Those that have just registered....

[primrosecottage]

Have you managed to get any mindees yet? And more importantly, how did you acquire them!!!

[tulip0803]

Hi

I haven't just registered but it can be frustrating when you are ready to go and nothing happens. I have registered twice the first time I had full-time siblings waiting for me to register, the second time coincided with the economy crash, I got my first mindee within 2 weeks but only 6 hours a week was about 6 months before I got another enquiry, it took much longer to get going :(.

Most of my 1st children have come through other childminders that could not fit them in. Do you have a local childminding group that you could join?

I have a free webs website and my last 2 mindees have come through that, very easy to make but Pauline makes lovely ones for a reasonable price Childminders and Childminding Websites (http://childminderswebsites.co.uk/) .

I had business cards made with my details to give out. I got chatting to parents in groups and the park and gave out the card.

www.childcare.co.uk is good but depends on area, not many parents in my area use it but other areas there are loads of parents, it is worth paying for a gold membership even for a month or 2 if you cannot afford the full year, if there are parents in your area as you can contact them and there are loads of free courses.

I live in a village and I told the school, meithrin (play group) and local shop. The local shop has my cards and has given them to parents too

Make sure your details are on your local Family Information Service website and that you have given permission for this and for them to give them out to people on the phone/by post

Do you have a local children's centre? If so pop in and introduce yourself and see if you are on their list yet

Some of the local minders have put vacancies on their local facebook selling sites and have filled them that way.

Some minders set up a business page on facebook and share it and get friends to share it.

Some people have leaflet dropped their local area

Good luck xx :thumbsup:

[Gill Brownsword]

Hi I think Tulip has said it all
I'm lucky and know a few local childminders and they are referring parents to me. I have one starting in 4 weeks (if my certificate arrives).
My local children s centre has a childminders group so I'm going to go along to that and I have some temp work as an assistant which is really handy because I get to see how she runs things.
Good luck!

[Ellisha]

I registered in Feb and still don't have anyone. But I've had enquiries and a couple of visits arranged through childcare.co.uk, the first couple of parents arranged to see me just didn't work out (one looking for a nanny and one visited another CM the morning before she saw me and liked them so didn't visit me). I have someone booked in to see me in a couple of weeks as they are moving to the area. I've also had some interest from word of mouth, so through friends of friends, talking to people at toddler groups, at the playground but these are for months down the line. I have a facebook page, but I'm not sure that has helped me much. I have given my details to a couple of local CMs, in case they get any enquiries they can pass on.

Good luck :)

[greenfaerie]

Not yet. I've had a couple of enquiries, and those I got from people that I took my training with passing my name on to parents who called them. I just want to get working! *exhales*

[Lal]

School places are announced on Thursday so parents of children staring school will be looking for before and after school places and holiday cover. It might be a good time get your name out and about if this is something you want to offer.

[lollipop kid]

A route I tried when I first registered was to phone round some of the childminders in my local area, ask if they were full, and if so, I asked them to pass on enquiries to me if they were able to. I got lots of referrals this way.

I also took any opportunity to chat to pregnant women who lived near me, and told them that I was a newly registered childminder. I invited a few in for cups of tea so they could have a look round. Even though it may have been too early for them, it's amazing how many came back to me when they were ready and/or passed my card onto their new mum friends.

(I actually got my first two children this way.) Putting your card up in the local infants school and nursery might be an idea as well. (Obviously, seek permission first.)

Good luck.

L

[loocyloo]

good luck.

the easiest, yet hardest thing to do is to TALK TALK TALK! to everyone and tell them what you do! carry business cards and give them to people you talk to! at the doctors, in a bus queue, at the newsagent, at school, childrens centres, coffee shops, everywhere and anywhere you can! go along to toddler groups ( even if you don't have a child to take! ) and help out and chat to people.

most of my work comes from word of mouth, yet 4 years ago I moved to a new area and knew NO ONE! it took about 6 mths, but I was full with EY children, and a year later I was full with afterschoolers ( I was very careful with schoolies, as they needed to fit in with my children and me, and its hard to take on older children! little ones soon learn, but older ones take more training! ) now, I am full with a waiting list.

I have a fleece that says CHILDMINDER on the back, and also an umbrella! all good advertising! a prospective parent recently rang me and asked if I was the childminder with the big umbrella? !!! I don't have contact details or my name on anything though, apart from my business cards. there are only 2 minders in my town, so it usually pretty easy for someone to find out who I am!

[mumofone]

School places are announced on Thursday so parents of children staring school will be looking for before and after school places and holiday cover. It might be a good time get your name out and about if this is something you want to offer.

Is that pre school places too?

[Lal]

I don't think pre-schools work in the same way i.e. on the council admissions system, but we don't have a council run nursery near us, so they could do.

I have made sure the local school has a stack of my cards and that I will update my childcare.co profile later to make the school name more prominent.

[greenfaerie]

good luck.

the easiest, yet hardest thing to do is to TALK TALK TALK! to everyone and tell them what you do! carry business cards and give them to people you talk to! at the doctors, in a bus queue, at the newsagent, at school, childrens centres, coffee shops, everywhere and anywhere you can! go along to toddler groups ( even if you don't have a child to take! ) and help out and chat to people.

most of my work comes from word of mouth, yet 4 years ago I moved to a new area and knew NO ONE! it took about 6 mths, but I was full with EY children, and a year later I was full with afterschoolers ( I was very careful with schoolies, as they needed to fit in with my children and me, and its hard to take on older children! little ones soon learn, but older ones take more training! ) now, I am full with a waiting list.

I have a fleece that says CHILDMINDER on the back, and also an umbrella! all good advertising! a prospective parent recently rang me and asked if I was the childminder with the big umbrella? !!! I don't have contact details or my name on anything though, apart from my business cards. there are only 2 minders in my town, so it usually pretty easy for someone to find out who I am!

The fleece and umbrella sound great, may I ask where you got them from? :)

I wish I was more comfortable to talk, I am rubbish at self promotion. Every enquiry I've had so far has been from other people promoting me. :S Really need to feel more comfortable chatting to strangers. Eek.

[loocyloo]

EBay! Search for personalised fleeces and umbrellas :-)

Xxx

[greenfaerie]

Thanks. I'm looking now. :D