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!
None of us go into the childcare business lightly. And we certainly don’t tend to enter this industry if we lack passion for children and families! We love the kids we work with, right? To a point, the job itself is a reward. But what are the other rewards of being a childcare business owner?
There are plenty of reasons —outside of the families we work with— that make owning a childcare business awesome. I wanted to share them with you because I think sometimes being a childcare owner is underrated and underestimated! Not only do we get to have fun occasionally, but the potential to make more than just a decent living.
So what are the top 5 rewards of being a childcare business owner? Read on to find out…
Reward 1: Family
I’d bet my bottom dollar that you and I both share our why. Is your raison d’être family too? My family was the the spark that lit the fire in my belly and kept me pushing through the challenges. As a single parent, I knew I needed to build a stable life for them. I wanted to be at all of their sports games, attend every recital — I didn’t want to miss a thing! And because I started my day care instead of slaving away in a low wage desk job, I was able to do just that! I could treasure family time.
Coming back to your why is incredibly powerful. When you have a strong why, you have the strength to persevere. You have a motivator that makes you try that little bit harder! If you haven’t watched these two TED talks, here and here, I highly recommend you do.
I honestly believe that starting your own day care business gives you the flexibility and freedom you deserve to have with your family. I want that flexibility for you too, Ninja! Which leads me nicely to the second reward of being a childcare owner…
Reward 2: Flexibility
Being able to enjoy your family and put them front and center is top of the agenda, but to do more of that we need more time. And that is a huge factor that you can gain once your childcare business is up and running.
Y’all know that time is precious. In fact it’s the most priceless commodity we have. What would you give to gain more time with your family, and doing the things you love? Of course there are challenges to get to the stage where you’ve got more free time, but when you get there it tastes so sweet! Trust me!
In my Facebook group you’ll find that I’ve shared how I overcame the challenges to get to where I am today. Do you want flexibility too?
Reward 3: Financial freedom
Here’s the tea: It’s hard to get wealthy just with a job by itself. When I was working my 9-5, the thing that stood out to me was that I earned a set wage. I could work harder and be more productive with my time, but it would still be the same. If I was lucky I’d maybe get a 3-5% increase and the odd bonus on occasion. I didn’t want to be stuck in a job I hated struggling to get by, knowing that my daughters were missing out on the things they wanted.
When I started my childcare business (almost 15 years ago!) this is something I desperately wanted and needed! I barely thought about anything else but FREEDOM! So, I wonder if you dream of FREEDOM? Freedom to set your own schedule? Freedom to take time off knowing your income isn’t just relying on you? Freedom to spend money on what matters, when it matters? Freedom to go to your kids school events without asking for time off?
Earning more and having these opportunities has been another wonderful benefit of being a childcare owner. With hard work and self-belief, my business grew and became more successful. Holidays, nice clothes, or a spacious home weren’t an option before I started my biz.
I’m here reminding you today that it’s really possible to OWN your finances! YOU can determine your income. If I can do it, I know you can too. You got this!
Reward 4: Legacy
One of the biggest reasons I started this business was to leave a legacy for my girls. I wanted to create something amazing that I could pass down to my children. Something that they can inherit and build upon. Something successful that enables them to live a fulfilling life that they love too!
I am driven by a passion to pass on generational wealth, which is POWERFUL. Particularly as women. And even more so if you’re a woman of color. These things matter! Leaving a legacy is a massive reward of being a childcare owner.
Dunno about you, but I never want my kids to burn out working a depressing 9-5. I don’t want to see them busting their gut all day long just to put food on the table. I want more for my kids. Don’t you?
Do you have a legacy to leave to your children yet, Ninja?
Reward 5: Empower women
It is an absolutely amazing feeling when you get to a stage in your business where you literally have EVERYTHING you want. The house, the car, the money, the freedom, flexibility…I mean EVERYTHING just falls into place. The peace of mind, the security — it’s nothing short of life-changing. As my business shifted a few years back to this new place in the grand plan, I just knew I had to give back. I had to pay it forward so other women could also live a life like this!
My team is made up of brilliant women. I love working with them and providing them with the tools they need to excel. But I craved being able to help more women. Women like you. Women with a dream of something bigger. It’s why I began working on group programmes and now I’m opening my Ninja membership – so I can support more women to achieve what I’ve done!
