One of the issues I hear all the time from childcare business owners is that they’re tired of being treated like a babysitter. Not just by the kids but by the parents they serve in the community. It’s a tale as old as time.
But there’s a few things to consider here.
Why are they treating you like a babysitter? Is it your behavior or theirs that’s the issue? And how can we change things up to stop these behaviors?
After 15 years of being a childcare boss, I’ve got A LOT to say about this! Read on to find out what you can do!
Why is being treated like a babysitter a bad thing?
It’s not that being a babysitter is a bad thing, not at all! It’s more that it’s not seen as a profession in its own right. When you hear the word babysitter what do you picture? I have an image in my head of a teenage girl, school files under one arm and a neighbour’s child in the other. And I’d bet yours is similar!
Babysitters are generally older kids looking to earn some pocket money while watching your small kids so you can go on a date or head to a PTA meeting. On top of that it’s usually seen as a job that requires minimal effort – the kids are mostly asleep already. And as such it’s not deemed necessary to have a “qualified” person doing the job. This in itself means that these willing teens are often underpaid and taken for granted.
So when you’re made to feel like a teenage girl despite being a grown-up running an entire daycare center (or more!), it can hurt!
Working on your mindset is where the change is going to come from. Trust me. So here’s some tips!
Think about how you present yourself
Hard truth: If you look like a babysitter you’re probably going to get treated like one. Take a look at your current work attire. Do you just wear athleisure outfits or have you got a set of plain black pants and polo shirts you reserve for daycare hours? I know it’s not practical to go for silk blouses and high heels like you might as a bank clerk! Opt for outfits that communicate to parents, “I’m the boss” and “take me seriously”.
However, this isn’t just about clothes, it’s also about how you carry yourself too. Take pride in your appearance and show it in your posture. Read this blog about boss mindset to help you.
Don’t treat your childcare business like a hobby!
It should really go without saying, but if you want your clients to respect your work and what you do, then you ought to respect it yourself.
Answer these questions:
Are you opening up on time?
How do you greet your families?
How are payments set up?
Is everything up-to-date?
Is your space clean and tidy?
How are you dressing to go to work?
Do you expect parents to pick up on time?
And if your answers to these don’t sound professional you need to keep reading!
This might sound harsh, but…
If you don’t want your clients thinking of you as a babysitter who plays all day with their children then you shouldn’t run it like a babysitting service.
Run it in a professional way so your clients will treat you with the respect you deserve. It’s all about keeping your boundaries strong.
Lay down those boundaries!
Boundaries are so important. You need to be friendly and approachable but still hold a professional boundary.
Think about it. If you’re opening the gate a few minutes late, dishevelled, and high-fiving all the parents and chatting about personal stuff, what’s that saying about you? When you’re letting them hang around till your snack time starts then you’re allowing them to see you as a kind of babysitter.
Instead, show them that you can keep time by opening up accordingly. Demonstrate that their children’s education is important and has to start on time. Use a group activity to start the day and say, “Right everyone, it’s time for a story – say goodbye to the moms and dads”. Close the door/gate and crack on! If you don’t do that then they are going to treat you as the babysitter where they can bring their kids to you anytime, pick them up anytime.
Start the way you mean to go on
Don’t wait till you resent being treated like a babysitter to make a change. If you don’t do something about your behaviors, you will end up making you feel resentful of how the parents treat you. You might end up feeling upset and this could stop you from fully enjoying your work. Which in turn will trickle down to the children you serve. No one wants that!
Treating your daycare as a business is largely down to mindset. It’s about holding that boundary with yourself as much as the parents. If you don’t start now, your client may switch on you to go and find themselves someone they consider ‘professional’ as their perception of you has been that you just play with the kids and aren’t a proper business.
Don’t go into this thinking you will do it later, as one of the things you may find is when you go to make change or raise your prices your clients may get upset then leave. You deserve success and your business deserves to be treated properly!
To sum up, here’s some quick changes you can make right now!
Take a look at your wardrobe. Does it convey a professional image?
Show up to work like you mean business.
Have a parent guidebook! It’s a practical and simple way to set boundaries and show your professional side too. (BTW we’ve got one of these in The Childcare Flip offer!!)
Join my new course, The Childcare Flip! Learn how to get clients to choose your childcare business over the competition. Get clarity on what you want your childcare business to look like & stop feeling overwhelmed! Start spending less time in your childcare business and more time with your family. And finally get unstuck and start getting the results you need to grow your business to 6 figures and beyond!
