounds on it. And after about five months, like Kareem is trying to code something, the background is always yellow. You can’t change it. You have to like, it’s just not user friendly. And they didn’t have the onboarding process as an engine hire had either.

And when we got all to the, what we thought was the end, they said, you want family and the caregiver to be able to, Speak to each other. And we’re like yes, obviously. And they said, oh, you can’t do that. That was it. was a low. And then a couple of weeks later, we had hired someone to help us and she found you guys.

Wow.

That’s actually, I remember having talked with you before about like how long you had spent working with these other companies, I actually undervalue often that part, the software part, because there’s so much to do with the nanny agency. So I really do appreciate you like sharing that just because I think that’s super enlightening of like the pieces that you need to know going in before you start looking at software for anyone listening.

I think if we had known we wouldn’t have done it. It’s almost exactly two years. Years and we, and it’s almost funny, honestly, all the different forms we’ve filled out, we’ve tried, like Google forums and this forum and that forum. And, you think, oh, this is the one, this is the one, but engine hire is the one.

So

that’s awesome. We appreciate that.

Exactly.

You were saying like, start a nanny agency. That’s clearly there’s a gap in the market here. We should be doing that. You’re a very entrepreneurial person. Is that really just like what you thought? There’s a gap here. Let’s jump in and do it.

Or was there more to it than that?

Honestly, I think that had my niece not had her personal experience, I probably would never have noticed the gap. We’ve got, I’m not actually sure of the demographics, but I’m going to say there’s under 40, 000 people that live in these two cities here. It’s an island.

You’re stuck, we’re stuck between the ocean and the Fraser River, so there’s just this little pocket of us that live here. And there’s film directors that live down here. There’s a lot of people that there’s a school here actually, that people bus their children from North Vancouver, which is a long way.

You have to go like multiple bridges. And it’s a whole thing. And so there’s some really posh things down here. There’s beaches here. Don’t tell anybody that. But for people who live here, the services are very limited. When I moved here eight years ago, there was no Walmart here.

There was no, if you needed a coffee maker, you probably either had to go to save on foods at the grocery store or to home hardware, literally, if you didn’t want to leave here, what we’re finding is that our, like our idea of a nanny agency is a very small. And like, when I’m watching the seminars that you folks put on people that you have over and start to learn about it, I don’t, didn’t realize how vast it was for me.

I only got involved in it. Not because I’m not passionate about children, but because I just. Love the process of starting a business and thinking it through and thinking the next step. It wouldn’t matter if I was selling something else or doing something else because the three businesses that I’ve been hugely involved in have absolutely nothing to do with each other, nothing at all.

And a lot of it’s been very hands on, the retail store was very hands on, and then this is almost very hands off. It’s moving people from here to there, but ensuring high quality service, high quality vetting that kind of thing. And as a details oriented person, it’s it’s in my nature, cause I’m getting up there.

I’m going to be, I’m going to be 60 here in a couple of years. I’ve started two of these businesses in my fifties. So it’s never, Thank you. It’s it’s never too late. I haven’t, and I found that when I was between businesses it’s not, it’s not a good place for me mentally.

Like I have to keep going. I have to keep, I have to keep thinking, I have to keep thinking. I didn’t say one other thing that I wanted to mention.

Yeah.

Is one of the largest other issues was billing. Oh. And the last platform, I have a whole, I’ve got all these different financial model things that I’ve written up and the last software would not accommodate.

Booking fees, for example or they would only do it. I can’t even remember all the different issues, but I used to have one that was like, if it was a rush, you’d add X number of dollars an hour, this kind of thing. A lot of the software can’t take that. And they don’t have the accommodations that you do to have people in the background that will actually problem solve, make it better, help that out, find an actual workaround, not something that.

Just turns the, yellow background into blue, but something that will actually, be serviceable going forward.

That’s so true though. I wrote, like I was saying, moments ago that I really undervalued like the technology part of that, but that’s really a huge part.

of having a business period. But like you’re saying, like you found out that there’s nuances of it’s not just like running a store where you can hand someone over a good and they give you some money for it. There’s nuances in how you’re billing of you have a rush fee, you have a booking fee, the candidate gets paid something else, you can do it in all sorts of ways.

And maybe software isn’t really built for that often. And you’re struggling to figure out a way to do that. Was it easy when you ran your other businesses? Is the software more straightforward for running something else?

Kind of a tough question. I think no. I think that although I was using the computer a fair amount we had a fella a million years ago, name was Wayne Heine, and Wayne insisted on having a color printer.

Our color photocopier rather. And he fought tooth and nail for that thing. He was way ahead of his time. He was printing flyers for real estate, and front pictures and back pictures and blah, blah, blah. And all these things. And we were like developing film and he was pushing the office forward by thinking ahead, thinking what the next thing was.

