please help!! totally confused, stressed and in despair!

[butterfly]

Help somene please help!! I'm only just starting out but am really worried about the money aspect of things! I've given up a well paid teaching job to be with my kids and 'm woried i've done the wrong thing.
So far i have one child on a thu whose mum keeps changing her hours from anything from 3-8. i've got a prospective mindee coming on friday but she only wants 4 hours. i need to earn £200 a week so have to work for at least 8 hours a day. my nearest childminder is charging £3.75/hr (75p less than me) but she charges £1 for each meal and extra for trips on top.
I want to charge a min daily fee of £40 equivilant to 9 hours minding because i don't want to end up working for only 4 hours pay per day but am unsure if anyone will pay it. i'm now stuck as to whether to stick t my guns and charge £4.50 per hour or drop it more in line with the other childminder. I haven't had many enquiries although i'm still not on the cildmindinglink website.
what should i do? i don't think i can offer inclusive meals and trips for much less than £4.50 per hour but that's not much use if i can't get any mindees! i'm also a qualified teacher and hoped that people would pay for my expertise! i'm so worried and stressed because i want to do right by my family! please help!

[Trouble]

personally i would go to 4.00 and charge for trips as well just to keep roughly in with everyone else

also have a minimun of hours they can come i dont do this as i only read about it this week so i will be using it from now on

also get people to pay in advance that way if she changes her mind you dont have to give it back


just keep advertising everywhere

[yummymummy]

Didn't want to leave you without a reply but I have been minding for 10 years and can truly say it all depends on your area. My area is diabolical for work at the moment so minders really need to price themselves in line with day nurseries and others minders to get any work. Sorry if I sound doomy and gloomy!
You will find parents who will pay extra for the right person, and you sound like a parents dream! but on paper next to other cheaper minders it may be a different kettle of fish!
Don't give up yet, be firm with parents not chopping and changing and something will turn up. I really hope it does and soon.

[avril]

Good advice above and don't forget to make it loud and clear in your advertising that you are a qualified teacher.

Good luck

[sarah707]

Sadly many parents still see us as cheap(er than nurseries) babysitters.

I am an ex teacher and when I tell some of them they sort of glass over ... they just want their child looked after and leave the education to the schools. Some are more informed but you never know who's going to come through the door I'm afraid...

I would start at the local area going rate ... and don't forget to look for some after schoolers, they only come a few hours but they can really bulk up your income for very little effort.

Good luck!

[miffy]

Unless you register with children already lined up it does take time to get established and even then it does depend on your area as to what's available.

It is early days for you yet - you say you are not on the ************* website so you need to sort that out. What advertising have you done?

It's hard to get your pricing right but you need to check out what all other types of childcare are charging and price yourself accordingly - go for a lower hourly rate and add on meals if that's what other childminders near you do.

Good luck

miffy xx

[Blaze]

Butterfly you have my number...give me a call!

[angeldelight]

Some good advice from everyone

Hope you are ok

Good luck

Angel xx