Day Care Center

What If Your Husband Doesn't Support You Opening a Small Home Business or Daycare Center?

2007-11-02T23:42:00.001-07:00

Over the years I’ve heard many complaints from ladies who want to open a small business in their home to help support their family. Maybe it’s a daycare, selling pots and pans, or cosmetics. Anyway you look at it, it’s a small business and some husbands just aren’t supportive of it.

Why you may ask?

Sometimes I think that husbands do not want the trouble that they may think will be caused in their home. They are not interested in the pots and pans sitting in the basement in front of the work bench. Or, the baby in the high chair waiting to be picked up? The fact of the matter is any business you start will involve a commitment on the owner and also will involve some flexibility on the family’s part.

I really think it’s a give and take on everyone’s part. Ladies you need to understand that husbands and children are protective over their things and their space. When your husband is working all day he’s concerned that he’ll have to come home and work there too with feeding babies, helping ship out products, what ever your business may involve.

But on the other hand, it’s also important for the husband to realize that you are earning money for the family and that he should be happy. My husband never complained over the years about my daycare business, and in fact took an active role in running it. He never complained because I was making great money, staying home, raising our twin daughters and last but not least had dinner done when he arrived at night.

Unfortunately not all husbands think this way so it’s your job to emphasize all the great things that will happen because of your home business. And of course realize that your family will need their space so in the beginning just realize this and keep your distance till the money start’s rolling in. They will get the picture.

The “Daycare Diva”, Christine G. Groth, is the creator of “The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits”. To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE “How to Start a Daycare” tips and articles, visit http://www.expertsatdaycare.com

How To Start A DayCare Center - 5 Pieces Of Equipment And Accessories You Must Have

2007-11-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

Once you make the decision to open a profitable daycare, you will need to make sure you have all the necessary equipment and accessories. Starting a daycare can be the best financial move you've ever made, but only if you do things right. That's why you should read this article and check that you have all these pieces of equipment and accessories for your day care center.

Here are 5 "must have" pieces of equipment for your day care:

1. First aid kit - Kids have a tendency to fall down, to scrape their knees, to run into things, basically to hurt themselves. You need to be prepared. You're not supposed to be a heart surgeon, not even a certified nurse, but you do need to be able to apply a band-aid or some iodine when one of the kids in your daycare hurts himself or herself.

2. Photos of everyone who can pick the kids up - This is very important. When the day is over and people come to pick up the kids, you need to know who has the right to do so. You must have the photo and name of everyone who can pick up a child before you allow that child to attend your daycare. It is not even safe to rely on the child. For instance, if the child's father comes to pick him up, the child will go with him gladly, but the father and mother may be divorced. Perhaps the father doesn't have visitation rights. Rely on photographs only.

3. Sleeping mats - children take naps during the day. In many states, this piece of equipment is required. It's also for your benefit, because it gives you a break in the middle of the day. Make sure that what you buy complies with your state's regulations.

4. Toys - You must have toys for the children to play with. Buy a variety of toys so that each child has something to play with.

5. Children's books - Children love to be read to and it's also the best way to get them to take an afternoon nap. Be sure to have an assortment of books so the children won't get bored.

Before you start your daycare make sure that you have all these pieces of equipment. Once you have children, make sure to have the photos of people who are allowed to pick them up.

To learn more on how to start and run a highly successful Daycare Center, visit this webpage: http://www.squidoo.com/startingadaycare
Lucy Doyle runs a home business and is an expert on starting and operating successful daycare centers.
To read how you can too become a successful businesswoman by starting your own profitable daycare visit Lucy Doyle's expert webpage on starting daycare centers at this dedicated webpage: http://www.squidoo.com/startingadaycare

Rhode Island Child Support Law FAQS - Daycare, Overtime, Modification, College, Termination

2007-10-31T23:42:00.000-07:00

1) What if my child's parent works overtime? Will overtime be included in child support?

There is no standard law or rule in Rhode Island regarding whether or not the non-possessory parent's overtime will be used to calculate child support. One Judge in Rhode Island consistently rules that overtime compensation cannot be used to calculate child support.