That was state of the art, probably, because I started selling real estate in 1990, I think. We weren’t still cranking the photocopies off. We had a machine for that. I’ve worked with people who were really forward thinking, and so I think I’ve Try to push that along the way.

I used to handwrite newsletters, mail them out the old fashioned way, but the technology itself, like what I used was I had a mailing list and that’s one thing that I really definitely brought over. I bet you I can still find a file on my computer called mailing list, like September, like 1999 kind of thing where I would just keep the mailing list, keep it updated.

And that’s one thing when we went from the other versions of software to now to engine hire, we brought that. I brought the data and I, and my partner would say I don’t know what’s important, what’s the importance of it? And I’d be like, I don’t know. I’m pretty sure this is the same thing.

I’m just going to keep it going. And I think that thread has continued through every business, the same with the retail business, because we did offer mail orders and so on. But as far as, I thought I knew something about marketing when I started and I didn’t know anything and I still don’t know much about anything but you know the concepts are there but the techniques have changed so dramatically.

It’s crazy. And I’m really happy that you guys are showing that to us.

Oh my gosh, I’m so glad that you’re finding that helpful. I feel like that you’re like actually way ahead of the game if you’ve always had newsletters and having that kind of correspondence. I think you’re way ahead just because that’s got to be second nature to you.

It is. I’m going to say 30 years ago, and I’m guessing now, but I imagine about 30 years ago, I went to a cartoonist who used to draw people’s caricatures in West Edmonton Mall. If you really want to know where it was and I commissioned them to make a cartoon of my partner Rick and myself as realtors, but as the dynamic duo.

So we all of our, all of the, everything was dynamic, do this dynamic, do that pens. And then I had this was really cutting edge. I wanted I have picked, I have these as well, but they were like just listed, just sold. And so instead of it just being a piece of paper or something like that, I had them custom cut into a starburst cabal, bow bam, that kind of thing.

And I’ve had them custom cut into that shape and checklists we used to have folders, listings were one color folder and offers on another folder. And then they all had the same forms in them. They were all in the same order. And then they had a checklist clip to the front. That’s just who I am.

And that’s how that, How all the businesses have gone.

I love a couple of things that you’re mentioning here, because one is that you’ve, you didn’t just enter that. You didn’t just go Hey, I’m going to start this business. You entered the industry and you’ve jumped in and you’re like learning and being like, what is everybody else doing?

Or like learning from what is the standards of this business? It’s you said at the very beginning it’s not exactly what you thought it’s much broader. And I think that’s like an excellent way to be thinking about. Just any business, what is everybody else doing? What are the standards, like, how do you schedule X, Y, and Z?

What are your customers used to? Or like all of those things. Is there something that like really stood out to you? That’s Oh, I would have never thought of that. Or is there something that like came off and you’re like, Oh, I wish I had known that earlier.

That’s a good question. I think one of the things that’s been most frustrating is that I didn’t realize when I started.

That as I mentioned, the scheduling situation is so complicated. Now I’m critical. Now I’m going into other people. I’m going, Oh, that is terrible. That’s a screenshot of a something I don’t, very, elitist now, but I’ve been through all the software. I can almost see, the limitations and I do feel sorry for entrepreneurs, in fact, we know someone here and who’s actually got Karina did for her A scheduler, and it’s very simple.

Hers is relatively simple as I know now, but I think that if entrepreneurs realized how much people want to book online, if they really understood it and took the time to make the right software to not just jump into it, that is something that, I did jump into it. I’m not going to lie to you.

I did jump into it, but I thought how hard could this be? And. That is a loaded question in my mind now, but I definitely would say I, I think more entrepreneurs should spend more time thinking and planning and plotting and researching than doing, when you were speaking, when you’re asking the question, my mind had gone off in another direction.

And I thought to myself what I find is I started out, I didn’t know anything and I got rammed into this little tunnel thing and I’ve been in this tunnel for two years trying to figure out why this one doesn’t work, where we can find it and all those things. And now that I feel like I’m almost coming out on the other end, it’s like I can see the vastness of what the possibilities are.

And so it’s easy to regret the two years. of wasted, what do you want to call that, wasted time. But for me, it’s, I am more of a thinker. I also do things, but this is an ongoing joke with between, Cree and myself, is that she’s a doer. I wonder if we should, and she’s done it 10 times.

That’s how she rolls. Like she’s thinking, boom, she does it. Whereas I am thinking about it. And I’m not even sitting there thinking about it. I’m just, it’s just rolling around in my head and then something will occur to me. And I’ll think, Oh, you know what that, that’s how the next phase is going to go.

And I think that a lot of the stuff we did on the previous platform, which as you can tell, I have not named on purpose was busy work. Sure. That is wasted work versus finding out, will this software do it? But the other part of it is that there’s a lot of. There’s a lot of people that do a lot of advertising.

And I think if I have to phone you to make an appointment for something, I’m probably not going to do it. And I’m older. What if I was your age? What if I was, in my twenties, you’re going to wait to phone somebody tomorrow when I could book with somebody else tonight. No, I’m not going to do that.

