Daycare is a Cut Throat Business...

I'm sitting here crying. I'm so upset. I feel like someone punched me in the stomach. After so many weeks of Kijji Advertising and no bites (i've changed my ad, I've put it to the top of the list, etc) Once again I did some neighbourhood advertising.

well...seems like another local provider is two steps behind me, ripping off my signs. I really really need to fill 1 spot. Filling the other spot would be gravy. I would love to have all spots filled but I'm being realistic. I know a lot of you are turning clients away. I wish I could do that as well.

I run a great program, my parents love me...but there are no kids to be found :no:

I went out to Staples on Friday night and purchased 2 vinyl lawn signs. I posted about it under "Managing a Daycare" I put them together with my lettering, phone number etc. Then I drove out at 5:30am this morning and planted the sign on the grass lawn area next to our local plaza. A lot of neighbourhood traffic at this location.

I drove back at 9:00am and it was gone. The exact same signs for Xmas trees were still up though. So....very doubtful it was teenagers (so early on a Sunday morning HA!). I'm 99.9% sure it is this very cruel and heartless provider. I know cause I've seen her ads in the past around the same place I put mine. Of course, she was smart enough not to post her ad cause then I'd know for sure.

Is it this desperate for people to steal someone else's signs?? That cost me $25 that I could have used towards my kids' Xmas presents. We are seriously that tight this year.

I'm so hurt. Merry Xmas to whomever took my sign. I hope you sleep well tonite.:(

Oh wow I am so sorry that happened to you ~ my signs have been up for a year now and never had an issue but I admit that I have never thought to put my sign anywhere but on my own property.

Is that property owned by the plaza and did you get permission to put it out there ... if not perhaps it was the owners of the property that removed it cause the 'tree people' might be paying to 'rent' that portion of their property or something and if you did not get that permission it could just be that? Can you go into the plaza stores and perhaps 'ask' if one of the employees removed the sign?

I find it very sad and disheartening to think that another provider would be so petty as to sabotage another businesses advertizing attempts to get further ahead themselves .... truly bad karma if that is the case and it will ultimately come back to bite her in the ass in some manner!

OtherMummy, big hugs for your hurt feelings. I'm sorry you are feeling violated and sad and angry and probably a hundred other emotions right now. December is a difficult month to get through but try to relax, it's supposed to be a month filled with family and love and celebration.

I was a single Mom for a lot of years and did everything possible to give my children great Christmases and memories so I understand the stress you're under but I realized as I got older that the amount or size of the presents isn't what my children remember. They are all adults now and remember the traditions and closeness and fun that we had, not the actual presents. I don't know how I did it, but I stressed myself out terribly every Christmas. That was wrong!

Sending you more LUCK! Fill that space!

Big hugs othermommy!! That's really crappy! It's seems to happen here too...I'm in the west GTA. Although I only put up paper notices that are free...I have spent hours putting them up on super boxes. Anything I put up that is in a well travelled area is gone the next day! I have no problem putting my ad beside someone else's, I would NEVER take down someone else's ad! I tell myself that Karma will make sure these people get the worst clients ever!

So sorry to hear about this :( I agree with Reggio though...if you put the signs somewhere other than your own property, you probably needed to get permission and possibly pay rent in order to put up a sign. Have you put one on your lawn? Is it still there? I hope you fill your spots soon!

big hugs to you other mommy!

hope you fill your spot soon.

Thanks for all the good vibes everyone :)

The signs were on city property, not on the private property of the mall. My flyers get ripped off as well in the past. Same vicinity as my lawn sign. The rest of the neighbourhood, my flyers go untouched. This is why I know it was the same competitor provider.

I "understand" why they did it, I just don't understand how they can sleep soundly at night. That kinda misdeed would lose me a months worth of sleep. I guess I just don't have that killthroat competition. If I saw another providers advertising, I would have gladly placed my sign far enough away as to not encroach on "her" space. KWIM?

I'm going to post my second vinyl sign on our front lawn. People would have to be pretty brazen to steal that sign off my property.

Other Mummy it really sucks that this could be a provider ~ truly bad karma and if you think you know who it is due to the 'ads' that get replaced by your missing ones I would so call her out on it in some manner even if it is passive aggressive 'Hey I am a fellow provider looking for some advice cause I am having a hard t ime keeping my ads up but noticed that yours are always able to maintain ~ someone suggested asking the police to look at their servalence to see if we can determine who is responsible for the 'theft' of my ads ~ has this ever happened to you how do you handle it' and try SCARING her into doing the right thing and leaving your ads alone.

As for the signs on city property ~ not sure how it works region to region cause bylaws are all different but here in my region you need a sign permit from the city to place a sign or any 'advertizement' on city property cause if every business just slapped up signs on city property you'd have issues with sights of traffic being blocked and them cutting the grass or removing snow or what not? If you had permission to do this and someone 'stole' your ad perhaps calling the city and asking what recourse as well?

