Feeling Discouraged!

[smileyface]

I can't help but feel a little frustrated and discouraged. I opened up my home as a home daycare in September. Between now and then I still only have 1 dck. It seems like every week there's another new home daycare in the area, and I haven't even been getting calls or emails in a long time. I have a website, and I have been putting flyers up on the mailboxes around my house, but still nothing. There is just so much competition. How long did it take you guys to get full when you started? I've heard it comes in waves, so who knows, maybe within the next couple of weeks, I will all of a sudden gets lots of phone calls and emails.

[mimi]

Is there a providers association in your area? These associations will often give referrals to clients searching for daycare. Get to know other providers. Sometimes they may be full, but will then recommend another provider they know. I do.
Ask your local school if you can put a flyer on their bulletin board. Expand your mailbox flyers to different neighborhoods close by. Ask friends, family and your husband (through work) to spread the word you are available.
It is difficult waiting for clients to call. Most of us have been where you are now and we are still here. Chin up, be proactive and get your name out there.

[fruitloop]

I would say it takes up to a year to get full. You need to figure out what you have to offer that the others don't. Also, if there are a bunch of new providers opening up...chances are, they are in the same boat as you. It takes time. A lot of parents don't want to use a "new" provider because they're unsure of stability, if they'll last, etc. Keep your chin up, keep advertising (here, kijiji, flyers, newspaper ads, bulletin boards, etc.) and they will come

[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

[Momof4]

There is so much compeition no matter where you live. It took an entire very bad year with famlies I should not have accepted to get my daycare running in the right direction. But I learned a lot in that year, that you are better off waiting a bit for the right clients rather than just accepting the first ones that come along.

Do you have family and friends who word for a large company or hospital or university where they have internal buy/sell systems kind of like their own kijiji? I advertise at places like that and get good responses. You probably have your ads on kijiji, this site and godaycare, then there are Mom/tot groups, do you have other sports places like an arena nearby? There are library groups, lots of places to network.

Don't put in your ads that you are new or advertising for more than 1 space and during interviews let the parents know you have lots of other people interested if you have a few interviews scheduled. Be confident in your abilities and advertise your own personal strengths.

[Fearlessbaby]

Great advice!!

[daycaremom9]

Those are great ideas. I might even use some of them. I've been in business for 6 years now and it probably took a good 3 years to get established. I am full with the exception of Thursdays. I started out doing drop-offs & pick-ups from the preschool which was located at the local school.My parents of these children had said positive things about me to the operator and she had told me that she couldn't recommend me but that she would pass along my business cards to interested parents. She also ran the Strong Start at the same location. I would take the children there on my slow days and she would recommend me to the parents. I stopped doing drop-offs & pick-ups from the school as I got busier. I don't go to Strong Start anymore either as I wouldn't take more than a couple of kids there at a time.