Should You Use Care.com to Find Clients for Your Senior Concierge or Errand Business?

If you’re building a business helping seniors, running errands, or managing households, you may have wondered whether platforms like Care.com are a good way to find clients.

It seems like an easy place to start… right?

After all, Care.com is well-known and filled with listings for everything from babysitting to senior care. But here’s the truth…

Just because a platform is popular doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for your business.

Especially if you’re running a professional service business, not just doing odd gigs on the side.

 

Who Uses Care.com?

Care.com is most often used by:

• Busy families looking for child or elder care

• Seniors and their adult children looking for assistance

• Pet owners, tutors, and families needing part-time help

It sounds like a dream match for your services if you’re offering senior companionship, errand running, household management, or personal assistance.

But before you jump in… let’s talk about what it’s really like.

What People Really Say About Using Care.com

(Based on a combination of resources including trust pilot and reddit …)

Here’s the behind-the-scenes scoop from real people who’ve tried to grow their helper-type businesses using Care.com:

• You’re lumped in with individual freelancers—even if you’re running a real business

• Many caregivers report spending money on premium accounts but not getting hired or hearing back from clients.

• Families are often price-shopping, which means if you charge premium rates, you might get overlooked in favor of the lowest bidder.

• You have little control over how you show up—your profile can get buried, paused, or even removed without notice.

• The platform can feel like a job board, not a business-building tool.

In fact, on Reddit and other business forums, users say it can feel like a “pay-to-be-seen” platform, with very little return for those offering higher-level services.

Even People Hiring Help Get Frustrated

Let’s flip the perspective. What do families or busy professionals say?

• They’re often annoyed that they have to pay to contact someone.
• They feel confused by the layout or search filters.
• They worry about how trustworthy the profiles really are.

Not exactly the friction-free experience you’d expect from a platform promising peace of mind.

My Personal Experience (And Why I’d Never Use It for My Business)

I’ve used Care.com before… as a parent, looking for a nanny when my kids were little.
And I’ll be honest… It felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

There were hundreds of profiles, most were outdated, and very few felt like a true fit. Eventually, I found someone wonderful… Thank you MICHELE!!! WE LOVE you!!!!

But!! It took a lot of digging, sifting, and messaging people who never responded. Or TBH some were kind of wacky …

As someone who has run a successful personal concierge company for years, I can confidently say:

I personally would never use Care.com to list my concierge services.

 

**I’ll save you the drama story of posting on “Craig’s List” back in the day
Why?

Because my business (and probably yours too) isn’t a casual side gig.

It’s a legitimate business with:

• Contracts

• Insurance

• Clear service packages

• Long-term, repeat clients who value consistency and professionalism

That kind of business deserves to be treated like the premium service it is… not lost in a sea of low-cost task doers begging for scraps
(ok – I said what I said …)

So… Is Care.com Ever Worth Using?

Yes – it could be … sort of …

If you’re brand new, trying to land your first few clients, you’re not actually sure you want to do this as a FT gig, and you’re willing to take lower-paying jobs to get experience and reviews.

 

But!! If you’re:

• A legitimate business that’s insured

• Offering professional-level services like senior concierge, house management, or personal assistance

• Ready to be seen as a go-to local expert, not just someone available by the hour

• Wanting repeat clients and long-term relationships

Then it might be time to look beyond platforms like Care.com.

Because when you show up as the trusted expert… not just another listing in a sea of other listings … you attract clients who are looking for you… not just a cheap task-runner.

If getting clients has felt hard … I want to help make it easier for you! Consider joining us inside the Fully Booked Business Club when enrollment happens in September. You can get on the waitlist HERE and be the first to know when doors open …

Want to get started right away? Grab a copy of my book The Concierge Life – I break down marketing in its simplest form – and cut OUT all the BS you don’t need… Grab your copy HERE.

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Thinking about starting a concierge business but not sure what you need—or where to even begin? The Concierge Starter Kit includes the exact templates, client forms, flyers, and tools I used when I first got started—plus a video walkthrough showing you how to use them all. I also cover what kind of insurance actually matters (and what’s just noise), so you can skip the overwhelm and start on solid ground.

➤ Grab the Concierge Starter Kit – $47. It’s the shortcut I wish I had. Get it HERE: https://theconciergeacademy.com/starterkit