Which rewards of being a childcare owner are you looking forward to most?
It is an absolutely amazing feeling when you get to a stage in your business where you literally have EVERYTHING you want. The house, the car, the money, the freedom, flexibility…I mean EVERYTHING just falls into place. The peace of mind, the security, it’s life-changing.
As my business shifted to this place I knew I had to give back. I had to pay it forward so other women could also live a life like this! This is why I have created my Club membership for Childcare Ninjas. It is all the learning you need to start and grow your childcare business, all the inspiration, motivation, and kick in the butt you need to keep going, and it is direct access to me so you are not alone.
I am also offering the Founding Members lifetime access at this incredible price of just $28 per month!
Yaaassssssssssssssss!! You did indeed read that correctly!! You ought to snap this incredible offer up pronto! We kick off on 1st June so hurry scurry now! Invest in yourself as a founding member…
As if it’s nearly halfway through 2021 already?! And this month is a great time to celebrate your team and yourself! We had International Workers Day on May 1st, Mother’s Day is coming up, and it’s soon to be Teacher Appreciation week. All of which are relevant to you and your staff. So why not celebrate the progress you’ve made so far this year!
At this point in the year, I like to take some time to reflect on how far I’ve come, and to assess where I’m at in relation to the goals I initially set in Q1. I know how easy it is to get swept up doing the day job, so much so that the wins can slip by unnoticed. Or the dreams we had at the start of the year are forgotten.
It’s time to take stock and celebrate the steps we’ve taken!
May the Joy be with you
Every year, May seems to be a month of celebration. Singing the praises of teachers and moms and workers! Yay! But I wanted to shout out all the brilliant things you’re doing too! As childcare business owners we step into our families’ parenting shoes and we do quite a lot of teaching as well.
You are amazing community leaders, supporting parents to do their jobs in difficult times, and nurturing their babies! You’ve helped keep your country’s economy going. We are superheroes! Where’s your cape!? Let’s celebrate the last few months together!
Where did you begin 2021?
We all had high hopes for 2021 after 2020 and the Covid-19 drama…we thought we’d have moved on by now. But the reality hasn’t been as great as we’d hoped maybe. In January I remember me and my teams all sat down and went through plans for the next few months. Not just the day-to-day learning and care stuff, but I wanted to encourage them to be a part of my vision.
It’s easy to get caught up with the business of life and the Childcare Business but make sure to take stock of all those amazing plans we made at the start of the year. So what did you set as your goal earlier this year? Revisit your vision board and your goals list. Are there any bigger goals that got left behind? Because there’s still enough time to do them, choose to go all in!
Did you have a foolproof strategy in place to ensure that you took action? I’d love for you to reflect on the goals you set yourself. Where are you at in your journey towards them? Have you been meeting your SMART targets?
Where are you at now?
We’re almost halfway through 2021! Can you believe it? It’s like I blinked and FebMarchApril happened! Anyway, time is flying! So as we approach the midpoint, now’s a good time to reflect and check in and assess where you are.
Check your progress in detail. Imagine your goal as a destination; Whereabouts are you on the road to it? Reflect on some things like what’s working? Where have I gone wrong? What changes do I need to make? We need to look at all these things and push forward and put in place the things that need to be done so we can accomplish our dreams for 2021.
Make a note of the steps you’ve got left to take. Perhaps as we’re almost 6 months in it’s time to buckle down and zoom in on the bigger goals. Let’s take those dreams – the ones we are passionate about – and shout out: “Yassssssssssssss!! I’m going to finish it this year, I’m going to smash it!” Now we’ve got to get laser focused, give it 110% and throw everything we’ve got at these goals and go for it!
What can you celebrate?
So please use this month as a time to give yourself a pat on the back for making it through such a weird year, for being a shining light in the darkness! Clink a glass or two to celebrate how far you’ve come since January. Even if the wins seem small, it doesn’t matter!
I also want to celebrate and thank all the Childcare Business owners with it being Teachers Appreciation Week and Mother’s Day coming up!
As day care and childcare providers we definitely teach like teachers and care for kids just like moms do! SO this is my big thank you for EVERYTHING you do for your families and for the community you serve.
