| Thinking of starting a daycare? Marketing or | | | | a waiting list in a month or so... In short I was |
| getting parents to know you're "in business" can | | | | WRONG. Very wrong. |
| be a challenge and often more difficult than people | | | | What we found was that parents are very finicky |
| initial think. Before I personally got started it never | | | | about where they send their kids. And rightfully |
| crossed my mind that we would even have to | | | | so, but its seems very strange how the whole |
| market. I just assumed it would not be an issue | | | | decision process for the parents falls into place. |
| to get kids to enroll. After all we had many | | | | Also, many parents seem to not want to cross |
| friends. I was involved in moms groups, la leche | | | | the friend/business relationship line. They |
| leagues, and knew many people in our community. | | | | absolutely want to trust the provider but want to |
| I also had several moms encouraged me to start | | | | be able to have that control and be able pull out |
| a home daycare with the promise or maybe | | | | immediately without having to worry about |
| more fairly, the impression, that they would enroll | | | | destroying friendships - I guess. But whatever the |
| their kids with me (Only one of my friends that | | | | psychological reasons, parents are very touchy |
| mentioned this actually signed up). | | | | (almost weird) about where they place their kids. |
| My husband grew up in this town (metro Detroit) | | | | So the point is that you'd better have a real plan |
| and was well known as well. Between the two of | | | | on how you're going to keep that phone ringing |
| us it wasn't even a thought that we would really | | | | and your enrollment full. Promises from friends (or |
| need a marketing plan. I sincerely thought that we | | | | any customers for that matter) don't count until |
| would have an immediate full house complete with | | | | they sign your contract and pay the initial fee. |