This week I want to talk about that feeling you get when everything is weighing you down and you’re considering closing your daycare. How do you breathe life back into your childcare business when it feels hopeless?
Don’t worry, Ninja, I got you! There have been several moments during my 15 years running multiple childcares when I’ve gotten overwhelmed, and had a load of bad luck, and then felt like throwing in the towel. But I’m still here! And nowadays I’m teaching other women how to thrive too!
So, how can you revive your passion for your childcare business again? How can you fall back in love with it and make it work better for you, with less stress and more success?
I’m gonna help you figure this out by sharing some tips which will keep your business going, even when you feel like giving up.
Why do we sometimes feel like giving up?
My goodness. It sometimes can feel hugely overwhelming running your own business and when you throw in the additional stresses of a pandemic, families struggling, and a lack of community, it’s not surprising many of us have felt this way!
Maybe you’ve had some emails that haven’t felt good, or a team member drop out, or a supplier let you down… It’s all A LOT, right?! And it’s hard because we don’t talk about this enough! We are constantly reminded that running a childcare business isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, is it?! Sometimes we just need space to discuss our issues and press reset.
You have such a huge impact on the local community and are a lifeline for some families. You being open supports the families of your team. It’s a lot of responsibility. But it can be such a struggle! Sometimes the journey can feel super lonely. It can be extremely frustrating. There’s sometimes a feeling that things have stagnated and you are a bit bored.
So here’s a few tips for how you can breathe life back into your childcare business. I’ve created a method called CPR for your childcare business especially for you! Let’s go, Ninja!
Connect the dots
Before you start panicking, shoving a “closed” sign up, and putting all your childcare stuff on ebay, you need to take a deep breath. Yes, sometimes it is HARD. Often it’s tricky to juggle it all. But once upon a time, this was your dream business and there’s no reason why it can’t be again!
So let’s reconnect the dots! What was your original dream around being a childcare business owner? What was your why?! Does that still resonate now?
Most of the time we assume we know what we are missing in our business, what we ought to be doing… but we haven’t really done an audit and investigated fully. Instead, we find ourselves running round in circles after shiny objects, like new tools or apps.
And without actually sitting down and taking stock of all this stuff, to actually look at connecting the dots of where we are and how we want things to be, it can be a waste to chase those ‘hacks’. By taking time to dive in deeper you’ll see what you really need vs. what you assume you need. You’ll notice where there are gaps in your processes and what actually needs to be done.
Plan for success
Create a plan for what you actually need to get the results you want to see. Sometimes we’ve been so long working INSIDE our childcare businesses that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Take some time to zoom out and remember what it is we’re wanting to achieve.
Look at the legacy you want to leave behind. How are you going to make that happen? Consider switching things up a little in your plan. Remember that it’s okay to change your mind from the original plan you had all those years ago.
Revise your strategies
So you’ve looked at the bigger picture and has some time to reflect on what you really want… Now it’s time to put together a strategy to help you achieve your goals. What are all the little steps – the tactics – you’ve got to take to get there? Perhaps it’s automation, perhaps it’s training, or perhaps it’s something else!
Once you’ve got these listed out, you’ll be able to see that your childcare business is not beyond resurrection. In fact far from it. You’ve just got to reignite that passion inside you again.
You can watch this week’s YouTube video all about how to resurrect your childcare business right now!
Reach out and breathe life back into your childcare business!
Earlier on I mentioned loneliness and frustration, and these things are rarely remedied when you continue working all by yourself. Your team can’t fully comprehend the weight of responsibility on your shoulders or the burden of running a childcare business. So what can you do to feel better?
I have EXACTLY what you need! I have a community of like-minded childcare business owners who GET IT! They know where you’re at, and totally understand that feeling of “what’s the point?!” But they’ve got through it TOGETHER. Come join us, share the burden and find some joy and reciprocity over in my free Facebook group.
Getting connected with other childcare owners is a HUGE game changer!
Gain strategies and tips to move your childcare business forward by joining a community! That’s why I set up my Facebook group, where you can hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
Are you wanting to up level your childcare business during 2022? Would you like some super easy ideas on how you can do this?
