Looking at my losses from 2014, Idea? Help

[daycare]

So I am looking at where I lost most of my money last year and it was over summer. I am in CA where it is typically about 70 each day for about 9 months out of the year. the other 3 months are very hot, in the high 90's to 110.

We have to pump the AC from sun up to down for that 3 month, sometimes longer if the summer is long.

So this makes for an extremely high electric bill and water bill to as we tend to have lots of water play. Due to our drought, water prices have soared and we can't even have water play if the laws stay as they are now.

We also do a summer camp type theme that usually ends up costing me more money than normal, more supplies to purchase or supplies being used.

I obviously need to raise rates. BUT, I was thinking what if I did just a higher summer rate?

Would you go for just the higher summer rate and charge a higher summer fee or should I just take the additional cost and do an over all price increase.

All of my kids are here the majority of the year, including summer. I don't offer a summer off program.

[Thriftylady]

I don't know because I don't live in that part of the country and I have been there and seen the prices there. You pay a premium for that awesome weather! I would think though that most families would easier handle a small increase over the year rather than a large one for just the summer. I could be wrong though.

[daycare]

I don't know because I don't live in that part of the country and I have been there and seen the prices there. You pay a premium for that awesome weather! I would think though that most families would easier handle a small increase over the year rather than a large one for just the summer. I could be wrong though.

I was thinking the same thing, as it would be as much as a $60.00 a month increase for summer, so it would give the parents the option to go look for cheaper care during the summer and leave me with holes in my summer program..... I don't know...

[Thriftylady]

Well if you are thinking a total of $120 over three months, that is only $10 a month over 12 months. I think that would be easier to swallow in fact I would maybe just do $5 a week increase that should cover it right?

[daycare]

good point....I just had a price increase a few months back so I guess i was trying to soften the blow....

thanks for responding. Sometimes I just need to bounce my crazy ideas off of someone else in this biz

[melilley]

I know here, most centers charge an extra fee in the summer for their summer camp. They do more, buy more, and go on more field trips. When I worked in a center, parents didn't mind paying more for the summer camp fees, my dd actually went to their summer camp and I was happy to pay the extra fee for her to do extra.

I don't do a summer camp or anything like that in my home dc so I don't know if that would work here. But, I know you have an awesome program and do awesome things by reading things on here. Parents shouldn't have a problem paying extra for extra. Plus, if they just got a tuition increase, they may get angry at another one.?

Could you maybe send out a note and see who would be interested in a summer camp? Maybe explain that there would be an increase in the summer tuition to cover the costs and see who is interested. If not, maybe just not do the extra/summer camp, unless you want to anyways.

Just a few thoughts