Networking With Other Providers?

[misspollywog]

Do you network with local DCP's in your area? If so, how did you approach them? I live in a rather small town and would love to meet other providers here but I'm not sure if they will be receptive to making friends with the competition.

Also, if you do network, do you find it beneficial, and if so, why?

[MarinaVanessa]

I meet many of the DC providers in my area through trainings in my local R&R. I always bring business cards with me and I just start talking away. You can get a feeling of whether or not the provider is open to networking pretty quickly just be reading their faces. I notice that approaching the newbies and younger providers is more successful than talking to the veteran providers.

I also met many providers though our local childcare association. You may want to try to find out if there is one in your area and become a member (membership is tax deductible) and network that way.

An idea that I was thinking about putting together was to go on CL and advertise to daycare providers for a park day so that the kids can get a chance to meet and play together. I would also mail some flyers to them etc. It's also a good way for me to meet some of the childcare providers that I havn't met that are in my immediate area.

If it was successful then I was thinking about doing it again and advertising also on the baby and kids area and doing mailers but meant for parents as well. This is something we would put together maybe through our DC association and would be a great way for childcare providers to network and for parents to meet DC providers in their area, for providers to meet potential clients and for the kids to all have fun. Maybe you can try to orchestrate something like this? I would start small and reach out to providers as playdates and go from there.

[misspollywog]

I meet many of the DC providers in my area through trainings in my local R&R. I always bring business cards with me and I just start talking away. You can get a feeling of whether or not the provider is open to networking pretty quickly just be reading their faces. I notice that approaching the newbies and younger providers is more successful than talking to the veteran providers.

I also met many providers though our local childcare association. You may want to try to find out if there is one in your area and become a member (membership is tax deductible) and network that way.

An idea that I was thinking about putting together was to go on CL and advertise to daycare providers for a park day so that the kids can get a chance to meet and play together. I would also mail some flyers to them etc. It's also a good way for me to meet some of the childcare providers that I havn't met that are in my immediate area.

If it was successful then I was thinking about doing it again and advertising also on the baby and kids area and doing mailers but meant for parents as well. This is something we would put together maybe through our DC association and would be a great way for childcare providers to network and for parents to meet DC providers in their area, for providers to meet potential clients and for the kids to all have fun. Maybe you can try to orchestrate something like this? I would start small and reach out to providers as playdates and go from there.

Those are awesome suggestions!! Thanks!

Maybe I should start a forum for SE Idaho DCP's just so we can virtually network, too. With these looooooong winters we have it would be easier to "get together" during the cold months.

[small_steps]

someone in my small town just started a home daycare association. We've had two meetings so far. About 8 out of probably 25 providers came to the first one and about 6-7 came to the second one. Most do not want to pay the membership fee (only $40 and it does include 2 hours training per month that can be used towards our continuing education ceu's.)
I personally love it. I enjoy sharing ideas, having others to vent to that actually understand where I'm coming from.
I agree with the previous poster who said that the newer and younger providers would be more open to it. That's how it seems to be in my town so far.

[Sprouts]

If it was successful then I was thinking about doing it again and advertising also on the baby and kids area and doing mailers but meant for parents as well. This is something we would put together maybe through our DC association and would be a great way for childcare providers to network and for parents to meet DC providers in their area, for providers to meet potential clients and for the kids to all have fun. Maybe you can try to orchestrate something like this? I would start small and reach out to providers as playdates and go from there.

Wouldn't this be kind of awkward? Kind of competetive in a way?

I always see my close daycare provider driving by my house with her HUGE magnet on the side of her car. She never looks at me or waves. SInce i put my colored lawn sign out she bought a new colored one for her lawn:: That made me feel kind of good becuase that meant I did pretty good job advertising, but also nervouse because people do silly things when threatened.

So anyway, how to network with other providers? Like if you are full for babies you would refer them to this other person you met? DO you get something in return for the reference? I am clueless

[Oneluckymom]

[QUOTE=Sprouts;158653]Wouldn't this be kind of awkward? Kind of competetive in a way?

I always see my close daycare provider driving by my house with her HUGE magnet on the side of her car. She never looks at me or waves. SInce i put my colored lawn sign out she bought a new colored one for her lawn::"

People can be so silly don't ya think. I really don't know why some people feel it's a competition. I mean I know we all want to be very successful but we can also refer one another when we're full right? I feel some women I know have deceived me.
At my sons school there are a few women that I thought were being friendly and asked a lot of questions about my new daycare. One even wanted my fliers and cards saying she new some people interested. Nothing ever came of it. Turns out there is another provider in my area and I have a feeling they were helping her know who I was and what I'm offering.

I just don't like being deceived. Nobody does.

[misspollywog]

Wouldn't this be kind of awkward? Kind of competetive in a way?

I always see my close daycare provider driving by my house with her HUGE magnet on the side of her car. She never looks at me or waves. SInce i put my colored lawn sign out she bought a new colored one for her lawn:: That made me feel kind of good becuase that meant I did pretty good job advertising, but also nervouse because people do silly things when threatened.

