Annie Davis lives on Phinney Ridge, is a Phinney Ridge Community Council board member, and owns Annie’s Nannies, Inc. Household Staffing in Ballard. Davis claims that her business is an early indicator of good and bad economic times.
In fact, Davis says her Annie’s Nannies Index, or ANI, predicts that the economy is turning around. “I’ve been in this business for nearly 25 years, and each time an economic recovery is on its way, my business picks up. The past couple of weeks things have started to turn around, so I’m predicting the worst is over,” she says.
“In households where a nanny, housekeeper or elder companion is not a necessity and bad times come, those positions are often eliminated, or severely cut back – or people try to make hires themselves without using a screening agency. I saw it starting to happen late last summer and knew our economy was in trouble. Conversely, when good times come, people can afford household help. One thing the ANI has taught me is that the biggest financial crises are often preceded by boom years. Annie’s Nannies’ highest grossing years were 1999 and 2007, and in each case the following years brought huge financial busts…However, I’m quite encouraged today because the ANI is going up. It’s always been a great economic indicator for me, and I want to share the news to try to help everyone keep their spirits up.”
So, any other businesses out there want to weigh in on their own economic indicators?
