No one wants to send their children to cookie-cutter childcare. Why? Because they’re like little factories and won’t value their kids as individuals. Parents want to feel like their kids are being left with adults who care. Who notice their quirks and love them for it! And that’s what we as Childcare Ninjas need to offer – uniqueness!
But have you taken the time to consider what makes your business unique? And why should you be shouting it out from the rooftops?
This is your chance to sit down with a cup of coffee and really contemplate the uniqueness of your childcare business.
What’s so special about you and your childcare business?
Take some time to note down your strengths as a childcare owner, and what makes you tick. Is it your Masters in child psychology or the way you were raised by an amazing foster mom that inspired you to go into childcare?
Have you got particular skills that make you stand out from the crowd? Perhaps you did Performing Arts at college, or you were once on America’s Got Talent? Or maybe it’s that you were the youngest of 9 siblings and you are the queen of negotiation!
Whatever you bring to your business, make it more obvious. Shine a light on you and why you’re so special.
And when it comes to the business side of things, what is unique about yours? Do your daycare centers have a theme? Maybe you have a Forest School specialty or a world class chef working for you, or you follow a particular educational theory – Reggio Emilia or Steiner?
If you want to survive, be you but be different!
I take pride in the fact that my childcare businesses reflect who I am as a person. And they are unique to me because they go against the grain. I’m not your average business owner, and I want my customers to know that. The reason I’ve lasted so long and been able to survive during economically turbulent times is because I am offering something different to the generic childcare provision seen elsewhere.
So wave your flag wildly, and be the change you want to see. What do you want to be remembered for by the families you work with? You can use customer feedback to help hone this message. Look for why they came to you and really “big-up” that element in all your promotional material.
How unique do you need to be?
Well that’s like asking me, “Hey Nyckie – how long is a piece of string?” If I am totally honest – which I always am! – I’d say you can be as unique as you wanna be.
One thing is for sure: People buy from people. So if you want to make an impression, and build a reputation for being a great childcare provider, the buck stops with you and the relationships you build with your clients. Be unique in your interactions. Show them love and attention and make them feel special. But whatever you do, don’t mimic others. Be authentically you. You’ll shine and they’ll feel valued.
If you’re keen to become a Childcare Ninja and want to join our community find out more here. There’s also 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!
Sometimes when you’re running a business it’s very easy to get lost in the routine and rigmarole. You forget why you’ve even started the business in the first place. So every now and then it’s a good idea to take stock of where you’re at. Maybe it’s time to give your business a reboot.
The day-to-day tasks often drown the passion we feel for our childcare businesses and can lead to burn out, so we need to take opportunities to reflect and recoup!
How do I know? Because I’ve been there!
I started my business as a single mom, trying to figure out a way of balancing parenthood with earning some money to pay our bills. And I was so busy doing the job that I felt like I lost my way. I had to learn to make space and be honest with myself when I was finding it tough.
Here are some ideas to reflect on that’ll give you a chance to pause and reset!
Have you lost your why?
Reconnect with why you started your childcare business in the first place. Take a look through your old diaries, scan through ancient emails and dusty photo albums and try to remember why you began this journey!
Taking a trip down memory lane will re-energize your enthusiasm for your business and rekindle all that passion you have!
There’s a great TED talk by Stacey Abrams on “3 questions to ask yourself about everything you do” and it’s inspired me to think about why I’m doing this job in the first place, and given me impetus to plan for how I’m going to grow. And there’s a few great ones by author of “Start with Why”, Simon Synek.
Define your business by your why! Go and watch these and get the reboot you need!
Did your plans fall by the wayside?
Have you been berating yourself for failing to meet a target or goal? Take it from me that there’s no point in giving yourself a hard time over a stumbling block. If your plans haven’t worked out right this time, it doesn’t mean you need to give up entirely.
Encourage yourself to reboot your mindset to know that a failure simply shines a light on areas that might need a little TLC. Make some space for you to breathe (I wrote you a blog on how to do that here) and be gentle with yourself. You wouldn’t speak to the kids in your daycare like you’re speaking to yourself now, would you?!
Make a new plan; create a vision board; read some of your client testimonials to remind yourself of how awesome you are!
I’ve made you a fun quiz to see where you’re at right now in your business. This is a unique way for you to work out where you are in your journey as a business owner. What systems have you got in place and how are you feeling about the day-to-day running of things? What do you need to do to level up?
Take the quiz now and get the help you need to move to become the next level Ninja! Give it a go ———-> here!
