Opening a Daycare

Some aspiring day care providers wonder if they should start a day care at home or rent space outside of the home. Starting big by opening a daycare away from home may sound fancy and exciting, but it is usually not the best path for new day care owners. Instead, opening a home day care is the right way to go for you if you’re completely new to the business for the following reasons:

1. It’s much cheaper and more convenient to run one at home.

There’s no need to rent out space, pay large overhead costs (which often includes expensive remodeling), hire an army of assistant teachers, and spend time and money commuting. Costs for centers outside the home quickly build up and it can be hard for even a popular one to break even. Instead, you can run a small or large family day care at home by yourself or with only an assistant (depending on the number of kids you accept to your program). Your rent or mortgage payments remain the same. Many overhead costs can be deducted later as business expenses. Commutes are limited to walking downstairs.

2. A home day care is less stressful and more flexible.

Centers outside the home usually have to care for many more children than a home day care in order to be financially worthwhile. You, on the other hand, can start off caring for only a few children and grow from there later if you prefer. Also, centers outside of the home usually have to stick to rigid schedules, which decreases your flexibility. When opening a home day care, you can adapt the daily schedule “on the fly” according to the children’s moods, like bringing up lunch time or spontaneously having an outdoor activity on a beautiful afternoon. Unlike a bigger outside daycare center, you’ll have more time and opportunities to make each day more meaningful and customized to the fewer kids under your care.

3. A home day care can be better for the children under your care.

Young children sometimes feel “lost in the crowd” among lots of other toddlers and teachers at the big day cares. In fact, many parents appreciate a home environment for their kids. Your family day care can provide a more comfortable, supportive and personalized interaction with each child and their parents. The children under your care will learn and develop together in small, tight-nit groups, which may give them an advantage over the bigger outside day cares when they start school.

Overall, opening a daycare at home is better than one away from home for several significant reasons. To learn more about the process of starting your own child care business, check out the free report on the top daycare mistakes to avoid when starting your own day care.

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You might be in the planning stages of opening a daycare at home or you might already have just opened your doors, but either way it’s time to figure out how to get clients quickly. This article will focus on the top five daycare advertising methods for a new daycare owner:

1. Fliers

Simple to make, well-placed fliers can be an effective way of reaching your target audience. All that’s needed to make a professional flier is access to a computer, word processing software, printer, and paper. Before running around town and posting them everywhere, think hard where your ideal parents hang out.

2. Business cards

You can get hundreds of business cards printed affordably by using a professional service. If you are good at graphic design and want to save money, you can make your own cards at home. Just make sure to take plenty with you everywhere and hand them out liberally.

3. The web

The internet has a few sites dedicated to matching parents with childcare providers. Take some time to answer some ads and consider posting your own ad for your service too. The advantage of using these sites on the web to find clients is that they are usually free and provide quick results.

Another idea is to create your own website or blog showcasing your daycare that is optimized for local searches. This is definitely a more intensive and time consuming strategy, but it could bring in a constant trickle of leads for your daycare and waitlist over time.

4. Referral system

Set up a referral reward system. Let your customers, friends, and other acquaintances know about it. Consider including it in your fliers or business card or other marketing materials. Word of mouth is considered to be a very powerful form of marketing, and since you only need to fill in a few slots, this method may be enough.

5. Local paper

Your local newspaper is an ideal place to reach parents. See if you can advertise there. Another idea is to write a childcare related article and try to get it published in a local paper. Make sure to include your daycare contact information at the bottom of the article.

Overall, there are countless daycare advertising tactics to try. Keep in mind that consistency is important, so pick only a few ideas and do them well until you fill up your home daycare.

To learn more about opening a daycare business at home, check out the free Top 5 Daycare Mistakes report.

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Who wants to open a daycare? There are several types of people who might want to open a daycare at home for different reasons. Listed below are a few examples of women who might be interested in this quality home business:

1. New mothers who want to stay at home for economic and family reasons

New moms are a common example of those who open a daycare at home. Many moms choose this because they want to stay at home and earn an income, raise their child, and save on external child care costs. A subset of this group are new single moms, who may discover that opening a home daycare is a decent way for them to juggle work and family as the sole breadwinner.

