It sounds like a mammoth task, doesn’t it – “Opening your first home childcare”?! Appears to be pretty daunting, hey? But breaking it down into bitesize pieces is going to help you. Just try to focus on each thing you need to get done, and don’t let yourself get caught up in the overwhelm of starting a new business.
Starting my first childcare business in my family home was a huge learning curve for me. You’ve really got to be sure that this is something you want to do. It’s no longer a case of having your kids’ friends over for dinner, it’s your livelihood. There are regulations and guidelines you’ve got to follow. This is a commitment! But it is soooo worth it!
Why home childcare?
My reason for setting up my first business as home childcare is pretty common, I guess. I wanted a job where I could balance my home life and work, that used my skills and stretched my intellect. It gave me the chance to be my own boss, but still be at home when my baby girls got back from school. Caring for other people’s children in my own home meant I could be around to support my own kids. There was also the added bonus that if there was a performance on at the school, I could make it an educational field trip for the day care!
Still feeling a little unsure? Never fear, lovely Ninjas! As a seasoned childcare business owner, I have some tips to share with you. We’re going to get you feeling organized, confident and ready, so you’re not frazzled when you open the doors!
Get your mindset ready
When you’re opening your first home childcare it can feel a little strange. You’re essentially turning the place where you live and sleep into a work place. And that is a pretty scary thing to do! So what you need to do is develop strategies that get you in the right mindset. These will help you keep a balance.
The way we approach our challenges often sets out how they’re going to be. For example, if you rush around in a frenzy setting up your home childcare the reality is that you’ll probably end up running your business in the same way. I believe that being organized, calm and confident in my abilities will set me up for success, and it’s the same for you.
Positive mindset
Surround yourself with positive messages and people who believe in you. Put post-its on the cupboards reminding you that “you are awesome” and “You’ve got this”, and get some dollar store frames and print off some posters with affirmations on them – make your own on Canva or use this template. Here is a really great article with some business specific affirmations for you to read. I love this print from the talented British designer, Ruthie who runs “Ohverlee“.
Make sure you’ve got a space at home that you can go and reflect in at the end of the working day. Somewhere calm, child free and relaxing, where you can light a candle or be creative. I’ve written more about creating a space for yourself here.
Plan, plan and plan some more
This is super important and will make opening your first home childcare feel easy breezy! Making plans and putting them into action is how you are going to run a successful childcare business, so let’s start off the way we mean to continue, right?
With opening your first home childcare, you’re bound to be on a tight budget, so planning is key. So, first of all, you’ve got to plan out your space. What do you want the parents to be buzzing about when they visit? What do you want the kids to notice? Think about what you’re offering families and plan out how that’s going to work. Take time to figure out the curriculum – will there be a theme each week or month? Plan out activities you’d like to try and trips you’d like to make – this’ll get you ahead of the game!
Plan out how you want each day to look. Will you begin each day with a story? Will the kids be allowed to free-flow into your outside space (if you have one) or will there be set times?
Plan out meals you might prepare each month taking care to have a healthy balance and not too much repetition. Then you can get list ready for grocery shopping. It doesn’t matter that you’re not open yet. This is going to save you time when you are!
By breaking down each part of the business, and planning it out, you can then start thinking about systems!
Start with systems
Before you open your home childcare, it’s a good idea to have some systems in place. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am systems obsessed – and for good reason! It’s how I have grown my childcare business and it’s how I stay sane! By being organized, and using systems, I have more time for the fun stuff!
The way I do this is I write down all my plans – every area of the business, every little task – and I then look at ways I can simplify or put a system in place. This ranges from staffing to hygiene, food to safety! I have systems in place for everything. And I cannot stress how essential this is if you want to start off on the right foot. You might change the systems once you get going, but it’s good to get organized in advance of opening.
Hopefully you’re now feeling a little more prepared and ready to begin this journey? And perhaps more motivated to get started on organizing yourself?! I love hearing about how other people go about setting up their childcare businesses, so please leave a comment below or drop me an email with how you’re doing.