One of the ways I say thank you is via my freebies! So please head over and download resources that you’ll find useful. I think you’ll love my Weekly Planner – so you can stay on track to achieving your goals!
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! 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!
If you asked me what’s one thing I wish I’d had when I was setting up as a childcare business, it’d be a simple step-by-step guide. A guide of the things I needed to do to ensure my day care was legal, marketable and (most importantly!) AWESOME. Because when I set up 15 years ago, I had to make it up as I was going along.
So I spent years learning the ropes and figuring it out solo! It dawned on me that maybe I could create a road map for new childcare business owners. Read on to find out more!
Wishing on a star
At the time I set up, I had no such thing. I was absolutely winging it. I remember wishing that someone – a local mentor, a kind stranger, God…whoever! – might give me a hand figuring it all out. Setting up as a childcare business owner was something I wanted and needed to do, but a guide would’ve been super helpful!
So instead of you having to do the same thing, I set up Childcare Ninjas! I want to support you on your journey. My mission is to help Childcare Ninjas (like you!) build a 6-figure business you love, so you can live life on YOUR terms. No sitting, waiting, wishing for you!
Congratulations on the best decision of your life!
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to a friend about pivotal moments in our lives. Hers was pretty huge but tainted with regret. Mine, however, was full of positivity. Can you guess what it was, Ninja? That’s right! Mine was taking the leap to build my own day care business. Doing that gave me the security I so badly needed, but also the freedom I craved. I was then able to raise my babies AND be of service in my community, in a job that I adore!
So huge congratulations on making the decision to start your own childcare business! This is honestly going to be the best business decision you’ll ever make. Welcome to the magical world of autonomy and being your own boss! This is a role that will give you all the creativity, flexibility and financial security you’ve been yearning for!
Reminder: this is not an easy option
Now, before you let anyone tell you otherwise, setting up as a childcare business is not an easy ride. It is damned hard work in the beginning. The list of things to do can seem endless and the hoops you’ve got to jump through feel frustrating. There’s no getting round the fact that it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.
However, it doesn’t have to be a miserable journey! I am here to make it SIMPLE for you, and I am here to SUPPORT you. Truth being told, if you want to run a successful childcare business, you need the right information from someone that has already walked that road. Oh hello! That’d be me!
I want to help you create a plan of action and get crystal clear on why you’re setting up as a childcare business. Because once you’ve nailed your why, everything else feels a little less draining! Like Jiminy Cricket, let me be your guide…
Knowing WHY you’re setting up as a childcare business
It might sound a little silly, but your why really does matter. And here’s a clue: it can’t be “to make millions”. Why? Because – although that’s nice and all – when things go wrong, as they no doubt will somewhere along the way, that isn’t a strong enough reason to persevere.
Your why is key to giving you strength to keep going. I love this TED talk by Stacey Abrams, where she explains that without having a clear reason that drives you, “the ‘do’ is meaningless”. And I know things might get hard if others stop believing in you and they might even try to tell you to stop chasing your dreams. Going back to your why time and time again will motivate you and help you block out the naysayers!
Practicalities are boring but necessary!
There’s so much to think about when you’re setting up as a childcare business. Where will you run the business? From home or another location? Who’s your target market? Will you have a team to support you? What are the legal things you need to know?! So many questions. And by all means, you can Google each one of them every time a question pops up.
And so much of it is dull, right? When can you just look after the kids and help them grow into awesome human beings?! To get to the fun bit, there’s a few necessary bridges to cross first: licensing and getting registered, setting up systems, finding your families…
But having a practical plan to figure all of this out would be helpful wouldn’t it? I know I wish I’d been given some sort of guide instead of living on a wing and prayer!
Step-by-step guide to getting started
When I first decided to offer childcare in my home around my job as an admin for a small church, I hadn’t a clue what I was doing. I knew I wanted to have the chance to spend time with my daughters and earn a living at the same time.
When I sat down to think of what my Ninjas truly need to set up their businesses, I realised that they need what I never had! So I created a guide to give you what you need to get started. It’s exactly what I wish someone had given me all those years ago.
This guide explains how to start your own childcare, from choosing your logo and choosing a location, to licensing and registration, choosing our team, and managing your day-to-day operations. It’s all broken down for you, and all in one place! No more Googling every. Darned. Thing. It’s insanely simple!
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!
