Any successful childminders from small villages?

[levason]

Hello everyone,

I'm new to childminding but am loving the forum and have already asked quite a few questions (sorry!) but here's another one for you... basically I live in a tiny little village in between two small towns, my village is a kind of blink and you miss it kinda place but it does have a small primary school but with no pre-school or before/after school facilities any more. Im starting to worry that Im not going to get any interest living where I do, so was just looking for some reassurance from any of you country guy's and girl's out there and stories of your success. xx

[RachelE]

I live in a small town surrounded by tiny villages.

We have a childminder in a village near us - its so tiny, I'm surprised it has a school!

Well, said Childminder is full and has a waiting list! - they too have no after school facilities.
I think thats the key. Parents will move their child if there is no after school care at their school. We have another local school, where children have been moved from to ours, its a fab school, just no provision what so ever.

So, I think you may be very fortunate and have a great opportunity!

Good luck,
Rachel x

[funemnx]

Welcome to childminding :)

I live in a larger village and am full pretty much all the time. My friend lives in a tiny village between 2 towns like you and is the only childminder. She has been as full as she wants to be for the last few years. I'm sure that once people get to know who you are they will be banging your door down! :laughing:

[levason]

Thank you, thats really good to hear, a fellow cm from the local town was telling me how a cm that used to live in my village had to close as she got no business, and this has got me worrying ever since, not very encouraging or helpful either!

thanks again.xx

[claire'scherubs]

ME!!!!!

I live in a small village with a school that has 87 pupils and I am FULL with a waiting list!!!!

It took me about 6 months before I got some good enquiries that started to bring in some decent money, but now, seriously I do not know which way to turn, I need a bigger car or even a minibus, and that is working alongside a co-childminder, who lived in town and was receiving NO enquiries.

So plug at it and you should be ok, the bonus of a small village, is the recommendations that you are given, my last 3 enquiries have all been recommendation

[PixiePetal]

I live in a village - well, sort of just a road towards the village - no school here or anything else really!

villages either side have small schools, one of the villages even has a shop :laughing: It's about 3 miles away and I suppose it is my local shop too :o

I make the most of my location :thumbsup:

[Cammie Doodle]

We live on a very small estate on the outskirts of a village and although we have quieter periods, it has kept us busy over the years.

[SamBaker]

Oh just you wait, as soon as your name gets about. I didn't think I was going to get any and I am full now, and still getting enquiries! took a couple of months for people to find me.
Good luck, your going to be busy! :D

[Pixie dust]

Me too

My experience is not so positive, my situation is the same as you...small village between 2 towns, no pre-school but village school only childminder in the area. I thought I would be really busy but I have not been. I have been minding for 18 months now I know it takes a while for word to get around.

[Ripeberry]

I live on the outskirts of a small village, in between two primary schools that if you added the amount of pupils in each, you would get less than 100!
The village has a large town to the north and south and good links to the motorway.

The town has lots of CMs but up until recently, there were NO CMs for the small villages until I came along. It has taken time to get going as village people still did long detours to the big towns as the CMs were word of mouth recommendations.
But now I've been doing this for just over 18 months, I've had a rush of enquiries all of a sudden.

I think I'm going to have to concentrate on under 5s as we do have good pre-school and after school clubs around here (large town).
Depends if you can get a second job to tide you over whilst you wait for the enquiries to come in.

Stick with it though :)

[charlie potato]

Me too

My experience is not so positive, my situation is the same as you...small village between 2 towns, no pre-school but village school only childminder in the area. I thought I would be really busy but I have not been. I have been minding for 18 months now I know it takes a while for word to get around.

What about talking to the local school? They may be willing to tell parents of your services. It may help them to get/keep their pupils. Also try the usual marketing. I've just got a car magnet which i'm hoping will do something. xx

[ajs]

Thank you, thats really good to hear, a fellow cm from the local town was telling me how a cm that used to live in my village had to close as she got no business, and this has got me worrying ever since, not very encouraging or helpful either!

thanks again.xx

it depends if you drive and are willing to go out fo the village for work
my friend lives in a tiny little village with no business but she is happy to go to the surrounding schools and is full b and a school, although she doesn't have much work during the day, she also doesn't advertise or push for more work so i think it's how she wants to run her business

[PixiePetal]

I have been minding a long time and moved to the country 18 months ago - took a while to pick up but families now come from my old town 4 miles away, the next village beyond that and other surrounding villages - hope it goes well for you.

[mandy moo]

I live in a small to medium sized village too,
We live approx 8 miles from 5 towns and have several other villages near us.

there are At least 7 (possibly 1 or 2 more who have escaped me at the mo)minders in our village & 2 more who no longer mind.
I only have after 4 after schoolers at present, which suits me down to the ground, but have space for a little one if I wanted.
Does that make me successfull, well I dont make wads of money but its good for me at this moment in time IYSWIM.

[levason]

Thanks for your replies! Well im very excited to say that a parent who visited me on Friday phoned this morning and confirmed they wanted the space and are coming to sign the contract on Friday and I've had another 2 enquiries, one for p/t care for a 14 mth old and one f/t care for a 13 month old, so fingers crossed.xx

[Mookins]

i too live in a smal village with 3 schools local to me...i started in sept last year and already have 2 nearly full time mindees...all 3 schools have before and after school clubs so havent had much cal for that at all....but am plodding along, you never know :)

we have lots of families living near family too here so often care is kept within but you never know xx