When you’re marketing your childcare business, do you stay true to your values? I’ve witnessed so many childcare owners who feel they can’t be themselves while they’re wearing their business hats. So I want to dive into this a little more in this blog.
It’s often said that opposites attract, but when it comes to business I’m not convinced. Over the last decade I’ve found that this isn’t true. Actually, it’s been quite the contrary in my experience and those businesses I’ve supported through mentoring and coaching.
I’m going to share with you how things began to change for my business and my clients when we’ve stayed true to what we believe in. And why I’ll be encouraging you to do the same…
What does stay true to yourself mean?
Sounds a bit wishy-washy doesn’t it, “staying true to yourself”? So what am I talking about? Well, what I mean is your values. The absolute non-negotiables in how you run your business. My own values are based on family, faith, hard work and commitment. All of them are vital ingredients to my day-to-day work and the way I lead in my daycares and in Childcare Ninjas.
What do they look like for you and your childcare business? Write down the values that you couldn’t function without.
What happens when you don’t stay true to yourself?
When you ignore what you believe, and don’t wear your heart on your sleeve, you business is misaligned with your purpose. This means that you’re leaving a part of yourself at the door when you got to work, which takes a lot of energy. Hiding a large portion of your personality or values isn’t healthy and can cause a lot of resentment.
I used to keep my faith hidden, as if it were not an essential part of my life. I didn’t talk about it, and I worried about sharing my beliefs with colleagues, families and employees. And when I was hiding a huge piece of my puzzle, I didn’t feel whole and I was not coming across as authentic. Which then had an impact on my success as a business owner, because people aren’t stupid. They know when something isn’t right.
And due to the misalignment I was portraying, the families who were coming to my doors weren’t the ideal clients I was wanting. Eventually it got to the point where it felt too important to leave my values out of my brand. I couldn’t hold it all back any more. My sense of purpose was renewed: I knew things had to change.
Soak it up
When you allow your business to marinade in your values, it soaks it all up! Your business benefits massively from having some depth and purpose, which comes from the beliefs you uphold. Just like me and my Christian faith. Once I allowed myself to share my beliefs and no longer hid them away, I found that I was attracting people whose views aligned with mine. They felt comfortable entrusting their babies to me because I demonstrated values they themselves believed in.
I’ve now built two successful businesses on the foundations of my faith and I’m proud of the fact that my values are so ingrained in every ounce of my little empire!
Getting the message right
I’m not saying you need to sing your faith from the rooftops, or start handing out pamphlets about your beliefs to parents. You don’t need to hammer your beliefs home to your families, merely embody the values you hold in the running of your business.
I mentioned that my values include commitment. Every day in my work I model this value in the way I support my families and go the extra mile to meet their needs. I am fully committed to being the best in the game and to making sure the kids in my daycare centers have the time of their lives while also learning!
How I market my business is the same. Not by writing all over my marketing materials about what my beliefs are, but instead demonstrating my values through the photos we use or the copy I write. I focus on the importance of family – my story – and the hard work of my teams and our commitment to the children and families we work with. I also give a nod to my faith in the quotes I have on the walls of my office, or in the cross I wear to work. It’s who I am. Something I can’t believe I used to hide!
The message isn’t always in the way you market, it’s in the crafting of your brand messaging and the way you grow brand awareness. And it’s really important that you get this right sooner than I did! When you nail your messaging, it gives families who work with you an awareness and understanding of who you are! And by doing so…
…You’ll call in the families you want to serve!
So in changing the way I do things, by being my authentic self and leaving nothing in the porch as I step into my business owner role, I am calling in the people I want to work with. I want to work with families who share the same values and beliefs that I hold dear to me.
When you attract those families, it makes relationships run much more smoothly because you’re all singing from the same hymn sheet. They’ll know you and trust you, and will feel comfortable handing their little treasures over to you. And they’ll also stand behind you because they share your values and beliefs.
Share who you are
Basically, what I’m encouraging you to do is stop hiding who you really are. Don’t try to please everyone for the sake of it. And never be afraid of sharing your core values. These are the things that make you YOU. And those are the reasons people will seek you out.
So go ahead! Share you – the real you! The families who your values speak to will adore you and want to have you and your business in their lives. I know, because sharing my faith and my other core beliefs made such an impact on my business growth and also a huge change in my own well-being.
What’s stopping you from staying true to you? How can you quit hiding and instead grow into your purpose? I’d love to know. Leave a comment or head to the Childcare Ninja Facebook group to discuss. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
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