Getting Discouraged

[beachgrl]

Hey all,

I have been trying to wait it out because I know it can take time to fill spots but with the two I have now being drop ins and with no others possible in sight despite many calls and a few meets I just don't know if I can continue. I have gone through the extra money I had in reserve for this and I surely cannot pay the bills on the amount I get from the drop ins which isnt even for sure. Typically I have them both about 3-4 days of the week so I get around 180-240 but one of the mom's left me a message that she only needs me one day this week so only $30 from him and no clue till prolly mon night or tues am when I will have the other this week.

I wanted to do this so much and I love being home and working with the lil guys but I went from about 3200 a mo as a teacher to 800...just isn't going to cut it. The worst part is that most teaching jobs have been filled with the exception of some who may be going on maternity leave for a short period so the best I can probably get right now is a daycare job and I most likely wouldnt even make that much more. I spent $ on getting signs for my yard and card done and even signed up for a $50 mo add on daycarenorthcarolina that may just be bs too...ugh, I feel like I have put my family's finances in jeopardy and that we will be in trouble even though I have tried to have faith and be patient...I have one lady who claims she wants me to keep her infant when she goes back to school in a few weeks toward the end of oct so if I could have him and the two I have either pay for a ft spot or a min pt maybe I could make it work for awhile longer but idk if the two families would go for that since they have been drop ins the whole time and know I have no one else needing spots..

[Michael]

Hey all,

I have been trying to wait it out because I know it can take time to fill spots but with the two I have now being drop ins and with no others possible in sight despite many calls and a few meets I just don't know if I can continue. I have gone through the extra money I had in reserve for this and I surely cannot pay the bills on the amount I get from the drop ins which isnt even for sure. Typically I have them both about 3-4 days of the week so I get around 180-240 but one of the mom's left me a message that she only needs me one day this week so only $30 from him and no clue till prolly mon night or tues am when I will have the other this week.

I wanted to do this so much and I love being home and working with the lil guys but I went from about 3200 a mo as a teacher to 800...just isn't going to cut it. The worst part is that most teaching jobs have been filled with the exception of some who may be going on maternity leave for a short period so the best I can probably get right now is a daycare job and I most likely wouldnt even make that much more. I spent $ on getting signs for my yard and card done and even signed up for a $50 mo add on daycarenorthcarolina that may just be bs too...ugh, I feel like I have put my family's finances in jeopardy and that we will be in trouble even though I have tried to have faith and be patient...I have one lady who claims she wants me to keep her infant when she goes back to school in a few weeks toward the end of oct so if I could have him and the two I have either pay for a ft spot or a min pt maybe I could make it work for awhile longer but idk if the two families would go for that since they have been drop ins the whole time and know I have no one else needing spots..

I don't believe I ever put your listing in our registry. I was in Toronto a couple weeks ago and now in Chicago on my way home. I will make sure I input your listing in our registry as soon as I get back.

Michael

[Crazy8]

where have you advertised?? The biggest thing in getting started is getting the word out. Do you have a website? When you type in "home daycare, your town" does your name and number come up??

I know times are tough for everyone but I think this just means there are more 2 income families, moms going back to work, etc. I don't know if you've posted about advertising help before, but read thru some threads on here and make sure you are doing as many of them as you can.

{{hugs}} Its a hard business when you never know when your income will change but hopefully you can hang on and just 1-2 kids to keep you afloat till more come knocking.

[beachgrl]

Thanks Michael, I hadn't even checked to see if you had yet. I have looked through some of the threads and chatted with people on here about it. I've done flyers, have a website and fb pg, put cards out in the community butni think being on the non neighborhood side of town in a more rural area isn't helping although we are off a major road which is why I ordered a sign hoping someone might see it passing who needs care. I think people are looking for jobs but having a hard finding them. I advertise on CL too and most of my calls have come from there but nothing in the last couple weeks. I did get a referral from a fellow home provider in the area but girl isn't due for a couple weeks and I don't count it until paperwork is in hand, I'm getting paid and have the kid coming. Kwim?

Hopefully something will happen for me soon.. I am just going to pray about it and keep doing what I have been and hope someone turns up.

[Meyou]

I have a couple of home provider friends and all of us have had good luck with a simple facebook status post with a few pictures. Get friends, family and coworkers to repost it as a link on their pages and you have a whole network of people seeing that someone they know has a spot right now. Repost it everyday for a week or so. I have always gotten inquiries and one of my friends has filled all her spots this way for more than 2 years.

Good luck Maybe you can get a little part time job in the evenings for now? Just to bring in some extra money? This time of year there are always seasonal jobs in retail available since Christmas is coming.

