One of the things I hear on a daily basis from other childcare business owners is that they “don’t have time”. What’s the common denominator of successful entrepreneurs and CEOs? It’s that they’ve honed excellent time management skills and are great at prioritizing. So this blog is focused on why it’s important that you up-level yours!
I want to share my tips for getting better at managing your time, including an app I use that has transformed the way I prepare myself for the day ahead. How we use our time can be a total game-changer in becoming successful in Childcare Business Owners.
Read on if you’re ready to find more time and get more done!
Where are you wasting time?
First things first, you need to look at where you’re spending your time at the moment. Track what you’re doing, hour by hour, minute by minute. How long to you spend in the shower? Putting on your make-up? Getting your kids ready for school? Making pack-lunches? It’s important that you can look at where there’s time going to waste.
Note all your activities down, trying not to be too hard on yourself. Is there anything that you’re doing on the daily that could be batched? Or perhaps you’ve noticed that you’re scrolling for too long and your smartphone time is getting silly. Maybe you’ve realized that you need to spend less time watching TV. This isn’t about judging yourself harshly. It’s about noticing and making positive changes.
Time for a change in routine
Mornings are frequently where we can make changes with our time. So often it’s a time of the day when we’re rushing around like headless chickens, trying to make sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing. Mornings can be so hectic, it’s super easy to get caught up with rigmarole of the day and get ourselves overwhelmed. So if you make a single change after reading this blog post, let it be this one: allow yourself to have a morning routine.
I really want you to make a morning routine sacred in your day. When you carve out that time in the morning it helps get your day started off right and really helps you to hone in on what matters most to you.
You’ve got to give time to make time!
I know what you’re thinking, Ninja! You’re sat there, eye-rolling at this blog, right? Wondering where you’re going to find the time to plan out your time management. Oh the irony! I hear you. We’re all busy and we’ve all got mental To Do lists that are longer than the washing line. But I’m not messing around when I say this is life-changing. When you nail your morning routine, and track your time, you’re onto a winner!
Block out time as soon as possible – even if it’s over the weekend – to map out and plan your mornings. What do you want them to look like from now on? Where do your priorities lie? What kind of schedule will you set up? Can you categorize activities to make it easier? As soon as you start your new routine, you’ll quickly claw back any time spent planning, because your focus will be better and you won’t be as easily distracted because you’re sticking to a schedule.
There’s an app for that
I’m using this brilliant tool at the moment called “Seconds”. It’s an awesome app that really helps you get to grips with how you’re spending your time. It allows you to track how long you spend on different activities.
By tracking your time you can see where it’s going and you can assess whether your time is being used on priorities or being frivolously frittered away. I promise you, it’s a real eye opener! And you won’t necessarily like what it tells you…but it’s truly helping me to see where I need to spend less time and where I need to increase it. Tracking my time means I can focus on the things that are actually going to help me grow my business.
An added bonus has been that I now place more value on my time, therefore I don’t waste time doing things that won’t help me achieve my goals.
Timing your activities
The “seconds” app is helping me so much with time management, but especially when it comes to my morning routine. Each activity is allocated a set time on the app. For example, I set it to give me 15 minutes to workout, 20 minutes to shower, 15 minutes for reading and I allow myself a much needed 30 minutes of meditation and prayer.
Sticking to a time for every task and being mindful and motivated to follow your routine means you begin to see things differently. You’ll discover you aren’t as laid back about what you’re spending time doing and become more intentional and protective of your time. When I started attaching tasks and time together, that time became more important to me as it was now scheduled in.
Other ideas to up your time management game
As well as the “seconds” app and creating a morning routine, there’s plenty of other things you could try. I’ve heard great things about this book by Laura Vanderkam, and Marie Forleo talks about how to stop wasting time and become more productive here. You could try out what Silicon Valley execs do with their wardrobes – simplify to save time! Use the Pomodoro method for your daily tasks.
Hopefully you can see that it’s not rocket science. Time management is all about learning where you can use your time more effectively and being committed to a routine and prioritizing well. Furthermore, when you master time management, you create more time for doing the things that bring you joy and happiness!
I’d love for you to join us in the Childcare Ninja Facebook group where we’re all sharing ideas and learning from each other. We are an army of childcare professionals who are honing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup! Interested in becoming a part of the community? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
As Childcare Business owners we need to create all kinds of documents for the everyday running of our daycares. That might be important registration forms, rotas, meal planners, or simply printables for the kids. But wouldn’t it be great to know how to uplevel your childcare business documents right now?
Now, y’all know I’m not the most tech savvy Childcare Business owner in the universe, but there’s one particular tool that I use that has helped me raise my game!
