How did you get your first customer?

[mumofone]

Just wondered how you got your first customers and whether it out them off that you were new to childminding?

[JoRo163]

My very first family, found me through childcare.co.uk they were not at all worried that I was new. Their second baby should be starting with me in the summer.

My second family found me when I sent flyers home in school book bags, I got several families this way. They were very fussy, viewed several minders & came back to me, so obvs weren't worried either. The stayed with me until they moved to a new area.

[lollipop kid]

While waiting on my registration finalising, I stood at my front gate and spoke to every pregnant woman (or one with a pram) in the street.

I got my first 2 babies this way, who were with me for years. (I hadn't heard of Childcare.co.uk then, which is where many of my children have come from since.). That and personal recommendations.

:D

[loocyloo]

When I first started childminding my first children were recommendations from health visitor and aquaintances. But I'd been a nanny for 5 years in the same village so lots of people knew me. That said, I also got quite alot of 'cold calls'!
When I moved no one knew me and despite lots of experience it took a while to get children as here its much more 'word of mouth', although my first mindee was a mum from toddlers, the rest of my new children were 'cold calls' from people who'd got my name from fis. Now pretty much all my work is from recommendations.

[Kerry30]

My first 2 families came from me putting flyers on the cars in mother and child parking spaces in the big supermarket round the corner from me. A c/m had my leaflet on her car rang and said her friend was giving up and could she pass my details onto her...
Got 3 after schoolers from that. My first lo came from childcare site.

[TinyTinker]

I had my own website and a profile on childcare.co.uk from the word go, I was still in full time employment when I first started and wanted to wait until I had someone starting before I gave notice there.....I left on the 20th january 2011 and on the 21st January I had twin 8 year olds, a 6 year old and a 2.5 year old :) 2 from my website and 1 from childcare.co.uk :)

[lisbet]

My very first child came via the local council (I had childcare qualifications and experience and joined their scheme for placing vulnerable children when I was pre-reg) but the first parent I signed up 'all by myself' had placed an ad on the one that is Mumsnet-but-the-other-way-around* for temporary care whilst her childminder was on a long holiday. I contacted her and then she came to visit and signed up. I carried on having her child on an ad-hoc basis and then for one day a week that the other childminder couldn't do. I liked having a temporary contract for my 'first' child as it felt less pressured, somehow - and it probably made the parent a bit less choosy too :thumbsup: :laughing:

ETA: Like tiny tinker, I had a website and found it very useful as I could give the parents a lot of info about my service in my initial message to them. I had profiles on Childcare.co.uk, the one that is Mumsnet-but-the-other-way-around*, i c h i l d* (Pacey's one) Mumsnet and the council listings.

*Sorry, some company names get starred out if you write them properly.

[blue bear]

My first was after covering sick leave for a childminder who decided to stop working.

[KatieFS]

Childcare.co.uk and local pre school ad - both came in the same week!

[Jiorjiina]

My first mindee was signed up with me before he was even a bump, but then I used to share a house with his parents when we were at uni, so we were all fairly unconcerned about me being a newly registered minder! :laughing:

After that, recommendations through friends, and through using childcare.co.uk and my own website.

[mumofone]

For those of you who got your customers through your websites, how did they come about your website in the first place? Did you advertise your website anywhere?

[lisbet]

For those of you who got your customers through your websites, how did they come about your website in the first place? Did you advertise your website anywhere?

I have a link to my website on all my listings on childcare-finding-websites. Often parents will get in touch through the 'contact me' form on my website, but they will have seen the website link on childcare.co.uk, mumsnet or wherever.

[Kerry30]

I got another lo thru selling her mum something on fb local selling page. She happened to be collecting the item as an lo arrived and she liked the way i greeted a child and the lo's reaction back. She came back to see me 'properly', but decided i was too far away so looked for a cm closer to her. But came back to me as i was the only cm that got down and played with her lo.
Shows that business for us can come from anywhere!

[mumofone]

Just revisiting this, as well as how you got them, how long did it take to get your first customer? I'm scared of not getting any! :-(

[natlou82]

I was always going to have my baby Nephew and his Sister after school 2 days a week so I had a starting point. My next family was a mum from school, and after that 3 children from childcare.co.uk, get gold membership and message literally everyone within a 5 mile radius that suits your requirements. Good luck :-)

[natlou82]

I registered last March and my first none family clients started in April and on my 6 month inspection I had 12 children on my books (all part time) :-)

[Kiddleywinks]

Just revisiting this, as well as how you got them, how long did it take to get your first customer? I'm scared of not getting any! :-(

You're right to be concerned, but don't let any worries take over or you'll never 'go for it'

I think I was horrendously long - just over 6 months before getting my first mindee, but 2 others quickly followed, and 3 more shortly after that. Been 'full' ever since
Mine came from the FIS and childcare site initially.

For me the biggest obstacle was not knowing anyone in my area so I wasn't really able to spread the word before I became registered to anyone :laughing:, so the FIS and childcare.co.uk site were invaluable to me. I did the usual flyers etc and they did generate lots of enquiries, but nothing ever came from them, well, apart from me wondering if I should change my deodorant :D

[Ripeberry]

My first family were newcomers to the village. Been with me for 6 years. Others have come via Childcare.co.uk. :)

[loocyloo]

When I first started minding, I had children almost immediately, but when I started up again after moving ...

it took ages to get ' known ' ... first mindee took 4 months, and then another couple of months till I got my next mindees ( and they all turned up at once ... 4 of them! ) then another few months and another 3 turned up! that was me full of EY children. it was almost another year before any schoolies turned up!

since then I have generally had a steady stream! since January I've had a couple of spaces ( one I'm not looking to fill, as I like my quieter day! ) and despite lots of people enquiring, no one has followed through with a visit. yesterday a mum came to visit and subject to contracts being sorted at work, will take one space, and possibly the 2nd!

it is always a scary moment when you have a space and no one to fill it.

but just tell everyone what you do, and that you have vacancies and slowly slowly children turn up!

[Mummits]

My first "mindee" was a friend's son, just an hour or two after school, then I had to decide whether to go full time to take on her younger daughter, so thought if I was going to do that I should also take the plunge and advertise. My first "proper" mindees (where I didn't already know the family already) were a bit of an eye opener. When I asked Mum when she would like the children to start and she said "Now - bye", I should have smelled a rat! She also told me they had never had a childminder or any sort of childcare, and a short while later I met her previous CM in the street. Still, you live and learn, and I think it is much easier to get mindees if you have some already, so maybe it is worth taking on a few you maybe ideally wouldn't to help get some bums on seats as they say.