How NannyStreet Is Disrupting The Confinement Nanny Industry
Getting a confinement nanny might just be as easy as swiping right
By Vanessa Tai -
Parenthood is a beautiful journey, but it comes with its fair share of challenges, especially during the postpartum period. For many new parents, finding a reliable and experienced confinement nanny can be an overwhelming task. This is where NannyStreet – the brainchild of childhood friends Louis Looi and Bradley Loi – comes to the rescue. In this story, the duo shares with us what inspired them to start NannyStreet and how this innovative app is revolutionising the confinement nanny industry, offering parents the support they need during this critical time.
Louis Looi, the 35-year-old co-founder of NannyStreet, says his background in Actuarial Science and experience as a Business Analyst laid the foundation for his journey with NannyStreet. But it was a deeply personal experience during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic that truly ignited his passion for creating a platform that could help families find affordable and accessible confinement nanny services.
"When my wife delivered our newborn son during the pandemic, finding a confinement nanny was challenging due to soaring prices caused by the economic impact,” Looi shares. “Leveraging my extensive nanny network and negotiation skills, I managed to secure a competitive price for our nanny, alleviating some of the financial strain.”
However, this experience made him realise just how important affordable and accessible nanny services was for families.
The idea for NannyStreet was born from a personal experience, but it quickly evolved into a shared vision with Bradley Loi, his co-founder. Loi’s observation of the challenges faced by new mothers in the confinement period fuelled his desire to bring change to the industry.
"We identified the dominance of a few players and the absence of a centralised database to assess nannies' performance,” Loi explains. “We saw an opportunity to democratise the industry by creating a platform that collects and updates reviews and information, ensuring access to high-quality nannies.”
Together, the duo worked on bridging the market gap and providing a reliable solution for families in need of confinement nanny services. Thus, NannyStreet was born in August 2022.
NannyStreet aims to address the four main pain points faced by families in Singapore seeking confinement nanny services, namely:
Streamlined Matching Process: NannyStreet takes over the time-consuming task of calling each confinement nanny to find out their availability. This ensures that mums are only matched with nannies who meet their specific requirements and expected delivery date (EDD), savings mums from the hassle of searching and shortlisting nannies themselves.
Finding and hiring a quality nanny: NannyStreet’s thorough screening process ensures that only experienced and reliable confinement nannies are listed on the platform. The inclusion of a nanny performance database allows parents to match with suitable nannies based on reviews and ratings.
Being able to have transparent communication with the nanny: NannyStreet facilitates direct communication between parents and nannies through video/voice calls and messaging, fostering transparency and certainty in the selection process.
Affordable and flexible pricing: NannyStreet eliminates excessive agency fees and allows parents to negotiate the nanny's salary directly, providing a more cost-effective and flexible pricing structure.
While the two founders have big plans for the app – including expanding into overseas markets – they admit that it’s not always smooth-sailing and there are multiple challenges to running a business, especially one with a unique proposition like NannyStreet.
“One of the major challenges is attracting more mums to try out our services,” Loi shares. “As a self-funded startup, we have limited resources allocated for advertising and marketing. Therefore, we have focused on organic growth and leveraging word-of-mouth referrals to reach our target audience.”
To address this challenge, the duo have prioritised building a strong customer service team. “Our team is dedicated to providing excellent support and ensuring swift responses to customer inquiries and requests,” Loi adds. “By offering exceptional customer service, we aim to create a positive experience for our existing customers, encouraging them to recommend NannyStreet to others.”
For both men, the true fulfilment lies in making a positive impact on the lives of parents and families. "Being able to connect parents with experienced and reliable confinement nannies brings us immense satisfaction,” Looi shares.
Loi adds, "By establishing a platform that connects parents and nannies, we create opportunities for both parties. Witnessing the positive impact we make on families and introducing innovation in a traditional industry is what drives our passion for running NannyStreet.”
NannyStreet is more than just a confinement nanny service provider; it is a trailblazer in the industry, leveraging technology and innovation to empower parents during their parenthood journey. With its unique features and dedication to providing top-notch service, NannyStreet is redefining the way parents seek support during the critical postpartum period.