And if you haven’t already joined the free Facebook group, what’s stopping you!? Go go go! I hope you’ll come in and make yourself at home! Connect with other phenomenal women and share ideas to help each other grow.
Take a look at becoming a Founding member of my private Ninja Community and begin your journey to becoming a Childcare Ninja today!
You might be wondering what the key to conquering your business goals and dreams is, and as someone who’s run a successful childcare business for a number of years I can tell you it’s not as obvious as you’d think. It is all about mindset. Getting your head into the right place so you can grow your business to be as amazing as you dream it can be is absolutely essential.
Here are 3 mindsets that I know will create an incredible shift in the way your run your business, helping you feel more confident, and ultimately more productive and successful.
These 3 mindsets you must change for you to become a successful childcare business owner:
1. Money Mindset
One of the things women are consistently poor at talking about is money. I think this is because we were all brought up to believe that it’s impolite or embarrassing to talk about money. Money also holds an emotional connection for many of us. It’s time for women in business to overcome the money taboo! We need to ask for what we need and embrace what money can do for us! To do this, we need to start talking about money, encouraging conversations about our finances.
Money really can be a fantastic tool to help us reach our goals and without money it can be quite tricky to take care of the people we love. We owe it to ourselves as women to achieve financial success. We owe it to our children to see us earning money and not being ashamed of it. Women can have an extraordinary economic impact on the planet. As Childcare Ninjas, let’s change the way we think, accept that we are worthy of earning money, and let’s start embracing what money can do!
2. Positive vibes
I have learned this one the hard way! When I began to be successful in my business a few years ago, I had so many negative people around me. They drained my energy, sapping out the hope I had for how my business was going to grow. They wouldn’t allow me to dream big. You know the ones, right?! They eye roll when you’re telling them about something you’ve achieved; they don’t appreciate how hard you’ve got to work to maintain momentum; and they certainly cannot understand why you persevere and don’t just give up.
So the mindset here I want you to try is: get rid of the doubters. Surround yourself with positive people and don’t be afraid to do this sooner rather than later. No more Negative Nellies, protect yourself with Positive Pollies instead!
3. It’s okay to be successful
As women we have a tendency to play down our successes. We’ve an awful habit of putting ourselves down – especially in front of other people. Promoting yourself to others in your business feels so alien doesn’t it? But what’s wrong with wanting people to recognize your achievements? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being successful. When you’ve reached your goals, it enables you to give more generously, and puts you in a position to give back to society.
This mindset fools us into thinking we are “safe”, by playing small, but it’s actually holding us back! So last year I decided to make a change – to stop playing small. I thought long and hard about how i would go about this. I created a vision board and my mantra was “Think bigger”. Every time I caught myself playing small, I repeated my mantra.
And there was this situation last year where I was looking at potential venues for a new daycare facility to add to my portfolio. I found the perfect place. Fantastic location, potential for lots of new clients…but I had this niggling doubt: “I’m not worthy of such an amazing opportunity. Who am I to think this is for me?” So what did I do? Walk away? No! I said “Think BIGGER!” And do you know what I did? I took a leap of faith. I am a Childcare Ninja, after all!
I encourage you to change these mindsets – to actively talk about money, to celebrate our successes and to think about your friendships.
If you’d like to know more, I have created some helpful videos and resources for you in my Childcare Ninja membership, to make your life a little easier, and to enable you to grow your childcare business into your own little empire.
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!
Are you a childcare provider with the ambition and drive to go far? You’ve got the love for the kids and you’re brimming with ideas, right?
I’d bet that at this very moment, though, your childcare business isn’t as profitable as it could be and it’s draining your passion and wearing you out.
I get it. I really do. I’ve been there! When I first set out in my business, I was a single mom to four beautiful children. Running a childcare business from my home was the chance I grasped to bring in the money we needed AND ensure I could be there for my family simultaneously. Over time I was able to grow my business and start reaching for bigger goals.
However, after a while I went from excited to exhausted. My childcare business needed constant attention and I hadn’t been able to take a vacation for years. But that all changed when I started creating systems that allowed me to enjoy running my business again.
So here I am with my top three tips to kick-start your journey to becoming a Childcare Ninja, and show you how you can grow your business to 6 figures or more!
1. Take stock of your childcare business
It’s not often we take a step back from our businesses and have a look at what’s working, what’s not, and where we can make tweaks to improve things. Make some time to reflect and assess where you’ve come from and where you want to go. What will that journey look like?
