Feeling Discouraged!

[cfred]

I closed my daycare and moved homes to a residential neighbourhood and reopened. This area is absolutely teeming with dayhomes, plus 2 formal daycare centres within 1 block (by backyard backs on to one). It took me about 3 months to fill up (still waiting for my last full timer to start March 1st). I think there is one dayhome a few doors down from me and a myriad of others....I see the providers congregate in the play area behind my house with their kiddies.

My very, very best advice is to find out what's available in your area....as in 'what do they offer?'. Find that out and see what you can offer that they don't. For instance, I know most in my area aren't ECE, but I am. I'm not saying you have to be to do this, but it's an asset I have, so I sell it hard. No one here opens before 7am and all are closed by 5 or 5:30. I'm open 6-6. It's a long shift, but I know for a fact that 2 of my clients came to me because they couldn't find anyone else to meet their schedule requirements. Perhaps when I'm better established and have a solid reputation in this new area, then I can change it down the road. No one does Vegan, Vegetarian or specialty diets, so I researched a bit on meeting dietary requirements and brought that into the equation as well. 2 vegetarian clients came on board. All the daycares in the area are in basement locations so I put mine on the main floor. It was to be temporary till I renovated the basement, but every interviewee commented on how much they liked that it was upstairs, so I quickly changed my mind, and specifically advertise that on my site. I kept my old rate from my previous, rural location. It's about $3-$5 lower than most others in this heavily populated, family neighbourhood. Now that I'm full, I'll raise my rates by $1 in Sept. If anyone leaves and a newbie comes on, the rate will be $2 higher. But my middle of the road price, combined with what I had to offer, I think, helped me bring people in. And I have to say, in all honesty, that all my clients are fantastic. I've not got one single client who gives me a hard time or doesn't appreciate what I do. I feel as though my efforts have worked out well, so maybe you can use some of it, if it appeals to you. Now these are just the things I did....not to say anyone else needs to, nor does it diminish other people's strategies. It's just worked well for me and my business at the very scary time of starting all over again. Figure out what they've got, figure out what you can do better and sell it hard! Takes a bit of homework, but well worth the effort