2. Moms who love working with children

Some moms wish to stop working outside the home for various companies and prefer to work with children. Essentially, climbing the corporate ladder doesn’t speak to them anymore. Instead, they prefer to teach and care for kids and help them get through the crucial years of early childhood development. Even considering some of the challenges, many of these moms find this field to be very meaningful.

3. Mother teams

Often, moms team up with another stay-at-home mom in town or even with their own mothers to start a home daycare. Teams make running this business easier and allow caring for more kids at one time if necessary. This setup also allows for more adult interaction, mutual support, and sharing of some business expenses.

4. Kindergarten teachers

Kindergarten teachers are well positioned to become home daycare providers. During college, they take courses in early childhood development and obtain years of practical experience in the classroom. A teacher who wants a change of pace can quickly open a daycare at home and apply her vast experience towards helping those under her care.

5. Former day care employees

Sometimes a talented and ambitious former day care employee wants to open a daycare and leave the salaried world behind. Her valuable day care experience can only help when going into business for herself.

Overall, these are the five main groups of people who could be interested in opening a daycare in the home. Many of them, with the right preparation, can succeed in this important service.

To learn more about the biggest mistakes to avoid when opening a daycare at home, get your free Daycare Mistakes report here.

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Starting your own daycare can be an exciting process, but there are many things to know before opening your doors for business. The following list contains several tips for you to consider:

1. You are not a babysitter

A home daycare is not a babysitting service, which is considered to be a low-value service. You will offer much more than watching over the kids – you will be educating them and nurturing their physical, mental, and emotional development.

2. Safety first

When starting your own daycare, you must be safety-minded. Every parent wants to send their child to a safe environment, and therefore safety must be your top priority.

3. Keeping the books

As a business owner, you are going to have to keep good records of all the money going in and out of your business. You will also need to have on hand various forms and records pertaining to the kids under your care.

4. Minimizing risk

As a child care provider and business owner, you will need to minimize your risks in several areas. This includes setting up the right insurances and legal business entity, making sure you follow state rules and regulations, keeping the environment safe and clean, and of course, keeping an eye on the children under your care.

5. Activity planning

When opening a daycare, you will need to plan for daily activities. Such activities may include arts and crafts, reading time, singing, and hundreds of other classic learning activities. It’s a good idea to do some research at your local library and bookstore to find activities that will both interest and educate the children under your care.

6. Nutrition

As a home daycare provider, you will be expected to prepare meals and snacks for the children. It is important to choose healthy and age-appropriate foods and avoid any choking hazards or food allergies.

7. Keep your clients satisfied

It is important to treat the parents well, since they are your official clients. Keep them in the loop about the happenings at your day care. One idea is to send them a weekly newsletter via e-mail or send a printed version home with the child.

8. Know your state’s requirements

In most places, you can’t just put out a shingle and declare you’re open for business. The day care field is regulated by each state and you should be adhering to their laws and regulations.

9. Avoid burnout

Starting a daycare at home can be a great solution for many moms, but it is important to avoid burnout. One way of doing this is to pre-schedule vacations days in your yearly calendar and daycare contract.

10. Make a difference

If you’ve committed to starting a daycare at home, then try to do the best job you can possibly do. You have the unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the kids under your care and help your community. Don’t take this responsibility lightly.

Overall, there are plenty of things to know about before opening a daycare. I hope these ten tips help you start your journey.

To learn more about the biggest daycare mistakes moms make when starting a home daycare and how to avoid them, sign up for the free report here.

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There are quite a few good reasons for opening a daycare. Many mothers find staying at home with their kids and earning a living in a field they enjoy to be an ideal situation. On the other hand, there are a few reasons why someone shouldn’t consider owning a daycare.

1. Constant need for adult company

If you have a need for constant adult interaction, teamwork, and daily gossip next to the water cooler, you might want to think twice about quitting to start a home daycare. The business of an in-home day care provider does not always lend itself to a lot of adult interaction – with the exception of communicating with parents.

