You might be wondering what the big deal about planning is. Why should I bother, Nyckie? It’s just another thing to add to my To Do list, right?!
WRONG!
I believe that to be an effective leader and childcare business owner, you ought to be taking charge of your business goals and planning for success.
So here are 7 of my top reasons why planning is so darned good for your biz!
1. Planning improves your business growth
It’s vital for your childcare business growth strategy to set targets and plan how you’ll meet those goals.
Once you’ve figured out what you’re aiming for and why, it’s time to set goals for how much you want to grow by.
Consequently, these goals should be based on your blue sky thinking aspirations, but also need to be achievable and somewhat realistic! Quantify your goals in terms of metrics and timeline. Aiming to “set up two new day care centers by quarter 4”. SMART remember!?!
2. Planning reduces stress
Childcare ownership can be super stressful at times.
Planning is proven to reduce stress and is the most effective stress management technique. What’s not to love?! Proactive planning for the win!
Although planning doesn’t have to be time consuming, trust me! It takes as little as 5 to 10 minutes out of your day, and that can make the whole day less stressful and far more productive. If you find yourself jumping from task to task with no solid plan in your mind, you can quickly get stressed. And that leads to burn out. Not cool.
Also, I’ve found that by mixing motivational and inspirational elements into your planning you’re able to go beyond reducing stress and step into finding joy in your work!
3. Planning boosts productivity
Using a planner helps you manage your time better, which can make you more efficient during the day. Time spent being effective and productive = great for your childcare business!
And there’s the added bonus that writing down your plans allows you to notice if any of your activities are slowing you down, and might indicate the need for support or a change in systems.
4. Planning promotes positivity.
Slipping into negative mindset can happen before you even notice. It can be bad for biz.
Funnily enough research shows that planning for things can make you happier. Hands up if you’re currently counting down to something special?! It is a relief to see it there in the calendar isn’t it?
Simply looking at your schedule and seeing an upcoming event or vacation to look forward to helps you feel more positive because it leads to anticipation and feelings of happiness!
5. Planning improves learning
Planning on paper apparently helps improve learning and memory, researchers found.
Because we know this, get on and write it down and plan it out! (Your brain thanks you in advance!) But using a digital planner is just as effective for most people.
6. Planning promotes mindfulness
Writing your plans down in a paper planner makes you slow down, unplug, and be more intentional and mindful.
However, if you set a timer and limit your screen time, using a digital planner is also mindful, because you’re using it with intention, not mindlessly scrolling.
Actually, it’s the process and repeated habit of planning every day that helps you promote mindfulness in your daily life.
(And that’s also because planning makes you more efficient and therefore gives you more time in your day to relax!)
6. Planning helps you meet your goals
It can be hard to stay on track when it comes to goals. Luckily, planning increases your ability to track your biz goals – both short and long-term.
Moreover using a planner also keeps you accountable, helping you lay out plans clearly and follow any steps needed for your childcare biz success.
Keep reading to see what I’ve got especially for you!
7. Planning helps you declutter.
Yikes! Studies show that clutter negatively affects your memory, mental health, and even eating habits.
So using a planner is a simple and effective way to download your mind onto the page so you can ditch the clutter and streamline all the other stuff!
Additionally, it makes it easier to physically declutter and organize your workspace, freeing you up to be your best self! More about decluttering here!
Hopefully you can see why I LOVE planning and how it’s going to help you smash your 2023 goals. Now I’ve got something you’re going to want in your life, STAT!
This year my Childcare Business Planner for 2023 will be in physical, printable, and digital format for the first time!
I know we all prefer to work and plan in different ways, so I wanted to make sure you were covered. If you’re more traditional you’ll probably go for the laminated letter-size spiral planner. You can use the inside financial checklist and back page for notes with a whiteboard pen!
However, if you like to print out just what you need and like the freedom of rewriting your plans then the printable option would be a good fit. Print off as many copies as you need.
Perhaps you’ll go Paperless?! Keep your plans with you at all times, on your iPad with a PDF reader like Goodnotes, Noteshelf, or on Android tablets Xodo. It looks like a printable but with tabs that are hyperlinked that you can click on to navigate to each month.
