Up Front or Sneaky...

[KDC]

I would like to price out daycares around me to see how I fit in, I recently received a call from a person looking for a new DC provider when she was asking for $15 less/per day! (She wanted to stick with what she was currently paying, but asking for more hours as well as food not currently included - I provide food) I've never had a problem filling spots at current rate, until now.

SO... Do I call up daycare's in my area just asking for their rate? Do I tell them I also run a daycare in the area or pretend to be interested in care to get info? I feel bad if someone is looking to fill a spot, giving false hope. How do you determine how to set your rate?

[Soupyszoo]

Just be upfront. We have group in my area and we all talk via email. It's nice. No reason to give that false hope. If they say no, just say thank you and move on. I think you'll find most people are really nice. Unless you are in an area where it's really competitive or something and no one wants to help anyone else. I would think the more we stick together the better off everyone will be!

[SilverSabre25]

Be upfront--who knows? You might just make some new provider friends in the meantime!

[frugalmama4]

Hey there...

Yea I say be truthful too...the worst that can happen is they say NO! Then you can just have a friend call back as a parent "Yep a I typed it" it is what it is.

No different then Wal-mart and Target sending in a secret shoppers Business is Business IMO!

Have a Good Night!

[MyAngels]

You can't call up other providers and ask for their rates. See Tom Copeland's blog here:

http://www.tomcopelandblog.com/when-is-it-safe-to-talk-about-child-care-rates.html

I just call my local CCRRN and they have the averages for my area.

[Hunni Bee]

We've done it a couple times. We didn't claim to be anybody, we just asked what they're rates were for infants, toddlers, etc. Some of them said they didn't give out that information over the phone, but most just gave it. We give our rates to people who call. We dont consider anyone a potential family until they interview, so it doesn't get anyone's hopes up.

Most of us in this area survive off of subsidy clients anyway, so rates dont really matter!

[mac60]

I call the local centers approx 2 times per year asking rates. I don't tell them who I am, I am only checking on rates. I have never called a home provider and done this. I have only talked with a couple others from our area and we do share rates. Unless you ask, how do you really know what the going rates are in the area. Calling the county, like we would do here, is not going to give you a true reflection of home daycare rates, as these rates are what the state pays, and around here we don't get paid that much for home daycares. Every business bases, to some point, on what others in similar businesses charge. It is ridiculous to suggest that someone opening a business, in this case a daycare, can not find out what the going rates are in their local area. We all offer different things and different types of programs, which would affect the cost.

[DaisyMamma]

Sneaky. I usually have someone do it for me.

[MyAngels]

I call the local centers approx 2 times per year asking rates. I don't tell them who I am, I am only checking on rates. I have never called a home provider and done this. I have only talked with a couple others from our area and we do share rates. Unless you ask, how do you really know what the going rates are in the area. Calling the county, like we would do here, is not going to give you a true reflection of home daycare rates, as these rates are what the state pays, and around here we don't get paid that much for home daycares. Every business bases, to some point, on what others in similar businesses charge. It is ridiculous to suggest that someone opening a business, in this case a daycare, can not find out what the going rates are in their local area. We all offer different things and different types of programs, which would affect the cost.

I agree that it's counterintuitive to run a business without being able to check your competititor's rates directly - but it's still against the law to call up another provider and discuss rates. Maybe it's perfectly acceptable to do it if you don't identify yourself as a provider? I don't know.

Our CCRRN does a great job of breaking down the rates in our county by center vs. home daycare as well as by town, so they're a pretty good barometer of what others are charging.

[mac60]

A good business plan will have a space for research and costing of your service. Not sure how you could actually do this if you didn't contact others in your profession to get a feel for the rates for the service, whether it is window washing, maid service, etc.