Your Thoughts About 3 Former Director's Remarks

[Mike Lassiter]

I stopped before finishing my wish list however cameras in ever room was one of them. Land we are looking at is about 8 acres I think and yes there are trees and PLENTY of room for gardens and such.
"How realistic would it be?"
I think the question is how much can be done to start and plan to have it all at some time in the future. Not 10 years down the road but much sooner, maybe 3-5 years. Everybody crawls before they walk. As to rates I have heard $120 week in town at center. Ads in local paper from unlicensed home provider for $65 week in the same general area.
We aren't exactly looking at this as something to be tied to 10+ hours a day ourselfs. I have many thoughts but much is unproven or speculation on my part.

[kidkair]

One step in your plan should be to find another owner for this place. Maybe write up a bit of an explanation of your dream and send it to all the home care providers in the area. One of them may be willing to help you follow your dream. It'll give you an extra person to solidify your dream with. Also contact a building company and draw up some building plans. You'll need lots of space for 100+ kids. You'll also need workers and you may get a feel for that by sending out info to all the providers. Definitely look into what kind of set up and curriculum you want to run. Someone mentioned Reggio but you should also look into Montessori and Waldorf which are on the same line but have differences. You'll not only need the building, garden, and play yard set up but all the rooms set up too. You need to decide how many kids will be in each room and what ages will be dedicated to how many rooms. It would be nice to have a year's worth of material and curriculum outlined before opening so that those you hire have a plan day by day rather than just jumping in and having to try and figure out what to do with 10 kids they've never met before. I would also suggest that when getting new kids that could go in say 3 different classrooms talk to the providers in those rooms to help decided the best fit. There are lots and lots you need to think through and have written out in a plan. Good luck. What you have so far sounds a lot like my original plan before I decided it would be too much work and opened my little daycare instead.

[mrsking14]

I've worked for many childcare centers in my area over the last 6 years. Although I've never been a director, I have filled in for them and helped in the office many times. I worked for one center who really had it together where as my latest center I was at for 4 years was terrible. They really did work people to death and were so incredibly unorganized. I agree with what's said above about having 2 directors (you really do need 2 for a large center) and having them split hours. The center Im referring to would have their directors share schedules every other day. One would come in at 6 and one would come in at 9. The 9am would close the center. They took turns with this and still got their hours without being overworked! I thought it was great. Being a director is TONS of work. Yes you have to be good at scheduling, and crunching numbers for ratios, and figuring out what to do when a staff member doesn't come to work, ect. But that's a given in childcare. Period. I plan to some day open my own large center (many years from now), so I can imagine its a scary thing to walk into with tons of uncertainty. Find someone with lots of experience in large centers. Then maybe hire an assistant director who doesn't but qualifies, and let her be trained under the the other director so they can be on the same page and work well together. That makes a ton of difference. Good luck!!!!

[tulip1969]

I am a former director of a daycare center and I will tell you EVERYTHING these ladies say is true. The overhead is crazy and the owner of my center made NOTHING for herself until 4 years after opening. Her husband had a good job himself so she was able to make ends meet. We had workers constantly calling in sick and our ratios were off because of it. If you get inspected during one of those days it is a HUGE violation. It turned out to be a low paying stressful job and I will never do it again and never own a center. I now run a home daycare with 5 kids, make my own hours, and make $1000.00 per week. I write off everything I buy, part of my mortgage, electric, water, and heat and have never been happier. If you plan on opening a center know what you are getting into.

[Mike Lassiter]

the vision is fading

The vision is fading. We were talking yesterday and for every thought or idea I offered there is an argument and why it won't work or what new problem(s) that will create.
Finally, I told Frances it's easy to find something to criticize about someone elses ideas when you don't offer any ideas yourself. No solutions, just more problems or reasons it will not work. I finally told her she could think about what she wanted to do and come up with ideas of her own. I was done getting everything I said picked apart.
It's one thing to not agree, it's another to offer NO ideas and fault everyone someone else presents.
I expect we are done with this. We'll see.

[Pammie]

Just a thought -

If you're considering that a large number of the families that you hope to serve work at the factory on rotating shifts, have you thought about approaching the factory to open a daycare facility there? You would still be an independent business owner, and you could take clients that didn't work there. The factory would be able to offer an amazing benefit to their employees of on-site daycare, and it might be easier logistically than building a free-standing facility?

Again, just a thought.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

[Sugar Magnolia]

I like Pammie's idea...if the factory has otherwise unused space...its a win/win situation for them, great benefit and they would have added income for charging you rent.

Or go small. Like we did

[Cat Herder]

The vision is fading. We were talking yesterday and for every thought or idea I offered there is an argument and why it won't work or what new problem(s) that will create.
Finally, I told Frances it's easy to find something to criticize about someone elses ideas when you don't offer any ideas yourself. No solutions, just more problems or reasons it will not work. I finally told her she could think about what she wanted to do and come up with ideas of her own. I was done getting everything I said picked apart.
It's one thing to not agree, it's another to offer NO ideas and fault everyone someone else presents.
I expect we are done with this. We'll see.

Oh, Mike, I am sorry to hear that. I know it can be overwhelming and cause you to snap at one another out of frustration.

Have you guys tried putting down the things that are "Most Important" to each of you on paper, independant of one another. Then each make another list of things you would "Like" to have?

Maybe with each others lists in hand and a little give and take you guys can find something that works???

That is how my DH and I started looking to buy a house. :::: If he had his way the groceries would have to be airlifted in . My vision included a neighborhood park, sidewalks and tennis courts . We did a lot of compromising and came out with the perfect setup for our family.

I bet you guys can do it, too, for your business..

[Unregistered]

not fade away!

Look for investors, a great set of directors, and do a national job search to see who is willing to relocate. Offer a housing benefit for the right leader. Look at the business plan for kids r kids.

Also - decide this - do you want to be a part of the happy childhood of the young members of your community in your retirement or go play golf?

I am thinking plus land, you are looking at a very large investment. There may well be a good national market for such a facility in fact, should you ever decide to move on.