In this blog I’m going to share with you how I’ve revolutionized and completely simplified my document creating process. Only read on if you’re ready to simplify your life!
What are you talking about, Nyckie?
Okay, okay. So I probably ought to tell you what the tool is! It’s Canva! It’s is an amazing tool. And this week I wanted to talk about how this brilliant tool can help you in your business.
It’s not usually what I do in these blogs but when I was chatting to some other Childcare Ninjas last month, it was clear that not everyone knows about it. I guess most of the time we’re too busy to explore the range of amazing resources right at our fingertips. It’s made a huge impact on my childcare business and I want to help you do the same. And it’s so powerful knowing about the different tech tools that can level up your business in so many exciting ways.
(And, just so we’re clear – this isn’t an #ad and there’s no affiliate links! I just LOVE this tool so much and needed to make sure y’all know about it!!)
Simple way to uplevel childcare business documents
When someone first told me about Canva a couple of years ago, I was like, “no way! I’m not a designer! I won’t be able to do this!” And I still can’t believe that I’ve been using it to create all sorts of things for my businesses since. Me?! It still makes me laugh!
What I love about Canva is that it’s a tool that is so simple to use. It’s been created by designers but is super simple to use. Which makes it ideal for those non-designers like me and you! So it’s perfect if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy or creative this Canva is definitely the design tool for you!
It’s intuitive and laid out in a way that makes sense. (Unlike so many other tool I’ve tried – I’m looking at you, Photoshop!)
Save time while leveling up!
When you’re caught up in the daily stress of running a childcare business, who’s got time to be searching for tools?! Well, that’s why I thought I’d tell you about Canva. Here are just a few of the ways it can save you time!
You can create a “Brand Kit” with all your colors and fonts, so you don’t have to search for the exact match each time. You can save your logo in there and drop it onto all the things you design. (They’ve also got amazing advice on how to do your own branding.)
Once you’ve created something, you can duplicate it with one click and adapt your creation to the next thing. No more cutting and pasting into boring PDFs or Word documents.
There’s tonnes and tonnes of templates ready for you to use and alter. Want a schedule of activities for your families? You got it! Need a new brochure for marketing? Here ya go. Not sure what to share on your social media? Get inspiration here. And that’s before we even get to the documents we need to use on a daily basis for running our businesses: invoices, ID cards, sign off sheets, checklists…you name it!
We haven’t got time to waste on creating things from scratch every time! Honestly, it’s a total game changer! Go on, give it a try.
Tech doesn’t have to be pricey
Back when I first set up my Childcare Business, it was impossible to get good design without spending hours learning to use a complicated (and clunky!) tool that cost a fortune, before caving in out of frustration and trying to find a vaguely affordable graphic designer.
Well it’s all changed now! We’ve been blessed with this fantastic tool and we should all be making the most of it! Canva has an extensive FREE package so you can get started without spending a penny. And the paid version doesn’t cost anywhere near as much as you might think. By using a tool like this you can uplevel childcare business documents simply and quickly.
For less than your weekly take-out coffee, you can have gorgeous designs for your business! So it’s great for new businesses who’ve got a tight budget. Have a look here for other ways to save money when you start your childcare business.
Get creative
Honestly, the world is your oyster when it comes to designing stuff! It’s a tool we use in both my Childcare Business and with Childcare Ninjas. You can use it to create all sorts like your documents, forms, printables, kids activities and reward certificates, through to your marketing materials. I’m not kidding when I say this is the best way to uplevel childcare business documents. I am so grateful to have this tool!
You can actually have bucket-loads of fun getting creative and designing everything for your Childcare Business. There’s gifs and stickers, meme makers and video templates too, so you can think outside the box and really make your business stand out! And there’s templates for personal things too – Christmas cards, planners, invitations and even T-shirts! All. The. Things!
I hope you’ve found this blog super helpful. If you have, share it with a friend!
Also, if you liked this, I wonder whether you’ve found the Childcare Ninja Facebook group yet? 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 a part of the community? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
We all have moments in our lives when things get frustrating. When things just aren’t happening fast enough and the good times seem a mile off. Is struggle something that builds character?
Sometimes it’s difficult to see the wood for the trees, isn’t it? And given all that’s happened in this bizarre year, I thought now would be a good time to think about why it’s important that while we grow our businesses, we also build our strength. So what can we do to develop our resilience and change our mindset?
This blog post is going to help you see how growing your childcare business builds character and tricky times are a blessing in disguise.
Patience builds character
Right now I’m in the process of trying to open a new daycare center and boy oh boy! It is taking FOREVER! Everything that could’ve been a little awkward has turned out to be a nightmare; and even all the things that should’ve been a walk in the park have given me headaches on the regular.