I can help you take your daycare to the next level by changing up your services to fulfill the needs of your community.
Read on for 4 ways you can do to take things up a notch!
Break free from the status quo
Things feel good right now. You’re comfortable. Your all star team are settled and your waitlist is good. But how does it feel thinking about staying in this place forever? Wouldn’t you feel better about raising your game and stretching your zone of genius a bit?
Playing it safe isn’t always the best option for business. By looking at what your community needs right now and applying that knowledge to your business strategy, you’re setting yourself up for success. So take time now to plan how you can up level your childcare business during 2022. It’s time to say no to the same old services and offer something innovative!
So I’m sharing 4 ways you can change up your childcare offerings to build a more successful childcare business in the new year…
1. Outside of Office Hours
Right now, I’m guessing that your daycare provides a service for parents working a 9-5. You might be open 6am to 6pm or maybe just 8am to 6pm. However that means there’s a huge section of your local families that are missing out on great childcare!
Think about it. There’s nurses and doctors, construction workers and delivery drivers, people working shifts in hospitality… There’s a world of workers that are crying out for high quality care for their precious ones! They’re working outside the typical day, and don’t keep regular working hours which makes life tricky to organize.
Like the gif says, “Care infrastructure is infrastructure”. I wonder if you’ve ever considered starting or adding a 24hr daycare service to your offerings? Or perhaps “night shift” childcare as an opposite offering from the usual opening times you see everywhere. How about having a flexible option that allows parents to buy a chunk of hours and use them to fit in round their shifts? Tricky but not impossible. And by going above and beyond, people rave about your services!
By adding an extra in order to grow your childcare business, you can make a real difference and stand out.
2. Solve transportation issues
Often there’s a barrier to getting kids over to daycare – buses with no routes that early, or not serving in that area… So there’s no way of the child getting from their door to yours, safely. Or perhaps their child finishes kindergarden or school and needs to get from there to you somehow? Whatever the issue, can you think outside the box and offer a service that meets their need?
Why not look into solving that problem – whatever it may be – and offer a solution?! Could you collaborate with someone local who has transportation to collect the children? Perhaps a child friendly and licensed taxi service could join forces with you to bridge that gap? Or maybe you have a minivan and plenty of space to transport kids from one place to another!
Families are always so grateful for the kindness and consideration, and will happily pay you to keep their babies safe and secure!
3. Look into event childcare
Now that the world is opening up again and we’ve all started venturing to events, it might be time for you to start thinking about the skills and services you can offer to the venues and hosts of big events.
Because at the end of the day, no one wants this kind of situation do they?! Better to have them playing safely with a childcare worker in another room.
After opening my home daycare, I ventured into event childcare and it is still working fabulously for me! I started out helping families out at weddings – I cared for their babies so they could enjoy the special celebration. Then it turned into other events – college reunions, fairs, funerals, conferences…
You can look into working for families, or make links with venues to be their go-to childcare at any events they put on.
4. Use your venue wisely
If you have a daycare space that isn’t your home, you might want to consider hiring it out at the weekends. Depending on your space and the set up, there are a few options here!
Could you offer it out on Saturdays and Sundays for early years birthday parties? Parents are always looking for good value rooms to hire to host parties in. Safe spaces they know are suitable for little people and their needs – baby changing areas, age-appropriate equipment etc. You might even want to add in the cost of a member of staff so someone’s on hand to take care of things.
Or could you look at hiring it out for fundraising events? And if you have a larger hall space, there are people who’d snap up a meeting room for their community group activities perhaps in the evenings too. In these cases it’s usually just a payment and key situation, so less involvement and easier to manage!
If your space is sat empty on the weekends or evenings, why not add this additional service?!
What do you think? Is it time to up level your childcare business during 2022?
