by admin | Apr 17, 2020 | Blog
Y’all know I’ve been in this game for a while now, and I have seen new childcare businesses come. And I have seen them go. Why don’t they last? We all make mistakes, but most of them can be avoided with some forward thinking!
There’s several monumental mistakes that they are making in their businesses. Don’t panic! These are easily avoided. Therefore I thought I would share the errors they make with you, so you can avoid doing the same before it’s too late.
Mistake #1 – Trying to do everything for everyone
An absolute classic. And one that sometimes takes a lifetime to learn! It is very hard to stay focused and in your lane. But you’ve gotta do it or you’ll not survive in this crazy world of childcare ownership.
So how do you avoid it?
You need to know who your clientele are. And you need to learn how to reach them. Think local; you’re not trying to gain worldwide customers. Your daycare is about serving the community it’s in. So target them appropriately and be who they need you to be. Not who everyone else thinks you ought to be.
Work on having firm boundaries with work. Learn to say no. You’re not a super hero. Saying no to things that don’t serve you is fundamental if you want to keep your head above water. No calls after a certain time, reply to emails on particular days, prioritize properly.
Use technology to help you get organized; set timers on tasks to stop your mind wandering and to keep you laser focused. Ninja focused!
Mistake #2 – Not planning!
I’m gonna repeat this until the cows come home: Plan! Plan! Plan!
Sure as the sky is blue, I’ve seen childcare owners who think they can “wing it” very quickly finding themselves in difficulties. To run a successful business you’ve got to plan, and plan, and then plan some more!
It is a time consuming process to get systems in place and plan ahead, but it will save you so much heartbreak. I promise you that planning in your childcare business is how you will grow and create the perfect little empire you always dreamed of. I know because I’m doing it. And it’s all because I plan EVERYTHING. I’ve got lists for my lists.
Mistake #3 – Underestimating efforts
Another classic mistake. It’s not uncommon for new childcare business owners to underestimate the amount of time and work they’ll need to put in. They think that it’s the same as any other business. Well we Ninjas all know that it certainly is not.
That’s why I created this platform in the first place: to support childcare owners like you. Because there’s not much else out there that is specifically for us. And we are niche. We’re unique.
Interestingly, I’ve had so many conversations with people who assume that I just own the day care centers and am not involved in the day-to-day running of them. I have to explain every darned time that you can’t just “own” a childcare biz. You ARE the childcare biz!
Your personality and philosophy of learning are totally embedded in the childcare you run and your staff are amazing, but it’s your empire. You might have a manager in each setting, but you are the one who oversees the provision and has a vision for the future and how you’re going to get there.
Running a childcare business is a helluva lot of work and no one should go into this thinking you can just kick back and let others do the work for you. It’s not an opportunity to sit on your laurels! This is a way of life! And one that I love, and I know you do too!
Don’t hesitate to drop me a message if you’re worrying about anything to do with running your business. After years of feeling isolated, I’ve created this community and I’m here to help you work through any issues. Get in touch!
I hope you’re enjoying your journey to becoming a Childcare Ninja, but don’t forget to interact in the Facebook group where you can connect with other amazing women and share ideas.
Join us in the membership too for more tips on how to take your childcare business to the next level!
by admin | Jan 15, 2020 | Blog, Uncategorized
Childcare Ninjas is all about supporting you to grow your business to be sustainable and successful, and as someone who’s been in the game for a long time now, I know the importance of systematizing. And I understand how this looks very different in child care to how it might look in other industries like retail or coaching.
Planning is the absolute key to growing your childcare business. So how do I do it? Well, I plan everything! From finance to food, and clients to cleaning, I’ve got some strategies that will help you plan and I’ve got some tips for how to stay on top of everything.
You can learn how to implement systems into your childcare business and plan for a successful year ahead!
2020 is going to be brilliant for your childcare business, can you feel it too?
Let’s start with assessing where your business is at…
First thing I recommend that you do is take some time out to look at your business and figure out what you’re already doing. I want you to write down all the jobs you do daily that keep your business ticking. Get every little thing you do, and what your employees do, written down so that you can look at ways of organizing and being more efficient. Note down all those little tasks – cleaning toys, writing a menu, invoicing clients…everything! What’s working? What’s not?
You’ll be surprised at all the jobs you do each day, week in, week out, just to keep your business going! You’re a super hero! It might seem silly and time consuming writing all of them down, but you should be so proud of these, and quantifying them will make it much easier to systematize your business. So, if you wanna be a Childcare Ninja, you gotta get organized!
Looking at the bigger picture
Now you’ve got all the jobs you do down in one place, it’s time to set out on paper the things you’d like to do in your business; I call this envisioning. I want you to envision where you see your business going and what you’ve got to do to get there. Write it down. By doing this alongside what you’re already doing, you’re able to see the bigger picture and the journey you need to take to reach your goals for your childcare business.
Getting systems in place to grow your business
Once you’ve got this all noted down in one place, you need to look at the things that are working for you and then weed out which tasks are not. Those that can be removed, replaced or streamlined. Then you can sort each task and the steps you take (for things you’re keeping) into categories, for example “Food”. Under each topic, you can list all the jobs you do for that specific area. It might be easier to cut your list up and arrange into new lists under the headlines. So under “Hygiene” you’ll have all the tasks relating to that: cleaning, buying products, water bills, staff training, policy…and so on.
Break down all the steps and processes that you have in place, adding in the things you’d like to improve. Now you’ve got a plan and a sort of flow chart to guide you through each area of your business. If you need a guide to help you with this process, download your free childcare business map here and get started building your systems.
Why is systematizing so important?
By getting systems in place, you are getting processes in place that will help you get organized and help your staff become more independent. Once you’ve nailed the systems, you will be able to take time off and not worry about things falling apart while you’re not there. You’ll de-stress, your staff will feel more in control and confident and your business will grow!
Implementing your systems to grow your business
Subsequently, now you’ve got the systems all laid out, it’s time to call a staff meeting. Here you are giving your team a road map of how they can be more effective at their jobs. It’s always a good idea to get all your team together and work through things so that the new changes don’t feel like they’re being “done to” them. Instead your employees will feel like they are a part of the change because they’ve been given an opportunity to bring ideas and suggestions to the table. Use this meeting as an opportunity to empower your team, and an opportunity for you to take a well-earned break once they get the hang of things!
If you’d like to know more, I have created some helpful videos and resources for you in my Childcare Ninja membership, to make your life a little easier, and to enable you to grow your childcare business into your own little empire.
Are you in the Childcare Ninja Facebook group yet? We are an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup! Interested in becoming a part of the community? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
