Morning, need some advice please?

**fieryleo1984** · 10-04-2011, 07:11 AM

Morning everyone, just after some advice please?

Im a newley registered childminder and just looking into what I need to pay for etc, I need to do the CYPOP5 course which is a £100, join NCMA and insurance £85 then advertise..cost unknown. ( all grants have been stopped in our area)

I just dont know where Im going to get the money from to do the above, I work part time at the moment and dont have much left over. I know I have 6 months from registering to do the childiminding course so joining NCMA should be priority? I just want to start CM but these costs are holding me back.

For those that didnt get start up grants etc how do u manage the costs?

Emma xx

**kim-d** · 10-04-2011, 07:38 AM

Hi
I didn't join ncma I just got the morton michel insurance as this was only about £45.00 but I didn't get my insurance until I had a mindee. Advertising I joined vista print which is free and got emails with free offers which I only then paid postage which isn't very much. I got buisness cards, postcards ( for shop windows and lamp posts ) and a t-shirt and it cost less than £10.00 for postage wait for the offers. Everyone will tell you it is more word of mouth but I did so much advertising the postcards are good to laminate and put them around your area. I didn't even have an income and never got the start up grant either. There is also alot of advertising websites free. This forum, Free index, touch local, *****, childminders directory. Go to the jobcenter and see if there is help when starting up a buisness. If you have a surestart centre near you go in there and see if there is any help or reductions to help with your course. In my area Liverpool) there is an early years team that are still funding this course as I know of people that have just started it.
Hope this helps

**fieryleo1984** · 10-04-2011, 08:49 AM

Thanks for the advice :-). Unfortunatly in lincolnshire all grants have been cancelled, our local surestart centre is no longer offering free training courses either. I will look into the local job centre through and vistaprint.

Thanks Again

Emma x

**clio0602** · 10-04-2011, 09:19 AM

I joined morton michel only when I had my first mindee signed up.

I used vistaprint for advertising about £2.50 for 500 business cards

I got ICP funded so can't help with that one I'm afraid.

I set up free website on webs.com and it comes up on the first page of google search for childminder and my area.

Maybe it would help to spead costs out over a few months ie ICP first then, advertising then insurance etc x

**Adiamond** · 10-04-2011, 11:39 AM

Hi, I had to pay for all my courses etc...
First aid I did with St Johns £102
My ICP I did home study I think it was £180
I didn't join NCMA or get my insurance until I had got a mindee and advertising I started advertising with all the free websites like yell.com, *****(this is where my first mindee came from) and I set my website up for free on webs.com
Hope this helps

p.s where abouts in Lincolnshire are you? x

**rickysmiths** · 10-04-2011, 12:04 PM

You also need to register with the Information Commisioners Office for data protection. You dont need to do it until you have mindees though. Its £35 per year.

**caz3007** · 10-04-2011, 12:57 PM

I agree dont get your insurance until you actually have a child signed up. I dont know about the NCMA, but with Morton Michel you can pay online and I think your cover is instant, so thats something to worry about at a later date. I think I would prioritise with the doing the course first and start advertising. Get some cards up somewhere locally, and just try and get your name out there. I was extremely lucky as my first mindies came from a CM from toddler group who couldnt take on 2 siblings, but knew I could.

Most of my enquiries come from the Childrens Information Centre listings, so find out if there is one in your area

**The Juggler** · 10-04-2011, 03:54 PM

i didn't get a grant either hon. I agree with others, don't need to get your insurance until you start work so just make sure you take a deposit from first child(ren) to pay for this. Is the CYPOP5 course the ICP or Level 3. If you have to pay see if they will allow you a payment plan hon, to pay so much per month maybe.

I have never paid to advertise with cards, or posters hon. I just make my own, put them up where it is free, never had business cards. I use *****. I did pay a small amount to be able to message parents on chilcare.co.uk but you can put a profile on there without having to pay at all, just means you have to rely on people calling you rather than you calling them.

do the *****, childcare, local authority ads now, get signed up for your course, then leave the ICO and insurances until nearer the time.

The other thing I'd advise is spend some time getting quotes from your own and other insurance companies re: car and household. Some companies are fine with adding on childminding and business use but some charge phenomenal supplements which you DON'T need to pay if you shop around.

Good luck

**MaryMary** · 10-04-2011, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by clio0602

I set up free website on webs.com and it comes up on the first page of google search for childminder and my area.

How did you manage that? I can't get my website to come up on a google search at all, let alone on the first page

**fieryleo1984** · 11-04-2011, 08:00 AM

Thanks again everyone for your advice.

I have put a advert on ***** and also joined childcare.co.uk. i am off to my local surestart centre today so will see if i can advertise there to. I will defo enquire about a payment plan for the homebased childcare course.

Going to look at the free website to!

Jessiebessie I live close to lincoln in a little village, are you in lincolnshire to?

Em xx