However, I am constantly having to remind myself that it’s all a learning curve. That it doesn’t matter how long I’ve been doing this for, I need to seek opportunities to grow and build on what I know. Every time I hit a stone in the road, I have to remind myself that it’s building my patience. I remember that I’m growing my resilience. And each moment adds to the evidence I have for how I thrive to succeed – even when times get tough.
So I am constantly repeating to myself “try and enjoy the journey”. And I wanted to write this to encourage you, too!
Take stock of your resilience
2020 has been quite the year, hasn’t it? Many of us have lost family members, good friends and people in our communities. The situation has brought with it not only health worries but financial uncertainty. So whatever situation you find yourself, I am sending you love from PA. But I’m also sending you a sprinkle of encouragement and a fistful of hope.
Because, while we might not know what’s waiting for us in 2021, and we’re under a veil of un-sureness as to what’s ahead…I don’t want you to feel like there’s nothing to look forward to. I want you to take stock of all the things you’ve achieved this year, despite there being a global pandemic. How safe you’ve made the children in your care feel, and how well you and your team have coped in spite of everything else going on.
Celebrate the positives (yes, even the tiniest ones!)
We’ve just celebrated Thanksgiving here in the US (which totally signals the end of the year is close), so let’s come out and finish 2020 on a high. Let’s look over the last year and list all the positives. What are you thankful for? What has helped you learn and grow as a business owner and how has that helped you build character? Dig deep and really celebrate the positives – notice the silver linings in the mundane everyday things you’ve been doing.
As a childcare business owner, you get to work with amazing families every day, and you’re often one of their most valued experts. You’ve enabled parents to keep sane during this madness, by looking after their babies for a day or two so they can get things done. No matter how stressful it might have been, you and your team have provided a harbor from the storm for those kids you care for.
I know that my situation allowed me to help a family have the happiest day of their lives during the crisis! What positives can you write down? Scribble all the positives into a notebook, or onto post-its, and celebrate with your family and your team. Create a gratitude tree or a thankfulness tree in your home, office, or daycare center. Ask others to contribute!
Flip the switch
It’s all about mindset. If you continually look for the bad things that have happened and get bogged down in all the negativity, you’re not going to feel good about moving forward. Whereas if you look for the progress markers from this year, seek out the good things that happened and celebrate them, then you’re going into 2021 with a good attitude. You’re showing the universe that you’re ready for anything!
I am sure you’ve seen your business surviving, and possibly thriving (seeing as we are recognized as essential now!), and that’s great. But it’s not just your business that’s growing. Situations like a global pandemic really emphasize how it builds character too.
There are so many hidden blessings, you’ve just got to look for them.
I hope this blog post has brought a smile to your face. These times are tough for many of us, but don’t let that stop you from going out there and bringing your game-face! You’re a Childcare Ninja, after all.
Also, if you liked this, I wonder whether you’ve found the Childcare Ninja Facebook group yet? 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 a part of the community? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
By now I’m sure you know that I’m all about nurturing my team to become the best rockstars they can be and that your childcare business deserves. It’s important to keep working with them and developing them so that your business can grow. And to do that, we must supercharge our staff with their training!
So what does training your staff look like at the moment? Are you offering as much professional development as possible to challenge and hone your team? Are you ensuring that your childcare business is ready for a spot-check inspection?
I’m going to give you some ideas for how to make training less of a burden to both you and your team.
Organize your training
In order to make sure all your staff receive the training they’re supposed to, you’ve got to have systems in place. If you don’t someone is going to get missed and that could really cause chaos. By taking some time to plan out all your training sessions and have a tracking system in place, you won’t have to have a mad rush to get someone’s training done if there’s suddenly an inspection.
You can keep a paper tracker, or use an online system that you update or send out to staff when they’ve completed their training. Knowing who has got what in terms of staff training will really help you with planning for professional development opportunities for the following year. There’s always gaps in knowledge that need attending to! And in our industry, there are constantly new initiatives and resources to learn about.
Keep staff training simple
This one isn’t just about simplifying things so that you can keep on top of where everyone is at in terms of training…it’s just as important that you simplify things for your team members as well.
Instead of expecting your team to travel to training or stay late after their shift finishes, you can make their lives simpler by booking online options. This way, you’re both free of any obligation to book transportation or accommodation, and they can complete the training in their own home at their leisure.
Virtual training
Doing training virtually will not only simplify things, it’s going to help your budget and your stress levels! It’s much easier to keep track of who’s attended what and you can do so many different trainings online nowadays!