Inside all of the versions you’ll find:
Week on 2 pages
Month on 2 pages
Childcare form checklist on 2 pages
Curriculum
Mind your money financial overview
Inspiring #NyckieSays each month to grow your biz & more
Enhance your productivity RIGHT NOW by effectively organizing your day and streamlining your workflows. Take notes, keep track of meetings, set your priorities, and hit those targets like the Childcare Ninja you are! Unleash the tools you need to plan ahead easily and effectively with our new latest planner selection.
Our exclusive planning system is designed with childcare biz owners in mind. It was frustrating not being able to buy one, so I desugned one for us all instead! My aim is to help fellow childcare professionals get organized!
Let’s take the boredom out of planning. Quickly and easily plan curriculum, menus, social media scheduling and so much more. Create your vision for next year with the awesome vision board section! This will inspire you to take daily action to grow!
Let’s get you all set up for 2023!
So if you’re looking to reduce stress, get organized and achieve your goals next year there’s finally a way to do it! Get your 2023 CHILDCARE BUSINESS PLANNING SYSTEM today and kiss procrastination goodbye!!
Find cheerleaders and support on your journey to success!
Even with the best planning system in the world, being a home daycare provider can sometimes feel lonely and overwhelming. Don’t forget that you can find strategies and tips to move your childcare business forward by joining our community! Hang out with like-minded and aspirational day care owners in there. Plus I go live regularly to talk about topics that help you grow.If you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. Or maybe email is your thang…JOIN OUR MAILING LIST HERE. 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! Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
Have you been sitting on the fence when it comes to making your childcare biz go digital? Well I’m about to spill the tea on why it matters and why now is the perfect time to make the change!
In case you haven’t heard it’s the 21st century and it’s all about digital. The way we use paper for business is just not the most efficient way to do things anymore.
Have you taken your biz digital yet? Read on for why you ought to!
What do I mean by “go digital”?
It’s funny because when I was talking to some of my coachees about going digital, they completely misunderstood at first. They thought I meant take their day cares online – go virtual. Nope! I’m not even sure how that’d work! What I am referring to is setting up your systems using tech to help you and moving your planning to digital too.
But I love paper…
Hey, don’t get me wrong. I love heading to Target each September and buying new stationery as much as every other female entrepreneur. But the time has come for us to take into consideration the impact that’s having on 1) the planet and 2) the growth of your childcare business.
When I made the shift from paper systems to digital – staffing systems, family systems, planning systems – I saw a huge difference. I spent less time paper shuffling (literally!) and more time on the things that matter. And of course I want that for you too!
1. Going digital saves you time
By turning your childcare biz digital, you can be more efficient. Whether that’s by copying tasks and appointments on your digital planner, dragging and dropping items across on your scheduling app you can save a ton of time in your business with by going digital. You can batch tasks and then duplicate things as and when, erasing items with a click of a button and editing as you need to.
One of the best things about going digital is the ability to search through your apps. This saves you having to sift through paperwork looking for that one thing a client of staff member needs. Being able to find info quickly frees up your time!
2. Take it with you wherever you go
When you go digital, you’ve got no worries if you left your paper planner at home or if your bag is too small for one. You can carry so much more information than ever before! Think of all your work notebooks, folders and drawers of files being instantly accessible from one device. Unlimited portability. (Unless you’ve got one of these bags…)
3. They’re so easy to use
All these digital apps and planners available nowadays are incredibly user friendly! I am no tech whizz, but I have digitized my entire biz and have had no issues – except for keeping up with my biz growth!
4. Going digital is cost effective
Imagine how much money you’re going to save your business in the long run! No trips to Walmart to get your stationery kicks and clutter your office up with more notebooks you’ll never use. And you can wave goodbye to the impractical planner you thought you’d use everyday but actually it sits gathering dust because it’s too big and bulky.
5. Environmentally friendly
Who needs endless reams of post-it notes and pages of notes nowadays? It all creates so much waste. And unless your county has great recycling facilities, that’ll all end up in landfill. So going digital is a green and clean option!
With the reusable features of digital planners and other systems, you won’t need single use paper anymore. And you’ll have digital stickers, no need to buy pencils and pens to use with it either because it’s all reusable. Your digital stationery can be used over and over again!
Which means digital planners are more environmentally friendly than traditional planners, creating less clutter and helping you reduce waste. Less waste, more haste makes Childcare Ninjas awesome!
Let’s make your childcare biz go digital
Hopefully I’ve convinced you that it’s as easy as pie to go digital and now is the time to do it! Soooo…
Digital planning uses the foundation of our traditional method of paper planning and transforms it into a more streamlined process.
