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BlondeMoment
01-10-2012, 10:36 AM
Hi everyone.
Hope you're all well and getting set for autumn.
I'm just wondering if any of you know of any other websites or ways of advertising other than childcare.co.uk
I've been on childcare for 6 months and have got nowhere.
This time last year my numbers were full and I was having to turn people away. In April I lost my two biggest incomes - two little boys that came three days a week all day. They moved away. Shortly after they left I lost another as her parents weren't able to afford for her to come anymore. And now in the last 2 months I've lost another two. One is starting a nursery and the other's Mum no longer works on the day I used to have her.

I now have just one little girl two days a week and three schoolies, again just two days a week. I'm desperate for more work or I'm going to have to start looking for employment before long if things don't pick up.
I've put so much into this business and made so many changes to my home. I will be gutted if I have to pack it all in.
Does anyone know what I can do?
Lisa x

hectors house
01-10-2012, 10:50 AM
My married daughter has started to do babysitting for someone who advertised on Gumtree - don't know if anyone ever advertises on there for childminders, she says sometimes the adverts are more like for a nanny than a babysitter - so maybe you could contact them and talk them round to using a childminder instead?

Just had one give notice this morning - only for one day a week but still £30 less a week that I wasn't expecting to be down. Hard to fill one day a week spaces! Also worried that the knock on effect may be the other 3 year old I have may not want to play with the baby and his mum may increase his nursery hours.

Pixie dust
01-10-2012, 10:54 AM
I will be interested in the replies you get as I am in the same boat as you. I really don't want to give up but it my come to that:( The local early years team are helping more people set up but the local established childminders are all struggling.

JCrakers
01-10-2012, 11:03 AM
Vista print do a lot of bargains in regards to postcards, car magnets, bags.

Hand the postcards out to mums and tots, midwife waiting rooms, doctors,

I had a very slow year, now I'm full and most of my mindees came from recommendations from parents.

Jenna
01-10-2012, 12:31 PM
I registered back in March of this year at the start things we're real slow going and i thought i would never find any children. Then i went on a major advertising campaign i put little notices up everywhere and anywhere. I rung our local primary school who put a add in their newsletter, did a paper advert, posters in leisure center, doctors, birthing center, chip shop, newsagents. Even stapled one to the fence in our park. We also have a hotel close by who put a notice in their staff room. Since then i am nearly full with only 1 space left on a Wednesday which isn't too bad. I have sent up a Facebook page and now and again will write as my status if i have any space or on those car boots on Facebook. Its just getting your name out there and reminding people you are still there.
Hope that helps and fingers crossed it will pick up for you. ;)

linzi133
01-10-2012, 12:51 PM
I have used free adverts with Yell .com and Thompson local. I am now getting lots of my work through internet searches! Many of my local parents have googled childminder then the area and I am one of the first names and numbers they see!
You don't have to have a website to do this. You just have to be willing to have your details online. Some people may not like that but it has got me my last 3 mindees....so it works for me!

I am on childcare.co.uk as well as a Gold member but I find parents don't use it as they are put off with having to pay as they don't realise that childminders will contact them!

Good luck!

AliceK
01-10-2012, 01:07 PM
I have got children from Netmums, Gumtree and Yell in the past as well as Childcare.co.uk I think as all are free to advertise on you may as well give it a go. I have also used care .com and adverts in local post-office / newsagents windows but as yet have never had anything from them.
I was in the same position a short while ago as all 3 of my EY's mums got pregnant at the same time and 2 gave notice and the other will reduce her hours but I have filled all spaces now, have had 1 new one for a while now, have another starting tomorrow and another starting in a couple of weeks. Typically the head of foundation at the nursery I pick-up from also asked me if I had space last week as one of the mums is looking for someone but I had just filled my last space.
I must admit I was panicking but with determined effort and lots of advertising I've filled all the spaces.
Good Luck :thumbsup:

xxxx

sweetcheeks
01-10-2012, 01:09 PM
A couple of things that have got me so enquiries are; an advert in the childcare section of Netmums, and we made up a stack of flyers and posted them in every door in the local area (this actually generated quite a lot of interest). Its tough at the moment, i'm finding less people want full time care, so its a case of trying to fill gaps with different part timers. Good luck :thumbsup:

Pixie dust
01-10-2012, 04:19 PM
Parent just cancelled a visit tonight, it was for after school 1 night a week but school have put on a FREE afterschool sports session so they are going to use that instead.
When I told dh when he come home his words were 'you better start looking for a job':mad:

BlondeMoment
03-10-2012, 01:29 PM
A couple of things that have got me so enquiries are; an advert in the childcare section of Netmums, and we made up a stack of flyers and posted them in every door in the local area (this actually generated quite a lot of interest). Its tough at the moment, i'm finding less people want full time care, so its a case of trying to fill gaps with different part timers. Good luck :thumbsup:

I like the idea of advertising on netmums but I've been on and can't figure out how to do it. Can you help?