This is such a great industry to be in and it’s why I set up my membership to help other women become successful childcare ninjas as well!
My community of Childcare Ninjas is here to help with tips and advice, and to support you while you’re opening your first home childcare business – and beyond!
Please tap into the hive mind over in the free Facebook group, and if you want to join the Ninja Membership head here now to reserve your spot! And don’t forget to follow @ChildcareNinjas on Instagram for more ways to grow your business!
In the crazy world of running a childcare business, it can be really tricky to strike a balance between work and family. Even after such a long time owning my daycare centers, I sometimes get caught up in work-mode and drop the ball on the family side. It can feel like my business is my life. But it’s so important that we try to find a balance between running our businesses and spending time with our families.
So how do I do it? What’s the secret to harmonious balance between these two worlds?
These are my three balance bringing tips that will change your life as a business owner:
Balance by setting boundaries
This is something most business owners struggle with. Do you find yourself cutting back on family time constantly? Maybe checking emails on your cell phone at the dinner table, rushing the kids’ bedtime stories so you can get back to that blog you need to finish, or finding that you’re replying to staff messages late into the night?
Enough is enough. You can’t carry on working like that! You’re on the highway straight to the burnout zone. Trust me! And you don’t want to miss out on precious family time. Kids grow up and neglected partners grow apart. Your business will still be there in the morning.
So set some boundaries! Leave work at a reasonable time and set a good example to your staff. Allow yourself a set period for email checking and replying to clients. Do the same for your team members. Then put your phone / laptop / iPad away!
Another boundary issue we have is saying no. We’re super women, right? We want everyone to know how awesome we are! I get it. I do, I really do. But you also need balance in your life and by saying yes to every Tom, Dick and Harry who asks a favor, or to pick your brain, you’re missing out on time with your loved ones. So you need to get better at saying no. Turn down invites that don’t light you up; don’t feel guilty about the shop bought baked goods for the sale at school; and say yes to the things and people you love!
Set some goals for finding balance
After you’ve established some boundaries with work, it’s fundamental that you plan out some goals with your family for what you want to do and achieve together as a unit.
Perhaps you’re all going to play a game together once a week? Or maybe everyone is going to contribute a portion of their earnings each week towards a family trip? Whatever the goals are, make sure they’re discussed as a family. You’re a team! Make it clear that you all want to spend time together.
Creating family goals will help you work together, and bring you closer as a family. Building on those relationships will help you get the right balance in your lives and give you the strength and security you need to run a business.
Find balance by taking a break
Self care should be a top priority for all business owners. When your cup is empty, how can you pour love into your work life and into your family?
We all need a break from time to time. I’m not suggesting that you book some all expenses paid trip to Mexico and jet off into the sunset for some “me time”! Not at all!
Instead I’d recommend finding some space in your home where you can go and relax. Away from work and the stress of owning a childcare business, but also in a place where you won’t be disturbed by the household hustle and bustle of your family!
I’ve written a blog about creating a space just for you and from experience I can tell you how valuable my own space is! I love being able to just head up to my quiet zone, to be creative or to reflect on my week. We all have so much to do ALL. THE. TIME! So taking ten minutes for ourselves to reboot and reignite our passion for work and our love for our families, is extremely important!
If your budget allows you to book in a manicure or a massage, go for it! But even running yourself a luxurious bubble bath at home, or heading to bed an hour earlier to enjoy your book will be beneficial for you. Just think about adding a little more balance into your routine.
The juggle is real!
Let me know how you get on with juggling running your business with raising your family. Leave a comment below, or write a post in the free Facebook group, where you can connect with other amazing women and share ideas. Join us for more tips on how to take your childcare business to the next level!
And if you’d like to find out more about becoming a Childcare Ninja, don’t hesitate to get in touch. 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’ve ventured into the world of childcare business ownership, and now you’re looking to to turn it into the success it deserves to be. I’m here to tell you that it’s going to happen. If I have done it, so can you! It takes hard work, resilience and a whole lot of love, but I know you’ve got this. You can build a successful childcare business!
