General Start Up Advise

by Nana
(Atlanta Georgia)

Thank God for you. It has always being my dream to have my own child care center and i know now is the time but I am truly confused as to the info out there and will appreciate practical first hand advise
1. Looking back, what will you have done or not done to make your business more successful

2. In choosing a location, what will be your best advise ie does low income, middle or high income neighborhoods make a difference

3. What is the best form of advertisement

Thank you so much

1.       Looking back, what will you have done or not done to make your business more successful?

 

*As I look back to when I first began my career as a child care provider this is what I would have changed if I could:

1.       I would use every opportunity to get my daycare business going by becoming registered or licensed.

2.       I would have researched ways to get and use any child care grants I could qualify for.

3.       I would have utilized our local Child Care Resource and Referral more and asked them for help.

4.       I would have attended more child care classes offered by the CCR&R

5.       I would have gotten to know other child care providers to learn from them (as you are doing by utilizing our website!)

6.        We didn’t have internet back then or computers- I would have given anything to have help just a click away to teach me how to become a professional.

 

 

2.       In choosing a location, what will be your best advise i.e. does low income, middle or high income neighborhoods make a difference?

 

*When I first started out, we lived in a lower income neighborhood and now live in an middle/upper income area. And quite honestly, the NEED for child care was equal in all respects- maybe greater so in our first neighborhood. I do earn more income now, but we lived in the first neighborhood over 20 years ago. Also- in the lower income daycare home I earned twice as much reimbursement from the child and adult food program.  I guess the best advice is to find where you feel you fit and are comfortable and can make the biggest difference in children’s lives!

 

3.       What is the best form of advertisement?

 

*My best answer to this question is “word of mouth”.  Parents LOVE referrals! However, I do discuss several other ways I have used to advertise (that also work) in my book “In Home Child Care Business, A Quick Start Guide”.  It is available on our website.

 

I want to thank you Nana for these awesome and important questions, and for the kind words. It is for people like you that we developed our website!  Best of luck to you in your own child care business! Please feel free to share my website with your family and friends.

 

 

Thank you so much