Timms and Bonnes opted for a subscription model to generate revenue and relied on Google advertising to appear in relevant searches, bypassing traditional Yellow Pages ads.

Timms said in 2006 that within the first 11 months, more than 1800 parents subscribed, complete with a database of more than 2000 babysitters. Today, the site has 9000 nannies and babysitters in major cities around Australia.

The plan was to make enough money to pay their nanny’s wage. But four years into running the business, which had grown nationally and won a number of awards, they superseded their own ambitions, selling it to FairFax Media for a “low-side seven-figure” sum in 2009. The couple moved on to other business ventures, including their own co-working space in Elsternwick.

Under Fairfax, Findababysitter.com was a solid business. As part of what Fairfax called its Australian Metro Media, made up of “metropolitan news, sport, lifestyle and business media”, findababysitter.com.au was contributing to the company’s monthly audience of 11 million consumers.

‘It’s a business that we love. We know how to do it... it’s just kind of one of those sustainable businesses.’

Delia Timms

But following the Nine and Fairfax merger, the company announced the website would be shutting down in early 2021.

“Findababysitter.com.au wasn’t a core part of the company’s business strategy,” a spokesperson from Nine said.

Timms heard the news and the couple swooped, making a deal with Nine to buy the business back for an undisclosed six-figure sum and, as Timms and Bonnes claim, at a modest profit.

“It’s a business that we love. We know how to do it. I feel really old saying this, but it’s just kind of one of those sustainable businesses,” said Timms.

It didn’t come without challenges. In 2021, after a cyberattack hit Nine Entertainment, Bonnes and his team of freelancers had to piece their website back together from memory and the digital internet archive WayBack Machine.

“So we wondered if perhaps we were less Kerry Packer and maybe a bit Burke and Wills,” said Timms.

Within five weeks they relaunched with a simple goal: to return as market leader.

Despite the modest profit, buying back the business was still a risk, especially in an environment of rising interest rates, which doesn’t bode well for tech companies. Comparable businesses such as AirTasker and Airbnb have suffered plummeting stocks throughout the year.

As recession fears gather pace and households are under cost of living pressures, knowing whether families will begin to cut spending is a risk the couple is willing to take.

A subscription costs $229 for a year, or $75 for three months.

“It’s hard to tell,” Timms said, but the alternative, such as nannying agencies, can cost up to $3000.

“As much as all the technology has changed, people with young kids still need help. That’s not going to change, right?” Bonnes said.

This time around, they’ve noticed changes in their business: more fathers, single parents and same-sex couples are using the site.

There’s plans for an app, but the couple are comfortable with the same simple strategy they followed in the business’ infancy: have a good idea and see where it goes.

“You just want to keep it going and keep it the market leader but to be honest, I don’t really see us doubling in size or tripling in size or anything. That’s not why we bought it.”