by admin | Apr 24, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
Have you been feeling quite “meh” recently? It seems to be a common theme in the online space and I’ve heard it a few times in my Facebook group. So, I want to encourage you to keep moving. Take that next step. Keep on taking action.
It’s hard to keep momentum when the world around us feels a little unstable and out of our control. But it’s not impossible to make progress. So let’s take some control back!
In this blog post, I’m going to share some hard-learned wisdom with you and some tips about how you can keep moving and keep motivated.
Why you might be feeling “blah” right now
First thing’s first: we need to acknowledge the massive year we’ve just experienced. Many of us have had our children at home full time, managing their learning, caring for them and trying to juggle our work simultaneously! Some of us have had to pivot our entire lives. Some of us have had to support our partners who’ve lost their jobs. That’s no small feat. That is HUGE!
Taking time to sit with the uncomfortable, breathe it in, but then take action to move forward. We’ve got to plan for it. What steps can you take right now?
What to do when you’re feeling stuck
I want to share some encouragement right now. There’s a verse that helps me when I feel stuck, frustrated and overwhelmed:
“Faith without works is dead.”
It’s about taking action. This week I really just want to help you to keep moving. So I talked about procrastination last Thursday in my group, and that can take our motivation away. One of the childcare business owners in my group had been feeling a bit “blah”, a bit frustrated and unmotivated. But when we’re having those moments of feeling like giving up and not wanting to go any further then we need to take every ounce of strength we have left in us and take a small step. Baby steps.
As we do that it will rekindle our energy and our willingness to continue the journey.
Every step you take is moving you forward
No doubt you know by now, that the journey is not always easy, in life or business. We all have those moments in life where we want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. We don’t feel like doing anything. That’s where I’ve been the last few weeks. I needed to take time out for my personal loss and I didn’t want to get back into doing some areas of my business. This includes showing up for lives and serving my online community.
I kept telling myself that I wasn’t ready. But eventually, I showed up and just came on. Zero plan, no jazz hands or top tips, I just shared from the heart. And as the words flowed, I started to feel better. Somehow I knew deep down that there was a person in the group that needed me. I was here to encourage them, to lead by example. Somehow, subconsciously I knew there was someone who needed to hear what I was sharing.
Afterwards, a few of the Ninjas let me know that they’d missed me and had really needed that pep talk. Even in the ups and down’s of grief and in my pain right now, being able to help someone else was what I needed to help me to keep pushing and moving forward.
Don’t give up – keep moving!
Hopefully you can see from my own story, that you need to keep going. Someone out there needs what you have to offer. Please don’t give up, take the faith you have and take the tiniest teeny step possible. Even if it’s crawling. Keep going forwards towards your goal. Then sit and watch what the universe does with that!
If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t walk run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving.
– Martin Luther King Jr
And – no matter what I’m going through personally – I’ve got your back. There’s nothing I love more than supporting you, so head on over and join my free Facebook group.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Lao Tzu.
What’s your next step going to be?
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!
by admin | Apr 16, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
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!
by admin | Apr 8, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
This month we’ve been looking at the idea of getting support. Going on a journey in our childcare businesses together from recognising that we need support and figuring out the kind of support we need to make progress. Then researching the type of support we want, and eventually getting it all setup.
So now it’s time to take action. To fit the final piece into the puzzle! But how do we apply what we’ve learned and put it into action so we use the support wisely?
Here’s some of the ways the support you’ve selected can help you to grow your childcare business!
What does your chosen support give you?
Think back to when you were researching the support you need. Was it support with something really specific in your business, like marketing or social media? Perhaps it was getting a mentor or joining a group for accountability support? Those kind of things will give you confidence, stretch your mindset and challenge you to step outside your comfort zone.
But how does it look if the support you’ve chosen is in your personal life? How does that affect us in our businesses? What does that give you exactly? For example if you’ve come to the decision that you need help at home with cleaning, what does that give you?
Simply put, it frees you up to do the things you’ve been putting off in your business. It stops you procrastinating. Use the time you gain back from investing in that support wisely!
How does that affect the business side?
Hopefully you’ve had a chance to think about the things you want to achieve in 2021 with your business. Perhaps it’s hiring more staff so you can extend your capacity for children. Or maybe it’s opening a new day care in an area that needs your services. Whatever your goals look like, getting the support you need is going to help you smash them!
So what can you do in your business now you have that time free? With that extra time how are you going to be intentional about using it to grow your business? You’ve got to create a plan and action it!
Don’t waste your time: make a plan
The last thing you want to be doing, when you’re paying for support (like a cleaner, or a tutor, or a gardener…whatever you’ve opted for!) is wasting your hard earned money. But neither do you want to waste the time you’ve gained back. That time is golden.
So it’s important that you have a plan! Figure out how you’re going to break up that allotted time. Not having a clear plan for how you’ll use that time is almost the same as setting fire to dollar bills twice over! It might sound a little harsh, but you have got to use that time wisely.