So anyway, how to network with other providers? Like if you are full for babies you would refer them to this other person you met? DO you get something in return for the reference? I am clueless

I think it's important because even though we are competitive, it is nice to know that if I need to refer someone to another dc, I am not just stabbing blindly in the dark but have an actual idea of which providers in the area might be a better fit for families that don't mesh with my program.

It would also help to have a way to privately exchange information about deadbeat dcf's who bounce from dc to dc, burning their bridges as they go. This happens a lot and we as providers need to put our competitive natures aside and look out for one another IMO.

Also, not all competition is bad anyway. Friendly competition can be good because it can drive up quality of service and there is nothing wrong with that given the industry we're in! I'd love for ALL the local dc's to be as great as mine (but of course they can't dream of it hehe) and if someone copies what I'm doing I'll definitely take it as a compliment.

I might even want to copy them but how will I know WHAT awesomeriffic thing they do that I don't do yet unless we network??

[boysx5]

my neighbor does daycare and we love to get together we chat each day get our kids together and we always have a friend to talk with which is nice in this job we also have a daycare assoc. in our county

[renodeb]

I always end up gabbing at the daycare workshops I go to but know one from my end of town (except for maybe 3 providers even want to talk with me) I think its beneficial b/c you never know when networking may lead to an enrollment. I made a very good provider friend through networking and we recommnd each other to prospectives and we bounce ideas off of each other all the time. We also give each other moral support. We have even gotten our dc's together a few times. I tried to start a group up but no one wanted to do it so I gave up. Its hard to rally the troops!
I think most of the providers around here do there trianings on line to avoid going out. Not me though, I crave any kind of adult interactions.
Debbie

[misspollywog]

Funny, I just found out a lady behind me is doing dc! She just moved in a few weeks ago and apparently the house is a rental (grrr property values grumble grumble).

Right now I can see her from my 2nd floor balcony and argh... she has a few more kiddos than I do!! WTH?!! ::

No fenced play yard and certainly no petting zoo, though.

But, there are all those kids and my place has crickets chirping. Ugh. She can't POSSIBLY be as good as moi, can she???

I bet she is the one advertising for a dollar an hour on CL!! ::

Now I'm dying to meet her to see what she has that I don't! I think I'll take the dog for a walk...

[Blackcat31]

This thread makes me appreciate where I live because here, we all network together. For example if I get a phone call for hours, ages or area requirements that I cannot accommodate, I know right away who has those openings and will refer the caller to that person.

It's kind of like a barking chain. Provider friend will call me up and say "Do you have a space available for an 18 month old?" and I'll say "No, but I know that Donna over in the SW part of town does." Then provider friend will give Donna's phone number to the party who called her.

This happens alot where I live and it is really cool that we can work this way. There are a few providers of course who feel as though everyone in the same business is competition but I don't limit the referrals I give. I tell the caller of every provider I know that has openings available that match their needs and let the parents sort through which providers personal rates and policies work for them.

I also NEVER recommend another provider unless I actually know first hand how they run their program. I usually only say "I know Miss ***XX has an opening so you could call her, here is her number". The rest is up to the parent.

[Sprouts]

Funny, I just found out a lady behind me is doing dc! She just moved in a few weeks ago and apparently the house is a rental (grrr property values grumble grumble).

Right now I can see her from my 2nd floor balcony and argh... she has a few more kiddos than I do!! WTH?!! ::

No fenced play yard and certainly no petting zoo, though.

But, there are all those kids and my place has crickets chirping. Ugh. She can't POSSIBLY be as good as moi, can she???

I bet she is the one advertising for a dollar an hour on CL!! ::

Now I'm dying to meet her to see what she has that I don't! I think I'll take the dog for a walk...

i want to see petting zoo?!

Thats so funny. Is she legal?

[misspollywog]

i want to see petting zoo?!

Thats so funny. Is she legal?

Idaho ranks 50th in the nation for dc laws so if you have a pulse you are pretty much legal.

I just threw up a couple of pics on my website (which I bet SHE doesn't even have a website hrmph!). Scroll down to see my goldfish pond and a couple of our petting zoo friends. http://www.pumpkinpatchacres.com/album/

I was just watching from the back deck as parents were loading kids into their cars at her place. I'm tempted to wave them down and hand them a flyer since they have to go right past me to get out of the subdivision *evil laugh*.

[Michael]

We've had similar requests and threads: https://www.daycare.com/forum/tags.php?tag=meet+up

I've offered to sponsor(buy coffee ) a SoCal meet-up if enough join. Maybe someone should start a local meetup in our Social Group section.

[Sprouts]

Idaho ranks 50th in the nation for dc laws so if you have a pulse you are pretty much legal.

I just threw up a couple of pics on my website (which I bet SHE doesn't even have a website hrmph!). Scroll down to see my goldfish pond and a couple of our petting zoo friends. http://www.pumpkinpatchacres.com/album/

I was just watching from the back deck as parents were loading kids into their cars at her place. I'm tempted to wave them down and hand them a flyer since they have to go right past me to get out of the subdivision *evil laugh*.

awwwww, don't forget Social group!

Maybe just buy a lawn sign from vista print and have it in your lawn
The last thing you want is a petty back and forth issues between you and her