How long it took to build up your business - scotland

Hi there
I have been registered for nearly two months now. I have two children myself age 19 months and 6 and half year old. I also look after a mindee three days before and afterschool and have a 3 and a half year old one day a week. I have advertised on childcare.co.uk, scma, family information services, and with care inspectorate. I was just wondering how long it took to fill up your spaces and is there anything else I can do to build up my business.

I also have ordered business cards. Is there other places I should advertise.

I've been very very lucky in that all of my business so far has come from friends and word of mouth but I know a lot of childminders round here get their business through word of mouth so I tell everyone I meet that I'm a childminder! I gave my number out to 2 Mums at a toddler group just this week who want ad hoc care. Get chatting to people in the local park, at groups, when you're out for a walk, in the queue at the supermarket and always have business cards to hand. A friend has also suggested that I give her a few business cards for her to take into work....so now all of my friends who work locally will be getting a handful just incase! Plus there's a small shopping centre/industrial estate just down the road from me so I shall be nipping into as many of those businesses as I can and asking them to put my card up in their staff room...there's a big Tescos there so I figured 'every little helps'!!

Thank you for info hopefully business cards won't take to long to come. Will be able to give out to friends and family and will also go into local shops as well. Just very eager to get more children and more money coming in. Thanks very much for advice :) :) :)

Do you have a local childminding group or are there any local minders that you could introduce yourself to? some of the children that I have now have been passed on by other childminders who didn't have space and one minder finished last month and I could take 3 of her part-timers. I also pass enquiries on to them if I cannot help.

As said by Emra groups are a good way to get known - I had an enquiry for my last 3 spaces this week at group. Quite a few of my children over the years have come from meeting parents there and then them recommending to their friends.:)

I am in a rural area and the group is in the town 7 miles away. The local shop here is the source of all knowledge and they have my card to give out and have recommended me to mum of baby due to start in Feb.

Some doctors/health visitor surgeries will allow you to advertise (one of the 2 surgeries in the local town allows advertising). The local playgroup leader has my cards and will recommend me too people that ask.

Filling spaces depends on the demand and the number of childminders in an area. I worked in England then moved to Wales in England I had full-time siblings start the week after I got my certificate - in Wales my registration coincided with the economy crashing and I only had 1 child for 6 hours a day for nearly a year. I had a part-time job too which enabled me to survive but also became a catch 22 as the few enquiries were only asking for a couple of days which did not allow me to give up the part-time job because I needed the money:(.

Good luck

Hiya,

I think it also depends on what part your in.

Us in the East of Edinburgh are finding it very quiet just now but normally about February things start to pick up so stick with it. Get yourself to as many toddler groups etc and let it be known that your a childminder, ask them if you can leave cards/flyers with them too also see if your healthvisitor can hand some out for you aswell.

Thanks everyone for advice im east Kilbride. Will try and go to more mother and toddlers groups. The one I go to most of the children go with childminders. Will ask other childminders if they have had any enquiries and give out business cards. Also go to book bug at the library so hopefully will get some business. I just need to be more confident and talk to new parents.
Thanks again :) :) :)

I know what you mean...it's tricky plucking up the courage to begin with and I hate 'sales' (couldn't even ask customers if they wanted to 'go large' when I worked in maccy d's as a teen!) so feel uncomfortable pushing the fact that I'm a childminder on people. I tend to just get chatting about the kids first and it flows from there...ask about their kids ages, names and 9 times out of 10 people will ask the same of the children with me so if I have a mindee with me I tell them I'm their childminder without having brought it up myself. And if I happen to have no mindees with me then I often make a comment about it being a very quiet day today as I'm a childminder so usually have more little people to care for. Gets the message out there without making anyone uncomfortable by giving them a sales pitch. If they're interesting in finding out about using you as a childminder they'll ask more about it. If not they'll chat about other stuff and then hopefully remember the nice lady they got chatting to at toddler group when their friend is on the look out for a childminder in the future! That's my theory at least :-S

Thank you I know I can do a good job when looking after children and have plenty experience working with children in nurseries plus looking after my own two. I just need to be more confident and hopefully everything will fall into place fingers crossed.