Daycare Startup Not Going Well, Need Help And Advice

[Darling]

Ok, that explains a lot. I think as you get more kids you'll see you should have picked a home with a different layout.

Well, we bought the house with location, size, work situation, schools, cost, and our family in mind. We are not aiming to be a center with a dozen kids. This is our home where we would like to care for 3 kids plus our little guy. Daycare setup was never a consideration when we bought it years ago. Thank you for the input, but we can't exactly change the shape or size of our home.

[daycare]

Well, we bought the house with location, size, work situation, schools, cost, and our family in mind. We are not aiming to be a center with a dozen kids. This is our home where we would like to care for 3 kids plus our little guy. Daycare setup was never a consideration when we bought it years ago. Thank you for the input, but we can't exactly change the shape or size of our home.

Don't take that personal. I think it looks great.

I have a small house and make it work too.

I hope I didn't hurt your feelings I just wanted to point out things that I saw that I might not be thrilled with if I was a parent or safety issues.

You'll do great, it takes while to get kids.

[Blackcat31]

Is there an over abundance of providers in your area?

Do you have other providers you can network with?

[Controlled Chaos]

I think you space looks bright and cheerful I would ask the neighbor of you can paint the wall that faces your yard. I would also take that pic off. It looks like you have a cute play structure, get a pic of just that with a few happy children on it!

[Darling]

Don't take that personal. I think it looks great.

I have a small house and make it work too.

I hope I didn't hurt your feelings I just wanted to point out things that I saw that I might not be thrilled with if I was a parent or safety issues.

You'll do great, it takes while to get kids.

No feelings hurt. Just saying we can't really change our home. We started the daycare because I was having a hard time taking my kid to care and then going to work. This seemed to be a good compromise. I love kids, I love caring for kids. I just am having a hard time convincing others to give me a chance.

There seem to be quite a few providers in our area. We are 2 blocks from an elementary school so I think that's part of it. I wish I could get my name in front of those school kids parents some how but the best I can do is hang signs on poles that get removed.

As for networking, I'm in a local group on Facebook but I can't really find a productive way to spread my name beyond that. I'd love to get into a network where we can refer to each other but I can't find one. I would prefer kids 3 and under, and other providers prefer older or after school, etc.

[Unregistered]

Well, we bought the house with location, size, work situation, schools, cost, and our family in mind. We are not aiming to be a center with a dozen kids. This is our home where we would like to care for 3 kids plus our little guy. Daycare setup was never a consideration when we bought it years ago. Thank you for the input, but we can't exactly change the shape or size of our home.

I was just wondering if you thought of being a provider before getting your home. Most of us have a way to separate our daycare from our living area. You don't seem to have that and it could cause burn out.

[LysesKids]

We have all of that yard stuff, it was just put away in the toy box when we took pictures. Lots of balls, hoops, cars, sand box, water table, etc. It will get drug out before we take pics again.

The daycare is setup to use our large family room, dining room, and a dedicated daycare only nursery/quiet room. We would prefer to care for young kids, under 4 so that's the way we set it up. The home is only 1400 square feet and the kids are allowed into about 1000 of it of you include the kitchen, 750 without kitchen. To maintain livability we kinda have to keep furniture in the family room.

If you prefer the under 4's, then get specific with it & cater to that age group; make sure you say so on the website otherwise you might end up with a lot of school age kids for summertime (this is the time parents start looking for summer care).

Is the buy 3 get one free promotion a continuing thing or only for the first month - SPECIFY otherwise parents will be expecting to get that 4th week after every 3 All the time. Also, if you are starting out at the low end of rates, IMO, I wouldn't offer a special discount at all... I found the promos just don't work and I have loads of competition here that are all lower than me. I refused to go low end because of what I offer, and it nets me better clients from the get go.

BTW, I'm using a Macbook Pro to pull up your site on Safari... it's the bright green links section are that I mentioned kept going from top to bottom & vice versa. It only happens when you click a link to change pages.

[Jazzii]

I agree that the layout of the website might not keep people on it. I had a little bit of a hard time finding the menu as it is very tiny on the bottom. I think you want something that will be a little more out there. You can PM so I can share my website, maybe you will get some ideas??


Also remember 5 months is not a long time, don't get discouraged. Do you have a FB page? You may want to start with that. Something that has helped us IMMENSELY (and i mean 5-10 referrals a day!) is advertising and putting up a profile on care.