So it’s time to stop allowing yourself to be treated like a babysitter and own who you are – a childcare boss!
STARTING JUNE 28TH!!!
Join the Childcare Flip and learn how to grow, manage, market and automate your childcare business WITHOUT massive startup dollars and oversized buildings so you can LIVE the LIFE of FREEDOM, FLEXIBILITY and FINANCIAL SUCCESS!
If you’re not ready for my course, why not get connected with other childcare owners instead? Get tips every week to move your childcare business forward by joining my FREE Facebook group! Hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners as well as training every other week from me! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
These last few months I’ve been thinking about marketing pitfalls that I come across in the Childcare business. There’s so many! Sounds like bad news, right?!
Wrong! These marketing pitfalls are super easy to overcome, so don’t panic!
Have a read of these 4 most common mistakes I see childcare businesses making in their marketing, and then if you know you need a helping hand, I’d love you to register for my FREE upcoming Masterclass “The Childcare Flip MasterClass!”. In that class I’ll be diving deeper into the pitfalls and how to avoid them. I got you, Ninja!
Anyway, here’s some of the things that you need to avoid doing in your childcare business marketing:
Thinking too small
Childcare Ninjas, it’s time to stop thinking your childcare business is too small. Size does not matter when it comes to childcare! Stop believing the lie that you’re too small to contend with the other day cares in your area, especially the larger chain centers.
It is a negative mindset and false belief that tells you: ”Will people really want what I’ve got to offer?”. Stop listening to that voice when it says: “I’m just an in-home daycare! How on earth am I supposed to compete with a massive daycare center?! One that has all the fancy gadgets and latest kit?”
Instead, position it in a way where it will pique your ideal client’s interest! Here’s your permission to brag about what makes your biz unique! Do kids get to eat your home-grown veggies? Do you offer music sessions that enrich your curriculum?! The little touches matter here. It’s time to stop discounting what makes you unique and amazing and start shouting it from the rooftops!
One of the things to start doing so you don’t fall into that pit of ‘marketing or comparison blues’ is look at what you do well and highlight it.
Even if you’re small you can still position and market yourself so you’re set apart and your uniqueness shines bright!
Pretending to be something they’re not
You’d be surprised how many businesses fall into this trap. But it’s all because of the comparisonitis childcare business owners get, as highlighted in my first point! They worry they’re not good enough or big enough and then try to market themselves as something they are not.
I’ve seen it plenty of times where a home daycare biz owner puts out messaging that builds expectations they can’t possibly meet. From stock images on social media posts and leaflets to language that insinuates a huge corporate company – it doesn’t matter how. What’s important is showing your true colors in your marketing.
People love to buy from people, and they want to get to know you. They also love supporting small, so why wouldn’t they want a more intimate experience for their babies?
So stop pretending and start telling the world who you really are!
Not asking for help
Something I witness time and time again is this “I’m a strong independent woman” mantra from Childcare business owners. I am absolutely 100% down for being strong and independent, but not to the detriment of my business and my mental health! And not asking for help is often caused by this need to appear strong and independent all the time. Which is – in my humble opinion – unnecessary!
Being strong doesn’t mean keeping going till you reach breaking point with something. Showing strength can look like saying no to the things that don’t serve you or your business. It might be that you show strength by reaching out to a mentor or your peers.
So don’t end up making this common marketing pitfall! Instead ask for help when you need it.
Not having a marketing plan
Hands up if this is you?! Are you doing your marketing on a wing and a prayer? It’s okay, you’re not alone. Many childcare business owners don’t prioritize their marketing, don’t bother making a plan, and then find themselves in a panic!
So take some time to sit down and figure out your marketing plan. Set some goals for your marketing. If getting a waitlist going is a priority, how can you let people know you’re there? Decide what the purpose is to your marketing and go from there. Create a plan that is manageable and sustainable!
Not sure where to go from here?! Never fear, my blog is full of awesome ideas for marketing your childcare business.
Put a plan in place for your marketing! Even in-home daycares need one!
Have you noticed any other marketing pitfalls in the industry? Share them in the comments below!
If you’re looking to sort out your childcare marketing this year, you’re in the right place! I’m hosting a webinar next week which is going to revolutionize how you’re feeling about marketing your childcare biz.
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!
I know it’s so hard at this time of year juggling the business and family commitments… So I’m just popping by to remind you why it’s important to prioritize your family and to cherish this time of year. We’ll never get the holidays perfect and that is a-ok! But what we should put our time and energy into is being present with our nearest and dearest.