Over the years, I’ve learned how to grow my childcare business, level up and build my own empire. And here I’ve got 3 simple tips to help you on your way to success.
1. Automate what you can
By now you’ll probably have realized that I am a HUGE fan of systemizing and automation (if you’ve read any of my other blogs!). If you can systemize, you will be able to de-stress and grow. Take time to note down all the day-to-day tasks you do and look into how you can get a system in place and potentially automate it, to save you time and energy.
In fact this doesn’t have to cost the world either! There are plenty of lower cost or even free options for automating elements of your childcare business. From ordering food supplies from a well-kept stock inventory, to Hours Tracker for staffing, make the most of the technology at your fingertips!
Additionally, you can read about apps I use in my childcare business that have revolutionized my systems here.
2. Offer what others won’t
Remember when we talked about what makes you special? Well, make sure that you’re offering tons of that! Sing it from the mountain tops, girl. Offering something that others don’t have – your uniqueness – will make you stand out from the crowd and call in the parents and families that you’ve been longing to work with.
After all, what makes our childcare businesses so awesome is that we are NOT the cookie cutter daycare center chains that keep popping up all over the country. We offer something totally different and the feedback we get from families is incredible. Their kids are treated as individuals by our amazing teams and the parents are too.
So if you take a look around at other providers, not to compare as such but to look at what they’re missing. Perhaps they don’t focus on outdoor play or they don’t have language teachers…whatever they’re lacking, think about what you can offer that they are not. I’m not saying go and do something totally different to your current practice, but look at the competition and see where you can shine!
3. Build amazing relationships daily
As you’ll have read briefly above, this is an aspect of your business that is essential. I cannot stress this enough. Nurturing those relationships is absolutely key to the success of your childcare business. Even after a child has moved on to school, I try to keep in touch with families – just the odd “thinking of you” card here and there, or a wave on the street – but this is how community thrives.
Building a sense of community and cherishing the relationships you have with families will make your business successful. Those families will talk about you as if you’re a member of their squad (which you totally are!) and they’ll be telling new parents they meet about how much they love your childcare and how warm and brilliant you are.
But it’s not just the parents and children who you need to nurture! Building amazing relationships with your staff is super important too! Keep communication as a two way street – use apps like Slack to help you do this! – because when staff feel they’re heard and valued, they come into their own and work their socks off for you.
Equally important, is showing good leadership by helping them develop their own skills, using their ideas for activities and on the meal plans. Working on your relationships, talking to your team on a regular basis and keeping them informed of any changes in advance.
All things considered, I hope this has given you some food for thought. Building your successful childcare business is achievable and watching you develop your skills as an owner is inspiring! Let me know how you’re getting on. Leave a comment below, or send me an email. And don’t forget that we’ve got our Facebook community too, so we can all hang out in there together!
I started Childcare Ninjas because I realized that most business information and ideas aren’t targeted at us. They’re focused on other industries. But we don’t fit that mold! 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, click here!
Y’all know I’ve been in this game for a while now, and I have seen new childcare businesses come. And I have seen them go. Why don’t they last? We all make mistakes, but most of them can be avoided with some forward thinking!
There’s several monumental mistakes that they are making in their businesses. Don’t panic! These are easily avoided. Therefore I thought I would share the errors they make with you, so you can avoid doing the same before it’s too late.
Mistake #1 – Trying to do everything for everyone
An absolute classic. And one that sometimes takes a lifetime to learn! It is very hard to stay focused and in your lane. But you’ve gotta do it or you’ll not survive in this crazy world of childcare ownership.
So how do you avoid it?
You need to know who your clientele are. And you need to learn how to reach them. Think local; you’re not trying to gain worldwide customers. Your daycare is about serving the community it’s in. So target them appropriately and be who they need you to be. Not who everyone else thinks you ought to be.
Work on having firm boundaries with work. Learn to say no. You’re not a super hero. Saying no to things that don’t serve you is fundamental if you want to keep your head above water. No calls after a certain time, reply to emails on particular days, prioritize properly.
