Newly Registered Advice Please

[LittleRhino]

Hi I am a newly registered childminder and wondered if anyone had any tips on places to advertise or best things to do to get the ball rolling. This is a job I have wanted to do for a long time and now I am registered I want to start but worried with me being new it will put people off. Any advice welcome Thanks

[sarah707]

Childcare.co.uk

Family information services locally

Tell everyone!

Good luck :D

[TAZ]

How about going along to local baby & toddler groups & volunteer to help out,that way you'll get to know local parents & they'll get to you know you. :)

[Allie]

Put adverts in your car and in local shops and see if your council have a list of childminders with vacancies Hampshire do so parents can view it.
If you have a local childminding group go along and introduce yourself. I often pass on new childminders details as I am full and everyone locally is also full, but parents ring me as I have been doing this job for such a long time, I'm sure other childminders must also get this and would be happy to help

Good luck being new wont put people off

Allie

[LittleRhino]

Thanks for the replies will be doing all the suggestions asap x

[lynncjt]

Apart from all the other suggestions I recommend setting up a Facebook page. Over half my enquires have come from that.

I have not kids of my own so borrowed one! Then went down the beach, in the park, in the garden with lots of messy play and put the photos up (with permission of course). I now put up pictures of mindees (again with explicit permission from parents).

Send me a pm if you would like to the name of my page.

[Rick]

Hi

I've written this a few times in posts but here goes.

The main aim is to get noticed and get known in the local community; probably most important for me being an independent male childminder.

Number one way is to get to toddler groups as often as you can and get to know parents in your area. If you don't have children of your own (I.e. no one to go with) then there's nothing stopping you popping along and handing out cards and chatting to parents.

Advertise on local websites, mine is called Bath Mums and childcare.co.uk as well. Net mums as well. See if Facebook has a local page to advertise for free.

Get chatting on forums like this one. I posted on my local website, Bath Mums about perceptions of male childminders; it was all very positive and by the end people had gone from being wary to it being a good thing and have now got an enquiry from it. There may be a classifieds section on there for people to advertise for a childminder or you to advertise yourself. This post went so well, the editor asked me to write an article for the website about why I decided to become a childminder. This was emailed to 2300 people in Bath. How's that for advertising!

Get to local childminding groups. I have found childminders are very welcoming and willing to hand over enquiries which are no good for them. I first started going to a childminding group even though I only had my son and no mindees. You can go so long as you're registered.

As I say, the key is to get noticed. I've had lots of people see me out with my mindees and people have asked if I'm the independent male childminder (I'm the only one in the region). That was all because I took the time to write a post and then an article.

Word of mouth is important. The parents of the sisters I mind are so pleased with what I'm doing that she has recommended me to her neighbour who needs childcare

It may take some time so don't get despondent if it doesn't happen instantly

Hope this helps

[LittleRhino]

Thanks guys thats great. It nice to know there are people out there willing to help others. With regards to the Facebook page did you make a whole new Facebook page or did you add a group on your name? Thanks

[Little miss]

Hi

Am also new, awaiting my pre reg visit. Is anyone able to tell me with regards to advertising before you are registered - are you able to do this and can you create a profile on this site (explaining that you are 'waiting' to be registered. Thanks.

[lynncjt]

Thanks guys thats great. It nice to know there are people out there willing to help others. With regards to the Facebook page did you make a whole new Facebook page or did you add a group on your name? Thanks

I set up a new Facebook page as I wanted to keep business separate from my personal page.

[FizzWizz]

Almost all of my enquiries have come from childcare.co.uk and from my personal website-I would def recommend setting up a website, lots of companies offer free sites.

I also set up a separate Facebook page but didn't get any interest through that one.

Good luck and, like others have said, tell absolutely everyone!