What do you wish you'd done while waiting for registration?

[CherryMoon]

Hi All,
I'm new to this forum and currently waiting for Ofsted to come and register me. I've been slogging away at this process since October 2013, handed in my notice last Summer and not been paid since November 2014. I'm desperate to get working and massively annoyed at this "limbo" period. I'm trying to be positive and keep busy by drafting
my childcare.co.uk profile and making posters and business cards so that I can get started as soon as I get the green light.

Just wondering what you established childminders wish you had done while you were in limbo, waiting. Is there anything else constructive I could be getting on with? (I also have a 1 year old keeping me busy so my time is pressured!)

TIA

[mumofone]

Hi All, I'm new to this forum and currently waiting for Ofsted to come and register me. I've been slogging away at this process since October 2013, handed in my notice last Summer and not been paid since November 2014. I'm desperate to get working and massively annoyed at this "limbo" period. I'm trying to be positive and keep busy by drafting my childcare.co.uk profile and making posters and business cards so that I can get started as soon as I get the green light. Just wondering what you established childminders wish you had done while you were in limbo, waiting. Is there anything else constructive I could be getting on with? (I also have a 1 year old keeping me busy so my time is pressured!) TIA

What are you currently waiting on cherrymoon?

[CherryMoon]

What are you currently waiting on cherrymoon?

Hi mumofone I'm just waiting for my local authority to resend the Social Services check as they sent it back with incomplete information the first time round (!!) and then for Ofsted's compliance team to check everything and make a referral to the inspectors to come out and register me.

I'm really just wondering if there's anything I can be doing now to speed up the process of getting going once I get the go-ahead from Ofsted. Ta x

[FloraDora]

Enjoy your time with your LO!

Looking at doing things ( cheaply I assume!) - Develop resources or ideas for a one year old so your own child will benefit but there for when business starts. Visit places with her/him and have your childminding hat on thinking about suitability for older children, logistics of getting there etc...
Set up garden for the summer - for 2-4 year olds...digging areas, planting plan, things that cost nothing...collect on every walk so that your loose materials collection grows - this is free.
I read a lot! Around everything under 2 as this was out of my comfort zone as regards development.....I set myself a professional development action plan and started it.

I had a family waiting for my registration, a friend who I looked after LO occasionally to give her time to investigate starting her own nursery ...she asked me to be registered so that she could pay me and it not just be a favour for a friend she wanted a day a week and didn't feel she could ask me as a friend. Perhaps you could put feelers out at any child groups you belong to....there might be pregnant or new mums looking for childcare and the best way you can show off yourself is how you interact with your child and others at these groups.
I took my friends child to a group and soon had a potential waiting list from ex colleagues who attended too and realised what I was going to do.
But most of all , find strategies to cope in stressful moments....best preparation advice I can offer as how you cope with this affects your life, your child's and partners and the LO's you will care for.
Good luck.

[Jenny2]

Hi. , make friends/contacts bring your own child to playgroups , ensure home and garden is safe and secure , have policy's all organised , keep receipts, have an idea on what resources you will need for different ages . Get your prices and conditions sorted - and have these on computer and hard copy's to give/email to parents . Have contracts and sort out small things like insurance and ICO so your almost ready to go . Think about free advertising and where you can leave ur leaflets if passers by can walk past ur window have big poster on display promoting your business . (Vistaprint) . Cards and leaflets are also good to have. Educate yourself on everything on childcare websites .
Good luck

[Ellisha]

I think for me, just getting out and about telling everyone I know or meet at playgrounds/toddlers groups I was going to become a CM. I did tell a few people in advance, but I know I missed out on business because I couldn't give anyone a start date. I was worried I might not get registered (even though I'm sure that's quite rare) so didn't want to tell too many people in advance - but I should have! Just get the word out there!
Also, get all your paperwork together - things like All About Me forms, contracts, etc so you will be ready to go when you get your cert.

Good luck.

[CherryMoon]

Thank you all for your pointers, lots to be getting on with now and I'm praying I get the call from Ofsted soon. (As an ex-teacher I didn't think those words would ever come out of my mouth, lol!)