Need help, advice, tips !!!

So, as you guys know, i've been having ALOT of trouble with all (except one) of my families. I started the year with 2 full time families and 3 part time.... and I am down to 1 full time and 1 part time.... that is more of a drop in than anything.

I need advices on how to find good families. I'm pretty sure my add here is good, i've been posting on kijiji twice a day for the past 3 weeks, I also had an add on go daycare....

its seams like i send the wrong message or I dunno... I'm to the point where if I don't find an other good, stable, family that will pay on time I will have to close down and find a job..( and i reallllly dont want to do that!)

Please Help!

Do you have a penalty in your contract for late payment? Mine is $30 per day. We go through the main points before parents sign the contract (including payment). When a parent has forgotten to bring the check I remind them that they can still transfer the payment by Interact as soon as they get home and offer the option of postdated checks for next payments. Most of my parents do postdated checks and I remind them when I am about to run out of them. I never have had to enforce the late payment penalty. If I ever am in that position I will charge the $30 fee and not accept the child in care on Monday (they pay on Fridays in advance) until payment has gone through.

If you don't already have a proper website set up, I would strongly recommend getting one up and running. Most of the people I've interviewed have said that that was a big factor in whether or not they even wanted to interview someone. They felt it was more professional. Just make sure you keep it informative, but concise and get some past clients to leave testimonials for you to add on.

Don't put "new" in your ads and only advertise one opening at a time ....call the local school and ask if you can put your ads up on a bulletin board or if they can give out your contact info if a parent inquires about local daycares and also for the teachers and do the same for high school cause those teachers need daycare too. when you get an inquiry be confident when you talk to someone, don't waffle or negotiate, practise your interview. I usually bring them in and after the initial introductions I show them where we spend our days and give gem a run down of our schedule. I let gem know what supplies they are required to supply and what i supply. I ask them about their child what his napping schedule is like, is he a good eater? Is this the first one away from mom and dad? What are the favourite things to do / toys to play with? Then I ask them if they have any questions ... I have my police check and CPR first aid cert on the table and well as a copy of my paperwork. Generally once I have gone through my little spiel I have answered most of their questions. But if you emit despiration then you are going to attract the wrong clients ..... Good luck

yeah I have a10$ late fee per day. I'm rising that to 20$ in july when we renew our contracts.

What do you put in your website? Menu, schedule, activities?
Do you get it done professionally or you use one of those ''premade'' website you can use off internet?

i always second guess myself when i get no calls. i wonder if my ad isnt good or is there a red flag that is scaring people away but once i do get interviews i usually have no problem I think alot of people are looking for nannies.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlle.coccinelle

yeah I have a10$ late fee per day. I'm rising that to 20$ in july when we renew our contracts.

What do you put in your website? Menu, schedule, activities?
Do you get it done professionally or you use one of those ''premade'' website you can use off internet?

---

I totally second the website suggestion! Most of the parents who contact me say it was my website that attracted them. I put my menu, sample daily schedule, highlights, rates, hours, and most importantly pictures of many of the activities we have done (I don't show the kids' faces...only little hands etc doing things). I also have a testimonial page and that helps a lot as well. Good luck!

Spell/grammar check your website and ads. No bigger turn off for me. Plus it is unprofessional. Pictures of the space/activities have been the big draw for my clients.

Yeah, I will have my sister in law check it out for me! that's where the french canadian part of me sucks.... Its not my cup of the!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mlle.coccinelle

Yeah, I will have my sister in law check it out for me! that's where the french canadian part of me sucks.... Its not my cup of the!

---

French Canadian here too mlle.coccinelle, you can do it!

Tell your families that you have, to see if they know anyone who is looking for care. Tell neighbour's as well, word of mouth is so powerful.

Make sure you sell your bilingualism big time! I would put it right in the heading of your ad "Bilingual home daycare". Many people are looking for that, so you have a big plus there!