Newly Registered - In need of Advertising tips

[-Claire-]

Hello,

I am a newly registered childminder and im stuck for advertising, I have tried loads but as yet no enquires or anything.
Am i missing something? I have posted loads on facebook, put cards up in shops and even told the school. They have said they will put posters up for me so parents can see but other than that i dont know what to do.
It is so frustrating when i just want to get started now.

Any advice or help would be fantastic.

Thanks

[Little Pickles]

You could try putting cards up in children's centres , doctors surgery , health visitor clinic , I gave my number to my own children's health visitor once and had some enquiries through that . Have you tried your local family information service ? You will find that enquiries are like buses ....
Good luck

[Toothfairy]

Wear clothing with your advertising on ie: sweatshirt, bag, umbrella
Put leaflets around NCT sales, Mother and Toddler groups, Softplay centres etc..
Get in touch with your local vacancy coordinator of your local Childminding group.
Advertise on here, mumsnet, *****, childcare.co.uk etc
Stand outside your local primary schools and hand out flyers.
Give out business cards to mums and dads in coffee shops
Put up posters in post office, library, Doctors, maternity units, cafe's etc
Put a magnetic advert on the side of your car.
If you have a new housing estate near you, ask to put a flyer in their brochures and welcome pack.
Walk around the parks and local play areas and hand out flyers to parents

HTH

[-Claire-]

Thank you both so much, i have just finished getting lots more flyers ready and im just on my way out to hand some more out. I have tried my local family information services and they have advertised me. I hope i get some clients soon, it seem like i waited so long to become registered that now i am ive cvome to a stand still Thanks for your tips, i wll be hard at work now
xx

[annagant]

Thanks for useful ideas. I'm newly registered too and will soon be looking to advertise so this has been really helpful

[Katy M]

I put together a colourful but simply presented flyer, A5 size. Then started cose to home and worked outwards, posting one through each door. I got two new mindees that way. It worked really well.

Word of mouth is definitely successful. Let everyone know that you are a childminder; neighbours, friends, mums in school yard etc.

I hope you get some interest soon.

[RuthJ]

Childcare.co.uk got me my first mindee

• Family information service
  Yell.com
  word of mouth
  Flyers
  

Good luck

[kellyskidz!]

Bit of a odd one (but I did steal the idea off another CM in a different area) I had a 'hoodie' printed for when I was doing outings, school runs etc and SO many parents stopped me to ask my fees etc.It just had my logo, Childminder and my phone numbers on it, was really cheap too £8 for the jacket and £6 for the wording. I felt a bit weird wearing it at first, like I was showing off, or 'over advertising' but after a while I saw dance teachers, beauty salon owners all wearing the same hoodies in the playground
Just a different idea from the flyers etc if they dont seem to be working. Good luck!!

[zippy]

Yellow pages site
Facebook buy sell pages
My local childminder site
Childcare.co.uk site
Word and mouth is best get to loads of toddler groups and shout about what you do, I once got a £250 a week job coz I mentioned what I did on way to tescos to my kids friends mum

[lynncjt]

Half of my business has come from Facebook. I have a page for my childminding business and when I started up I borrowed a friends child and with their permission took lots of photos doing fun things like messy play, down the beach at the park etc.

I'm also on childcare.co.uk, *****, yell, google and have magnetic signs on my car. Have had enquires from all of these.

[littlelollies]

All of my work has come from childcare.co.uk its a fab site....

[Pauline]

Hi Claire, not sure if you are the same Claire who contacted me via FB for a website, I did reply to you. I've done quite a few advertising websites for members of the forum

[karenandsmile]

do you have a local childminding group in your area jobs get passed around that way and going to mother and toddler groups in the summer holidays all my children wear red t shirts and have my number on it people notice you and then people come and ask for your number always have buisness cards on you i also have a car magnet on my minibus too

[-Claire-]

Thank you ladies all for you help, I went out yesterday with leaflets to doctors, health visitors, soft play, and shops etc.
I have put it all over facebook, i bet people are getting sick of me but just yesterday i had a few mums come up to me in the playground and asked me about my new business venture So that proves that is working.
I have been out today and ordered a hoodie that has all my details on and a car magnet All systems go here
I was just totally stuck yesterday and what to do, i hope that my phone will start rining soon
Pauline, yes it could have been me, i done lots yesterday lol xx

A much better and happier day today xx

[Rick]

Hi

I wrote this in another post but answers your question.

The main aim is to get noticed and get known in the local community; probably most important for me being an independent male childminder.

Number one way is to get to toddler groups as often as you can and get to know parents in your area. If you don't have children of your own (I.e. no one to go with) then there's nothing stopping you popping along and handing out cards and chatting to parents.

Advertise on local websites, mine is called Bath Mums and childcare.co.uk as well. ***** as well. See if Facebook has a local page to advertise for free.

Get chatting on forums like this one. I posted on my local website, Bath Mums about perceptions of male childminders; it was all very positive and by the end people had gone from being wary to it being a good thing and have now got an enquiry from it. There may be a classifieds section on there for people to advertise for a childminder or you to advertise yourself. This post went so well, the editor asked me to write an article for the website about why I decided to become a childminder. This was emailed to 2300 people in Bath. How's that for advertising!

Get to local childminding groups. I have found childminders are very welcoming and willing to hand over enquiries which are no good for them. I first started going to a childminding group even though I only had my son and no mindees. You can go so long as you're registered.

As I say, the key is to get noticed. I've had lots of people see me out with my mindees and people have asked if I'm the independent male childminder (I'm the only one in the region). That was all because I took the time to write a post and then an article.

Word of mouth is important. The parents of the sisters I mind are so pleased with what I'm doing that she has recommended me to her neighbour who needs childcare

It may take some time so don't get despondent if it doesn't happen instantly

Hope this helps