If you’re not looking for full-time help, The Help Company Club gives you
unlimited access to our skilled and professional candidates on an on-call
basis. A membership will provide you with nannies, housekeepers, chefs,
chauffeurs, gardeners, security personnel, assistants on an hourly basis,
eldercare, butlers, party help, and pet care. Whether you are planning a date
night out, need a last minute housekeeper, chef for a romantic dinner, or
someone to fill in while your permanent help is out, be rest assured that The
Help Company can help you with your needs.

Here’s How it Works:
• Annual Membership Fee of $300, payable via credit card.
• A client can contact The Help Co during our regualr office hours, 9-5pm.
• There is a non refundable booking fee billed for all on-call requests. Fee
structure varies depending of type service. Please call us for more details.
• Clients agree to pay the candidate according to their hourly rate, which
includes a 4 hour minimum. Overtime rates apply on most major holidays.

Our Candidates:
• Are subject to a meticulous interview process to verify work history, salary,
quality of work, and integrity.
• Arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled start time to sit down with you
and go over any necessary information/guidelines for your household.

Please call us to join the club or if you have any questions.
310-828-4111
claudia@thehelpcompany.com

Don’t forget about The Help Company’s Babysitter Club!

Hire one of our trusted and checked out Babysitters to take your kids to see the newest Harry Potter film!

Our services include, but are not limited to: Back-up Childcare, Hourly Childcare, Tutoring, Private Chef for a night, Professional Organizer to arrange your closet or office, Driver/Chauffeur to take you to the airport or a special event, housekeeper for a Spring Clean and even Sports Coaching!

For more info, visit our site: http://www.thehelpcompany.com/babysitterclub.html

Everybody’s doing it!  Tweeting!  Follow us on Twitter to find out what’s happening at The Help Company.  We will post jobs and tips.  Check it out! 

Click on the above image to read an article from this weekend’s LA TIMES HOME section, this article exemplifies the state of today’s economy and it’s affect on domestic workers.

People are trying to save a buck here and there by combining all household chores into one position.  Homeowners want one person that will care for children, clean up, cook, and run errands.  In a better economy, there would have been a nanny for the children, a housekeeper to clean, a chef for the cooking, and a personal assistant to take care of other needs within the home.

“The typical English nanny or governess used to roll her eyes when I’d ask if she’d be open to cleaning,” says Claudia Kahn, owner of the Help Co. “Now they’re all saying, ‘Send me on the interview.’ “

Spring is almost here!  Check out this new site: www.howtocleananything.com

Attention all Facebook users!  I know there are tons of you out there.  It is important to remember that when looking for a job, you must protect yourself from the public.  Remember that what you put out into the universe will be received and a potential employer does not need to know how crazy your weekend was.  The following link will help you to ensure that your settings are safe.  Click here to learn more.

It’s not too late for a rebate.

Working with nannies, you may get some questions about the economic stimulus tax rebate checks. Here’s the scoop:

As of July 11th, the U.S. Treasury Department will have issued tax rebate payments to all taxpayers who:

1) Have a valid Social Security Number

2) Have earned income between $3,000 and $75,000 in 2007 (up to $150,000 for married filing jointly)

3) Cannot be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. These tax rebate checks were available only to those who are paid LEGALLY.

Checks will continue to be sent to all qualifying taxpayers who file a 2007 tax return by October 15th 2008. Luckily, there’s still time for nannies who were paid “under the table” in 2007 to get caught up and receive their rebate check even if they’ve never filed a return in the past. For those employees who did not qualify for a tax rebate check in 2007, there will be an avenue to obtain the benefit when they file their 2008 tax return next year as long as they are paid LEGALLY in 2008.

Thank you to Breedlove for sharing this new year’s news with us!

With the first month of the new year almost behid us, it’s time to look ahead to 2009 and what will hopefully be the beginning of renewed optimism and growth.

From a tax perspective, there are only three changes that your families and candidates need to be aware of:

Mileage Reimbursement Rate
Effective January 1, 2009, employers should reimburse employees at a rate of 55¢ per mile.  The mileage reimbursement rate is established by the IRS in an effort to cover the total cost of gasoline and automobile maintenance when an employee is required to use his/her own automobile while performing duties of the job (commuting to and from work does not count).  In July 2008, there was a mid-year adjustment from 52.5¢ per mile to 58.5¢ per mile in response to exorbitant gas prices.  Now that gas prices have returned to more normal levels, the ‘09 mileage reimbursement rate will adjust accordingly.

Social Security & Medicare Threshold
Effective in 2009, the threshold will increase from $1,600 to $1,700.  Employers who pay an individual less than $1,700 during the 2009 calendar year, will fall under the “Casual Babysitting Exemption” and, therefore, will not be subject to FICA taxes.

Minimum Wage
Effective July 24, 2009, the federal minimum wage will increase to $7.25 per hour.  Some states have higher minimum wages standards.  Families in those states must adhere to the higher standard.  For minimum wage standards in your state, check your state’s website or visit US Department of Labor website