Business-savvy 15-year-old launches babysitting agency, earns $300,000 a year


Meet the Kristy Thomas of her generation: 15-year-old Noa Mintz has started her own babysitting agency that brings in an estimated $300,000 a year.
The New Yorker has three younger siblings, and came up with the idea to launch her own company after seeing how difficult it was for her parents to find the right sitter for their family. Nannies by Noa started with Mintz matching babysitters she found with the friends of her parents, charging $100 to $200 for each pairing. Today, she has 25 full-time nannies and 50 babysitters, and charges a standard 15 percent of their initial gross salary, which People says can range from $50,000 to $80,000.
It's not surprising to Mintz's mother, Meredith Berkman, that her daughter has become successful at a young age. Berkman told the New York Post her daughter "was always trying to start these mini-companies," although this time it's "not a hobby for her. This isn't a lemonade stand." Noa's Nannies hired its first CEO in July, 26-year-old Allison Johnson, who said while it is a bit surreal to take orders from a high schooler, "I really support women who do things for themselves and get their visions out there."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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