Having the perfect environment, exemplary paperwork and smooth running routines in place are all one thing .... but - if you haven't got any Children to mind then there's no money coming in and all your hard work is going to waste.
Getting Silkysteps up and running has taught me an enormous amount about advertising .. where to and not to put adverts .. spending money promoting needlessly .. who cares enough to help out for free and who you can trust & rely on to support you in your work.
Here are a few tips that I've come up with to try and generate business and interest for getting minded children onto your books ..
Firstly ~ have some small business cards made up ~ these needn't be expensive .. Print some of your own or seek price quotes from local print companies.
Posters and postcard sized advertisments.
Your best form of business will be Word of Mouth .. generating local business means showing locals what you do and how you do it
Toddler groups ~ are great, especially if you have your own young children to take along !
Get to know the other parents and cares ~ find out about their childcare arrangements.
Helath Centre ~ introduce yourself to your local clinic .. look to see ways you can advertise in their waiting rooms/notice board.
Buggy/baby clubs - Midwives and health visitors are all people that can verbally help generate business for you ~ speak to them and get envolved with any groups that can help you discover new custom.
Ask your primary school if you can include a small personal introduction on their newsletter... promote the fact that School runs/collection are a part of your service (if they are !!)
Creches ~ Some may offer the opportunity to advertise in their literature.
Leisure centres
Work places
Gym and Fitness clubs
Soft play activity centres
Library ~ enrol at your local library , take advantage of it's facillities AND look to see how you can spread the word of what you do!
Maybe offer to take a craft session or read a story ... ?
If you offer part time or short notice/temporary childcare - your local hospital may allow a poster to be put on the display area.
Find out who else Minds in your locality.
Other Childminders are Competiton (for want of a better word) & may well view you as the same - Try to avoid treading on toes or accidently poaching children/parents .. By working together and forming solid relationships with other Carers you will all eventually benefit!
Local Publications
What local business pamphlets does your area/parish council publish ?
Check Post offices , Corner shops for small, free edition magazines - these normally fund themselves paid for advertisment .. if one is relevant to you find out how much it is to place an ad !
Find out what business/companies are in your area .. see if you can add a poster to their staff notice board.
Trading benefits ....
Being bold enough to ask for an exchange of services takes quite a while to build ... but it is VERY common in the world of business where everyone wants to raise the profile of their own company cheaply so ~
Don't be surprised at some of the suggestions or indeed to suggest
- Offer to leaflet drop their information whilst you are delivering their's.
- Swapping contact details with other minders - as you may both need backup for emergencies !
- Endorsements ~ be wary of recommending anything/anyone you aren't fully aware of ..
eg. if you personally recomend a product or service to people who will base that information on how they respect you .. should anything backfire ~ it could be your reputation that may suffer.
Things to think about
Advertising in shops out of your area.
Indescriminate advertising can also sometimes backfire... these are a few pointers to consider before doing this and possibly wasting money on advertising needlessly.
What sort of shop is it ?
What Sort of customers does it attract?
If the answers to these tie up with your target audience .. ask how much per week it is to have a small advert placed on their window/noticeboard.
Weigh up the price against other similar places before paying - REMEMBER to get a receipt with the dates of how long your ad will stay up for & when it is first displayed... plus their signature :wink:
The cost of advertising is a business expense so don't forget to drop it in your accounts folder
Joining Organisations
Organisations/networks are always keen to offer membership and subscription deals to individuals they think could benefit from what they provide.
DON'T jump straight in with your hard earnt money - ask other child carers (including schools, nurseries AND other businesses ) what their experience or knowledge of the organisation is ?
Search on the internet and through forums for personal views on them.
The last thing you want to happen is that you paid your money and recieved little in way of productive information in return...
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If anyone has information or experiences that they'd like to add on this we would LOVE to hear about them
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