My story shows up here and there in a lot of your posts. I started at $25/day because I didn't have anything when I started but a need to make a living. Then I went up to $30/day as soon as I had 5 families signed on who loved me, so within the first year. I'm now at $32/day and $35/day part-time. I'm worth more, but I live in an apartment with a small green space that I claimed as my own and set up my slides, water table, etc. but I don't have a yard.

My best selling point is what I offer and my clients are the types who look beneath the surface of the outside of my home to see all that I offer in the way of nutritious food, teaching, lots of parks, the library, etc. But most people are not interested when they find out I don't have a dedicated daycare room and a fenced in yard. How can I possibly charge more per day?

Also, my rent is low so if I raised my rates I would just be paying more taxes. I've thought about that!