Advice and tips needed on having an open house

[Teagansmom]

Good afternoon everyone, I hope your day is going great.

I currently still have no dc kids after moving to pickering from Toronto in October. I'm thinking about holding an open house but have never held one before. Any tips advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance

[playfelt]

They can work in two different ways. It can attract young families in your area that either need care now or realize they will need care and just want to get some information for the future. And it will attract other caregivers who are just curious. Rather than be upset about the caregivers coming make it clear somehow that you want them to identify themselves and hopefully you will find some that you can hang out with, find out about local places caregivers and their kids (and ideally parents of kids too) such as local playgroups - make it your own caregiver welcome wagon type party. I have only done it once and got one child from the experience but contacts down the road from people that came. It was also a negative experience because of a few nasty caregivers that came and didn't like that I was invading their territory so it can work both ways. As long as you are prepared for it it is worth trying.

I had some toys out for play so parents could talk to me while kids played and I felt they stayed longer and asked more questions than those just pregnant. I posted info on the walls and encouraged parents to look around and read as they went and had a small 1-2 page handout for them to take home. I had hubby home to deal with our own kids so I could be busy.

[Teagansmom]

Thanks for your input playfelt. I'm going to go and give it a try. I will however in my advertising leave my # for ppl to call to get my address. This way I can weed out odd balls. My hubby didn't like the idea of anyone coming in our home. I will hold it on a weekend when he is present.

[sunnydays]

I have done it twice...once before I opened and once this past fall when I was trying to fill a couple of spaces. I never advertised it though as I was worried about having just anyone wandering off the street. Instead I just invited everyone who had contacted me about care, but who I could not accommodate or who were looking for a space so far down the road that I wasn't sure. I think my point was just to get word out more...hoping they would tell all their friends and one of their friends would be looking sooner. So far I haven't actually gotten a client like that, but I am now full, so who knows if someone will call back months down the road. Make sure you give out business cards for them to take (give them extras so they can give to friends). Good luck!

[Teagansmom]

Thanks sunny days, I would like to hold the open house because I'm new to the city and have had not inquiries even though I am advertising a lot. I had 1000 coloured flyers made out with pictures and info on both sides which I was planning on giving out. My sister in a real estate agent so she will be helping me out.