I've been advertising for spots now for 3 weeks and I haven't had a single call or email! I've got my one family from when I was unlicensed and an SA, so I've got a LOT of openings here and really want something to get filled, kwim?

I've advertised on craigslist, I have 10 fliers put up in stores and businesses around town (including my DD's dance studio and preschool). I've contacted every mom in my town on facebook letting them know that I'm open and to spread the word. I'm on a daycare directory in my local newspaper that is available online as well.

What else can I do? I'm thinking of placing an individual ad in the daily paper and maybe getting into the phone book (maybe that's old hat, but I'm running out of ideas).

Is this odd that I haven't even got one call?!?

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You know what I have found to be really helpful..

Post your ad here. Many of the posters are great at marketing; maybe a few tweeks to your ad will get the phone lines ringing.

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I'm not getting any calls either Sweetie. And I'm afraid that when I do get a call, it will be some lunatic family on "the run" from another daycare that gave them the BOOT!!!

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I don't think its all that odd considering the economic times we are in. I used to get a few calls every week without advertising. Now I am getting a few calls every month.... the economy has really messed with things.

How many other providers are in your area?? If there are a lot of other options to parents, that will lessen your calls too.

If you have a local paper it might be a good idea to run an ad in there for a week or so just to see what it produces.

Good luck with getting your spots filled!

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Do you have your name and openings updated with your local Childcare Resource & Referral? That is how I got several clients when I was first starting out.

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It sometimes seems to me the calls come and go. What I mean is sometimes I will get 10/20 calls in 2 weeks time and then only 1/2 the next 2 weeks.

Last week I got 6 calls in one day and were all off my website and for infants, but my website states I have NO infant openings...lol and all these ladies said I really liked your website...hummm did they read? lol

Give it time, you will get calls!! Sounds like to me you are getting the word out. have you went back and checked your flyers to make sure they are still there?

Some little league games will start soon....find out where they are and go pass out flyers.

Easter egg hunts will be coming soon...Take LOTS of flyers and pass them out.

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here is an idea...

Volunteer in your community with your kids.. We have painted a trash can and we put the name of our DC on it. it says painted by ***XX daycare

We have planted flowers all over the city and the flower sign says planteed by ******X daycare

we helped keep our fields clean for the little league baseball and got our name on the banner that hangs all through the baseball season..

There are a few more, but I cant recall as its been a really long time....

anyways the kids love it and its free advertising.... just some ideas to get your name out there

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Oh! I do have one idea...I did call up a few of the ladies in the closest town (my kids actually go to school in that town) that I know do daycare and I told them that we should partner....I'll send them my inquiries when I'm full and they can send me theirs. I think it will work out well because one of those ladies only does drop-in care and has NO INTEREST in full time kids whatsoever (and I have no interest in drop-in kids whatsoever).

So, we'll see...I hope it works!!!

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Wow, these are all great! I've got my CCR&R packet that I need to fill out. I'll call my paper today. Here's what I've got on my flier:

Need Childcare?

Licensed in-home daycare has immediate infant, toddler, and preschool openings!
• Former teacher with Special Education experience! (LD, Autism)
• Arts and Crafts/Song Time/Learning basic skills
• Healthy meals and snacks
• LOTS of fun toys and games
• Backyard with playground set
• Close to downtown
• Full-Time and Part-Time openings available

Call "zoe" at __________________

I've got my title in "word art" rainbow and there's a clip art of a dcprovider with a bunch of smiling kids in the lower right hand corner.

Thoughts?

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sounds cute! I like it...

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I am having trouble filling my 2 - 5 year olds, I have 2 openings. I would like to fill one of them and I have put up 2 ads in the past few months with no responses. I am not serious about filling the spots, it would just be nice to at some point.

There are a ton of providers in my area so I plan on putting up flyers when the weather gets a little warmer. I have been wondering why I am getting no calls. Perhaps it is the economy and where I live.

Good luck.

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I have a ton of providers around me too and i have only had two calls one interview... Its been over a month, but the schedule I have to offer is strange.. m Tu F...

NOt to sound mean but gald I am not the ony one that is goinjg through this..

I think you are right it is the economy too.

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You're not mean. It's honest. I'm glad I'm not the only one too. That's why I started the thread! I needed to know that it's not just me!

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Sounds really cute !!! but I am not saying this to get people mad at me but the line about you being a special ed teacher (in my opinion is awesome) but for some finicky or worried , snobby, parents or parents that might not understand how sweet these special ed kids can be, all they can think about is that THEIR kids won't get enough attention or the autistic kid will be screaming all the time.

You might want to just put former teacher and if someone asks you should tell them about your special ed experience .
Again, I love my autistic dck but I also know how parents think!

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That's a very good point! I hate to say this, but the town I'm in has a lot of snobs, so I can see where you're going with that. Thanks!

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Omg so ture... my sis works with special ed kids and she had a summer program that she runs called near by nature... A lot of the parents did not enroll their kids when she started adding her special ed kids. The parents said that they didnt want their "regular" kids having to learn at the level of the "special kids"
wow some people........