Use technology to help you get organized; set timers on tasks to stop your mind wandering and to keep you laser focused. Ninja focused!
Mistake #2 – Not planning!
I’m gonna repeat this until the cows come home: Plan! Plan! Plan!
Sure as the sky is blue, I’ve seen childcare owners who think they can “wing it” very quickly finding themselves in difficulties. To run a successful business you’ve got to plan, and plan, and then plan some more!
It is a time consuming process to get systems in place and plan ahead, but it will save you so much heartbreak. I promise you that planning in your childcare business is how you will grow and create the perfect little empire you always dreamed of. I know because I’m doing it. And it’s all because I plan EVERYTHING. I’ve got lists for my lists.
Mistake #3 – Underestimating efforts
Another classic mistake. It’s not uncommon for new childcare business owners to underestimate the amount of time and work they’ll need to put in. They think that it’s the same as any other business. Well we Ninjas all know that it certainly is not.
That’s why I created this platform in the first place: to support childcare owners like you. Because there’s not much else out there that is specifically for us. And we are niche. We’re unique.
Interestingly, I’ve had so many conversations with people who assume that I just own the day care centers and am not involved in the day-to-day running of them. I have to explain every darned time that you can’t just “own” a childcare biz. You ARE the childcare biz!
Your personality and philosophy of learning are totally embedded in the childcare you run and your staff are amazing, but it’s your empire. You might have a manager in each setting, but you are the one who oversees the provision and has a vision for the future and how you’re going to get there.
Running a childcare business is a helluva lot of work and no one should go into this thinking you can just kick back and let others do the work for you. It’s not an opportunity to sit on your laurels! This is a way of life! And one that I love, and I know you do too!
Don’t hesitate to drop me a message if you’re worrying about anything to do with running your business. After years of feeling isolated, I’ve created this community and I’m here to help you work through any issues. Get in touch!
I hope you’re enjoying your journey to becoming a Childcare Ninja, but don’t forget to interact in the Facebook group where you can connect with other amazing women and share ideas.
Join us in the membership too for more tips on how to take your childcare business to the next level!
Big childcare centers have many resources at their disposal to be able to provide a professional look and feel. You just have to walk into one and you feel small. However, just because you’re small right now, it doesn’t mean you need to operate within that mindset. It’s time to play big!
I’ve learned that thinking big and changing my mindset is at the heart of success, so I’m sharing these here with you. Here’s a few tips to make your childcare business look and run well-groomed.
Put on a big mindset
Stop thinking small and start thinking B. I. G! Making a shift in the way you think is going to help you grow your business. By changing up the way you approach things – even just a little – you’ll feel more confident and be more productive and successful.
Last year I decided to make a change – to stop playing small. I wanted my childcare business to grow and to feel less stressed. I thought long and hard about how I could go about making a change. Reading some inspiring books, watching some motivational speakers and doing some online training was a good start.
In order to get things going, I created a vision board for the future so I can focus on where I wanted to go and I came up with a new mantra for success. My mantra was “Think bigger”. Every time I caught myself playing small, I told myself: Think bigger. Play big. It worked.
What will your mantra be? Have you tried creating a vision board for your childcare business? Read more about how important mindset is to your business here.
Plan big
You don’t have to spend big to plan big! You can do this on a budget, trust me. For every paid idea, app, or software you need to buy to help you run your business, there is usually a free or low cost alternative. Do your research and make sure you find the best deals before throwing your hard-earned money away.
Use your vision board! Get those bigger plans on it. If you want to expand your services, how? Want to employ a bigger, better team? Want to rebrand and refocus? We are Childcare Ninjas! We were born to do this. Plan it out and create the successful business you have been working so hard for. C’mon! Let’s play big!
Here’s a fabulous video from Carrie Green from the Female Entrepreneur Association that shows how to create a vision “dream” board.
Build relationships
It’s all about building genuine relationships. I cannot stress this one enough, fellow ninjas! You’ve got to nurture the relationships with everyone that you meet. Starting with your family – make time for them so they don’t think that your business comes first. Carve time out each week for slowing down and reconnecting with your loved ones.
