| Opening a daycare center is a serious undertaking. | | | | Non-profit day care providers have access to |
| There are a lot of things that you need to | | | | more funding and grants. You'll need to research |
| consider and do if you want your daycare | | | | what is available to you. |
| business to run smoothly and become profitable. | | | | - Do you want to run your business from home |
| Initially, you should find out how much demand | | | | or do you prefer to lease, rent, buy or build new |
| there is for day care centers in the area where | | | | facilities. |
| you want to start the business. After satisfying | | | | - Are you planning to hire staff or do you intend |
| yourself that you'll have enough customers you | | | | to do everything yourself? |
| then need to consider the following issues: | | | | 3. Opening a daycare center - Your motivation for |
| 1. Opening a daycare center - Registration and | | | | starting a daycare business |
| Regulation | | | | Your goals, aims and motivation for opening a |
| Find out from your local agency or licensing office | | | | daycare center are important because they will |
| what you need to do to get a licence. You'll need | | | | determine what direction your business will go. |
| to do this before you can start operating. If | | | | - Do you have any experience in the area of |
| you're unsure who to contact, you can call the | | | | childcare? Do you enjoy working with children? |
| National Resource Center for Health and Safety in | | | | How much do you know about child |
| Child Care and Early Education on 1-800-598-KIDS | | | | development? Have you ever run a business |
| (5437). They have contact information for every | | | | before? If this is your first time you'll need to do |
| state in the USA. Some daycare business are not | | | | a lot of research and reading. |
| required to be licensed but there are more | | | | - Are you prepared to work long hours, accept |
| advantages to being licensed and you'll find that | | | | responsibility, meet strict deadlines, exercise |
| parents take licensed care providers more | | | | authority, manage other people and provide |
| seriously. | | | | leadership? |
| 2. Opening a daycare center - Start-up costs and | | | | - Do you have good communication skills? How do |
| financing | | | | you cope under pressure or in stressful situations? |
| Some of the things you need to consider: | | | | - Are emotionally and physically healthy? |
| - Set up costs - How much is it going to cost to | | | | 4. Opening a daycare center - Getting Started |
| get started? Are you prepared to operate | | | | It's a good idea to get hold of a good book on |
| without making a profit for a few months? What | | | | opening a daycare center. Such books usually |
| is your budget? | | | | contain detailed information on many aspects of |
| - Are you eligible for a loan or daycare grant? | | | | the day care business. You could also locate and |
| Most for-profit day care businesses are only | | | | speak to current owners of day care businesses. |
| eligible to apply for a limited number of grants. | | | | You can learn a lot from their experience. |