Drumming up business

[Handymum]

I'm wondering if people can give me any ideas or tips of how to get business. I am a member of childcare.co.uk, have posted leaflets through doors and in shops and have also informed local schools of my vacancies but only one person so far and that was introduced through a friend. I've been a registered childminder for a few months. Does anyone else have this problem?

[watford wizz]

Get yourself out in the community, toddler groups, family centre drop ins, school fetes Christmas activities, local churches, just check with those in charge explain who and what your doing and chat to people, do a small leaflet explaining. You could also approach businesses who often support staff looking for child care x hope this helps x

[Handymum]

Thanks watford wizz, will definitely try all those. Got 2 Christmas fetes coming up locally so I'll pop down and see what I can do.

[watford wizz]

Your welcome x nothing like meeting the real you for parents/carers confidence building x

[ziggy]

Get yourself out in the community, toddler groups, family centre drop ins, school fetes Christmas activities, local churches, just check with those in charge explain who and what your doing and chat to people, do a small leaflet explaining. You could also approach businesses who often support staff looking for child care x hope this helps x

yeap, great advice. My friend hasnt been getting any work for a long long time, other than a schoolie I gave notice to a while ago. She is constantly phoning asking if i know of any work. I have told her to come along to toddler group or soft play with her own toddler and been seen out and about. Yesterday I was asked by 2 mums if I had any spaces.

Could you even 'borrow' a friend's toddler/baby so you can go along to groups and then people get to know you, seems this works best

[Bluebell]

facebook - not everyone will agree with me here but I have found it a powerful tool to communicate with and promote myself within the local community.

There is a town 'parent page' for all kiddie events, babysitters, playgroups etc to advertise. There is a selling page which has a large community following and people often ask for recomendations for childcare and people have recomended me and tagged my name. I can also promote myself through adding photos of activities and outings or commenting 'today we had a great time doing ......' sharing about courses I've attended and successes such as my Ofsted and so on. share quotes that sum up your ethos of childhood.

Facebook is often about 'look at me and what a great life I have' so why not use it to say 'look at me - what great childcare I provide'
I have a personal childminder profile and a business page. (I also have my own personal page which I don't mix my parents with unless they were friends anyway which in the small town I live in is inevitable.)

It works really well - I have a good reputation locally - a worker of a local pre-school came up to me and said how impressed she was that I had done my EYPS and liked what I provided for the children.

I never post photos of the children's faces - only backs or hands.
I only ever write positive things about my setting
I photograph activities we've done or craft projects made
I never write about being tired,fed up, or anything that would put parents (or potential parents) off

add all your friends, parents you know, childcare workers that may recommend you if they are full, fellow childminders so you can share days you have free that you want to fill, and ask parents to add you to their friends that may be looking for childcare. I've got 300 'friends' that are not the family, friends, colleagues that were on my original personal facebook profile.

I believe twitter might also be a good way of doing it but locally for me the medium used is facebook so I tend to stick with that.

Also get a website then make sure you log it on search engines like google so it comes up when people use key words such as childcare, your town, childminders, etc Let people know what you are all about and what to expect from you.

[Handymum]

Ziggy I'll definitely start popping along to toddler groups with my 2 yr old, seems like a great way to meet parents.

Bluebell Facebook definitely sounds like a great idea but wouldnt know what to put on there yet as have not minded any kids yet.... Would it be lying if I put up pictures of activities I've dive with my own kids if I intend to do the same types of things with minded kids?

[Mrsh3103]

Ziggy I'll definitely start popping along to toddler groups with my 2 yr old, seems like a great way to meet parents.

Bluebell Facebook definitely sounds like a great idea but wouldnt know what to put on there yet as have not minded any kids yet.... Would it be lying if I put up pictures of activities I've dive with my own kids if I intend to do the same types of things with minded kids?

When I was pre reg I made my facebook page and posted things I was doing with my own children. It's not lying (as long as you dont make out they're minded kids) it shows potential parents what kind of things their child Would be doing if they were with you! Also post pics of your setting and if you buy any new resources put a pic on and a caption saying something like 'wow look what I've just bought for the kiddies, they'll love playing with this'.
Good luck :)