Start by writing down the things you want to do in that new time, and put in order of priority. Work out how many things you can realistically achieve in that extra time. So if you usually spend 1 hour vacuuming, maybe you can spend 1 hour doing that marketing course. Or perhaps you could split it into 2 parts. Half an hour to scheduling social media posts, and half an hour to updating the menus for your day care.
Being intentional gets results!
By spending some time making a plan and working out exactly what you’ll do with the extra time, you’re setting yourself up for success. Even when it comes to business support rather than home help, be intentional about how you’re going to apply it so you can create the best results you possibly can.
I have learned this one the hard way! So take it from me, having a plan and sticking to it really helps you stay focused. Since I’ve had help with cleaning, I’ve been able to prioritize growing my childcare empire. I’ve also been able to allocate energy to my Ninja group and developing new ideas.
And investing in business support has given me the confidence I need to take leaps in growth that I might never have had the courage to do before. Having a team of brilliant women around me at all times has meant I can step away if I need to, so that I can plan for world domination!
I hope this blog post has given you some food for thought about how you can really use your time wisely!
Before you go, I’ve got a gift for you! It’s my latest guide: 15 Steps to finding the startup dollars, letting go of the fear, and starting your home childcare business without losing your sanity. I’m so excited about what lies ahead of you once you get your hands on this guide! You can get your guide for FREE right here.
I’m pretty sure that you’re really gonna love it, in fact, I’m hoping that you get sooo much value that you and I will continue your journey into childcare ownership together! My other role, when I’m not juggling my own childcare businesses or my family, is being your hype girl, mentor and cheerleader! There’s nothing I love more than supporting you, so head on over and join my free Facebook group!
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!
by admin | Apr 1, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
When you set up your childcare business, you did it because you have a gift. A gift for inspiring and shaping young minds! But that doesn’t mean you’re a natural marketeer or business whiz, and that’s ok! When I first started as a childcare business owner, I didn’t know about any of this stuff and promoting my business was hard. But it doesn’t have to be hard for you! Apps are where it’s at.
Now there are so many amazing applications you can use to promote your business, and you guessed it – improve your systems!
Here are just a few of my favourite apps for your childcare business…
Get creative with Canva
Canva is a free online designing tool where you can make just about anything look professional without even having to download any fancy software. Need to create an invite to an event at your business, a flyer to advertise, or a picture to share on social media? You can do it all!
You can even upgrade for extra pictures or designs, but there’s so much choice already you probably won’t have to! And there’s a handy smart phone version too for those on-the-go posts!
Be the face of your business on Facebook
Facebook is an amazing way of building a community for your business. You can create private groups for parents to share photos and for you and your team to share photos with them! You can create a business page where people can write you glowing reviews, and you can join mom’s groups to say hi and let them know what services you offer.
I’d recommend creating a profile or page that you use specifically for your business – so you can keep it really professional! Read more about how you can use social media for marketing here.
Spread the joy on Instagram
Instagram is a great way of networking with other childcare business owners, making friends, spreading your personal journey, and sharing some joy! A lot of your potential customers will be on there, hanging out, so I highly recommend getting involved in this app!
Choose pictures of you, your space, quotes you love, advice you have for others, and the people who make your business tick. If you’re going to share pictures of your mini clients, make sure you have permission from their mom’s and dad’s and only show their backs, let’s keep their little faces off the ‘gram!
Share all the good stuff with ContentCal!
Why make your life harder? You’re a small business owner who is growing and scaling their business. To make life easier, schedule your content in advance with tools like ContentCal. It’s such a great idea to use scheduling apps for your childcare business.
ContentCal means you can plan out your whole week’s content with your gorgeous designs from Canva! Share on your social media accounts without having to post live. As time goes on, you’ll see when people really love to see your content and can start sharing at those times.
Get it all together on Kartra
Kartra is a one-stop-shop for so so much. Websites, emails, agency management, helpdesks, calendars, payment processes – you can do it all in one place! There are loads of different styles of memberships so you can adapt what you pay based on what you need. Just up what you pay when your business grows.
I do all the things on there that I need to grow my business and it makes it easy just having one thing to do it all! Rather than opening 72 million tabs to get some marketing done! If you want to give it a try, I have a link especially for you right here.
Stay in touch on Slack
I couldn’t get through a post without reiterating how systems = success! I use Slack to keep in regular contact with my team. You can create channels for each project, maybe it’s a new opening or a great Christmas event you have planned. All the relevant team members can be in the channel and get updated whenever messages are sent.
You can set up meetings, share files, and most importantly keep in touch and stay connected with the people who make your business tick!
Make your life easier, today! Try these apps for your childcare business!
Using apps and tools has helped me revolutionize my business and seen my business grow. Have you tried other apps for your childcare business? Are there any tools you’re using that I haven’t covered? Then why not join my Facebook Group to pick up the conversation – let’s learn together! In the Childcare Ninja Facebook group, we’re always sharing ideas and learning from each other- creating our childcare empires!
There’s no need to go it alone on your childcare business journey when there is a huge community just waiting to support you and lift your business to new heights
– see you at the top!
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!
by admin | Mar 19, 2021 | Blog, Uncategorized
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!