I go into more detail in my latest video! Join me as I take a look at some ideas to niche down your childcare business and unleash success in 2022. Pull up a chair, grab a notebook and hold on tight because it’s go, time Ninja! Watch the latest episode on Youtube video here:
Speaking of being next year…have you started planning for 2022 yet?! I’ve got just the thing to give you a head start! This is no ordinary paper planner. It’s specifically designed with Childcare Business owners in mind. Because I got sick of having to tweak the ones aimed at other industries!
And because I know a planner is zero use without accountability, I’ve added an accountability piece to my new and improved Nyckie B’s 2022 Childcare Business Planner System!
Even with all the planning in the world, being a home daycare provider can sometimes feel lonely and overwhelming. Getting connected with other childcare owners is a game changer! Gain strategies and tips to move your childcare business forward by joining a community! That’s why I set up my Facebook group, where you can hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
Do you sometimes feel like some sort of prison warden inside your childcare business? If you’re nodding, I’d imagine it’s because you are lacking in robust Staff Policies. Yikes!
So this week’s theme is all about how you can create policies that help your business but also ensure that your All Star team are supported.
What’s happening in your childcare business?
Instead of focusing on being the best leader you can, you’ve more often than not found yourself wagging your fingers or yelling orders at your team because you’re too busy.
And sometimes you’ve done the polar opposite – being such a “friend” that nobody on your team is listening to a word you say. Neither of these situations is sustainable, or practical and I very much doubt that they’ll produce the positive results you desire for your childcare business to thrive.
Where are you at on this scale? What policies do you have in place already and where are the gaps?
Think about the behaviours of your team
What are the behaviours you’re seeing in your daycare that you’d like to see less of? Have you got policies in place to deal with this? Have you discussed the issue? Make sure you officially address the behaviour you don’t want to see in the workplace. Be matter of fact. This is not about laying blame, it’s about looking for solutions. If this is an expectation that keeps falling behind, you probably need to have a proper policy in place. You might even need to do some training.
So when you’re starting to write your staff policies, think about which behaviours would you like to see. And when you publish your policy and hand it out to your team, ask for feedback about whether they feel they might need training on any of the points that come up. Do they want individual conversations or a whole team training?
Create staff policies that work for everyone
I know it might be controversial, but I don’t believe the staff policies you put in place should be about control. For me, it’s about developing policies that ensure my business can thrive. But it’s also about putting measures in place that help my team understand and feel understood.
Have you got really clear job descriptions for each of your team members? And have they all seen what their role requires (since their interview!)? Do they know what they should be doing when the children are having naps? Have they got all the info they need to perform to the best of their ability? Or are your policies all a bit muddled? Let’s make sure there’s clarity all round!
Do an environment audit
Is the daycare space impacting on your staff behaviour? Take a look around the whole space. Are there particular places where the behaviours you’re not a fan of are happening? Is there anything you can do to change the room around that might help improve behaviour?
It sounds silly but sometimes it can be something as simple as creating a more open space so that your team know you can see them. Or perhaps they don’t feel they can leave their belongings anywhere safe. Meaning they carry their phones in their pockets as it makes them feel more secure. Could you invest in staff lockers?
Why you need to hold space for your staff
It’s the goal of most childcare business owners to grow an all star team and we want to build teams who follow our policies so we don’t have to be a warden in our centers. Sometimes we have to also consider the emotional aspect of working with others and use that to help our staff feel and be their best.
Imagine one of your team members keeps checking their phone a lot. This goes against your policy but behind the scenes they’ve got a challenging situation going on at home. By getting to know your staff and knowing a bit about them and their interests outside of the workplace will help you have a better understanding of what’s happening.
This means you’ll be able to treat them as a whole human not just as an employee. We do tend to bring our home life to work – it’s the nature of the game! So by creating an environment where your team feels supported is the best strategy. That way, they can talk to you about what’s going on in their personal life because that something may be having an impact on their job.
So as you create your staff policies, while also serving your clients and protecting your business, do make sure you hold space for your team too!
