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I am beginning to plan opening a center in about two years. My youngest goes to school in two years and I just think that it would be good to wait until he goes to school. I started this home daycare specifically so that I could be at home with him (I was a center director before opening my home daycare). I love being here with him and had planned on doing my home daycare even after he went to school (my older two are already in school), but I've always wanted to have a center. I've looked into the financial aspects of it and know that I probably won't make much more than I do now, may not even make quite as much for the first couple of years until I reach full capacity with it.
There's several reasons I would like to move to a center from my home daycare...a couple of those reasons are:
1. As a center director, while the hours were still long and I have to be there most of the time, it's a little easier to run errands or make dr appt's and such (especially if you have someone reliable you can leave in charge). Also, My boys are still young (twins 8 & my almost 3 year old), but as they get into junior high in a few years and eventually high school most of their sports games around this area are played as early as 3:00 in the afternoon so with someone in charge I could leave work early on those days and go to my kiddos games. I know that we can hire a sub now but I also feel like with this being home based care our parents expect to see us there a big portion of the time and I think they would get annoyed when I would start taking off more for sporting events and other activities. In a center, yes they still want to see the director, and they would see me a lot, but I think they are a little more understanding if they see someone in charge. They know we can't work 12 hours a day (even though we do at home...they see us being "at home" and not "working".
2. I feel that our town could use a good daycare center. We have 1or 2 that are decent, but it's really hard to find a really good one in our area.
Anyway, the reason I'm posting is because I want to be ready for this. Like I said, I've been a center director and I was a pretty good one. Ran a great program, just left to be with my son and make more money. The worst thing I can remember about being in a center was staff. I'm pretty sure that's going to be my biggest problem area. I think staff are worse to deal with than some of our most difficult parents.
I would like any advice from those who've done this or considered doing this. What can I do to prepare myself to go back into the center based childcare. My side project for the next couple of years will be getting a great business plan together. I plan to stay on craigslist finding used but good quality furniture/toys to furnish my center when it happens. I plan to work on an employee handbook, a new parent handbook. Anyone that wants to share what info they have I would definately appreciate. Any experiences of going from home to center and what the pros and cons were for them..I'm open to hearing any advice or experiences.
Also, I have a friend who is another home based provider who desperately wants to open a center and would like us to be partners, but I've read so much on here about partners. Her and I aren't extremely close but we do talk occasionally and I'm pretty sure already that I dont want to deal witha partner.
Thanks in advance
There's several reasons I would like to move to a center from my home daycare...a couple of those reasons are:
1. As a center director, while the hours were still long and I have to be there most of the time, it's a little easier to run errands or make dr appt's and such (especially if you have someone reliable you can leave in charge). Also, My boys are still young (twins 8 & my almost 3 year old), but as they get into junior high in a few years and eventually high school most of their sports games around this area are played as early as 3:00 in the afternoon so with someone in charge I could leave work early on those days and go to my kiddos games. I know that we can hire a sub now but I also feel like with this being home based care our parents expect to see us there a big portion of the time and I think they would get annoyed when I would start taking off more for sporting events and other activities. In a center, yes they still want to see the director, and they would see me a lot, but I think they are a little more understanding if they see someone in charge. They know we can't work 12 hours a day (even though we do at home...they see us being "at home" and not "working".
2. I feel that our town could use a good daycare center. We have 1or 2 that are decent, but it's really hard to find a really good one in our area.
Anyway, the reason I'm posting is because I want to be ready for this. Like I said, I've been a center director and I was a pretty good one. Ran a great program, just left to be with my son and make more money. The worst thing I can remember about being in a center was staff. I'm pretty sure that's going to be my biggest problem area. I think staff are worse to deal with than some of our most difficult parents.
I would like any advice from those who've done this or considered doing this. What can I do to prepare myself to go back into the center based childcare. My side project for the next couple of years will be getting a great business plan together. I plan to stay on craigslist finding used but good quality furniture/toys to furnish my center when it happens. I plan to work on an employee handbook, a new parent handbook. Anyone that wants to share what info they have I would definately appreciate. Any experiences of going from home to center and what the pros and cons were for them..I'm open to hearing any advice or experiences.
Also, I have a friend who is another home based provider who desperately wants to open a center and would like us to be partners, but I've read so much on here about partners. Her and I aren't extremely close but we do talk occasionally and I'm pretty sure already that I dont want to deal witha partner.
Thanks in advance
) because it helps me decide if this will be something I for sure do. Right now I'm pretty set on it, but that doesn't mean I won't change my mind if after weighing ALL of the pros and cons.
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