Other Judges in Rhode Island have different opinions regarding overtime. The Family Court is a court of equity and fairness. Judges in Rhode Island will typically look at whether or not a person consistently works overtime over a substantial period of time. Judges may also look at whether or not overtime is consistently offered to a spouse. If overtime is infrequent or not typically offered Judges may be hesitant to calculate overtime as a factor of child support. In that case, many attorneys argue that a person's income should be calculated using their W2 or gross income for the entire calendar year. By calculating gross income over an entire calendar year even infrequent overtime becomes an element of child support.

Judges may also look at other factors such as the needs and expenses of both parties and any extraordinary expenses for the child. At least one Judge has suggested that the possessory parent get a percentage of the overtime that is worked by the non-possessory parent. Other Judges in Rhode Island believe that overtime should always be a factor in child support. Often the issue of overtime is negotiated by the lawyers prior to any formal ruling by the Judge.

2) My child is about to turn 18 but is still in high school and living at home, can I still get child support?

Under Rhode Island Law, child support should end when a child turns 18 and graduates high school. If the child is still in high school, then child support will continue until the child turns 19.

Child support in Rhode Island automatically continues even after the child turns 18 unless a Motion to terminate child support is filed. If you are a non-possessory parent, your best option is to contact a lawyer to file a Motion to Terminate Child Support approximately 40 days prior to your child turning 18 and graduating high school. This will mean that the motion will be heard on a court date soon after the child turns 18. Please note that the non-possessory parent can still be found in contempt for failure to pay child support even after the child turns 18 if there is no motion granted to terminate the child support. If a child is seriously disabled, child support shall continue until the child turns 21 years old.

3) Can I get my child's father to be ordered to pay for my child's college education?

In Rhode Island the Court has no jurisdiction to order a parent to pay for the college education of his/her child. However, if pursuant to a Property Settlement Agreement or other contract, one party agrees to pay for a child's education, then that agreement may be enforced by a court of law. Therefore, if you seek to have your child's parent pay for your child's college education, then you must negotiate payment of college expenses as part of a global settlement of the divorce or custody agreement or other similar agreement.

4) Who is going to pay for my child's daycare?

The Rhode Island minimum child support guidelines take into account both the importance and expense of daycare. The child support guidelines and worksheet are used to determine the proper amount of child support to be paid by the non-possessory parent. The bottom line is that a party will be ordered to pay approximately the same percentage of the daycare that the party makes in relation to that party's percentage of the combined gross income of both parties.

For example: If the husband makes $100,000.00 and the wife makes $50,000.00 the combined gross income for the parties is $150,000.00. Therefore, the husband makes 66 percent of the income and will be ordered to pay 66 percent of the daycare in addition to child support. (There may be an adjustment to take into account the federal tax credit.) This amount is added onto the minimum Child Support Guidelines amount.

5) How do I modify, increase or terminate child support in Rhode Island?

In Rhode Island child support can only be modified if there is a substantial change of circumstances. In order to get a substantial change of circumstances, the child support amount must be 10 percent more or less than the old child support order. The change in circumstances could result from loss of a job, increase of income of either party, new dependents, loss of overtime, unemployment, a disability, etc.

David Slepkow is a Rhode Island lawyer concentrating in divorce, family law, child support, alimony custody and visitation. David has been practicing for over 9 years and is licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Federal Court. Please goto http://www.slepkowlaw.com to contact David Slepkow or to obtain more information. You can also call David Slepkow. 401-437-1100

Child Day Care

2007-10-28T23:20:00.000-07:00

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Five Things You Must Know Before Choosing a Daycare for Your Child

2007-10-26T23:31:00.001-07:00

Choosing the best daycare for your child can be one of the toughest decisions you’ll face. If you work full time, your child will spend more of her waking hours at the daycare than at home. This means that finding the perfect daycare is critical to her well-being. Here are the five things that you must be aware of when touring daycare facilities and making that difficult decision.

1. The Physical Space: All daycares in the United States are regulated and must pass certain criteria in order to even open their doors. However, you should be hyper-aware of the physical space your child will be spending his time in. Is it clean? Does is have a wide variety of age-appropriate toys and activities? Are there any obvious safety hazards that have not been addressed by the staff? Also, look for pets and live plants in the rooms. The space should feel like a place that you yourself would want to spend eight hours in. If it doesn’t feel good to you, turn around and walk away.

