I think I will have to charge more ....

**Blackhorse** · 04-02-2010, 09:15 PM

by how much can you go up in price at one time?
I know it is up to each person what they do....but what is a normal raise that wont make the parents faint? LOL

**The Juggler** · 04-02-2010, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Blackhorse

by how much can you go up in price at one time?
I know it is up to each person what they do....but what is a normal raise that wont make the parents faint? LOL

probably 50p hour I'd say?

TheBTeam · 04-02-2010, 09:30 PM

I think to some extent you need to think of the overall effect it has on the parents bill, my parents who are paying for a full time place would gasp at 50p an hour, however I have one for 8 hours and 50p doesnt seem so much.

I am not brave enough to just make sweeping rises so tend to increase prices only for new starters and if I have to make a significant contract change.

**sophiestars** · 04-02-2010, 09:54 PM

I'm still debating whether to put my price up in April. I charge £4 per hour at the mo and would put it up to £4.20 this year, and up to £4.50 next year if I did it, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough yet!
I've only been childminding for 11 months and don't want to put my customers off, but get more and more depressed about how much I am actually earning after all my expenses etc are taken off. I might do it after all the parents will all be getting a pay rise, won't they?

**The Juggler** · 05-02-2010, 07:47 AM

I would normally do 25p/hour but max I would increase in one go would be 50p. you could look at say a 3% increase on your annual/monthly fee and then work out how much per hour you'd need to increase. work it out on your highest payer though then use the hourly fee increase for everyone.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 05-02-2010, 10:57 AM

Mine tend to go up .10p per hour per year

**Tatjana** · 06-02-2010, 05:09 PM

[QUOTE=sophiestars;632666]I'm still debating whether to put my price up in April. I charge £4 per hour at the mo and would put it up to £4.20 this year, and up to £4.50 next year if I did it, but I'm not sure I'm brave enough yet!
I've only been childminding for 11 months and don't want to put my customers off, but get more and more depressed about how much I am actually earning after all my expenses etc are taken off. I might do it after all the parents will all be getting a pay rise, won't they?[/QUOTE]

How do you know they will?

My dh had to take a 20% cut in his salary this year as his company was doing so badly.

xx

**Chimps Childminding** · 06-02-2010, 05:17 PM

I keep meaning to put mine up by 10p per hour every year, but somehow never quite seem to get round to doing it. I only seem to increase when someone new starts, trouble then is you have parents paying different rates, ok unless they ever discuss what they pay (some of mine work at the same place, and some are related)

**sandy64** · 06-02-2010, 07:17 PM

wow if i charged parents by hr they would go mad never mind putting it up i charghe per day but wish i did charge per hr id be better off. but in my area its not heard of to charge per hr funny how different parts of country charge differently

**Cazz** · 06-02-2010, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by DebbieS26

Mine tend to go up .10p per hour per year

That's what I plan to do - hence the reason I charge per 30 mins and not per 15 minutes (in which case I would have to increase 20p per hour). My policy says I will review my charges each April.

I only started in November so I have charged £3.20 per hour from the start (a couple of childminders in my town charge this but most are £3.00 per hour). I got some mindees and the parents are going to think I'm wonderful when I say I will not be increasing my fees this April - forward thinking!