And I think a lot of entrepreneurs think, ah, scheduling, schmeduling, what difference does it make? That’s a big problem. And I think I can think of multiple people that I know personally that have, home based businesses and that kind of thing that are waiting for people to phone.

And it’s, I think, researching what you really need and focusing on that is, is more important than starting the business too early.

Yeah.

That’s one thing I found in the real estate business is because I’m a mathematically minded person, I was always encouraged to go into commercial real estate.

And I do understand that is a natural fit. However more than a math person, I’m more, I’m also a hugger shoulder puncher, Oh, that kind of person. And it doesn’t fit with the commercial real estate vibe. And so I had to be real about the personality that I am.

And what I was comfortable doing, I wasn’t comfortable, putting on a suit. And I had suits, getting super dolled up and go, which is what’s required. You’re going to be in a corporate type world. That’s what’s, that is what’s required. And, real estate, at least at that time was very hands on.

You have to be true to yourself. And I think that’s a very important aspect of it being in business. You have to realize that you’re not that kind of person or I’m not that kind of person. And if you are, by all means float your boat, but I have an example of somebody we sent a caregiver out to, and she’s quite elderly and she doesn’t have an email.

And I, we’re having trouble getting paid because we didn’t have the right software, Danny. And so now, you couldn’t even, you couldn’t even, that couldn’t happen now, but three months ago, it did happen. Having the proper software, even though I didn’t have any idea, what I’m looking forward to when the software is completely complete is.

Exploring the possibilities. That’s the fun part to me thinking about how are we going to promote it to a hotel. All the two or three hotels we have literally down here, somebody, they built a casino. How are we going to do that? What kind of relationship can we make with those people, and get our cards out there because there’s going to be people that they want to gamble.

And they’re in the hotel and they’ve got kids and they, as an example of something that’s what fills my bucket. If I never made another website and learned how to put a link button in the back or whatever, a link in the back of a button, I probably would be fine with that. But that’s been a means to an end.

Not the actual, and for a lot of people I’m not saying you, but I’m just saying in this industry, it’s the making, it’s the making it that’s your strong suit. That’s what you get out of it. For me, I’m trying to get through this. So I can explore what I’m interested in, which is

not this I really appreciate that because I think a lot of people find a lot of joy in the tinkering is how I think of that, of what their website looks like or where that is exactly or how that’s exactly worded.

And I think that there’s a huge value in all of those things. But if you’re spending a lot of time. where that button goes on your website versus calling your leads back or emailing them or figuring out these other things that actually moves your business forward, then I think you’re like tinkering and that’s not the best place to be.

Even though, it can be a lot of fun, but there’s just you sometimes you really want to be cognizant of being like, how long am I spending on this website when really I should be like, walking, down the street and doing something or knocking on that door or

something like that.

Exactly. I find it very interesting because Karina’s background is not the same as mine at all. And I see Karina as somebody who’s a born entrepreneur for absolute certain she didn’t grow up around it at all. Her parents were nine to five. Her and I, we’ve got this saying because we’ll be going like, I don’t know, is this one coming in or not or whatever?

And because we’re still, figuring it out. And, one of us will say tomorrow’s another day. I’m like, yeah, I guess it’s tomorrow’s another day. You’re right. And, it keeps you going. Whereas if you don’t have that kind of support, whether that be a partner that you’re in business with or somebody that you’re, your significant other, whatever the situation is, it can add to, it can add to the frustration, I think.

And also you can really lose momentum and you can take an absolutely amazing idea and it can die on the vine. If somebody doesn’t keep saying, just get up and do it another day, just do it another day, just do it another day. Because if your vision is strong enough, it will pay off. And it might not pay off in this business.

It might not pay off in the five frigging months we spent on the other one, But now we can see, we knew right away engine hire was, like, mind blown. We were blown away when we saw, because I had this dream, or delusion, I guess it was of what it should look like. And I absolutely refused to stop until it got there.

I love that. Thank you, Colleen. Thank you so much for joining us, sharing all of your wisdom. I know we could keep going, but I think that’s such a, this is the button for it. I’ve learned some stuff today. I think I need to be more tenacious like you.

Not sure if I would recommend it, but you know what, whatever you can take.

from this. You go for it, Danny. It’s great. Great. for taking the time to meet with me. And I’ve enjoyed it, even though I was actually nervous. I’ve never done anything like this in my life. So I appreciate the new opportunity and been loving working with you guys. So thank you so much. Absolutely.

Thank you. And where should people go to learn more about you?

Thank you for asking, Danny. We are located in the lower mainland of British Columbia. We probably will eventually expand. So our website is www. unicornfamilycare. ca And if you don’t see any blood, sweat and tears on the front page, believe me, they’re in the back end.

That should be a t shirt. That’s a good one.

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