2. The Staff: Teacher turnover is a huge problem for daycares, so make sure that you feel very comfortable with and confident in the director of the program, not just your child’s potential teacher. It’s a sad fact, but daycare workers are at the bottom of the wage scale and it can be a very stressful job. Ask the director about the teacher turnover in the daycare. It will give you a good idea about what the working conditions are like for the teachers. Also, look closely to see that the teaching staff is focused on the children, not on the other adults in the room. I was once completely snubbed by a teacher who was working with a child as I toured their classroom. My son was enrolled in her class that very day. I wanted a teacher who would be focused on my son and his development.

3. Curriculum: Ask to see what the children are working on. If there is no curriculum or if they seem to focus on coloring sheets, it is not the best place for your child. No matter what the age group, there should be art, science, manipulatives, reading and writing activities available every day. For your child’s optimal growth, she must be mentally stimulated.

4. Discipline: Ask how conflicts between the children are worked out. If possible, ask some of the older children how the staff handles conflict. Staff should be facilitators, not umpires, when it comes to conflict. This means that the staff should be facilitating communication and accountability with each child, not saying that one was right and the other wrong and punishing the offender.

5. Trust Your Gut: Look, you should feel absolutely wonderful about the daycare setting your child is placed in. Every time you leave your child, you should know that he is well cared for, respected, stimulated and is having FUN. If it doesn’t feel right to you on some level, don’t leave your child there. You deserve to have peace of mind about where your child is and what he is doing when you have to be somewhere else. Trust yourself. Even if you can’t define why you don’t like a particular setting, just knowing that it’s not the perfect place for your child is enough. Keep looking until you do find that perfect setting for him.

Straight talk from the mom who’s been where you are and knows how to help your family: Shelly Walker is the mother of two beautiful children and the author of Awakened Power and the upcoming book Parenting Keys. Shelly is passionate about children and believes that every child deserves healthy, happy parents. For more information, go to http://www.parentingkeys.com .

Opening A DayCare - How To Make More Money Off Your Day Care Center

2007-10-26T00:03:00.003-07:00

You can make a lot of money just by running your daycare center the regular old way. But there are ways in which you can turbo charge your income stream and make more money with your daycare. All you have to know is how.

Here are 3 simple ways to create new income streams through your daycare center and to make more money:

1. Charge for extra hours - You should make perfectly clear to the parents of the children in your daycare center the operatiinghours of your daycare. That means that by the end of these hours they must pick up their child. But, you should provide the option of picking the child at a later time, for an additional fee, of course. Don't be shy, you're doing extra time you should get extra pay. It's as simple as that.

2. Babysitting - The parents already know you and trust you and the child knows you. You can easily offer babysitting services. And why not? It's not that different from what you do in your daycare. You don't have to do the actual babysitting yourself. You can have babysitters working for you. If a parent wants a babysitter you can provide one for a profit.

3. Sell children and baby related products - This is a bit tricky, but if you have a substantial number of children you can become an agent of children and baby related products and offer them to the parents of the children in your daycare. You can sell toys, children's books, diapers and anything of that kind. Use your imagination.

There are many ways to make more money with you daycare. It's all up to you. Use these 3 ways to make even more money with your daycare center.

To learn more on how to start and run a highly successful Daycare Center, visit this webpage: Starting A DayCare Center Lucy Doyle runs a home business and is an expert on starting and operating successful daycare centers. To read how you can too become a successful businesswoman by starting your own profitable daycare visit Lucy Doyle's expert webpage on starting daycare centers at this dedicated webpage: http://www.squidoo.com/startingadaycare

Opening A DayCare - How To Make More Money Off Your Day Care Center

2007-10-26T00:03:00.001-07:00

Here are 3 simple ways to create new income streams through your daycare center and to make more money:

There are many ways to make more money with you daycare. It's all up to you. Use these 3 ways to make even more money with your daycare center.

Partnership Or Sole Proprietor - Which Is A Better Model For Daycare Centres?

