cheap holiday club!

[charliegee]

hello everyone

I've been reading on this forum for a while but this is my first post! :blush:

I was wondering if any of you experienced minders could help me with a question....

I've just reged and there is a very very cheap (but with long waiting list) holiday club about 10 mins from my house.

It charges (I think!) £20 a day including food for holiday care.

My idea has been to charge £3.50 an hour (going rate for my area) and half rates for holiday care if not needing care - full fee naturally if needing care.

I know she will bring up that the holiday club (which notably is running a waiting list) is practically half my price what can I do?

....if she decides LO will come to me during term time and holiday club during hols after christmas (when the holiday club is likely to have space I'm guessing...) is it ridiculous of me to stick to my guns and say "I always charge a retainer of half rates"

(she'd be paying the same for retainer / holiday club as she would for just me to look after LO)

hope I'm making sense!!:panic:

what would you all do?

(sorry for long post!)

xxx

[Deb]

Does the holiday club have funding?

It is difficult for us to remain competative but parents need to have choice and affordable care for their children. I have a rate of 25.00 per day for holiday only care for the over 5's. I lose money in one sense but in another sense I gain money because parents wouldnt otherwise use me. I would be tempted to offer a termtime only contract, with no retainer in the hols and offer a lower fee for holiday care - asking them to bring a packed lunch.

[The Juggler]

plus depends on child. A large club with 30 odd kids and no 1-2-1 or you!? Large club will be right for some kids but others will much prefer the home/quieter environment. At the end of the day it'll be down to her to choose.

Debs is right though they can offer subsidised charges due to LA funding. Remind her of that.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

You need to come up with a unique selling point - specialising in...., going out everyday, fresh air etc...

I doubt if you will get new children but you will keep existing ones that older in your care but your never know.

[katickles]

You need to come up with a unique selling point - specialising in...., going out everyday, fresh air etc...

I doubt if you will get new children but you will keep existing ones that older in your care but your never know.

Yeah I agree with Debbie - you just need to sell yourself offering more 1-2-1 & the oppurtunities of regular outings etc

[charliegee]

thanks so much for your replys!

ahhh, don't know what to do - the idea of term time only sounds good but how does that work? with the NCMA can you have some children with you on full time contracts (where they pay a retainer in hols if eg parents teachers) adn other children on term time only contracts?

(I'm still waiting for my toolkit so haven't received contracts yet! - sorry for lots of questions but you're all so helpful!

thanks!

[Lady Haha]

Yeh, I am in stiff competition with the holiday clubs. One near me charges 15.00 per day!!! I charge 25.00 per day which is a big jump up from the holiday club, especially if for four or five days a week. But, I do sell myself! I tell parents that we go out every day and that entry fees are included in my fee, whereas holiday club only goes out once a week and charges extra for that. I provide proper meals, the holiday club will provide sandwiches at best.

I personally don't offer term time contracts only, as I would worry that people would use the cheaper clubs if they knew their childs space would still be waiting for them at the end of the holidays! At the moment, if they wanted to use the cheaper club in holidays, they would need to take the risk of me filling their space with another child and so far no one has taken that risk!

Before you go thinking, 'oh, but it will cost a fortune to take kids out every day and include entry in the fees etc', I only take the kids somewhere expensive once a week! The other days are full of library craft trips, park outings and cheap kids club at the cinema!

[katickles]

thanks so much for your replys!

ahhh, don't know what to do - the idea of term time only sounds good but how does that work? with the NCMA can you have some children with you on full time contracts (where they pay a retainer in hols if eg parents teachers) adn other children on term time only contracts?

(I'm still waiting for my toolkit so haven't received contracts yet! - sorry for lots of questions but you're all so helpful!

thanks!

Its totally upto you what hours & terms you offer & contract for.

I had a term time only mindee full time as his parents were teachers. I did charge a retainer fee during all school holidays of half rate - I made parents aware of this from the start so we never had any issues.

I also had an after schooler - but didn't charge retainers in the holidays as she was in my over 5's & it worked better for me not to charge as I didn't want to be available for her usual hours.


Hay don't worry about asking questions either:D

[charliegee]

Yeh, I am in stiff competition with the holiday clubs. One near me charges 15.00 per day!!! I charge 25.00 per day which is a big jump up from the holiday club, especially if for four or five days a week. But, I do sell myself! I tell parents that we go out every day and that entry fees are included in my fee, whereas holiday club only goes out once a week and charges extra for that. I provide proper meals, the holiday club will provide sandwiches at best.

