Fed up Waiting - 2 months and still no mindees

**cornetjo** · 01-06-2009, 07:41 PM

My registration came through in the middle of April, and I still don't have any mindees. I have had one enquiry but nothing came of it. I have advertised everywhere I can think of, online, leaflets, notice in car etc, but still nothing. I am not sure what else to do now, and I am getting a bit despondant.

Is there anything I am doing wrong, or something I can do to kickstart my business?

xx

**Ripeberry** · 01-06-2009, 07:50 PM

Sorry you're having a bad time. I've been registered since the middle of January and in ALL that time have only had 3 enquiries but no visits

I do help out at the local pre-school regularly just to get used to dealing with different children and i also have quite a few playdates for my daughter aged 4yrs old.
But it is very depressing as you think "Is it me?" "Am i that bad?".
In all honesty it's none of those things, its just VERY quiet out there at the moment and i'm based in the countryside so lots of mums stay at home anyway and the ones who did have jobs have lost them

.
I had two parents from the pre-school who were interested in using me and they both got made redundant at the same time (worked for the same firm) so its really FRUSTRATING!.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for things to pick up in September and i hope that things get better for you soon

**Tatjana** · 01-06-2009, 08:10 PM

Aww hon i'm sorry to hear you're ot having any luck. I know how you feel as I am the same. A few enquiries that have amounted to absolutely nothing, not even one visit

I'm going to take the cards out of my car tomorrow as I actually feel embarassed that nothing is happening.

I feel like i've made the wrong decision and have wasted alot of money, time and stress on getting registered and all for nothing.

Gosh, I sound really down...sorry i've been no help whatsoever!

xx

**PixiePetal** · 01-06-2009, 08:14 PM

I have been minding for a few years and find that enquiries usually pick up ready for starting in September when schools go back.

May be like this near you?

You are doing nothing wrong, it just happens.

**HENNY** · 01-06-2009, 08:24 PM

I'm the same been registered since beginning of Feb and only mind one little girl part time - she had previously been in a nursery where I worked.I am going to look after a friend's baby for a couple of hours a week but that is only for two months.I've been getting very despondent as well but I've decided now to try and do some bank work in a local Nursery and hope that things will pick up.Could this be a solution for you while you wait for things to improve?

**ORKSIE** · 01-06-2009, 08:47 PM

I agree with Pixie. Just hang in there, something will come along

**pumpkinsmum** · 01-06-2009, 09:03 PM

Hi, I'm in Barry too! I've got 2 mindees at the moment but otherwise there have been no enquiries for me for ages. Getting worried now......hoping things will pick up before September otherwise I think I might have to find another job

You never know, I may be contacting you to mind my son soon enough!!!!

where abouts are you?

**yummymummy** · 02-06-2009, 07:21 AM

I have been minding for 11 years and was lucky when I first started out to be full within my first week registered but things have really changed for us locally in the last 5 years and mindees have been very thin on the ground. Something will turn up for you but it must be soul destroying when you first start out and have no mindees and it takes so long, you will find as you start taking on mindees that when they leave as you have others to care for it doesn't seem so bad if it takes a while to replace one.
Don't give up, I hope that you will be able to hold out for a mindee and not need to earn too urgently, something will turn up

**helendee** · 02-06-2009, 10:03 AM

I live in Bristol and have been a childminder for 15 years and have always had plenty of work, but for the past year or so I have had hardly any enquiries and only one of those actually led to work for me.

I have no idea what is going on, can only assume it is reflective of the state of the economy at the moment but I am about to lose two of my mindees to nursery and desperately need to find replacements.

Chins up everyone and I hope we all have new mindees soon.

Helen x

**mummyspice** · 02-06-2009, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by cornetjo

My registration came through in the middle of April, and I still don't have any mindees. I have had one enquiry but nothing came of it. I have advertised everywhere I can think of, online, leaflets, notice in car etc, but still nothing. I am not sure what else to do now, and I am getting a bit despondant.

Is there anything I am doing wrong, or something I can do to kickstart my business?

xx

Do you have children of your own?
I have picked up a lot of business from our local toddler groups. If you haven't any children, maybe you could go along and volunteer to help, perhaps sporting a badge? Just a thought x
Lisa x

**grindal** · 02-06-2009, 12:16 PM

Hi
I was registered last year, but did not start advertising until this year. I left work in December and hoped I would be minding by March at the latest. It did not happen, but in April I signed up a 10 month old to start in June and on the same day agreed to mind my friends little boy until June. Since then I had received no enquiries at all, until a couple of weeks ago, and I now have a waiting list of sorts! There are people out there. Keep updating your details on the CIS website - it was ages until I was actually happy with what was written under my name.
Good Luck

**georgie456** · 02-06-2009, 12:32 PM

HI
I have found since I came off maternity leave in March it has been extremely quiet - I am lucky in that all my previous mindees came back to me but others I work closely with have been chilminding for quite a few years, and have no mindees at the moment