2007-10-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

Are you fretting over whether you should start the daycare centre on your own or with a partner? To make an informed decision, you first need to understand how both business ownerships differ. Whilst both are fairly simple forms of ownership and ideal for small businesses, it has its advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s start with sole proprietorship. It is a very simple model. You just walk into the company registration authority to register your daycare business. The owner and the company are not separate legal entities, which means that you and the daycare centre are considered as one entity for tax and liability purposes. The daycare centre and you are jointly responsible for all debts related to the business.

As for partnerships, there are 2 different types. One is general partnership whilst the other is private limited. Like sole proprietorship, a general partnership is also very easy to set up, simply walk into the company registration authority to register your daycare business. And like in a sole proprietorship, the daycare centre and partners are not separate legal entities. Which means all the partners are responsible for any debts incurred by the daycare centre. For example, if the daycare business incurred a debt of $30,000 and the partners decided to wind up it up due to lack of capital, all the partners are liable to pay off the debt with their own personal assets, unless they choose to declare bankrupt. Unlike in a private limited partnership, the partners and daycare business are considered separate legal entities and are therefore not liable to pay off any debts with their own personal assets. However, unlike a general partnership, it is a little more complicated to set up and will entail depositing and maintaining a certain amount of money in the bank which acts as a guarantee. The plus side is suppliers, because of the forced deposit in the bank, tend to be more inclined to offer private limited companies better credit terms than a general partnership.

There are however a few differences. As a sole proprietor, you are the boss and therefore have the absolute say in the daycare business. It also means that you will need to undertake all the risks, costs and responsibilities by yourself. In a partnership, however, all the risk, cost and responsibilities are shared as all the partners are bosses. Which also means that the running of the daycare business will need to be by general consensus to ensure that all the partners are kept happy.

There is no one best business ownership model as both of them carries with them its own form of risk and returns. Some prefer the freedom of a sole proprietorship whilst others feel more secure in numbers. Even in partnerships, some prefer the simplicity of a general partnership whilst others prefer the security of a private limited partnership. Which form of business ownership you ultimately enter into is highly dependent on your personal risk appetite and resource.

For more information or resources on starting a successful daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

How to Get Child Care Grants For Your Daycare Center

2007-10-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

The 6 Important Steps

There are many questions circulating these day’s on how to get grants to start up a small business or daycare. Unfortunately I’m here to tell you that if you are a non-profit daycare finding “free” money will be difficult. But don’t give up, just because the government is unwilling to supplement a business start ups cost doesn’t mean that it’s totally hopeless. It is your duty to be creative in coming up with the supplies that you will need to start up your business. In the home study course, www.instantdaycareprofits.com many of these issues are addressed. Realistically you can set up a very profitable business if you think a little differently from everyone else.

One tip is non-profit independent child care business owners can try a service called, “Foundation Grants to Individuals Online”. This service is an online listing offering grants to individuals in the U.S. To learn more you can go to http://www.fdncenter.org. There is a charge of $9.95 per month for this service.

Here are some important steps in finding childcare grant money:

1. Do your due diligence and research. Your first step should be calling your licensing bureau office, referral agency, and child care organizations. The other organizations that also should be called an are affiliated with childcare are: Head Start, Child Care and Development Fund, Social Services Block Grant, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Even Start, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

While these organizations are affiliated with childcare, you also may be able to find an organization that would be willing to grant you money. Keep into consideration backyard organizations such as: Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis, and United Way.

Also, keep in mind corporations and businesses in your area. Many a time I will enter a business and ask them if they have anything they would like to contribute. One example would be going to a paper factory, stationary etc or any office that throws out paper. Remember, you need paper for your daycare and would be able to utilize what they consider trash.

2. After you have contacted the above mentioned organizations your next step would be to request their guidelines and applications. At this point and time necessary information should be collected to determine whether you and the funder are a good fit. One research tool that would help you in your determination would be Grant Smart (http://www.grantsmart.com/search/search001.html)

3. Write a description of your need for money. You will have a discuss why you need the money and what your purpose will be for those funds. Other questions that you should be asking yourself is, why should the project be done?, how long will it take?, how much it will cost?, who will do the work?, and most of all, how will it impact the quality of childcare you will provide?