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Everyone in certain areas gets pregnant at the same time (rainstorm? snow storm? vacation time?) and so everyone seems to go back at the same time.

I noticed that everytime I get 1 call/email, I got 20 calls/emails to follow. Then it's dead silence for another 6 months.



Hang in there hun, They will be knocking shortly.

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This seems to be a rather "dead" time of the year for filling spaces. It might pick up for you around late Spring/early Summer. Can you offer SA summer care? You could start advertising for that soon--put up flyers at the schools maybe.

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It's been dead here too. I've done a few interviews all looking for a May start and haven't heard back from any as none were willing to pay to hold the spot. I recently put up a craig's list ad and got one e-mail. I replied with more information and got a reply asking for an interview in all caps. I replied that all caps is considered yelling and if she wants an interview she needs to not yell at me and answer some basic questions. We'll see how it goes.

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LOL sorry I had to do it.. that was funny... I need your backbone

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Man I wish I had the guts to do stuff like that! Maybe after my income is a little more "stable"

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I'm glad you guys found humor in my situation! I used to be more passive about it and simply not respond or put it off as a one time thing but have since decided that I'm not going allow people to disrespect me ever. My income is far from "stable" and I really could have used the income from two more kids but I'm not willing to sacrifice respect for money. Like any other aspect in my life, I want to be surrounded by people who respect me and add to my happiness. It's hard to stand up to people and I still get nervous doing it but the end result is better for me and hopefully better for someone else down the road as well.

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I've advertised for a spot for the past 3-4 months on & off (usually one ad in our local paper every month for 3-4 days) & I constantly have an ad on CL. I have not gotten many calls. The calls I have gotten I have a sneaky suspicion that it is actually a mom who is starting her own DC wanting to knwo prices. So you are not alone. Just keep your chin up & try to be patient! The one person who was really interested in me had terrible hours (retail) & I was unwilling to be their caregiver as I didn't want to work Saturday & Sunday & evenings.

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That's funny about the CL response. I constantly get replies from my CL ad but sometimes it seems like the people can't read as I say I don't do summer care outright in my ad & people seem to not notice that very important aspect.

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If you have any large companies in your town you might call them and see if they have an internal referral service or listing service. There are two big companies here that have them, but you have to ask to be put on or referred by one of their employees. I didn't even realize that this existed or that I was on it until I started getting calls when I wasn't looking for kids and they mentioned that I was on "the list" of preferred providers.

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I really admire you for putting respect above money. We've been really having a hard time the last three years with money to the point of considering bankruptcy. Not fun... So I've been desperate enough at times to settle for things that I wasn't very comfortable with just to pay the bills and get food on the table. It was really that bad. Now that things are settling down and tax refund season is nearby, I am able to do more of what you do and I'm very much looking forward to truly enjoying my job surrounding myself with great people!

I don't really get some people! I found the greatest daycare lady on craigslist when I was teaching, so I keep posting my ad there just in case I get a "golden" family. So far, I'm getting bupkiss, but we'll see!

That's interesting. What kind of companies are you talking about? I live in a fairly small town, but I'll look into it! Right now, I'm on a list of "preferred providers" with my DD's preschool teacher. She used to be a childcare provider so she's always helping people find great daycare.

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I have a listing in the yellow pages (for $16 per month) and my phone rings off the hook. A yellow pages listing also gets you a listing in DEX Online too for those who turn to the web instead of the phone book. I do get some calls from R&R too......but I make a point of asking callers where they got my number and 90% of the time they say the phone book or Dex Online.

Only problem is, it's not instant and depends when you phone book is published. If you miss the deadline, you could have up to a year before you are in the phone book.

But I HIGHLY recommend it. I never go more than a few days without filling spots.

You could also try the local elementary schools for free referrals!. I know the staff at the local school very well as all 4 of my kids went through at some time or another. If they hear a parent mention looking for child care for younger siblings etc...they refer them to me.

I also had some magnetic signs made up at a vinyl sign shop and they go on the sides of my car. I can just pull them off when I don't want to be a moving ad.

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Look for any company that provides decent benefits to their employees. The two I am referring to are an insurance company and a manufacturer. I would call the human resources department to see what they might have.

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That's wonderful! I kinda figured there'd be a wait with the phone book, that's why I've been putting it off. But I'd never thought about the online thing.

I'm not taking school age kids because of the busy street I live on and how uncomfortable I am with the bus situation. I wonder if advertising at the school would still be a good idea for the younger siblings?

You all have given me so many great ideas! Thanks!

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Just wanted to mention (although maybe I missed it ...) to make sure that you have either tear-off strips on your fliers or business cards pinned up beside them. Alot of people will notice a flyer and think "Hey, I should let so-and-so know about that" but if they don't have the contact information to take with them, they'll forget about it right away.

Also, make sure that your website is easily found with the various search engines. People will often search for "daycare in Timbucktu" or whatever your town's name is. The ones that come up are the places they contact.

Good luck, and hope things turn around soon!

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