Established Sitter and Nanny Agency Expands to Vail / Beaver Creek Area

Local Businesswoman Jill Smirl Purchases Vail Sitters and Mom's Best Friend Franchise

Vail, Colorado-Mom’s Best Friend, Texas' largest and most established sitter service and nanny agency, announces that they are opening a franchise office in Vail/Beaver Creek on November 5, 2008. This will be the first Colorado office for Mom’s Best Friend, who currently has existing Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio Texas locations. This location, owned by Jill Smirl, a Vail/Beaver Creek area local, will serve both the residing families of the area and the three quarters of a million visitors they receive each year. This follows Smirl's September purchase of local babysitting agency Vail Sitters, which will be folded into the Mom's Best Friend agency.
           “I’m thrilled to be able to bring this service to my community as well as to traveling families who visit the Vail and Beaver Creek area," said Smirl. "Mom’s Best Friend has a wonderful reputation, and I’m excited to represent an organization with such high standards.” Services provided by Smirl include babysitters, nannies, property managers, estate managers, chefs, and executive housekeepers.
            The founder and owner of Mom's Best Friend, Kathy Dupuy, started the agency in 1994 and has overseen tremendous growth over the past 14 years. “We’ve been anticipating the opening of the Vail Valley franchise for quite some time. My family and I travel to the area often, so I was elated to know that such a knowledgeable, professional person like Jill would be leading the office in this area,” Dupuy said.
            Smirl has three children of her own, so she knows personally how stressful finding quality sitters and nannies can be. She has over 20 years of sales experience, with a number of her positions requiring her leadership and entrepreneurial spirit. Some of her employment highlights include her position as divisional sales manager and regional director for The Worth Collection, account executive with an ICBS television station, and a corporate manager for Southwestern Bell Wireless. With all of this experience, Smirl is fully prepared for her role as owner of Mom’s Best Friend in Vail/Beaver Creek.
            Since October 1, Smirl has been preparing for the November 5 launch by processing new sitters and nannies, as well as existing Vail Sitters caregivers, using the rigorous Mom's Best Friend screening. One of the many reasons Smirl purchased Mom’s Best Friend is because only about 10% of nanny and sitter applicants make it through the extensive screening, earned the company an impeccable reputation. The screening steps include a detailed application, in-person interview, reference checks, CPR training, and a criminal background check. This ensures that families can feel safe and secure when they utilize the agency’s sitters, nannies, and household staff. 
            With such high standards, the Vail/Beaver Creek families have truly found a “Mom’s Best Friend.”