Originally Posted by ihop:
The area I live in is saturated with daycares. You can have three children besides your own if you are not licensed, 10 if you are, and 13 if you are certified. All home based daycares whether licensed, unlicensed, or certified all charge 125/week for children over two. A few charge less and a few charge more. Even a few name your own price(but they are never full).
So I don't have much choice in what I charge. When I started my program, I started with 125/week and people loved it, but with everyone charging that price I feel like I get lost in the crowd. I won't undermine my work by charging less.
What I am wondering is if I were to raise my prices, do you think it would help me stand out? I know I'd have to offer something extra to make it worth it to parents but I feel like they see that price and assume I am just as qualified as an unlicensed daycare. I am only 40% full and I really need to bring in more children but with my costs being what they are, I cannot expand my program if I lower my rates at all.
Maybe some input from people who charge more then other daycares in your are?
I understand where you are coming from wanting clients to "realize" what you have to offer children. I guess that frustrates me the most because the average parent is only in our facilities due to what we charge and how long they can stay. I have some families that I feel are in my dc because of what I offer but I feel there are some that would leave for a $1 less and a minute longer. So NO, I do not think you should raise rates just to make you stand out, but if you want to raise because it is the right thing to do for your program then that is a good professional move.
