1. Make sure you're website is searchable through the various search engines... go to yahoo and type in daycare, *your area* & see where/if your website comes up. I've got mine to show up right under (or on top in some cases) the big daycare's/preschools in my city without paying a cent, just by registering them free, or working with the key words in my website builder.
(I have so many people calling, have a waiting list -- just because my name is at the 'top' and I have a professional/fun website.
2. Do you have a neighborhood facebook page? Our subdivision has a facebook page with all my neighbors, once I was added I could post when I had an opening, with a link to my website.
3. Facebook... create a page for your 'daycare'... add some fun pictures and refer your friends, who have friends, who have friends... etc. The more people who see it, the better!
4. I actually chased my pregnant neighbors down when I first started... not kidding. I bought them a cute baby gift and would walk it over, introduce myself and drop it in conversation that I ran a daycare out of my house. They're some of my good friends (and customers), and that was 7 years ago!
5. Our Library has a preschool night (right now a lot of preschools are up for enrollment), I could reserve a table and pass out flyers and talk to people who maybe want a more unconventional route to preschool (or have siblings that will need daycare, cha-ching!, I like working with 3 & 4 year olds as opposed to infants, so this worked good for me.
They'll come... and until they do, just hang in there! I was laid off a corporate job after being there for 10 yrs. I had an unemployed husband, new house, and was back from maternity for all of a week. I was stressed and scared. I just made me push harder for what I wanted! My husband supported my decision as we used some of the Severance $$ to start the daycare -- I'm so glad I stuck with it. My view of kids playing is SO much better than the brown/tan cube
