SOO ANGRY and Upset

[dEHmom]

Ok, for those of you who might remember I have a dcb and his best friend was enrolled in march waiting to start in june. Then because of other reasons (medical) they decided a week before starting that they weren't going to be coming and mom wasn't going back to work.

I got notice this morning for my current ANGRY dcb (whew) that they are leaving in a month, and so I was sad, and dcd explains that the other mom decided to open a home daycare....fair enough, I totally understand going with your best friend and at least the boys get to be together.

I regularly check out competition ads on kijiji and stuff, and so I was curious about the other daycare in town now. So I checked out the ad, she created a daycare website on the same site I used, weebly. With a little help it's no longer a weebly.com site but just my daycare name.com that I have now.
ANYWHO.....I checked out this other moms ad and noticed that there were a lot of similarities in what she wrote so I compared to my site, and sure enough, she copied it, a few tweaks here and there, but some spots were word for word and sentence for sentence. so I went to her website, COPIED! She copied lots of stuff from my site and put it on hers.

I'm fuming and so I sent a text asking her why, because I worked hard on it, and it's not fair that she just gets to take it. I don't mind her using what I said and changing the words. Just as I have copied from all you ladies you are not my competition, and I arranged things differently, I reworded many things, and made it my own. But she directly copied, and she probably did that overnight, whereas I took months to change it all up and put my heart into it and make it mine.

I probably shouldn't have sent anything to her, but before I even realized it was her (she didn't put her name or street or anything on the ads or website, but when I clicked on the map sure enough it was her house that came up) I was ready to email and say something, then when I realized it was her I was really pissed.

I'm happy she decided to go for daycare, that's all cool with me, and I'm actually sort of happy that dcb gets to be with his best friend. I'm sad that he is leaving, but I would do the exact same thing. The difference is that this woman is ECE and all of that jazz which I am not. So she has that over me, but now that she copied my website I look like the one who copied it.

[cheerfuldom]

That is beyond frustrating! Let us know if she replies to the text

[permanentvacation]

WOW!! Yeah, I'd be ticked off too! I don't think you can legally do anything about it though. But the lady's pretty ignorant to copy your website like that. Maybe you can make some changes to yours (and hope she doesn't copy them!) to make yours different now. I'd be curious to know if she copies your daycare room arrangement too.

[dEHmom]

WOW!! Yeah, I'd be ticked off too! I don't think you can legally do anything about it though. But the lady's pretty ignorant to copy your website like that. Maybe you can make some changes to yours (and hope she doesn't copy them!) to make yours different now. I'd be curious to know if she copies your daycare room arrangement too.

dcm phoned me, and i missed the call, but then she texted saying she will phone me after work because it's not appropriate to discuss over text. so clearly they discussed it.

as for the daycare room arrangement i don't really have that. But I have a feeling my handbook is copied as well. I'm tempted to set up a fake interview and see if she hands it out.

[Cat Herder]

Just put up a nice heading of "References Available. Proudly Serving ***** County Since 19**"

My Ads got ripped off ALL the Time. The years of service and the references always stand out regardless.

Few of my clients care about my ECE/CDA Training (after all, the "right" way of doing things changes constantly depending on who funded the research study : but ALL of my clients care about my years of successful service and word of mouth references.

No worries....

[dEHmom]

Just put up a nice heading of "References Available. Proudly Serving ***** County Since 19**"

My Ads got ripped off ALL the Time. The years of service and the references always stand out regardless.

Few of my clients care about my ECE/CDA Training (after all, the "right" way of doing things changes constantly depending on who funded the research study : but ALL of my clients care about my years of successful service and word of mouth references.

No worries....

actually she has been in childcare longer than me. she worked at a daycare center for the last like 10 years, and she's all certified etc. I'm not. I'm a SAM who decided to take in some kids. I plan to get certified etc but she comes from the top daycare center in this whole area.

[Godiva17]

That is not cool!

That just isn't right! Sure, we have all borrowed and tweaked from time to time but not from direct competition. I have had parents come for an interview who later I found were researching for their own home daycare- I just wish they were up front about it, as I would have been morethan happy to help out.

[wdmmom]

I have this little sentence on the last page of my website. I haven't had any issue with copying.

Any policies, pictures, and intellectual web content relating to this site is the property of (name of daycare), thus duplication of any whole or part of the contents within are not coincidental and will be subject to infringement law.

[Cat Herder]

actually she has been in childcare longer than me. she worked at a daycare center for the last like 10 years, and she's all certified etc. I'm not. I'm a SAM who decided to take in some kids. I plan to get certified etc but she comes from the top daycare center in this whole area.

Yeah, but that does not mean she has been in business in your area longer...YKWIM? She was an EMPLOYEE, following someone elses business model WITH help just down the hall at all times. THAT is much easier to do...you just meet minimal requirements and you are the golden child in that world. (ahhhh...minimal effort, how I miss you...)

She also never had to deal with parent, insurance, supply, compliance, equipment or money issues since she had management for that.

It does not work that way when you have to create it all from scratch, especially after having it all handed to you in another setting. Just wait until the first kid does damage to her kids belongings.

Home Daycare and Center Care are two different colored horses...

I have done both and they could NOT be more different.

The parents will expect Center resources at a home daycare budget because of the way she is marketing herself. THAT will be hard to live up to as a new business. You can't promise Steak and deliver Peanuts.

The fact is she still has ratios, just like the rest of us. She is alienating her local resources by stealing their work (you). She is also making the rookie mistake of working with friends .

The standard rate of home daycare failure in the first two years is 50/50. IMHO, she is off to a bumpy start.

[cheerfuldom]

yeah if it makes you feel any better, there's a good chance she wont make it long even after stealing your website stuff. in-home daycare is a whole different ballgame than working at a center

[dEHmom]

I have this little sentence on the last page of my website. I haven't had any issue with copying.

Any policies, pictures, and intellectual web content relating to this site is the property of (name of daycare), thus duplication of any whole or part of the contents within are not coincidental and will be subject to infringement law.

its officially stolen

[dEHmom]

thanks you are making me feel better. I have a feeling their friendship might decline as well. Not that i want that to happen, but this little guy is pretty tough some days. But they are a rich family, husband owns his own business, and they have a gigantic house (mansion like) . So I'm pretty sure she will have a dedicated daycare area, and there won't be much for him to get into trouble with.

[AnneCordelia]

TBH, home daycare is hard work. If they are loaded then I can't see why she'd put up with the long hours, difficult parents and general WORK of it for very long at all. I know I wouldn't. LOL!

[dEHmom]

TBH, home daycare is hard work. If they are loaded then I can't see why she'd put up with the long hours, difficult parents and general WORK of it for very long at all. I know I wouldn't. LOL!

she also set her hours from 7am to 515, not many people in town here would be able to do those hours anyway. And the dcb i'm losing to them is 630am to 445 pm, i'm sure she's made the exception for him because their families are best friends.

i'm just hurt, and like I said I completely understand the reasoning for them going to her instead of me, 100%, but bothers me that she did what she did. That's all. And I feel like i'm in **** with dcm because of her text "inappropriate over text" to discuss.

[dEHmom]

i'm still worked up over it. i'm calming down, but my chest is really tight and i feel like i need to release it. maybe i should break something that usually helps *stomping feet*

but i am a better person, and although i did send a text and call her out on it, i will see what the phone call tonight with dcm brings out.

hoping i can fill my slots soon.