2. Wrong primary motivation

If you want to start a daycare just for the money, then I hope you reconsider. Of course, day cares can be started also to earn a living, but a childcare business is special. Your primary motivation should be for the benefit of the kids and their early childhood development. If that doesn’t drive you, then you might eventually face burnout.

3. A need to work outside the home everyday

Obviously, a home day care is a home-based business. Instead of commuting every day to an office, you’ll just walk downstairs. Of course, some people love this arrangement, while others find comfort working in offices and being away from home each day.

4. Intolerance to any risk

Starting any business involves some risk. In fact, businesses don’t always succeed for lots of reasons, but this risk can be minimized with some smart planning and learning from other providers’ mistakes. Opening a daycare also entails similar risks similar to raising kids at home, but these risks can be minimized with childproofing, following basic safety rules, and having the right insurance.

5. Unwillingness to invest in your business (and yourself)

A home day care is one of the more affordable businesses to start, but there are some basic setup costs, such as registration fees, furniture, and educational items. Many of the expenses can be minimized with a little creativity, but you will have to spend a certain amount to get up and running. In the long run, the more you invest in yourself in terms of supplemental courses and skills, and the more you invest in your daycare experience, the higher your chances of continual success.

To learn more about what’s involved with starting a daycare at home, check out the Top 5 Daycare Mistakes Report – a free guide which can help you avoid the common mistakes new mothers make when setting up this business.

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Do you want to stay home with your young child and earn a living at the same time?  Are you tired of commuting every day and having to juggle working outside the home with family responsibilities?  Do you love working with kids?  If so, opening a daycare at home is a business that may be just right for you.  Here are seven top reasons why opening a daycare at home is a smart idea:

1.  Convenience

A home-based daycare is convenient for so many reasons.  First, you can earn money while staying at home with your kids.  Next, since there’s no commute, there’s no need to spend time driving to an office and getting stuck in traffic everyday.  Also, you get to choose whether to care for infants, toddlers, or kids in elementary school.  Finally, you get to be your own boss, set your hours, and be in charge of your destiny instead of answering to someone else.

2.  Enjoyment

Opening a daycare at home can be fun because you get to work with young kids all day.  You’ll get to be in charge of arts and crafts, story time, playtime outdoors and many other fun early childhood activities that are an integral part of a daycare routine.

3.  Getting to see your kids before they grow up

Let’s face it.  Working outside the home comes at a steep price – missing out on lots of your own kids’ precious moments.  If you stay at home with your children during their early years, you get to witness their first steps and words and savor lots of precious memories.  Not only that, but you get to raise your children as you see fit.

4.  Earnings potential

This isn’t a gift-basket home business, which gets eaten once and forgotten.  A home daycare is an essential and always in-demand service.  National statistics show that many families really need daycare.  In two parent households, both parents work and most need childcare services.  In states like New Jersey, parents pay on average over $7,000 per year for their toddler to attend a daycare.  This means that to make enough money for your needs, you may need to care for only a few children.

5.  Low cost home business

Unless you’re renting out a place outside of the home or investing in major home renovations and tons of new toys and furniture, opening a daycare shouldn’t cost too much.  In many cases,  new daycare owners manage to start with under $1000.  There are plenty of creative ways to minimize and finance the initial costs, so don’t let these numbers get in your way.

6.  Save money

By working from home, you save on thousands of dollars per year on daycare fees for your own kids.  Also, by opening a daycare at home, you save money on commuting and work expenses, such as gas and a fancy wardrobe, which also add up over time.

7.  Quick start

Unlike other businesses, it’s possible to open a home daycare within weeks.  There are some state requirements to fulfill before opening your doors, but these shouldn’t take you too long to do.

Overall, opening a daycare at home is an affordable, fast, and quality option for new moms who want to stay at home and earn money.   Of course, there are some bureaucratic procedures to go through and pitfalls to watch out for in this line of work.

To learn more about what’s involved, download the free report called “The Top 5 Daycare Mistakes”, which discusses the blunders new moms make when opening a home daycare and how to avoid them.

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