£200 retainer too much or not enough?
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  1. #1
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    Smile £200 retainer too much or not enough?

    HI

    I hoping that some of your lovely people can help me pleeeeeease

    I have a lady coming tomorrow to see about me looking after her child fulltime from November. I have explained to her on the phone about a retainer the thing is i was wondering what you lot would charge as a retainer from now till Nov?

    I was thinking £200, - works out i will be holding the place for 4 months so i was thinking £50 a month x 4 months = £200.


    any views on this amount please let me know.

  2. #2
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    Have you actually got the space at the moment? If you have, think about how much you are losing out on by saving the space for this child - a lot more than £200! If you explain it that way to mum, it doesn't seem so much.

  3. #3
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    hi

    Thanks for your reply, i dont have any space until the end of July, then im on my hols for 2 weeks so i wouldnt beable to start till the middle of August,

    However mums still on maternity leave then as the baby is only 3 months old now.

    I also have another full time space avaible from the end of September as my daughter starts school full time from the 3rd wk of September if i got anymore enquiries.

  4. #4
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    As far as I understand it, you can only charge a retainer when the space is actually available, so from the middle of August when you're back from holiday.

    The other option would be to try to fill your full-time space ready for August, then in September the baby could have your daughter's space. That way mum only has to pay the retainer from the end of Sept.

    I'd see how she reacts when you see her. If she's considering other minders, it might sway her your way if she's got less of a retainer to pay.

  5. #5
    Pipsqueak Guest

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    'sright hun - you cannot really charge a retainer for a space that isn't there.

    A retainer is a fee to hold a space open that is not being used but wanted.
    So you would charge a weekly fee for instance - normally half of what the overall weekly fee would be to 'retain' hold the space open.

    You are charging a deposit to secure the space. The deposit can be non refundable (you would need to specify this) and it can or may not count towards fees - again specify this.

  6. #6
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    I'm sure I've read somewhere that ncma don't recommend you charge a retainer for more than 12 weeks (although where I read it or why that is escapes me )

    I agree with the others if you don't have a space anyway you can't charge a retainer.

    I'd look at this baby filling your dd's space and I would charge a deposit of one month's fees to be offset against the first month's fees if the place is taken up but non-returnable if parent's change their mind. Or you could charge a retainer from September.

    I wouldn't agree to keep a place without some sort of payment up front. I think if parents have to part with money they are less likely to mess you around.

    Good luck
    Miffy xx
    Keep smiling!

  7. #7
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    Thank you ladies.

    I shall tell her tomorrow that i have the space from the end of september and if she would like me to hold the space till the child starts with me in November then i will charge her a retainer fee.

    she wants 07.30-17.00 mon- fri to charge her half the normal fee to retain the space seems abit steep to me, so im still unsure how much to charge.

  8. #8
    onceinabluemoon Guest

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    I have a similar situation and charged a deposit equal to and paying for the first month's fees

  9. #9
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    I just charge a weeks deposit that secures the space for them but they loose it if they then decide not to take space.

 

 

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