4. Prepare your proposal letter. Your letter will encompass and expand on why you need the grant funds, and what your purpose is behind it, and how it will benefit your program. Be sure to include any statistics and demographics that will influence your cause. Attach any letters of support from parents, people in the community advocating your project. As well, make sure that you have fine tuned any financial numbers or budget considerations for this project.

5. Be patient and organized. Make sure that all your papers are organized into folders; there will be a time that you will need to wait. Fund organizations do receive other proposals so be patient

Mentor of Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Receive Christine's 3 part newsletter on how to start your own daycare and make over 90K per year. Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com

The 5 Ways You Can Help Your Child Adjust to Daycare

2007-10-22T22:27:00.000-07:00

It’s a typical morning at daycares around the world; children are arriving while the provider greets each child with a smile and a cheerful “good morning”.

But what if it’s your child’s first daycare at daycare?

Almost every parent is nervous at sending their child to daycare. They have so many questions, “Is this the right place” or will my child like it here?” The list goes on and I’m sure many of you have been in the situation of wondering if you made the correct choice.

That first day of daycare is often stressful on parents, children, and the providers who care for them. Everyone is discovering new environments, rules, and behavior. But there are some things that you can keep in mind when helping your child adjust to a new daycare. Providers and parents need to work together to make any transition smooth and stress free. Below I have listed the 5 ways you can help a child adjust to daycare. This list I hope will guide parents as well as providers.

1. Every child acclimates to daycare differently. Most children need time to feel secure and comfortable in a new environment. Remember when you were a child, entering a new school and not knowing anyone. It can be quite frightening for the toddler who is feeling unsure. Typically, it takes 1-2 weeks for a child to settle down and get into a routine. And this also applies for the provider. The provider will need to understand the child’s rhythm and personality. What makes them tired, mad, sad, happy, frustrated, what they like to do and the list goes on? So once the provider has gotten to know the child, the day has become much easier. Other children may be totally different, but this is rare. What I mean by this and I’ve seen this many times, some children enter a new child care center as though they’ve been there their whole life. No crying, or upset feelings, they basically say “bye mom” see you later. They’ve got toys to play with and friends to meet.

2. What are the expectations of the parent? One reason for conflict is the belief of parents vs. provider. A parent must feel comfortable and trust the provider that they are using. If the trust is not established, than the parent will feel very uncomfortable which will in turn be a reason to leave. In many situations it’s not that the child is unhappy, it’s because the parent feels that the child care center is the wrong environment for their child.

3. Easing the child into care. I often advocate parents to take time in choosing the correct daycare for their child. Visiting the provider on several occasions establishes a common surrounding for the child. Talking to the child telling them that we are going to come here everyday, or Miss. Barb is going to care for you is a great way of establishing a bonding relationship. A child needs time to develop trust for the provider. Also, when dropping off your child it’s important to spend extra time making sure your child is relaxed and ready for you to leave.

4. Bringing security items from home. Children often feel more secure when the parent brings items from home. A favorite blanket with mom’s smell on it, a stuffed animal, a picture of mom all ease the separation pain a child maybe experiencing.

5. Parents should be welcome to call the provider, especially on the first day. A simple call of asking how their child is doing reassures the parent that their child is doing well.

Using the 5 ways you can help your child adjust to daycare can certainly make the transition more comfortable when experiencing a new environment.

Christine Groth, the daycare queen is a author, mentor, and publisher of her ezine, "How To Start a Daycare". To receive a copy of her free weekly ezine go to http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

Own Day Care

2007-10-21T23:45:00.000-07:00

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Why Starting A Daycare Is The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

2007-10-19T23:10:00.000-07:00

Who ever thought that starting your own daycare could allow you to stay home and make $90,241 a year from the comfort of your own home.

Just think about this for a minute….

Get up in the morning invite 7-8 kids to your house Monday thru Friday, have fun, teach pre-school activities, read books, eat lunch, take a nap, play little more, go home.

That’s about what the day involves, but you need to think further. You are a business owner now, which means you can write off items on your tax return. How about things like furniture, cars, or utility bills? These are items you need anyways regardless of any business or job you might have.