The days are short and the nights are long, but the years are flying by. Now is the time to really enjoy the presence of your family! It’s the end of the calendar year and it’s our last chance to truly slow everything down and spend that quality time with our loved ones.
I know we have all the things to do at home and at the daycare too, but let’s not forget what’s truly important.
Why spending time with your family matters
I don’t think I need to explain this one, but good ol’ Google likes me to spell it out! And after the last two years dealing with THE C WORD (not Christmas, the other C word!) and many of us losing family members or friends, it’s more essential than ever that we cherish the time we have.
We all work so hard throughout the rest of the year, ensuring we make ends meet. Which means an awful lot of our time is spent away from our loved ones and instead caring for those of others. “But I run a home day care” – so what?! Even if you have a home daycare you’re still spending a massive amount of time with family that isn’t yours. And that has a huge impact, meaning less time with our own families.
It’d be super easy to be negative and focus on what you’ve missed out on because of work. So forget that! That’s not my vibe! We’re here for moving forward and focusing on the positive. What can we do to make it better? Well…
Take time out of the business
It might sound obvious, but taking time out from your day-to-day business shenanigans to spend time with loved ones is key to your mental health. Constantly working is a sure-fire way to head straight to Burnout Central and trust me, you don’t wanna go there.
So when we have these opportunities to recalibrate, we should snap them up. Often we see it as a hindrance, like the holiday season is here to get in the way of our goals. But I promise you that some time out for family and to cherish moments with them won’t be wasted.
Spend time with family, but also take a moment to reflect
I’d like to encourage you not only to spend some quality time with family, but also to pause and reflect for YOU.
By taking the time to focus inward, on ourselves, it’s almost like hitting “reset”. You’ve worked your socks off this year and some reflection time is necessary. What’s gone really well for you and your business this year? What would you like to make more time for? What would you like to do less of?
Don’t forget to make some space for self-care – take those daytime baths, catch up on your book club’s latest, pop on some old records and dance. If you’re a person of faith then perhaps you’ll spend a bit of time reflecting spiritually too.
I’d suggest that you go for some wintery walks – no podcast or chat, just you and the outdoors. Be mindful and see what you notice – sights, smells, sounds… – it’s incredible what you miss when you’re in a rush to be somewhere!
Be in the moment
Take this time to be in the moment, enjoy it, appreciate it, because we never know when we won’t have that time again and ought not take it for granted. Take it from me, you’ve got to cherish this time of year. Each and every moment you spend with them is a memory you can hold onto.
Try to turn off your screens – laptops, iPhones, iPads…and make eye contact with those that you love. Play games, enjoy home-cooked food, be silly! Hug each other (if it’s safe to do so!) and take walks together. Savour reading out jokes and catching up, or snuggling up on the sofa and watching a cheesy holiday movie! Maybe bake some cookies or work together making decorations.
However you choose to spend the time…
…Don’t forget to cherish this time of year, Ninja!
It’s that time of the year when we need to go against the grain and slooooooooow right down! If you’re feeling that stress of rushing around buying food or presents…here’s your permission slip to take a deep breath.
Breathe in. Breathe out. And slow down.
Choose what matters most, right now at this moment, and I promise you all that other stuff and nonsense can wait.
However, if you’re feeling a little lonely this holiday season, try getting connected with other childcare owners. There’ll be other daycare owners in the same boat, and they’d love to hang out online with you. That’s why I set up my Facebook group, it’s a place where you can meet like-minded childcare business owners.
Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
You want to make 2022 your best Childcare Biz year yet, but you say the same every year. Does it seem like no matter what you do, when it comes to planning your goals and actually reaching them, something just isn’t working for you?
“Goals” is nearly always the buzzword during December, while January is constantly “New Year New You”. This is the time of year when we are meant to reflect on the progress we made towards goals set at the beginning of the year, and I’m a HUGE fan…but I am finding more and more, we set goals, plan goals and, year on year, don’t achieve these goals. So, instead of continuing to do something that isn’t working…if this is you…then this blog post is for you!
Let’s make 2022 your best year yet by doing goal setting the right way!!
Nyckie, why is goal setting so important?
Goals provide you with focus so that when you set them, you can take control of the direction of your life and your business. Every decision you make and all the little actions you take ought to bring you closer to achieving those goals.
By setting goals, you’ll stay motivated, usually see an increase in your happiness, and you’ll notice improvement across your business and day-to-day living. When you set yourself goals, you’re creating a vision of what your your childcare business could look like. And if you want to get the bet results possible, you start pushing yourself and your team that little bit harder and can celebrate all the mini-goals on the journey.
