What am I doing wrong? Feel like a failure

[BHayle]

Hi, I'm a new childminder but I am really struggling to get started.
I had my inspection mid February which was really tough but was told I had done all the right things and was ready to start once I got my certificate which I got at the start of March. I started advertising in March, on Childcare.co.uk I also got business cards and gave them out/put them on notice boards and spoke to lots of other CM's in my area to get my name out there.
It's now mid May and I still don't have any mindee's :panic:
I've had two visits but not heard back and a few calls for school pickups which have also gone cold.
I feel so desperate to start, I have always worked and am terrified I won't have anything to show Ofsted when they come in August.
Some other CM's told me it can take up to a year to fill spaces and I just can't wait that long.

Don't know how to stay focused and positive. What am I doing wrong?

How long did it take you to get your first mindee's and how did you advertise?

[busybee81]

I felt the same as you a couple of months ago I was registered in November and like you nothing was really happening and I was starting to panic. Mid march the phone calls started coming now I am pretty much full and turning business away. Don't worry it will pick up! Have your local authority got your details? Ring your early years team and make sure I have had most of my enquiries through them.
Good luck :)

[MessybutHappy]

I'm sure you aren't doing anything "wrong"! Have you got a webpage? That can help, there was a thread on here recently about advertising. Are you going to your local toddler groups and rhyme times and introducing yourself? Keep strong!

[Optimalstar]

It took a year before i got my first mindee and that was only for holidays and before and after school. Then i picked up a few more after school over the next few months. I finally got a little one in January, a year and a half after registering. It's worked in my favour as OFSTED didn't visit for my first full inspection until i had the little one.

So instead of a few months into the job when they visited I was about 2 months short of 2 years from registering and it paid off as i got an Outstanding. I feel if I'd have a LO from the start and got an inspection within a few months I wouldn't have got that grade. Every cloud has a silver lining and all that x

[Kiddleywinks]

I too don't think you're doing anything 'wrong' as such - I had loads of enquiries and visits and no-one signed up from December through till June (had 18 enquiries one month :panic:) and I really did start feeling paranoid (Do I smell? Should I change my deodorant? :laughing:)

Got one, then another within a month or two, then a third, all part timers, a gap of about 5 months, and the remaining 3 spaces went. It took a whole year!

Get out there, get known, volunteer at groups/preschools, put cards EVERYWHERE, go to your local forum meetings, update your details on your local FIS website regularly (ours moves you to the top of the list everytime you update)

Ofsted will postpone your grading visit if you have no children on roll, I'm still waiting for mine despite contact them 3 times :rolleyes:, but as Optimalstar says, I'm looking at that being better for me as I will have more evidence when they DO get around to me :thumbsup:

Good luck

[moggy]

also there are lots of other web sites to advertise for free on: netmums have local childcare pages, Care website, Find a babysitter website, facebook if you are into that, I child if you are Pacey member. You never know where a parent might be looking so get your name on all the possible websites.

[Becci26]

I am agreeing with everyone else in that I don't think you are doing anything wrong, sometimes it can be hard to get that first mindee through the door.

Advertise as much as possible, word of mouth, tell everyone u meet you are a childminder and carry a few business cards around so u can give them out if somebody is interested, childcare.co.uk, netmums, pin urself on google, get a website if u haven't already, leaflet drop locally, get in with the school/ pre school/ toddler groups etc etc.

As I said to somebody else recently, sell ur USP, especially if you are in an area where there is a lot of competition, you need to stand out from the crowd :thumbsup:

As hard as it is, do not get despondant with it, I nearly did but then my business really took off after I had that first mindee through the door, it just takes time sometimes.

[Rick]

It may take a little while to find mindees. Being a male childminder I have found it more difficult to get mindees but I am now full despite living in a slightly less well off area and on the outskirts of the town.

The main way you will get mindees is to get yourself out there and get noticed. I took my son to toddler groups and met lots of parents who, once they got to know me, said they would ask me to look after their children if they needed childcare. Word of mouth is the best way to get enquiries. I went to the childminding group as well, even with no mindees. If you can get pally with other childminders they will hopefully help you out with any enquiries that are not suitable for them.

Is there a local website you can advertise on. I posted on ours and the editor asked me to write an article for them which was emailed to 2300 people in our town and put on the website, contact details on the bottom! Facebook may have a page local to you. Get yourself on every website you can find, most are free. Do what a parent may do....type in 'childminder' into Google and see if you can get yourself on every website. Sign up for Google Places. you appear at the top of the google page when someone types in 'childminder' (Google knows your location). You also appear on Google maps.

Has your Family Information Service found anything for you? Keep asking them and you will go to the top of the list.

Ofsted won't inspect if you don't have mindees because it won't tell them anything!

Keep going.....you will get the results but you will have to put some effort into it! :thumbsup:

[MiniKins]

Ask yourself how you would go about looking for childcare.

It's important to have a presence on the internet as that's where many parents look, but you'll probably find that a lot ask others for a recommendation ~ word of mouth is always your best advert, that's why reputation is so important in this business.

Unfortunately this leaves new minders at a disadvantage in a sort of 'Catch-22' paradox whereby to get recommended you need to have a track record, but to build one up you need to have mindees!

So for quick results you need to be 'pro-active' ~ if parents don't know about you (in the sense of how good you are and what services you offer) you need to get out, meet them and tell them.

Sit down and think of all the positive points of your business ~ What advantages do you have over other childminders in your area? What are the unique aspects of your setting? Think of the 'extra mile' you might be prepared to go ~ maybe extended opening hours…no charge for holidays…meals included if required…drop off and pick up…special qualifications…outstanding grading…near to school…easy parking…open bank holidays…and so on. Perhaps even offer a reduced fee for the first week.

Wander up and down your local high street (preferably at the weekend as working parents will be around at that time) handing out your details to prospective customers (they'll be the ones with pushchairs or a small child!) Smile, introduce yourself, say exactly why your there "I'm a childminder…I currently have a vacancy…would you mind if I gave you my card…" etc. A surprising number will stop and want to have a chat ~ that's your chance to sell yourself, finding out if the use/want to change/are considering childcare.

In addition, it's such a good way to discover what parents are looking for ~ every business knows you can't target advertising successfully without market research. Some comments will keep cropping up, so tailor your offering to requirements ~ it might simply be something like "I couldn't find a childminder flexible enough to offer late pickup at short notice, so I gave up looking". (However if your lucky it will be "How convenient!…I was just about to search for a reliable childminder…")

Remember your big advantage is having spaces and your routine isn't yet established so fitting in with existing mindees isn't a problem.

Here's the link to the advertising thread:

http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/general-childminding-chat/118092-advertising-tips.html

The next consideration is how to make sure they choose you when they visit!