Business Accelerator Cohort No. 3: SelectSitter

SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton

Kari and John Hamra and Sarah and Adam Howey, SelectSitter

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They say necessity is the mother of invention.

Working parents Sarah and Adam Howey and Kari and John Hamra needed an easier way to access child care, so they created a social-integrated app to do just that.

“What better way to find a babysitter than through your trusted family and friends?” says SelectSitter co-founder Kari Hamra.

The free app allows users to log in through their Facebook accounts and see what sitters their friends are using. Users can book sitters through the app, and unlike many babysitting apps, Hamra says parents set the pricing.

The app launched in November and has 150-200 users in a given month, Hamra says. The company’s goal is to at least double users during the 12-week accelerator, as well as recruit more sitters to create profiles.

Hamra says she hopes to monetize the company through a subscription service or booking fee.

“It’s been really exciting,” Hamra says. “Your original idea ends up evolving into something you couldn’t plan for.”