PDA

View Full Version : filling places



donnamarie2
18-01-2011, 12:54 PM
Hi, I registered last sept and have 1 child before and after school and have had about 2 enquiries from people who may or may not need care in the future!!
My advertising is childcare.co.uk,netmums,on here,posters up all over school, nursery, toddlers. card in the village advertising box, local shop,fis website, yell.com.
The other 2 minders that do my school are full and will tell people about me.
When i worked in preschools we would be quiet from sept till just before easter then really busy , is it the same kind of thing for childminders?
Am just about giving up hope and am starting to look at other jobs now, am i missing something im not doing to promote myself?
Just need someone to give me some hope really !! lol x

balijay
18-01-2011, 03:32 PM
Hi donnamarie, just a thought - are you able to offer care at the weekends or early mornings/later evenings? This is what I did for my first year of minding and it really appealed to shift workers etc. I am now full (through word of mouth) and will no longer have to offer unsociable hours just to make some money. I know its not ideal but could be a way to get started?

Also do you have any family/friends that work for big local companies who could distribute some cards for you?

Hope you get something soon :)

Louise0208
18-01-2011, 04:21 PM
what sort of area do you live in? do you offer the right service for your area?

(without sounding judgemental :blush: )
i live on a low working council estate so theres not a lot of families that go out to work, theres a very high young single parent rate here & that is the sort of client i attract so i offer temporary, emergency & part time care so parents can attend courses, appointments & so on as the full childminders around here tend not to offer these alternatives.

so far iv not had to advertise, i have 3 part timers (i have refused a full timer due to me wanting to spend time alone with my own kids) and its happened through word of mouth & making myself known to the mums in the school playground :thumbsup:

donnamarie2
18-01-2011, 08:21 PM
what sort of area do you live in? do you offer the right service for your area?

(without sounding judgemental :blush: )
i live on a low working council estate so theres not a lot of families that go out to work, theres a very high young single parent rate here & that is the sort of client i attract so i offer temporary, emergency & part time care so parents can attend courses, appointments & so on as the full childminders around here tend not to offer these alternatives.

so far iv not had to advertise, i have 3 part timers (i have refused a full timer due to me wanting to spend time alone with my own kids) and its happened through word of mouth & making myself known to the mums in the school playground :thumbsup:

Hi, I live in a very affluent area mostly proffesional people .
That's why i'm a bit puzzled really as when i did my market research most were complaining about the lack of care available as school club is also full,although the full childminders haven't had any calls of late either.
Think i'm just going to have to sit tight and wait a bit longer.
Forgot to say on my adverts i also put that if they want alternative hours to ask and i would be flexable where possible.
Thanks x

mufftie
18-01-2011, 08:30 PM
when i first registered it took me 3 yrs to earn any real money , but now i have a waiting list , so just sit tight and your time will come

donnamarie2
19-01-2011, 12:39 PM
when i first registered it took me 3 yrs to earn any real money , but now i have a waiting list , so just sit tight and your time will come

Hi , blimey 3 years ,well at least your busy now.
I'm sure it will happen for me eventually, but when your waiting you do wonder if you are doing something wrong!! lol x

yummymummy
19-01-2011, 01:22 PM
I live in a London suburb and we have so many day nurseries with competitive rates, wraparound care and before and after school clubs with holiday clubs as well that childminders really struggle to find mindees. It really does depend where you live though and even sometimes what part of the area you live in for instance near a station with quick links to London.
It wasn't always like this here but it has deteriorated in the last 5 years or so. I have been advertising a space for 2 months without one solitary phone call :(
Good luck some mindees will come along don't lose heart :thumbsup:

shelly2012
19-01-2011, 01:25 PM
Best advice is be patient a lot of my work comes for word of mouth. What about getting to know other cm in your area give them your card, they can pass it on if they are full.

grindal
19-01-2011, 01:45 PM
I get loads of requests from people now DS1 has started school. I think it helps when people know you and recognise you. Do you wear anything that shows you are a childminder?

I was very lucky when I started out, and was full within 3 months of openeing and have been ever since but I do remember wondering if I had done the right thing in leaving my job!

Good luck

Memina
19-01-2011, 09:39 PM
Hiya,

I registed in July 2010 but didnt get any mindees until September 2010.

I am currently as busy as I'd like with 7 part-timers on my books and up until last Wedensday offereing my services until 8pm (not recommended though!)

I have done most of what you say you've done advertising wise but signed most of mine through Childcare website.

so I logg on see if anyone looking is suitable and then I send them a message detailing my services, prices etc. I charge at the slightly lower end of what others do around here to generate business but as new enquiries come in I am upping my price a bit to reflect the average.

I hope this helps.

M

Helcatt
19-01-2011, 09:58 PM
As said before, I think you need to sit tight

It took me 6 months to get first EYFS child, 4 months to get first after schoolie, and took me over 18 months to be as full as I want to be

I do offer slightly earlier in the morning/later in the evening/weekends by prior arrangement, that sort of thing to help make my services more appealing

Its not ideal but it did get me started and now, I now start at 7:45am and generally finished by 6, rather than the 7pm finishes I used to have, so not too bad, though this fri I am starting at 7am but it does mean a 5pm finish

Even though its been advertised, I've not been asked much for the early start or late finish

I find that I get a flurry of calls at the beginning of the summer hols, thinking about sept, then Oct/Nov they are thinking about Jan starts. From then onwards, generally the calls a few and far between

HX