Our digital planner enhances productivity by effectively organizing your day and streamlining your workflows. You’ll be able to take notes, keep track of meetings, set your priorities, and quickly accomplish your goals like the Childcare Ninja you are!
Our exclusive planning system was created especially to help today’s childcare professionals get organized! You can easily and quickly plan curriculum, menus, social media scheduling and so much more. There’s even a vision board section! Let’s get you flying high in 2023!
Find cheerleaders and support in prepping for 2023
Even with the best planning system in the world, being a home daycare provider can sometimes feel lonely and overwhelming. Don’t forget that you can find strategies and tips to move your childcare business forward by joining our community! You can hang out with like-minded and aspirational day care owners in there. Plus I go live regularly to talk about topics that’ll help you grow.If you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. Or maybe email is your thang…JOIN OUR MAILING LIST HERE. 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! Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
As Childcare business owners we focus on planning so much, don’t we?! Whether it’s planning for the day care curriculum or contingency planning, there’s always something. But when we enter the third quarter of the year it can feel like it’s time to take our foot off the gas. So I want to share with you why you must plan to plan in your childcare business now rather than later.
It’s important to know what’s actually coming for your childcare business, and what you want to focus on for the rest of this year. Take time to reflect on where you started this school year and how it’s gone. Then look at your goals.
Now is the perfect time to plan in your childcare business
Right now is actually a great time to plan ahead to revamp your school year sessions. We’re coming out of the first half of the year into the second, and your eyes might be on the end of year targets. However I’d love to encourage you to break that down a bit more and put those under a magnifying glass for a moment.
Break up the targets for the end of the year into smaller tasks and then plan for each of those. Chunking it into bitesize pieces makes it a lot less scary! Write down all the things you need to plan for and then take a look at your diary. When can you fit it in? What can you reschedule to make sure you have time?
But Nyckie I just want to slow down for summer
Oh believe me, I hear you! I too would like to slow down and enjoy the summer. I can picture it right now – we’re out in the yard. The grill is fired up, music is on, I’ve got an iced tea in one hand and the other is high-fiving my gorgeous grand babies…mmmm sounds good right!?
But I also know that I do not want to be panicking when the new beginning of the academic year comes round. So trust me when I see a little bit of planning goes a long way at this point! And if you take time to plan right now, you’ll have plenty of time for that cocktail in the garden later on!
Squeeze in some planning sessions during summer
I always say you have to ‘plan’ to ‘plan’ and schedule it in your diary! Even if you can only make time for just the next quarter, it’s better than nothing at all! It can feel overwhelming, so plan in some short sessions – I like to use the Pomodoro method to keep my brain focused.
Whether you’re a paper planner or digital, take your work outside. Try putting your laptop in a cardboard box to keep the reflections off the screen. Or taking out a giant paper pad and pens to map out your plans.
Plan in some fun after your planning time!
Who doesn’t love an incentive to work? You could block out time in your diary for planning time, but then schedule in something awesome for after. Have a drink with an old friend. Take a trip to the park with your kids. Take-out dinner! Movie night with popcorn and candy! Go as fancy as you like. But it doesn’t need to be. Just something to reward your hard work.
Don’t let the new school year chaos creep up…
Trust me when I say it’s going to sneak up on you! You can avoid that new school year chaos with some planning and clarity. Don’t be running around with blinders on, make a plan and get clear on what the beginning of your new school year will look like.
Allow yourself some planning time and get ahead of the game. The last thing you want to be doing in September is scrabbling round for ideas and a plan!
You’ve got to change it up
Remember that you can’t just stick to the same-old thing. What got you “here”, won’t get you to “there”. You’ll need to review and change things up. You can’t just continue to run on what you did last year, we need to be up-levelling all that we do. What got you to 5 figures won’t necessarily get you to 6. Sometimes you have to pivot, leverage, and up-level.
Also with things like Covid-19, the unsteady economy, and all of life’s little changes you will need to do things differently. But just take a deep breath and get started. No one can predict what this coming year will be like, so make it flexible and don’t be afraid of re-jigging things as the world changes!
The good news is with some time and planning you still have an opportunity to knock it out of the park by the end of the year. Read this blog to discover more tips on planning for success!
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Did you know I do live trainings fortnightly?