So how come goals don’t always work out?
Lots of us write down our goals in December or January, but by March they’ve often fizzled out. So why is that? What things do you notice hold you and other people you know back from actually reaching the goals you’ve set?
There are a few reasons why people fail to accomplish their New Year goals. Sometimes it’s down to circumstances (uh hello pandemic!) but more often than not it’s because you’ve not set goals properly. I’m going to outline several of them below and you can figure out which one’s you’re guilty of!
So here are a few dos to help and don’ts to avoid so you can crush your goals in 2022!
1. Be SPECIFIC with your goals
When it comes to your goals it is vital that you set out super clear ones. If your goals are not specific, your action steps won’t be focused enough and then your achievements will be wishy-washy too! The more specific you are, the easier you can plan, be accountable and actually end the year having moved forward.
So set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound). Make your goal specific so you can easily track your progress and know whether you met the goal. The more specific you can be with your goal, the higher the chance you’ll complete it.
For example, if you’re setting goals to earn a certain amount, but don’t decide how much money you want to bring in, or when you want to accomplish this goal…then you’re going to struggle to achieve it at all! Because what is “it”?! So get specific! Instead try something like: “I want to bring in $25000 by the Fourth of July.” This goal provides an exact amount of money you are aiming for AND an end date to get it done by.
So remember: vague goals give vague results!! And that’s not going to help you make 2022 your best Childcare Biz year yet, is it?!
2. Don’t let a lack of FOCUS hold you back
Remember when you focus on all the things you achieve absolutely nothing. So, instead I’d like to encourage you to set fewer really great goals and focus on getting those achieved. Sometime we set ourselves up for failure by writing down so many goals we can never find the time to dedicate to all of them. And this lack of focus holds so many of us back from achieving great things!
Wouldn’t you rather achieve a few brilliant goals than 20 unfinished goals? I know which camp I’m in. If you’re going to do something, do it well! So give your goal the focus it deserves!
3. Taking ACTION is paramount!
I’m the first to acknowledge that mindset and positivity are incredibly important, however I also know that sometimes people get caught up in all the mindset work. They actually end up using it as a form of procrastination. It’s not going to help them, in fact it’s distracting them from doing the work.
So I’m recommending that instead of getting lost in a whole lotta background and planning, TAKE ACTION! Because taking those first steps towards your goal will give you the momentum and confidence you need to keep going.
ACTION gets you results and it’s time to be honest, are you actually putting in the hard work? Would you rather be binging Netflix or planning your marketing for your childcare business? If you said Netflix, then I want you to have a rethink!! Do the work, Ninja!
Make 2022 your best Childcare Biz year yet by taking focused action to achieve your goals!
4. Stop making excuses.
This might seem a little harsh, but bear with me. I talk with hundreds of childcare business owners every month and I’ve lost count of the amount of times I hear people blaming other for their lack of achievement. Sometimes life is going to throw you curveballs (I know because I’ve had more than my fair share!) but there’s no point in wasting time and energy on being the victim.
At the end of the day, this is your life, your childcare business, your goals and your legacy. So blaming everyone and everything for your failures is not going to get you any closer to reaching your goals. In fact, I’m pretty sure it will push you further away.
5. Be ACCOUNTABLE.
This is one of the most important things to do. If no one knows about your goals except you, it’s easy for you to let yourself down. Have someone to hold you be accountable. Organize meet ups with them to discuss your progress and help you find solutions to any challenges that come up. It could be a business friend or a coach!
Something that’s really helped me to achieve my goals is investing in myself and getting support and accountability. I can no longer sneak my unachieved goals past my brain, because I’ve got people looking out for me, ensuring that I’m motivated towards achieving bigger and better things. So invest in yourself. I guarantee this will be the best thing you’ll ever do for your childcare business.
Make 2022 your best Childcare Biz year yet by joining my Childcare Ninjas free Facebook community and get the accountability you need from like-minded daycare owners!
I talk more about why your childcare business goal planning ISN’T working in my latest YouTube video:
Earlier you read about how important accountability and planning SMARTer is. And I’ve got just the thing to give you a head start! This is no ordinary paper planner. It’s specifically designed with Childcare Business owners in mind. Because I got sick of having to tweak the ones aimed at other industries!
And because I know a planner is zero use without accountability, I’ve added an accountability piece to my new and improved Nyckie B’s 2022 Childcare Business Planner System!