In the past, it used to be really difficult to find good quality, state recognized virtual training programs. But things have moved on so much! Especially in the last year. However, even before Covid-19 took center stage, many states were offering digital versions of trainings and they made the opportunities for learning more flexible and accessible. So now you can get trained by experts without being physically present and even from the comfort of your own home.
If you do find some excellent training courses online, double check it is eligible for your state requirements. Here in PA we’re still required to do our CPR training in person but there are lots we can do virtually. Luckily, there are now a lot of other online trainings that you can get that are taken into account by inspectors, where they didn’t used to. So make the most of this new revelation and train up your team!
Budgeting for training
When you’re booking in training sessions for your team, try and look for the best value. That doesn’t always mean the least expensive! It’s about getting a balance. The price has to fit, but what are you getting for your dollars? It’s all very well having some cheap online training, but what if it isn’t recognized by your state authorities? That’d be a waste of money. So ensure that you do your research.
I’ve written about budgeting before, and how starting a childcare business doesn’t have to break the bank. Read more about that here.
You must make sure you plan staff training into your annual budget. It’s a must, and you’ve got to keep on top of the game to grow your childcare business. Nobody wants to send their kids to a daycare where the staff are haphazardly trained and where learning isn’t valued. And we’re all learners in childcare aren’t we?! It’s how we stay young and agile!
Train your staff to be childcare rockstars!
I hope this has shown you how to lead your team to become the rock stars they’ve always meant to be! Let me know in the comments if you have any other tactics to share. I’m always keen to develop my leadership skills and continue my own Childcare Ninja journey!
Before you go, have you found the Childcare Ninja Facebook group yet? We are an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup! Interested in becoming a part of the community? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
It’s Marketing Week here at Childcare Ninjas HQ and in my community we’re sharing our ideas and experience. As such, I wanted to take this time to encourage you to make your childcare business marketing more simple. In this blog post, I’m going to reveal some steps you can take that will reduce the stress that marketing often brings! I want to help you in making marketing easy!
I’ve heard new childcare business owners talking about how they complicated their marketing is. So I want to tell you it doesn’t have to be! Read on to find out how…
1. Keep your marketing simple
As childcare business owners, it’s very tempting to try to be in all the places, all the time. But I need you to hear me on this one: you cannot be everywhere AND do a good job at marketing. Not without spending a fortune and hiring someone (which you can eventually, just maybe not right now?).
Spreading yourself too thin is a common mistake that new childcare bosses make, and I want you to know that actually it’s much more effective to focus your energy and time on one or two platforms, rather than trying to juggle four or five of them! If you know that your families hang out on Facebook, then that is where you should be targeting. Whereas if you’ve got a younger client base, perhaps TikTok is where you could focus your energies.
And it’s not just about social media, printing posters and putting them up in local facilities can get you lots of leads too. Read this blog to give you more ideas. But, try to keep it simple: Don’t try to be everywhere! Do a couple of things really well!!
2. Budget for your marketing
This one is a bit of a no brainer, but if you’re new to childcare ownership is can also feel totally alien. When it comes to marketing, you need to figure out a budget that works for you and your business. It’s vital that you know your budget and can find ways to market your business in a cost effective manner.
After you’ve paid your staff, yourself, and all the bills for your business, what have you got left in your budget? Think about what can you specifically allocate to marketing and still allow a buffer for emergencies. When you’ve worked out your monthly budget, you can work out how you’re going to spend it. Will you be putting money into publishing a local magazine advertisement, paying for social media ads or going old school?
It’s also key that you can look at something you’ve marketed and work out what the return on investment (ROI) was. For example, if you put $50 into some 500 flyers for the local area, how many new clients got in touch – 5? That’s $10 per lead. How can you improve that?
3. Plan your marketing
Putting a plan in place means that any marketing you do will be more likely to have an impact. It will give you a clear map of how you want to market your childcare business and also act as a compass for the purpose and direction of your marketing. Without a plan, you’re just shouting ineffectively into the wind and it’s a waste of your time and energy!
So make a plan. What are you marketing? To whom? Why? Where will you market it? How? When? Don’t be afraid to break it down into bitesize chunks so it feels more manageable. You got this, Ninja!
4. Schedule and implement your plan
Once you’ve laid out your plans, you’re going to have to block out the time you need to take action. Set yourself some deadlines, and start to put together a timeline. Where are you going to start? What is your sales funnel leading them towards?
If you can automate and schedule your marketing content, I’d highly recommend doing so! Since I began using systems and scheduling software for my marketing, I’ve managed to claw back some precious time and can focus on the things I love doing – which is supporting childcare business owners to become ninjas in what they do! Oh and of course, being a childcare boss myself and looking out for my team and the families we serve.