These are held on Thursday nights in my Facebook group. We start at 8:00pm EST, so why don’t you bring a friend?! Join us in there and get connected with other childcare owners. Every week we’ll move your childcare business forward by with tips and ideas! Hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners as well as trainings from me!
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!
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!
You might be wondering whether an advertising plan is relevant to you as a childcare business owner, especially if you run a small day care center. After all, you’ve got a great reputation and word of mouth clients are keeping your business afloat.
But I have learned over the years that living on a wing and a prayer when it comes to finding new clients doesn’t always work. So I want to take a moment to explain how valuable having an advertising plan can be.
Read on to find out why you should have an advertising plan – even if you run a home day care!
Okay, firstly: what is an advertising plan?
As you already know, I do love a plan and being organized. But this one is extra awesome. Essentially, an advertising plan is the blueprint for how you can use advertising to promote your childcare business. It’s how you’re going to reach out to new clients.
Having a plan in place means that your childcare’s marketing budget isn’t wasted and that the money is put to good use! By creating a plan, you can also make sure that your advertising reaches the correct audience! Yay!
Why does my childcare business need one?
Every business needs an advertising plan! I like to think of it as a kind of guide to promoting your business. Your plan will tell you who your target clients are and how you can reach them. Most importantly, it’ll point out where things aren’t working and what needs more focus.
Instead of struggling on doing the same old thing, having a plan allows you to correct your direction and helps your childcare business to thrive. Putting together a plan means you can save yourself time and money. It’s going to get you attracting your dream clients – you know, the families that you really want to work with! The ones that will be a good fit for your services and the ones you want to support.
What if you’re a home day care?
There are benefits to creating an advertising plan for your Childcare business whether it’s a smaller or a larger center. Sometimes when you’re running smaller business you can feel a little bit like a small fish in a big pond. So you wonder how you can pull clients in when you don’t have as much money to allocate to it. And you’re limited on the time you have to spend on marketing. You can’t afford to waste time or money on the wrong things.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking an advertising or marketing plan is only for bigger providers or centers. Because if you have goals for your business then you should make a plan. Just because you may not be as big as them, it doesn’t mean you can’t put together a plan!
You can create a plan that’s right for your childcare business. One that will help you bring in the ideal clients that you’re looking for within your allocated budget!
When should I make an advertising plan?
Don’t do what I did and wait years before creating a plan! Do it as quickly as possible so you can start to grow at a faster rate, and call in the right clients from the get-go! It’s not impossible to create a plan once you’re established, but it’s much easier and you’ll waste so much less cash if you plan your advertising properly right from the beginning!
How do I begin to create an advertising plan?
First thing’s first: what do you want your advertising plan to achieve? Are you trying to attract new families to your day care or are you trying to encourage current customers to book more sessions? Or maybe you’re offering a new service or are opening a new center? I’ve learned that the best goals are super specific. For example, what kind of increase in enquiries are you looking for and in what time period?
Next you need to figure out what your budget is. How much do you want to spend on promoting your business? If you already have some ideas in mind, how much will these ideas cost you to execute?
Now it’s time to get super clear on who your ideal client is. What are they like? Where do they hang out? What problem are you solving for them? It’s really important that you know how they tick!
What next?
Once you’ve established who you’re speaking to, it’s time to put together your messaging. This is where you communicate all the benefits that your services can provide your clients. You want to make sure your advertising is perfected so that it resonates with your audience and entices them. You want them to feel an urge to learn more about your day care and maybe even book a tour or call with you. (Remember your goal!)
And then you can start to plan how you’ll advertise. What medium will you go for? Purely digital ads or will you have some printed pamphlets as well? Will your budget stretch to bill boards or radio? So many options!
Once you’ve created the plan and implemented your strategies, it’s then time to analyse how you’re doing. But that’s all for another time!
I hope this blog has helped you to see why having a plan for your advertising will help you to achieve more in your childcare business. By creating this plan, you’re going to be able to grow at a quicker rate.
Want to find out more about how advertising plans can help you build a successful childcare business?
Join me in the Facebook group tonight where I’ll be talking about how to make an advertising plan. I’ll be going into more detail about what you need to include and why! I’ll be sharing some things to consider whenever you’re working on that plan and the additional benefits of having an advertising plan for childcare business whatever your size.
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!
Week on 2 pages
MAILING LIST HERE. 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! Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