Then look at your relationships with your team members. How can you strengthen your communication and build on what’s already there? Could you increase the time your door is open for them to come and share problems? Maybe set up an app like Slack that allows your team to converse outside of work and gives you all an opportunity to socialize but also connect professionally. Sometimes we send each other silly memes to break tensions or brighten each others’ days, but we also help each other out with situations and it just means we’re all on the same page.
And, of course, you need to be cultivating the relationships you have with the families that are using your childcare but also the potential future customers too. You can do this in a number of ways, but the key to this is communication (again!). Sending out regular updates, sharing the wonderful things you and your team are doing, asking for continual feedback through questionnaires and quizzes…
Being an approachable and friendly face, and showing empathy is essential in all the relationships you need to foster to build a successful childcare business. People buy from people!
I hope these tips are helpful and you can see the huge impact small changes can make in your business. We can indeed play big with the big dogs!
If you’d like to know more, I’ve filmed some videos and resources that’ll help you in my Childcare Ninja Dojo Club. Joining will make your life a little easier, and enable you to grow your childcare business into your own little empire.
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!
Once in a while, I’ll watch a show on T.V that stands out. And it is rare that I sit down and choose something to watch. I mean, seriously…who has time for that?! But occasionally, I’ll come across something that has a dramatic impact on my life or my business. And this was one of those moments. I hadn’t taken on board the importance of storytelling!
I had my feet up and my phone to hand (in case my day care staff needed me) and I was multi-tasking on my laptop as usual. However this episode caught me by surprise. I was totally drawn in.
This particular episode made me stop and think about how I was running my business. It gave me the impetus, the drive and reignited my passion for my childcare business. Strangely, it wasn’t about a woman running a daycare center. It focused on helping a New Jersey pizza shop. The Profit‘s presenter (Marcus Lemonis) needs to help the owner who is struggling with aesthetic issues and stagnant sales.
While watching their journey, I learned 3 things. I thought I’d share them with you!
Tell your story
The importance of telling your story became abundantly clear from watching this episode of The Profit. Marcus finds out that the owner, Alario, opened his restaurant with money his father received from the federal government after Alario’s mom was killed in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. After listening, Marcus explains that this is a great backstory, and asks how Alario is sharing this with his customers…
But Alario hasn’t been sharing his backstory with anyone — not even his employees know what he’s been through! And Lemonis points out that this is where his business is going wrong. He explains that it’s actually completely natural to bring certain aspects of your personal life into your business.
“I’m a big believer that in business, consumers will rally around a cause or a story or some personal connection that they have,” Lemonis says on the show. “People like to do business with people. It’s OK that you amplify who you are, that’s how I make a connection with you”.
We know deep down that people buy from people. When you share your story, people buy into that. They want to support you and they become your mini-fans, your champions. They want you to succeed.
So, since watching this – and realizing the importance of storytelling – I’ve been shouting my story from the rooftops!
Be known for something
This episode of The Profit, with Alario’s pizza joint, made me think about what my childcare will be known for. I want my business to be memorable for all the right reasons. I’d love for all my clients to rave about how awesome my childcare is and how they recommend me to everyone they know when they find out they’re expecting!
How do you want people to talk about your childcare business? Is there something specific you want to be known for? Make a list and see if you can weave these into your newsletters, your social media posts, your conversations and your practice.
Storytelling to help someone else
Marcus Lemonis makes a great case for why your business needs storytelling and the importance of bringing the personal to your professional! Your story will resonate with people and they’ll find that they want to support you by buying into your business. But it’s about more than just that.
By telling your story, you will no doubt be helping someone else. Your overcoming adversity to build your business is going to give someone else the strength to keep on pushing forward. It’s going to motivate other childcare owners to persevere despite their circumstances. Because they’ll hear that YOU are building a successful childcare business even though you were in a difficult situation once.
You are inspiring!
These connections, these HUMAN connections are vital for our businesses.
What does your story look like for your childcare business?
Find it, share it, and watch your business stand out!
Are you in 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!