So I encourage you to get focused on what you need to do and when and make it as easy as possible by scheduling! And now get implementing! Go, Ninja, go!
When you follow these 4 simple steps, you’re going to start seeing your hard work pay off!
What gives you a headache when it comes to marketing? Have you tried breaking it down into baby steps? I hope this blog has helped you realize marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. I’d love to help you get clearer on this. Leave a comment or head to the Childcare Ninja Facebook group to discuss how to make marketing your childcare business as simple as pie. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
While you’re here, are you in the Childcare Ninja membership yet? 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! It’s full of exclusive resources and support to help you grow your Childcare Business.
During last decade – and beyond – I’ve heard countless money myths being waved around as reasons for hesitation when it comes to taking a step into owning your own childcare business. And while some of the rumors might be a hangover from days gone by, most of them are just factually incorrect and are certainly nothing I’ve ever witnessed.
There’s only so much time to write these blogs and you’ve not got all day to read them, have you?! So in this post, I’m busting three of the myths that keep popping up in Childcare Ninja conversations. Read on if you’d like to find out why you need to ignore the money myths and listen to your heart!
Money Myth 1: Expensive to get going
Not true! There are tonnes of ways you can start your childcare business on a budget. I’ve written a few blogs on this, but it is possible to start a wildly successful childcare business with limited financial backing. I know because I’ve done it! Cut back on expenses – do you need those subscriptions or the organic food? Could you strip it back to the bare minimum temporarily until your profits start coming in?
Look into ways of getting more knowledgeable that don’t involve spending money or spreading the cost between yourself and other childcare facilities. Sign up to mailing lists and free trainings and teachings around legislation and regulations.
Setting up your childcare business doesn’t have to be expensive. You don’t need an all-singing, all-dancing childcare business to get going. I think the phrase is “done is better than perfect”. Don’t let fear of getting started put you off.
Money Myth 2: Childcare owners can’t make a profit
This one always makes me laugh, because my business is testament to the fact that you most certainly can make a profit! Don’t be intimidated by the money talk around childcare. A lot of the chatter is around the issue that our industry is not valued by many in our society, despite us being a lifeline to families. The recent pandemic highlighted how essential we are (which we all knew!). But the debate as to whether we’re profitable is nonsense.
You can have a successful childcare business that brings in a profit. It takes hard work, effort and planning, but it is definitely achievable. I’m working with a number of childcare business owners – my Childcare Ninjas! – helping them scale up and grow their businesses to become even more profitable.
Money Myth 3: Hard to keep up
Funnily enough, this money myth is a teensy bit true. Yes, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with changing policies and legislation. I could probably dedicate an entire year to reading documents and keeping up with current practice. And of course all the regulations are essential so we have to keep on top of it all.
However, when you’re savvy and have a great team around you, you can split the training sessions between you and share the knowledge when you get back. You can sign up to emails that will keep you up to date, and you can join networks with other childcare businesses. There’s also a great Facebook group I’ve heard about, for Childcare Ninjas like you 😉
Tips for battling the money myths
Over the years I’ve been running my own childcare business, I’ve discovered some ways that you can combat the money myths out there! Here are a few tips to help you on your childcare business journey.
Firstly, surround yourself with encouragers and people who support your dreams. It’s so much easier when you’ve got like-minded people giving you motivation and rallying around you. It’s also important that you can trust them and know that they have faith in your abilities. There’s nothing worse than constantly having to second guess yourself because of negative comments about things that you didn’t ask for an opinion on.
Be wise with your money
Second, y’all know I love systematizing, so you won’t be surprised to hear me say this! So here goes: Get yourself some systems that help you manage your business better. This will save you time and money to invest elsewhere in your childcare business. When you’re more organized and things are streamlined, you can budget better.
Next, I’d like to encourage you to invest in yourself. With the savings you make on time and with budgeting better via systems, you should put that towards bettering yourself. Learning never goes out of fashion! And educating yourself and self development is never a waste of money. Whether that’s additional childcare training or a business diploma, the decision to prioritize YOU as a business owner is pivotal to your success!
My last tip is that you get help with finance. I’m not talking about loans and borrowing money (although if you’re going to do that, make sure it’s ethical and in your best interests! Steer clear of sharks). No, I mean getting your head straight when it comes to finance. Take time to get some money mindset coaching, and another idea is to learn how to do your own accounts.
I hope you’ve found this blog super helpful. If you have, share it with a friend!
Also, if you appreciated the tips in this post, there are plenty more over ideas and inspiration over in the Childcare Ninja 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 a part of the community? Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