Pretty cool, right?

Another thing to remember is all the personal work you can get done in your home while running your daycare. I always found naptime to be very productive.

So while your kids are sleeping, you can be getting your chores done by folding laundry, making dinner, phone calls paperwork, etc. State agency rules state that you need to be within hearing and sight of your children. So why not get a little of your work done while they sleep?

But remember you cannot do your chores while children are awake and present. This would qualify as poor child care practices.

I just wanted to give you some pointers as someone who’s been there!

Next, we will talk about working at home while raising your children.

I started my daycare when my twin daughters were both 1 years old. It was great because Alex and Caroline loved having other kids over to play.

The two “momma’s girls” got out of my hair and became preoccupied with their friends who came over to our house. To them, it was just one big party. I still remember the day when a family of 2 boys came over and my daughters played. Their favorite thing was to run around the living room with a gigantic yellow blanket over their heads.

In essence, the whole thing worked out pretty well. I made money, my daughters had fun, I supplied a great service, and at the end of the day, the laundry was folded and there was food on the table.

Amazingly, it cost me very little to start my daycare. Most of the toys were my daughters’ or gifted to us by friends. Birthday parties were a great way of building my business. Invite all your friends and relatives, make a meal, and you’d be amazed at all the gifts that come flowing in! People love to buy toys and clothes for little girls.

I also began frequenting my local Goodwill store. I bought a lot of almost new toys, books, games, puzzles for next to nothing. I also shopped rummage sales. It also helps to ask parents for a donation of toys or items they are not using in their home. You’ll be surprised by how many Christmas gifts never make it out of their boxes! Tell your parents that you would love to use these items and put them to use.

Want to see the proof in the pudding that I really made that kind of money? Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com to download my free 6 part newsletter on how to open your own daycare. Christine Groth is a author and mentor of 6-weeks to Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course.

Top Seven Things To Consider When Buying a Start a Daycare Book

2007-10-16T23:25:00.000-07:00

When starting a daycare one of the easiest ways to learn some of the tricks of
the trade is to purchase a book or ebook. A Day Care Program like any of these are
a great place to start. With many to choose from, how do you decide which is best
for you. Below are some of things that you need to consider when selecting a book,
ebook or program. First will be a question that needs considering and then the best
criteria to select from.

1. Who wrote the book? BEST–Written by someone that actually
operated a successful daycare. GOOD-Written by someone who researched
operating a daycare by interviewing people who successfully operated a daycare.
FAIR-Written by a ghost writer with only researching it from the web
and books

2. Does book include information on writing a business plan for a daycare?
BEST-Has examples of business plans included. GOOD-Explains
how to write a business plan and what is needed. FAIR-States that
need a business plan but does not tell how or give examples.

3. Does book review licenses procedures? BEST-Goes in details
on licensing and how to get them and gives information about each State’s procedures.
GOOD-Reviews some information on getting license and links to each
State for more information. FAIR-Only mentions that license is needed
but gives no additional information.

4. Does book review daycare pricing and how to decide on pricing?
BEST-Covers in details how to set pricing and how to determine if your
pricing is comparable to your competitors. Also explains how to determine profitability
based on price verses expenses. GOOD- Explains only to check competitors
to determine pricing. FAIR- Only slightly covers price and does not
give info on how to set price.

5. Does book cover hiring staff and number of staff needed? BEST-Goes
in details on hiring staff to include how to do background checks, references, and
education. Also covers recommended number of staff per number of clients.
GOOD- Only covers hiring staff and recommends background checks, references,
and education. FAIR- Only covers that you may need to hire staff but
does not go into any details.

6. Does book cover the supplies, equipment and safety? BEST-
Gives details on supplies, equipment and safety. GOOD- Gives detail
on supplies and equipment. FAIR- Only cover general supplies needed.

7. Does book cover over forms needed and give examples? BEST-
Covers in details forms need and also provides samples of the forms. GOOD-
Covers forms that are needed but does not give examples. FAIR- Only
discusses that forms will be needed and refers you elsewhere for them.

There are many other areas that you may want to consider as well but these are
the top seven. Some of this information you may not be able to find out without
buying the book. So you may want to find reviews of the books to help make a decision.

