Tips? There are hoards of tips. Some of them we could tell you about but most of them you will need to learn by getting hit by the swing. If you look at the link at the bottom of my posts you can click and go to my blog. There is a ton of resources there. But, most importantly, it will show you that you are NOT alone when you start to have feelings of despair or resentment or anger. And, YES, you WILL have those feelings at one time or another. Daycare is a real eye-opening experience with regard to the psychology of people - parents and children included. I could tell you stories of maltreatment toward providers by parents that would make your eyes pop out of your head. I don't mean to fill you will negativity because there are LOTS of pluses and positives about this job but you need to be aware of the negatives so you don't just pack it all in the first time you are surprised by the unkind actions of others.

There are some no-brainers and musts.....you MUST have a contract. A contract is THE number one administrative thing you need to have. The contract protects you and the families in care and lays everything out on the line with regard to expectations and policies.

The second most important thing to have in this business - and NEVER forget that daycare is a BUSINESS first and foremost - is a backbone. You better start on those calcium supplements now because you are really gonna need to fortify that spine of yours. Oh, yes, you are!

As for getting clients? It takes some time at first. Parents are gonna be a bit wary of the new provider and they want some sort of assurance you are gonna be in this business for a while.