Opening up right beside me. Literally, I could hit it with a stone.
Should I be worried?
I know my program is fantastic. I have at least three families to choose from every time I have an opening . . .
But my stomach is in knots right now
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Opening up right beside me. Literally, I could hit it with a stone.
Should I be worried?
I know my program is fantastic. I have at least three families to choose from every time I have an opening . . .
But my stomach is in knots right now
Is it going to be the same kind of establishment you run? A home dayare or a bigger establishment?
I know there are a lot of home daycares in my part of my city yet I am always getting requests for interviews and my ads are never posted. I'm lucky to be near downtown where tons of people work so I'm in a great location.
But I always advise new providers to figure out their niche and advertise their strengths and put them all on their websites. I'm sure since you are already established and running a great daycare you are already doing that. So you can also inform parents at interviews that you know what you are doing because of your experience and the woman next door won't be able to say that.
If I were you I would embrace it. Get to know them, what they do, what they charge, what they don't charge for, sick days - stats - vacation etc. You will find a way to one up them. Be it hours, program, pay etc.
If you have 3 to choose from for every one opening then my guess is it's needed in your area! So I don't think you'll have a problem. The other thing I've noticed is the quality of food is not great in these bigger daycares so maybe that's what you want to emphasize with your ads. Either way, you've been established longer, you have a good client base, I'm sure you'll be fine.
If you are willing to do lots of babies it could be a real advantage as there is often a shortage of infant spaces so you could be a feeder to the daycare in the sense of caring for them till they turn two and there are openings or caring for the infants siblings of kids in the older programs. Some daycare centres also have a home daycare component for just that reason - to take the overflow of their infant program.
I have 2 daycare facilities within a stone's throw of my place (one is actually in the the school my yard backs onto). This is not to mention that my neighbourhood is teeming with home daycares. I'm full and have a waiting list -didn't have too much trouble getting that way. One person made a good point - get to know them. Do it better, do more than them and you won't need to worry. Also, there are a LOT of people who specifically want home care for the personal quality. And yup, take babies....daycares never take them. Don't sweat it, you'll be fine :)
It's good friend of mine doing it. I'm hurt. she has run a home daycare for a while and now she is opening a facility Daycare in the empty building next to me. I run a home daycare.
I send her all the kids that I didn't accept into my daycare. We have worked hard not to create competition between us. I thought so at least . . . .
I think im more hurt that she would decide to open it in my backyard than I am worried about staying full. She is decidedly creating competition between us.
Cadillac, your friend is just trying to earn a living so I wouldn't make it personal. You need to start thinking as a business woman. The other posters had some good suggestions. Her daycare facility will be different than yours. Embrace the differences and promote yours.
I'm SOOOO trying not to take it personally. I know its business.
I think im just way stressed about everything and this just broke my back a little
There are a couple of ladies who live near me who have become good friends and we have playdates together at parks. It's wonderful. When we are full and we are contacted for a space we help each other out. It's great to have the support.
I meet other caregivers at the park who avoid me like the plague because apparently they see me as the competition and I should be avoided! That's not good! As I already said Cadillac, be confident in YOUR daycare and you'll do just fine.
What is wrong with those ladies "together we can accomplish more" why wouldn't they get to know you? Smart Business women see the need to network.Quote:
Originally Posted by Momof4
Cadillac you should be happy for your friend, finding a good space for a daycare centre isn't easy. Her service is a different product than yours. Why not be each others cheerleaders. She could someday have a wait list and that could be the day you need clients.
Also there could be a day where you need back up care immediately and what better place to bring your kids.
Sit down and write out all the amazing positives and amazing possibilities.
I agree that if she is opening a 'facility' she is not competition to you at all .... people who choose home childcare do so because they do not WANT centre care!
My heart actually goes out to your friend because what she is undertaking is not EASY at all ... it is not just a matter of finding a space ~ that space has to be approved by the Ministry of Education to have the right square footage per classrooms, enough windows per square footage, enough toilets per children even in the 'infant rooms' where they do not even use toilets, enough parking, enough outdoor space, wheel chair accessible, fire codes, health codes and so forth and so on with the rules and regulations that must be met ... and if it doesn't meet all those requirements she will either not get a license and be stuck with a lease she might not be able to get out of or she will have to spend $100,000 of dollars renovating it!
Also does she have her Early Childhood Education herself? Cause if she does not she is going to have to hire someone who does to 'run' her program before she even can apply for a license ... because while anyone can 'own' a licensed facility it can only be RUN by an early childhood educator who has been approved by the Ministry ... a salary will eat into any profits she is hoping to make herself as 'owner' :(
I sure hope she has done her research and networked with other private licensed childcare facilities in Tornoto before investing all the capital that is required to become 'a licensed centre' specially at this time because NOW is a very uncertain time for licensed childcare centres with the Day Nursery Act under revision and many private centres have been forced to close with the implementation of full day early learning and their inability to compete with the government funded centres in regards to FEES and so forth.
There is a reason WHY there is such a demand for licensed childcare in Ontario ~ because very few people wants to open up a centre and work 60-80 plus hours a week trying to keep it afloat dealing with stressful clients and challenging children for what ends up being a 'low end salary' where you could work the same amount of hours at Walmart as a greeter and make the same or more money ;)
I don't think you have anything do worry about. From what I've heard, daycare centres are not a lucrative business, so she's probably making a poor choice for herself.
Also, you're in Toronto, yes? You'll never want for clients. :)
Yeah. We are good friends. we met at the park doing daycare. We help each other out they way others have stated in thiss post. I'm trying to be happy. thanks guys
Thanks everyone.