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!
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.