I personally don't offer term time contracts only, as I would worry that people would use the cheaper clubs if they knew their childs space would still be waiting for them at the end of the holidays! At the moment, if they wanted to use the cheaper club in holidays, they would need to take the risk of me filling their space with another child and so far no one has taken that risk!

Before you go thinking, 'oh, but it will cost a fortune to take kids out every day and include entry in the fees etc', I only take the kids somewhere expensive once a week! The other days are full of library craft trips, park outings and cheap kids club at the cinema!

Thanks Blackandsparkly (and everyone - you're all really helpful! ) that is JUST that same as by me....although holiday clubs are £18 a day.

if you don't mind me asking - you say you don't do term time only - so do you mean you have contracts which are x an hour / day but make provision that the holidays (dates as specified by local authority et) will be at a rate of £25 a day?

If so...what do you do if you have a parent who wants term time only but wouldn't use a holiday club (eg if they had a baby or something?) woudl you do a retainer?

sorry for so many questions - just your situation is so like mine! - don't want to lose out on fees and kids to go to holiday club...but in same way can't afford to do it for £18 a day!

(sorry if I'm being rude asking so many questions!) :blush:

thanks :)

[charliegee]

sorry! should add I phoned the school who do the holiday club today to clarify costs - contrast to my first message - holiday club fee is £18 a day
:blush:

[Lady Haha]

Hi again, I don't mind at all!

I should have said that I only have school age children at any time, so I can't afford to lose the school holidays as thats obviously where I make my money!

As yet, I haven't been asked to do term time only, but if I was and the parent was that desperate for me (!), I would have to say that holidays will be charged at a minimum of three days per week whether she used me or not. I am very aware that there wouldn't be many parents who would take me up on that, no matter how good I am, but I would be sorely out of pocket otherwise! I would prefer to keep the place for some one else who would need me all year round. I am in that situation now, I only have one full time before and after school and holiday vacancy left and theres no way I would give it to some one who only wanted me term time!!!! I have already turned down one who asked.

And yes, I do contracts that include both term time before and after school session rates and also the discounted daily rate for school holidays.

For example
Term time: 3.70 before school 8am - 8.45
8.00 after school 3.15 - 6pm

School holidays: 25.00 per day 8am-6pm or 3.70 per hour

Hope I helped! It's tough being in competition with the clubs, but even though I am more expensive than them, I am almost full!

[Lady Haha]

Oh, I forgot to add another selling point! My parents all get a monthly newsletter telling them what their child has been up to etc. They get stacks of photos off me too! At least 12 a month! I do a monthly upload on Bonus print and get around 200 pics for about 15.00, and the parents do love the pics! During the summer holiday, I will be taking so many pics that I may buy some cheapy photo albums to give the parents at the end of the hols.

How many holiday clubs do that?:rolleyes:

[nannymcflea]

Our local open access after school and holiday charges £50 a year for one child and an extra £20 for each other child.

There is no way I can compete with this. They do charge for lunch sessions £5 but even so as you can imagine parents send their children there in the hols it costs them £25 a week on top of the £50 a year they pay.

After school they charge £1.20 for the walk over from school.

It's not for every kid and it is open access so some parents are not keen but when waying up costs the majority choose it over childminders.

[angeldelight]

thanks so much for your replys!

ahhh, don't know what to do - the idea of term time only sounds good but how does that work? with the NCMA can you have some children with you on full time contracts (where they pay a retainer in hols if eg parents teachers) adn other children on term time only contracts?

(I'm still waiting for my toolkit so haven't received contracts yet! - sorry for lots of questions but you're all so helpful!

thanks!

I have lots of children on full time term contracts or part time term contracts

Also have children on holiday contracts for full or part time hours

I do not take a retainer from the parents - some of them do not earn a lot and some do not work during the holidays so it would be unfair of me to expect a retainer during the time they are not working and for time I do not have their child
I know a lot do take a retainer I do not though

There again I am lucky enough to fill my spaces term and holiday time so it does not affect my money - maybe I would be thinking different if I was not so lucky?

You have to sell it to the parent - dont undercut yourself but at the same time you want to get these kids away from that club so yes like Debbie suggests it is about selling yourself

It might mean that you have to offer a daily rate or something but it could be worth it long term if it brings the children in to you

Good luck

Angel xx