Panicking..Can't find any cients

[BlueRose]

I got my first client 2 weeks after I opened, my 2nd a few days later and my 3rd 2 months after I opened. The first year is always hard to get clients. Just keep advertising. do you have a website, it helps too.

I started my daycare at the end of my mat-leave too. I was very scary as well, I hate not knowing if I will be able to pay my rent or not. I now only need one more full timer to be full.

do you have a police check? I know a lot of providers who don't any have never been asked. I have been asked by almost everyone who I have interviewed. I think it depends on where you live if you get asked or not. it does cost money, so if you are not getting asked don't worry about it. I am with 2 agencies which is why i had to get one.

ps all my kids are from agencies I cant seem to find any private ones, but I am looking. if you really want to do this I would talk to the agencies in your area. After talking to them take some time to decide if an agency even temporary would be for you or not. I only plan on staying with the agencies until I can get private clients. they are good and bad to be apart off. the pay is less then private, but some pay is better then nothing.

[Spixie33]

awww that would be scary but try not to panic. I started advertising in April of 2009 and didn't sign my first family until September 2009. Once Sept 09 came I signed 3 families in one week.

So for MONTHS I was starting to be the joke of my extended family and they would jokingly ask me if I had signed any families yet and then boom - the 3 families signed at once and I was up and running and busy ever since.

Make sure you have a well written ad on this website telling about your program, include pictures of your daycare space in your ad. Practice your interviewing presentation and don't seem panicked during interviews. It sounds like you have only had 2 so think of each one as practice.

Try to have some things to show the parents during the interview i.e a daily log or your menus or newsletter or theme ideas or something to make you seem like you have thought through a great program and they can envision their kids in it. Highlight all your strengths like what you serve for meals, do you go outside a lot, do you plan to do themes or go to early years, etc?

Every area has peak periods. People may be thinking about Christmas now and you might get calls in January. Hopefully you can hang in there. If you are doing everything you can then eventually they will come

Inspired by Regio has great advice - make sure not to highlight that you are new and don't mention it unless you are flat out asked by a parent. Don't say how many spots you have - just that you have a spot for part of full time children. Definitely stress your ECE background and any relevant experience with children in your ad