Genevieve Thiers started a company where babysitters and parents meet each other on the internet. Using an electronic database, babysitters register and parents browse the listings until they find a sitter they'd like to try. Thiers says when she talked about her idea the men she spoke with didn't understand the idea, "I remember thinking, 'Get your wife in here, she will understand what I'm saying,' "

Most of the sitters in the Sittercity 100,000 sitter registry are college students. Of course with a $39 registration fee and a $5 a month fee after that, it's a bit of an investment. But I know a lot of mothers, especially this one, who could benefit from a few sitters. With a pay rate of $10 to $15, any sitter I found through this service would be for emergency use only. Otherwise I'll stick with family, they're free.