Watch this weeks Nyckie’s Monday Moves Youtube where I’m diving into the process of creating childcare staff policies. Ones that will help you get the results needed for that ALL STAR TEAM your childcare business deserves. Check it out here:
As promised here is this week’s FREE resource to help you create staffing policies that produce the desired results from your All Star Team. ENJOY… 👉🏽 👉🏽👉🏽 CLICK HERE FOR THE FREEBIE
Listen, I know that sometimes being a home daycare provider can feel lonely and overwhelming. Getting connected with other childcare owners can really be a game changer to help you gain strategies and tips to move your daycare business forward.
That’s why I set up my community over on Facebook, where you can hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
Sometimes in this wonderful world of being a Childcare Business owner in 2021, it’s really overwhelming, isn’t it? We hear the word “support” for our business and assume that means investing thousands of dollars in hiring a coach to work with us. But what if support means EXACTLY what it says? How about if we flip the Generation Z meaning of support and do a total 180?
In today’s post I’m going to be writing about finding the support that’s right for you and your business. Depending on where you’re at in your childcare business the level of support you need is going to be different. So what can that look like?
Let’s take a look together right now…
Does support have to mean hiring a coach?
Absolutely not! In the days of Instagram and TikTok, where people make a living from “influencing”, the language we use in business has become confusing. We can get so stuck sometimes on the idea of support only meaning a one-on-one coach. And for some the moment they hear the word coach, their brain gets stuck behind a block.
Many of us freak out completely and our heads start going into a money spin: “Oh my gosh that’s out of my reach!” or “That’s not something I can do!” or “That’s impossible for me!”.
But here’s the thing, support can come in many different ways.
What can support look like?
Support doesn’t have to be big and flashy, and it certainly doesn’t have to impact your bank balance! You can find support at whatever level you need it right now. One of the benefits of the internet is that you can get support for your business online at the click of a button. And it doesn’t have to cost you a penny! But if you’re at the stage in your business where it’s time to invest a little, there’s plenty of options for that too.
Support for beginners…
If you’re just starting out, it might look like reading business books so you can develop your mindset or manage for finances better. You can read a supportive blog post about Profit First right here.
When you’re new to the business world, it’s nice to have the support of other business owners. Often they’ve been where you are and can offer advice or lend an ear. And the best way I’ve found to do that is online. It could be being part of a Facebook group like my own “The Childcare Ninja Members”, or it might be opening up a conversation and hosting Zoom coffee mornings with other childcare business owners to share ideas and support each other that way.
Levelling up your help…
Once you’ve started to make a little money, you can begin to put some of it aside to invest in your support. This might be the written material from a coach – a workbook or an eBook – or you could book a one-off strategy call or Power Hour. There are some amazing courses and workshops that you can attend, often with input from experts, depending on your capacity for learning.
But support comes in all sorts of forms! The trouble is, we get so fixated that it only has to be a coach providing one on one support. Then we get super frustrated! Because we then fall into the money mindset trap of thinking it’s too expensive and “I can’t afford it!”. If we do want a coach or more tailored support, I think that we then have to open our minds. We have to develop better growth mindset where we instead ask ourselves questions like, “How can I get this money? ”. So If you’re in that situation I do want to challenge you to think on how you can budget for the support that you need or want.
Thinking outside the box…
Depending on what stage you’re at in your business, and in your life, the support you’re looking for might be quite different. You may be thinking that actually what you need is more time! So how do you get the help you’re looking for so you can get more of that?
Is a coach going to help with that? Unlikely! So sometimes you’ll need less assistance on the business front, and more along the lines of domestic or perhaps even the personal. When I first started growing my home day care business I had to hire a housekeeper. They came to help me monthly, doing a thorough deep clean of my whole house. This really freed me up, giving me a chance to focus on the things in my business that could exponentially grow it.
So do also consider if there are tasks you can delegate in your personal life too that will positively impact your business by clearing up time and headspace for strategy! What tasks take up space in your life and impinge on your time? Could you look into getting a cleaner or sending your bedding for a laundry service?
I’d love to see you succeed, which is why I’ve created my new “Support for Success” guide. When you’ve worked through it, you’ll be able to take a deep look into the 4 areas that will help you to determine who, why and what support you need! Download your free workbook now!