Aw, that stinks! I've had that happen many, many times as well. I gave up putting up posters ages ago as they always disappeared. Honestly, if you want to put your money somewhere, put it into a website and hosting. It's much, much more efficient at pulling clients in my experience. I just had to get an almost totally new client base due to moving. It took a few months, but I'm full and have just started a waiting list. Most people say it's because of the website. Even clients I didn't actually get said at the interviews that it was the website that initially got their attention. My brother in law did mine, but from a template available online. He said it was quite easy. If you want to respond privately, I can certainly let you look at mine for ideas. Lots of providers still use flyers with some success. I'm of the mind that we're dealing with a lot of young families most of whom likely turn to the internet first for most needs. I know I do.

I know it's hurtful. I've heard the same thing, about daycare being cutthroat. I've heard of some approaching other's clients and offering them lower rates, etc. This is why I've chosen not to get close to any providers in my neighbourhood which is just teeming with dayhomes. I'm keeping to myself....and keeping my clients to myself. I've befriended only one other provider....and that's only because she's out of my 'territory' so to speak.

I'm sorry your feelings have been hurt. I'm sure it wasn't personal (although it was certainly crappy). Give the website idea a try. It looks professional, no one can touch it and it's highly accessible to a large pool of prospective clients.

Competition is good. It urges busnesses to try their best and to treat their customers well. This stealing of signage and ripping down posters is just criminal. Can you imagine what would happen to another business that did this to their competitors? It would become a police matter. This behaviour is disgusting. I wouldn't want to leave my child with someone who has such a low level of conscience. I wouldn't trust anything they told me. So sorry this has happen to you Other Mummy. I hope you fill your spot soon.

I went through the same thing once. I also had a woman on craigslist who continually copied the wording of my ads for her own. I take a great deal of time and thought to the wording of my ads and it frustrated me that she copied them exactly so it appeared like it was the same ad and i potentially lost out on responses. I sent her numerous emails nicely telling her how much i appreciated the compliment but she could take the time to write her own ads as it wasnt doing either of us any good. she didnt stop, so i changed my ad regularly and she finally gave up LOL. I did have someone who constantly took my mailbox signs down and its frustrating for sure. she must have alot of time on her hands to be doing it. just perservere and repost signs. as for the ones that cost you money, i'd probably sit and watch to see who comes to take it down. You can check out Vistaprint, you can order magnetic signs for your car and they are really inexpensive. good luck and hopefully the karma gods are watching.

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Originally Posted by Other Mummy

Thanks for all the good vibes everyone :)

The signs were on city property, not on the private property of the mall. My flyers get ripped off as well in the past. Same vicinity as my lawn sign. The rest of the neighbourhood, my flyers go untouched. This is why I know it was the same competitor provider.

I "understand" why they did it, I just don't understand how they can sleep soundly at night. That kinda misdeed would lose me a months worth of sleep. I guess I just don't have that killthroat competition. If I saw another providers advertising, I would have gladly placed my sign far enough away as to not encroach on "her" space. KWIM?

I'm going to post my second vinyl sign on our front lawn. People would have to be pretty brazen to steal that sign off my property.

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It is getting very competitive and I am seeing things in the ads about all the perks people are offering to be more attractive. And of course the pricing which averages $40 a day in my area and today I saw an ad for $30 and I know she has been advertising to fill a space for a long time so yes it is just about desperation. Ripping ads off the mail box is common - atually what is most common is just taking the tear offs because it is easy to do. There is still the chance someone might have a pen and copy the info if the provider put it in the ad part and not just on the tearoff. Which explains why you post an add with tearoffs that are all gone but have gotten no calls.

The reality is in the grand scheme of things we all offer what parents need - a place to leave their child while they are at work. And yes programs do vary but to some parents not enough to matter and it comes down to price, incentives, etc.

Is there anything you can do? If you are posting with permission or on public grounds can't you wait for her one day and catch her in the act? isn't that some sort of vandalism or disruction of property. If you think it's her, I would wait for her to take it then confront her as nicely as possible of course:) that's not fair for her to do to you, how would she feel if the tables were turned? or how about if you called her out of the blue and attempted to make friendly, letting her know you have a spot open and was wondering if she is full and gets inquiries if she wouldn't mind sending them your way and vice versa when you fill up, try and make a team effort out of it rather than harbor hard feelings, this is too kind hearted of a position we are in to think we could have enemies out there. :( good luck!

As Reggio said...I do believe that you need permission to post something on city property...I mean we are not even allowed to put things on the strip of lawn that belongs to the city that is on the edge of our property. While it could be a rival daycare provider and I wouldn't put it past her...it is also still very likely that it was a city worker who removed it as it is forbidden without some sort of permit or fee. Make sure you place the second one well within your property line....not too close to the street as there is a strip of ten feet or so that belongs to the city and they have the right to remove it.