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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Advertising for an Open House?
butterflygirl 08:57 PM 10-12-2013
My sisters and I want to have an open house for our daycare in a couple weeks. Have any of you guys done one and how did you advertise it? We really need to get some kids in our daycare as soon as possible, so we figured this might be a good way.
originalkat 09:50 PM 10-12-2013
A friend of mine did an open house. She put signs out at the major intersections and had a bounce house, a few snacks, and some information set out for visitors. Honestly, she did not have a very good turn out. Maybe 3 people came and none followed up afterwards.
Hopefully you will do better. Just dont put out a lot of cash to get it ready so that way you will not have lost anything (except time).
Hopefully you will do better. Just dont put out a lot of cash to get it ready so that way you will not have lost anything (except time).
nothingwithoutjoy 06:14 AM 10-13-2013
I had an open house when I started, and it's where I got most of my first kids. I put a little description in the "events for kids" section of our paper, which is free (rather than an ad for pay). I also hung fliers around town. I didn't get tons of people, but almost everyone who came enrolled, and the others sent friends my way.
butterflygirl 10:28 AM 10-13-2013
Thanks! I'll keep all that in mind!
We definitely aren't going to put a ton of money in it. We can't really afford to.
We definitely aren't going to put a ton of money in it. We can't really afford to.
JoseyJo 04:00 PM 10-13-2013
We did a few things like this when we first started- spent quite a bit of money over all and didn't get any kids out of it
We get most of our new enrollments from craigslist ads in the childcare section, from people searching for childcare in our city and finding our website, and from word of mouth.
My major suggestions for getting calls and interviews is to make sure you promote what is best about your daycare, that makes you different than others around. Make a website and optimize it so people can find it when searching "daycare in (name of your city/area)". In our city lots of providers post openings on craigslist so we do too and make sure that our ads offer something different than the others we see on there.
We get most of our new enrollments from craigslist ads in the childcare section, from people searching for childcare in our city and finding our website, and from word of mouth.
My major suggestions for getting calls and interviews is to make sure you promote what is best about your daycare, that makes you different than others around. Make a website and optimize it so people can find it when searching "daycare in (name of your city/area)". In our city lots of providers post openings on craigslist so we do too and make sure that our ads offer something different than the others we see on there.
butterflygirl 10:17 PM 10-13-2013
I'm hoping we get 1 or 2 kids out of it. Even that would be a little better than the 1 part time we have right now.
coolconfidentme 03:48 AM 10-14-2013
Originally Posted by butterflygirl:
My sisters and I want to have an open house for our daycare in a couple weeks. Have any of you guys done one and how did you advertise it? We really need to get some kids in our daycare as soon as possible, so we figured this might be a good way.
I've never done an open house, but my business cards tend to generate a lot of calls. You can pass them out with candy at Halloween. You can also have your cards in a local 5K runner's bag. I just helped prepare for a Halloween run & made sure my cards were in every bag. I also put them up at the laundromats, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. Vistaprints is only $10 for 250 cards. Color too!My sisters and I want to have an open house for our daycare in a couple weeks. Have any of you guys done one and how did you advertise it? We really need to get some kids in our daycare as soon as possible, so we figured this might be a good way.
butterflygirl 01:08 PM 10-14-2013
Originally Posted by coolconfidentme:
I've never done an open house, but my business cards tend to generate a lot of calls. You can pass them out with candy at Halloween. You can also have your cards in a local 5K runner's bag. I just helped prepare for a Halloween run & made sure my cards were in every bag. I also put them up at the laundromats, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. Vistaprints is only $10 for 250 cards. Color too!
Thank you for the tip! We're trying to get all that organized, so hopefully, we'll have a few places around town with our business cards.I've never done an open house, but my business cards tend to generate a lot of calls. You can pass them out with candy at Halloween. You can also have your cards in a local 5K runner's bag. I just helped prepare for a Halloween run & made sure my cards were in every bag. I also put them up at the laundromats, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. Vistaprints is only $10 for 250 cards. Color too!
coolconfidentme 02:00 PM 10-14-2013
Originally Posted by butterflygirl:
Thank you for the tip! We're trying to get all that organized, so hopefully, we'll have a few places around town with our business cards.
Don't forget the local employment agencies. When people look for a job, they need childcare too!Thank you for the tip! We're trying to get all that organized, so hopefully, we'll have a few places around town with our business cards.
butterflygirl 03:27 PM 10-14-2013
Originally Posted by coolconfidentme:
Don't forget the local employment agencies. When people look for a job, they need childcare too!
Never would have thought of that! Thanks!Don't forget the local employment agencies. When people look for a job, they need childcare too!
Maria2013 10:49 AM 10-15-2013
Originally Posted by originalkat:
A friend of mine did an open house. She put signs out at the major intersections and had a bounce house, a few snacks, and some information set out for visitors. Honestly, she did not have a very good turn out. Maybe 3 people came and none followed up afterwards. Hopefully you will do better. Just dont put out a lot of cash to get it ready so that way you will not have lost anything (except time).
I'm thinking an open house in my area would only attract the curiosity of other providersA friend of mine did an open house. She put signs out at the major intersections and had a bounce house, a few snacks, and some information set out for visitors. Honestly, she did not have a very good turn out. Maybe 3 people came and none followed up afterwards.
Hopefully you will do better. Just dont put out a lot of cash to get it ready so that way you will not have lost anything (except time).