Sometimes being a home daycare provider can feel pretty isolated and massively overwhelming. Getting connected with other childcare owners is a game changer! Gain strategies and tips to move your childcare business forward by joining a community! That’s why I set up my Facebook group, where you can hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be!
Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
This week I want to talk about that feeling you get when everything is weighing you down and you’re considering closing your daycare. How do you breathe life back into your childcare business when it feels hopeless?
Don’t worry, Ninja, I got you! There have been several moments during my 15 years running multiple childcares when I’ve gotten overwhelmed, and had a load of bad luck, and then felt like throwing in the towel. But I’m still here! And nowadays I’m teaching other women how to thrive too!
So, how can you revive your passion for your childcare business again? How can you fall back in love with it and make it work better for you, with less stress and more success?
I’m gonna help you figure this out by sharing some tips which will keep your business going, even when you feel like giving up.
Why do we sometimes feel like giving up?
My goodness. It sometimes can feel hugely overwhelming running your own business and when you throw in the additional stresses of a pandemic, families struggling, and a lack of community, it’s not surprising many of us have felt this way!
Maybe you’ve had some emails that haven’t felt good, or a team member drop out, or a supplier let you down… It’s all A LOT, right?! And it’s hard because we don’t talk about this enough! We are constantly reminded that running a childcare business isn’t all sunshine and rainbows, is it?! Sometimes we just need space to discuss our issues and press reset.
You have such a huge impact on the local community and are a lifeline for some families. You being open supports the families of your team. It’s a lot of responsibility. But it can be such a struggle! Sometimes the journey can feel super lonely. It can be extremely frustrating. There’s sometimes a feeling that things have stagnated and you are a bit bored.
So here’s a few tips for how you can breathe life back into your childcare business. I’ve created a method called CPR for your childcare business especially for you! Let’s go, Ninja!
Connect the dots
Before you start panicking, shoving a “closed” sign up, and putting all your childcare stuff on ebay, you need to take a deep breath. Yes, sometimes it is HARD. Often it’s tricky to juggle it all. But once upon a time, this was your dream business and there’s no reason why it can’t be again!
So let’s reconnect the dots! What was your original dream around being a childcare business owner? What was your why?! Does that still resonate now?
Most of the time we assume we know what we are missing in our business, what we ought to be doing… but we haven’t really done an audit and investigated fully. Instead, we find ourselves running round in circles after shiny objects, like new tools or apps.
And without actually sitting down and taking stock of all this stuff, to actually look at connecting the dots of where we are and how we want things to be, it can be a waste to chase those ‘hacks’. By taking time to dive in deeper you’ll see what you really need vs. what you assume you need. You’ll notice where there are gaps in your processes and what actually needs to be done.
Plan for success
Create a plan for what you actually need to get the results you want to see. Sometimes we’ve been so long working INSIDE our childcare businesses that we lose sight of the bigger picture. Take some time to zoom out and remember what it is we’re wanting to achieve.
Look at the legacy you want to leave behind. How are you going to make that happen? Consider switching things up a little in your plan. Remember that it’s okay to change your mind from the original plan you had all those years ago.
Revise your strategies
So you’ve looked at the bigger picture and has some time to reflect on what you really want… Now it’s time to put together a strategy to help you achieve your goals. What are all the little steps – the tactics – you’ve got to take to get there? Perhaps it’s automation, perhaps it’s training, or perhaps it’s something else!
Once you’ve got these listed out, you’ll be able to see that your childcare business is not beyond resurrection. In fact far from it. You’ve just got to reignite that passion inside you again.
You can watch this week’s YouTube video all about how to resurrect your childcare business right now!
Reach out and breathe life back into your childcare business!
Earlier on I mentioned loneliness and frustration, and these things are rarely remedied when you continue working all by yourself. Your team can’t fully comprehend the weight of responsibility on your shoulders or the burden of running a childcare business. So what can you do to feel better?
I have EXACTLY what you need! I have a community of like-minded childcare business owners who GET IT! They know where you’re at, and totally understand that feeling of “what’s the point?!” But they’ve got through it TOGETHER. Come join us, share the burden and find some joy and reciprocity over in my free Facebook group.
Getting connected with other childcare owners is a HUGE game changer!
Gain strategies and tips to move your childcare business forward by joining a community! That’s why I set up my Facebook group, where you can hang out with like-minded and aspirational daycare owners. Join us for more tips on how to make your childcare business the success it deserves to be! Or if you prefer Instagram, we share ideas and tips there too. We’re an army of childcare professionals who are sharing ninja-sharp skills to transform our businesses into childcare empires! This is Childcare Ownership all Grownup!
