Being good enough ?

Re-posting a private message we received in order to get more advice to help this person:

"I feeling kind a lost...I love children but the competition is making me that maybe this isn't gonna work....all I wanted to do was provide a loving and caring home for children...but because my home is small no one thinks my house is good enough...the competition sent four families to my home to compare from mine to hers...I am very upset.......I really want to make this work...I am really good with children its the grown ups that I have issues with...I really hope you can help me"

It sucks but competition is in every field!! You just have to fight hard for your daycare and focus on your strong points! Make the most use out if your space and make it warm and inviting. Keep it clean, tidy and organized and the space will appear much brighter and bigger.

When I start to think my space is too small, I think back to when I worked in centres and we all had our designated rooms. They were smaller than my space lol. It's how you use it :)

Your space is only as small as you make it. Focus on the postives and your strengths. I used my dining room at the beginning and obsessed that it was too small. Their babies and toddlers! I grew up playing in my bedroom. Big basements didn't really exist then...we had toys in our room. Stop comparing and worrying about the competetitiond and market youself. Sell yourself and what YOU offer sell the benefits of your space... Warm and inviting, accessible to the dining area, kitchen and washroom etc. Lots of sunshine and so on... Make a website. Post pics if your space. Be confident and own it... Set yourself up for success! Good luck :)

My place small too. Was old fisherman cottage long time ago. I honestly not think your issue is size of space.

It easy come into this business as someone who love children but in home daycare, that not enough. It is business and must not under estimate the skill set needed to run business. There will be contract issue, non-payment issue, handling difficult client, enforcing boundaries - non which directly from the children.

Don't be concerned about under hand practice of competition. Fact she send 4 people show she concerned. You cannot compete on space unless you plan to move so you have compete on level service and ignore what competition has or doing.

Focus on marketing self as small, intimate place. Make sure your name out in your local market. Place ad anywhere parent might be. Try focus on your business not gaze longing at other person. When you spending time distracted by your competition, you not building your business.

Whether you have NO competition or the strongest competition in the world should not impact your daycare. You just present yourself at your best, present your space at your best and attract the families drawn to those qualities.

There is no point in obsessing over being better. Be your best. There are many amazing families out there that know to look past the looks of the daycare and look at the caregiver and what they have to offer. It might take longer to find them, but they will come.

My friend has her ECE, years of daycare experience, a university degree and even more work experience in the field. She sends her daughter to the most unappealing looking daycare in the city. It looks run down on the outside, it isn't not pretty and fancy and shiny and new. But they truly have amazing staff and the funds there go to keeping great staff. Much better than a shiny new building with shiny new toys and no funds for good staff.

Same applies for home daycares...Just be your best and ignore the rest. Don't try to look the best with bigger and better stuff. (This does't mean you shouldn't strive to advance your knowledge and experience to get better with time).

You don't have to compete with everyone. Find your niche, and work it. Find something that will set you apart - strong attachment based philosophy of parenting/childcare, a language or skill you can highlight? Parents refer their friends not because of the amazing facility, but because of the amazing person that LOVES their children. Once your find your families, you'll be set - check out the site 'how to run a home daycare' - I love her tips (I have no affiliation other than being a fan).

We would all LOVE to have BIGGER Houses :)
but we just do the best we can with the house we have so know you are not alone and show your real further clients that you love children , that is all that want to know :) Good Luck

I have a rather big house and there's still competition. I think you should highlight your space and what makes you awesome. I don't have a fenced yard, so I need to focus on my big indoor space, gated deck for outdoor play, and walks to visit our chickens and garden. I also provide all homemade meals (including bread). My biggest asset though is being an ER nurse on the side! All parents I've interviewed have said it makes them feel better knowing I'm prepared for the worst and can keep calm in a crisis. Practice your interview with a friend. Wouldn't it be great if the people sent by your competition choose you!