Well, I was hoping that my interview for today would land me two full time dcks 3 yrs and 6 mnths. I called to confirm this afternoon and got no response. No call back, no nothing. sigh. And no calls, no inquiries no nothing. I was getting tons of calls and now I have 2 part timers. I really need two full timers. I have my ad on several facebook swap and sell groups and craigslist. I check sittercity, care.com, and cl every day, but no bites.

I'm not sure what to do. I really can't lower my rates any more than I already have. I looked at vistaprint and ordered business cards that I can hand out. I even looked at flyers, but I just can't afford that right now. I know this thread is beating a dead horse, but I could really use some suggestions or motivation right now....

sigh. Hope you all are doing better that me

Reply

You have a page on FB for the daycare right? The way google works is it monitor how many "people'' are "talking" about a name. Do you have a website? Post things on the FB page...pictures and things you do. Have your friends like it and then have their friends like it. PM me the name and I will search it and like the page. By posting things and people "liking" the posts google will recognize it and it bumps you up in google searches.
Yelp has brought me some business too. I created a yelp business page added 1 picture and some info about me.

Reply

I like that idea! Thanks. I didn't really think of it that way. I do have a facebook page but there isn't anything on it. So I guess I'll work on that tomorrow since I just found out my partimer isn't coming until next week. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll post it when I get it up and running. And i do have a website and started the process of listing my dc with google maps.

Reply

my advice on getting your name out there is to put in some good volunteer work in your community.

I volunteer for the local YMCA (everything to do with kids) as well as coaching soccer all youth sports for an organization here.

I am head of fun raising for my daughters cheer team and I am on the board at the home and school club. Every 6 months I change to something else..

I love it, it's me time and I get my name out there.

Reply

I do volunteer with Girl Scouts, but that hasn't gotten me any business. I find it hard to volunteer because my husband is almost never around. literally. It's rare if he's home before 7:30pm each night and many times he's out of town completely. And I have a 10 yr old and a 2 yr old and no family in the area. We are military and I don't have many friends either. So it's hard enough trying to find someone to take my daughter when I have Girl Scout meetings. I'm not sure how I would be able to do much more right now. Especially when I'm taking care of the house, pets, children, and now my own business basically by myself. I am truely in awe of people that find time for everything. I just can't seem to do that. Right now we have girl scouts once a week, gymnastics twice a week and then trying to help my oldest with her homework, as she's struggling, keep the house clean, take care of youngest dd, prep for Girl Scouts (I'm the troop leader of a Brownie and Junior troop).

I appreciate the suggestion, but I find it hard to volunteer. As for sports, I am so not athletic! lol. I've never played a sport in my life other than the mandatory PE classes in high school. I was pretty good at table tennis but that's about it I'm a member at the local YMCA here, but it really doesn't offer much. Just volleyball, basketball, cheerleading and flag football.

I do try to volunteer at the elementary school when I'm able, but the PTA there is really cliquish and unwelcoming, so I gave up last year. Maybe I'll try again.

Reply

Nickel, do you have Microsoft Office on your computer? If so go to Microsoft Office Publisher, it has a nice brochure program. This is what I did, and I came up with a very nice tri-fold brochure that I was able to make right at home. I bought some of those plastic brochure holders you can get at office supply stores, and have several businesses locally that allowed me to set them on their counters. I also have it set up in my daycare room along with my business cards, and daycare parents are always taking them and handing them out to their friends too.

Reply

Thank you! I never thought of that! I've used publisher for newsletters and never thought of it to create my open brochures! What type of information do you put in it. Do you put pictures of the actual children or just the empty space? And what paper do you use? Is there a high gloss card stock or something like that, or is it just regular plain printer paper?

Thanks, I do really like that idea! Maybe I could even set them out at the local college, military base, etc. Ummmm... what do you say to the business to get them to hold your brochures? I know the local coffee house lets us do that, but I don't see too many people from there needing child care. It's mostly the younger crowd. Oh! I sort of know someone at the pediatric dentist. Maybe they would let me place some there if I agree to refer their services or something like that!

Thank you so much for the idea!!!

Reply

I contacted DaisyMamma and she made me a beautiful flyer with little rip-off tabs on the bottom as well as just your regular flyer/advertisement to post around local businesses. She used my child care logo and submitted everything to me for approval before sending me the final copy to print and use.

She does fabulous work and is super affordable too! If making your own advertising stuff isn't your cup of tea or isn't something you have time for I would definitely recommend contacting her and I am sure she would be glad to help you out.

Reply

I used regular printer paper, and am very happy with it. I can email you a copy of mine so you can see what mine looks like, just message me your email address if you would like.

I just went to a few business around my home and asked to speak to the managers, then introduced myself, handed them a brochure to look at and asked if they would mind if I displayed my brochures there. They were all very happy to do so. I only asked the ones that had other business flyers, brochures and cards hanging around too though.

Reply