Then it’s time to get organized. Make a plan or a road map of how you’re going to reach your goals. List everything that you do day-to-day to keep your business going. Get systems in place that’ll save you time and energy, giving you the freedom to focus on the things that you love! And maybe you’ll even be able to take a vacation one day!
2. Childcare Ninja Mindset
As business owners, it can be very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day running of our childcare facilities – calls to potential clients, checking the menus, managing our teams… but we neglect ourselves and forget that we can’t pour from an empty cup. And as women we’ve got a habit of having negative mindsets around several issues. And we’ve got to do the work to change this!
Promoting yourself to others in your business sometimes feels cringe-worthy and awkward. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being successful. So we need to accept that recognizing our achievements is a good thing! Change that negative mindset! Stop putting yourself down (both in your head and in front of others!).
Find out more about mindsets in this blog!
3. Create the system
By getting systems in place, you are getting processes in place that will help you get organized and help your staff become more independent. Once you’ve nailed the systems, you will be able to take time off and not worry about things falling apart while you’re not there. You’ll de-stress, your staff will feel more in control and confident and your business will grow!
Break down all the steps and processes that you have in place, adding in the things you’d like to improve. Now you’ve got a plan and a sort of flow chart to guide you through each area of your business. If you need a guide to help you with this process, download your free childcare business map here and get started building your systems.
Now you’ve got the systems all laid out, it’s time to call a staff meeting and get everyone on the same page!
Bonus tip – Become a Founding Member of my Childcare Ninja Membership
We are a growing army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup! You’ll be able to access the videos and amazing resources I’ve created especially for you in my Childcare Ninja membership. Being a member will make your life a little easier and enable you to grow your childcare business into your own little empire!
For founding members who join us, the program costs just $35/month (the price goes up soon to $49/month). The content you’ll have at your fingertips is unique to childcare businesses, because I was tired of joining groups for advice, but finding it irrelevant to my needs. So here we are! A one-stop shop for Childcare Ninjas!
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!
Have you taken my Childcare Ninja quiz yet? And don’t forget that I also have a free Facebook community for childcare providers. Check it out here.
To be a Childcare Ninja you’ve got to have a space to call your own. Somewhere to get away from the kids and people you work with, where you can just be or a place to reflect on your business and figure out where you’re headed. It doesn’t have to be an entire room, it could just be a corner in your home or work building that is tucked away from the chaos.
I love my little oasis of calm…
Here I’ve put together a few ideas to make your work day less about the hustle and more about the flow.
Closing your door
It is so important that you have opportunities where you can close your door and breathe. Everyone needs downtime, but when you’re running a business – especially one that is often reminiscent of a rumpus out of “Where the Wild Things are” – you need to give yourself time to pause and reflect. If you have an office at work, where you’re always having staff come in and out to ask questions or clarify policies, it might be a good idea to block out short periods where you can close the door and have some undisturbed time. But if your space is at home, maybe you can set gentle rules about when you’re to be left alone.
Say a little prayer
This is your space. It’s your quiet time. Allow yourself to disconnect for a while. This could be somewhere you pray and give thanks for the skills you have been gifted, or ask for guidance through any challenges you’ve come across.
Or maybe you can take time to meditate. The thought behind this is simple – when you’re expending tons of mental energy being a Childcare Ninja problem-solving and innovating, dealing with untold numbers of issues, you need somewhere to recharge your batteries. Just breathe and allow your mind to rest, to turn off the messy incessant noise that comes with running a business.
Get Creative
Having a peaceful space to yourself offers you a chance to flex your creative muscles. Do something just for you. Or create something delightful for a friend. You could do some feminist cross-stitching, or a little bit of drawing or doodling. It’s therapeutic and will give you a break from thinking about your business.
Don’t be afraid of color
It doesn’t need to be an entirely white space, you can add elements of color that inspire you, that bring calm to your space. I love pastels and warm colors, but you might be drawn to cooler tones.
Consider smells
Add a beautiful scented candle to your space, some incense, or a diffuser. Keeping a candle on your desk actually has a more practical purpose than simply making your space smell amazing. Taking a 30 seconds to recalibrate your eyes, by staring at a flame will be really beneficial and a welcome break from a day of constant spreadsheets on screens.
Think about sounds
When I’m in my space, I like to listen to music that soothes me. That might be the sounds of the ocean, but quite often it’s likely to be a little bit of gospel music which I find really relaxing but it also gives me focus which is exactly what I need in my little hideaway space. I’d highly recommend avoiding anything associated with your childcare business – so that’s a NO to nursery rhymes!