[homeishere]

When I first started out I'd invite my son's friends over for play dates and with their parents permission take pics of them playing in the daycare space. Both indoor and outdoor. As well as my nieces/nephews. That way perspective parents had a better visual of what their child's day would be like.

[Thriftylady]

For pictures, you can find some stock pictures online. They don't have to be pictures you took. Someone on here shared some with me of no faces, just kids playing hands and feet, in an activity. I think bad pics are worse than no pics!

Totally agree with the chalkboard wall. I would add more outside toys and I hope you inside toys that are not showing. I get money is tight when you start. I have gotten most of my toys and such thorough thrift stores, yard sales, Facebook yard sale sites, etc. A couple of months ago I got a Little Tikes picnic table for $2.50. You have to scour those places regularly.


Space I get that, I have a small home and I frankly don't have any pictures of my house on my site. They just look cramped, because they somewhat are, so I have to sell other things when parents visit.

After that, it took me a year to get my first two full time kids! Now I have them semi full time but they are school age, another sibling set one in school one full time until kindy this fall. I am still looking for a couple of full time kiddos! Hang in there sometimes it takes awhile.

[jenboo]

When you take new pictures, try to take them from the children's viewpoint, instead of looking down at everything.
I think it creates better pictures.

[Josiegirl]

Well, we bought the house with location, size, work situation, schools, cost, and our family in mind. We are not aiming to be a center with a dozen kids. This is our home where we would like to care for 3 kids plus our little guy. Daycare setup was never a consideration when we bought it years ago. Thank you for the input, but we can't exactly change the shape or size of our home.

I had 3 children growing up and doing dc in a house smaller than yours. It worked. Can you place your couch against a wall somewhere and open up the interior of your room more? I would also play up the fact you're staying a small child care so you are able to devote more one on one time while children are younger when they need it, to cuddle, to read stories together, keeping a calmer more peaceful environment, etc., etc. When children are 6 weeks-3 yo dcps still want that special attention for their child and it seems by the time a child is 3 yo now, parents are ready for the center or preschool.
Do you know anybody who could get you some tree stumps, logs, or flat stones to create some sort of fun-looking space in your backyard? I can't remember seeing a sand box or water table outside but those are definitely big hits. You have a wonderfully big yard!! I envy you, you have grass.
This summer hit the yard sales and think outside the box.
Also, your nap room, while I understand you need it peaceful and quiet, and you do have some things on the wall, it still doesn't catch the eye. Maybe make things that can hang on the ceiling or even put pictures up there of babies sleeping that they can look at. Do you have an unbreakable mirror you can hang on the wall?
Go to pinterest and search. Amazing ideas everywhere you look.
I started dc when my ds was 18 mo. Mostly what I had was his toy box and toys in the living room. But that was over 33 years ago, times and competition has changed.
Good luck and keep it up! I love the website and agree with some of the changes suggested.
Do you have a handbook or policies you could add to the site?

[Unregistered]

I would put the back yard as first page because is so great for the children to run around, to fill up the backyard with a small budget I would get a lot of colorful balls (we get great ones at the dollars store that do not seem cheap, we have so many which brights up the yard) plus you can put a lot of trucks and few bicycles or small kids wagons for them to take their dolls on a "walk" in the backyard.

I agree with the suggestions the others posted. The lamp also bothered me (by the kids beds) and the cords.

About the beds, making them seems cozy would be helpful I think with cute blankets or bed sheets covering them.

[Darling]

Thank you all for the help. We are going to revamp the website. Look for a new eval post in a week or so.

If we can round up a pressure washer the husband says he can paint the wall with exterior flat latex and it will work as a chalkboard and last longer.

We will emphasize all the toys and stuff we have when we take pics. We really do have a lot, but my husband puts it all away when he's working on the yard.

[Thriftylady]

Thank you all for the help. We are going to revamp the website. Look for a new eval post in a week or so.

If we can round up a pressure washer the husband says he can paint the wall with exterior flat latex and it will work as a chalkboard and last longer.

We will emphasize all the toys and stuff we have when we take pics. We really do have a lot, but my husband puts it all away when he's working on the yard.

I struggle with that part also, as the yard work has to be done! But it will help for pics on the website! Then you can put it pretty much away again.