Support is the key to success!
There are lots of ways to get the support that you need in your Childcare business depending on what goals you’re trying to reach or what you’re working on. If you haven’t yet joined, go and check out my free Facebook group! I’d love to see you in there!
We’re 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 more involved in the community and to grow your business? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too!
When you’re so busy running a childcare business, it can be really easy to get caught up in the day-to-day shenanigans. You’re ticking off the to list. Suddenly you come face to face with an unprecedented challenge! But you can’t see the wood for the trees. Uh oh! It’s time to get some perspective.
I wanted to write this blog to remind you that from time to time it’s a good idea to take a step back and zoom out from the obstacles in your way. If you’re keen to grow your childcare business, you need to get really good at looking at your business from a 360 perspective! Read on for tips I’ve used to up-level my business.
What does perspective even mean?
I get it, it’s one of those words thrown around in the online space and by entrepreneurs! But it’s used a lot for a reason! And sometimes these words lose their meaning, don’t they?
Put simply, it’s the way that we look at something. Some people will be looking at it from one stand point, and others from a completely different angle. And it can be hard sometimes to understand how others are perceiving things. But it’s definitely important to stand back and reassess now and again.
And, for the word nerds among you, it’s also an art technique that changes the distance or depth of an object on paper. Like when you see a photograph or painting of a road and it’s wider up close, and narrower further away. Not as relevant in this particular situation, but kinda interesting none-the-less!
How perspective can help your business
A lot of the time we can get so wrapped up in the day-to-day stuff, that we cannot think clearly. We don’t give ourselves the headspace to process things and we forget to take a deep breath, step back and recalibrate. When we get so zeroed in on one particular challenge that it’s all we see or think about! And it can then be a struggle to focus so that we can figure out the solution!
Getting stuck in our heads is so common, and what this leads to is our minds getting in a complete tangled mess that we miss what is truly important. And this lack of holistic vision can mean that we’re oblivious to even simple the most solutions that are staring us right in the face.
By focusing too much on teeny details you lose perspective!
So how can you do better?
As I’ve already mentioned, lots of us are unable to understand situations that arise in our childcare businesses clearly because we’re too involved. To improve the situation we’ve got to learn to be reflective. To reposition ourselves in order to see things from another frame of reference. Sometimes, all it takes is a pause and a reframe, and you can magically see how to overcome a tricky problem.
Take time out from being head down in the business, head to your quiet space, light a candle and do some journaling. Often when we let ourselves stop and brain dump, we can find answers pop into our head! I’ve written about how you can create the perfect thinking space and give yourself time to reflect here.
You can ask for help in the form of a survey to get a little perspective. Find out how your staff perceive things, but don’t be afraid to ask your families too! Depending on the situation, the more help the better!
It’s okay to look for further support
One way to break out of the zoned in habits you’ve developed is to get some help. It’s super important to make sure you recognize that you need a little support and find ways to get it. This will give you the confidence and strength to be able to step out of that challenge and see it from a birds-eye view.
Having someone else to talk things through with, or just a fresh pair of eyes, can really help you relook at the problem you’re facing. They can suggest solutions because they’re looking at it from a whole new perspective. And they can give you a leg up to their view, or explain how to get there. It’s really key that you have a support network to lean on when things are difficult. Getting their interpretation of things can change your business for the better!
A little help from my friends…
You’ll often find that you’ll get an “AHA!” moment from your chat, whether it’s your significant other, a family member that’s been supporting you in your business. You might find that you get incredible advice off a business bestie, or a little perspective from the industry specific Facebook group you’re a member of, or the business coach you’re working with. This week, I talked about why we all need some support in the Facebook group for my weekly #tiptuesday and in my free group last week.
What other support have you gotten that’s really helped you?
There are lots of ways to get the support that you need in your Childcare business depending on what goals you’re trying to reach or what you’re working on. If you haven’t yet joined, do check out my free Facebook group! I’d love to see you in there!
We’re 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 more involved in the community and to grow your business? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too!