Add a little greenery
I recently added a couple of plants to my space, and it’s amazing the difference they’ve made to my well-being. Just a little bit of greenery can go a long way, you don’t have to plant an entire living wall! In having to water your plant to keep it alive you’ll have a reminder that you need nurturing too.
Surround yourself with things that inspire you
Whether it’s your favorite book or a gorgeous ceramic (or if it’s your thing, some crystals), keep something tactile that you can look to for inspiration when you’re taking some time out in your quiet space.
I’d also recommend putting some framed inspirational quotes up above your desk to remind you how awesome you are and to realign you with your “why“. Here are some you might like:
So now all you need to do is carve out a space of your own and create it into a place where you can rejuvenate! By taking regular time out from your business, you’ll be able to grow as a childcare business owner in a more holistic way. You’re aiming to create a better life for yourself and your family, and you can’t pour from an empty cup.
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 for more tips on how to take your childcare business to the next level!
Nowadays there are some things in my business that I couldn’t live without. In fact, when I stop and think about it, I wonder how on earth I managed back in 2006! Technology has helped my business become more efficient and grow my profits. After years of juggling I know how much stress some tech has taken out of the daily rigmarole of running a childcare business.
As well as supporting your childcare business to grow by giving you the confidence to aim high, I want to give you practical tips on the day-to-day organization. So here I’ve written about the 3 apps that have really taken the stress out of the daily running of my business. These apps will truly revolutionize your childcare business.
Y’all know I love being super organized, so when I started using Slack, my work life became super efficient! It connects to the tools and services that you already use and brings them under one roof. For example, the notifications, files, and data from all your different apps. This has saved me tons of time searching through my emails for that one client follow-up, and stops me from constantly flicking between different tabs and dashboards, and having to log in and out of them all individually! Slack has helped my teams work smarter! I also appreciate how everything that’s shared in Slack is indexed and archived automatically so you can create a clear knowledge base with minimal effort – which is great for new staff. The search function makes it so easy to find the information you need, whenever you need it.
But one of the best things about Slack is how it’s revolutionized our workplace communication. It connects your staff with you and their colleagues, and the tools they work with everyday. It allows you to group people in “channels” that can be organized by project, age group, curriculum area… or anything you like. Your staff members can then see what other team members are working on, but can focus on what they’re needing to get done. It’s a great way of getting everyone up to speed – especially new team members.
How many hours do you spend inputting your staff information into a spreadsheet? And then you’ve got to take off lunch breaks, add on expenses etc. It’s actually a real drain on your time isn’t it? I’ve not looked back since I’ve been using HoursTracker for my own childcare business as I’m much more efficient and feel more in control of tracking hours completed by my staff.
It’s a great way for you to keep an accurate track of work times. Most of us who own a Childcare business know how hard it can be to keep track of the busy schedules all our different staff are working and we don’t have time to do manual entries, so I urge you to use something like HoursTracker. The app is such a simple tool for keeping on top of the hours your staff have worked. It can track employee hours and earnings, business expenses, payment periods and breaks. Not only that, pay periods are automatically calculated, including overtime and net pay estimates!
My team finds it easy to use, and they like being able to instantly clock in and clock out. It saves us all time and stress, so we can enjoy our work caring for all those gorgeous children!
Revolutionize your employee schedules with OpenSimSim
I like being able to have an overview of my childcare settings’ staff schedule, but so does my team! This app lets your employees set their own availability, so when you assign shifts this gets automatically cross-checked to ensure you never give shifts to staff who aren’t available. It also gives flexibility, allowing team members to swap shifts or cover each other’s shifts. As a business owner, this lightens your workload massively, because it means you’re not wasting time chasing to get shifts covered. Reassuringly, though, you still get the final say.
It’s an app that brings fairness to your business too. By running a tally of how many hours you’ve given each employee, it makes it easier for you to ensure a fair number of hours to each team member in the schedule.My team morale has risen since using OpenSimSim and I’ve had a lower staff turnover!
The instant messaging part of the OpenSimSim app, can encourage communication among your team that draws them closer and that reflects positively in your client service. On top of all that, I’m able to communicate with them more efficiently regarding scheduling, and it’s a way for them to approach me with feedback and concerns. Win-win, right?!
So much has changed in the last 14 years.
From ordering new equipment online to organizing your staffing, you can now do it all on your phone, at a time of day that works for you. Technology has transformed the way we run our businesses!
We, as Childcare Ninjas, need to make the most of the tech at our fingertips, because it’s going to free up time to spend on the parts of your business you love most!
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!