[beachgrl]

I have done fb posts and have a fb dedicated daycare page but everyone I know either is out of work, lives too far, sahm, has older kids or lives on the side of town with three large centers in it already.

I am looking into possible school/teaching openings but I really want to be able to keep doing this. I just can't do without steady income and my husband's job is awful he hates it and only keeps doing it because the job market ****s and he is in school so only job that will let him stay in school and still work but we cannot make it off his income alone.

Maybe something will happen in the next week but it seems like it went from pretty steady inquiries to nada...ugh

[christinaskids]

Keep in mind it can take almost a year to get your daycare going. I waited until i had a lot of money saved up before i started my dc and worked part time to cover me until it got going. Advertise heavily and keep your hours flexible. You kind of have to "earn" your spot as a provider to have firm rules and hours. Once youre up and going and have a good reputation, then you can tighten your belt a bit.

[Sprouts]

I am in the same EXACT predicament and I know exactly how you feel
The yard sign gets the most calls for me as well, and actually someone from the local supermarket advertising something just called me, they have these welcome centers where as soon as you walk in theres a large sign stand that holds all of the flyers and cart wipes and a Large poster for advertisements...so I am getting my ad in there and EVERYONE will see it, they gave me 1/2 off because I am small business, this should be up by December and praying it will bring some more kids in too....see if your supermarket has something like that and special place to advertise where other haters wont pull down your flyers! I know its another investment but think about the long run....also kris murray who does this enrollment boot camp thing online always gives away free info if you sign up for her newsletter, http://www.childcare-marketing.com/kris-murray.html good luck I hope it all works, I dont want to go back to teaching either right now!!

[MommyMuffin]

I kno its hard and difficult to keep the faith. I was in that position a year ago. I took out my retirement fund to get me through the rough times. I mostly have gotten referals from my current families. What about where u worked as a teacher...any board you could post for the faculty? Send out buisness cards to trick or treaters, advertise for a week free. I kno it is hard and it takes time. Cut coupons, cancel your cable, save money and get a part time job after hours or weekends. Good luck

[beachgrl]

I am doing what I can think of, my location isn't helping me as far as people in the school system but I haven't really checked on doing advertising in the school as I am on educational leave right now while doing my masters but most people have heard word of mouth that I'm doing it.. Just need people on my side of town. Got a call from a lady today who lives in the bigger city near us and was thinking of doing the drive to me but her hubby didn't really go for it, yet they are not happy w the bigger center their child is in so who knows but doesnt look like I will be getting that one, dang.

I paid for a month of advertising on dAycareout state.com so will see if I get any calls from that or not..I think our local Harris teeter does ads on the carts bc I've seen a drop in center on them but I assumed the ad for that is too much but haven't checked into it yet. A friend of mine works there and they don't have an info board or anything..walmart doenst anymore either, ugh.

My sign should be here tomorrow! Yay, at least I can get it put out by the road for all the traffic going by and hopefully get a few calls and follow throughs from it!

[beachgrl]

Thanks for the suggestions, I am so excited for my sign to get here and get it put up...I am praying consistently for things to work out and to keep faith in what I felt was what I was being lead to do..

[MommyMuffin]

If you have a county child care association become a member. Seek out other daycare providers in the area. Call them up, see if they are full and then give them your information to give to parents that they cant take.

I went to the park yesterday and ran into a dc provider from a few streets down, she asked for my information to give parents that were calling her.

[Blackcat31]

On the days you have no children have you thought about volunteering at local events and early childhood classrooms?

You could volunteer at the library during a story hour (if your library doesn't have one....maybe YOU could do one?) or volunteering in ECE/public school classrooms to help you network and get to know parents in the community.

One of the things I did when I first opened was partner with Community Action or CCR&R for their workshops and offered to set up free daycare for families attending the workshops. These workshops were usually in the evenings and for 1-2 hours. It allowed me to meet families that possibly needed childcare. I think I got my first 5 or 6 families this way.

Who knows, one thing might lead to another.

[beachgrl]

I will check into the daycare association but idknif I will have the extra fund right now to join depending on costs but I have networked with several if the providers in my actual area and a couplenare full but one who has been doing it for over 20 years isn't..we have all said we would help each other out and I have gotten one referral for a nb from one of the full ladies but idk how that one will go..she is on daycare assistance and wants someone who can watch the baby very soon after she has her but it will take time to process all the paperwork and all for the voucher since she hasn't had the baby yet and I've never taken them before so we will see but that is a few weeks if not a couple months out yet.