J. Wayne Norris is the owner of
http://www.start-a-home-day-care-business.com.
Go to his site for information on starting a daycare and a
review of ebooks on
the subject.

Marketing Plan For Day Care

2007-10-15T04:10:00.000-07:00

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Starting A Day Care - Where To Advertise Your New Daycare Center

2007-10-10T23:56:00.001-07:00

So you decided to start a daycare center. Congratulations. Women all over the country are becoming financially independent and make a great income by starting daycare centers. If done correctly, a daycare can become a hugely profitable business. It can also be a lot of fun.

But a daycare center, as any business, needs customers. And in order to get these customers you need to advertise your business. But how to advertise and where?

Most parents choose a daycare center which is close to their home. No one wants to commute too much to take the kid to the daycare center before going to work. That means that you shouldn't advertise too far from home, but you do need to pick the right spots in which to advertise.

A great way to advertise your daycare center in the beginning is with flyers. Print a few hundred flyers with a simple message containing the name of your daycare center, your name, your address and your phone number. This is no time to be shy. Anyone who reads the flyer needs to know where your daycare is to see if it's close to where they live. They need your phone number in order to get in touch with you. Don't worry, a few hundred flyers cost very little and can be very effective if placed at the right spots.

You want your flyers to be where parents go. Here are some great places to place your flyers:

1. Outside the local supermarket. Parents and especially mothers, do the shopping, so they visit the supermarket at least once a week. Placing your flyer on a notice board near the entrance is a must.

2. Many parents go to the gym, so place a flyer close to the gym.

3. Place some flyers close to the schools. Kids who go to school often have small brothers and sisters. Parents often drop their older kids at school. Some do so on a daily basis. Your flyers need to be there.

4. The same thing is true for out of school activities. For instance, if there's a little league baseball field close to your neighbourhood, place some of your daycare flyers by the entrance. Parents go to cheer their kids and they will see your flyers. The same things go for any out of school activities center in your area.

If you place flyers advertising your new daycare center in these locations and others like them, you will have new customers and will make a great income from your daycare business. One warning though: do not litter as it will make people angry with you. Place your flyers on notice boards or ask permission.

To read more tips and advice on how to start and operate your own successful daycare center, click here: How To Start A Daycare

Lucy Doyle runs a home business and is an expert on starting and operating successful daycare centers. To read how you can too become a successful businesswoman by starting your own profitable daycare visit Lucy Doyle's expert webpage on starting daycare centers at this dedicated webpage: http://www.squidoo.com/startingadaycare

Top 10 Safety Tips When Choosing a Daycare or Pre-School

2007-10-10T23:51:00.000-07:00

When it’s time to put your child into a daycare or pre-school, there is some homework involved. Here are the top ten safety tips that are useful when looking for a pre-school or daycare center.

1. Take the time to make sure the program is reputable and whether the facility has had any past complaints. Either with parents, previous teachers or care-givers. You also want to know about the existing teachers.

2. Talk with other moms on where they bring their kids. They will let you know if they had good experiences or not.

3. If you are new to the neighborhood, go to the receptionist at your area’s pediatrician. They know everybody! They pretty much have a pulse on the community. Nurses and doctors are O.K., but busy. Receptionists will have the time to answer your questions.

4. Learn about the school or center’s hiring policies and practices. Find out whether they check an applicant’s references, perform background checks, and verify previous employment history before hiring.

5. Learn whether the center or school welcomes and supports parental participation.

6. Make sure you have the right to drop in and visit the facility at any time.

7. Make sure you are informed about every planned field trip and outing. Never give the organization general permission to take your child off the premises.

8. Make sure that the facility has you sign a release to publish your child’s picture in any local newspapers. And it is definitely O.K. if you don’t what to have your child’s picture in the paper for their safety.

9. Prohibit, in writing, the release of your child to anyone without your explicit consent. Make sure the program knows who will pick up your child on any given day.

10. Ask the facility what their policy is on strangers or unauthorized persons that might come into the facility. Do they have any type of safety measures when someone who does not have custody or right to a child, show up. What is their protocol? What would they do?

You want your child to have an enjoyable and fun experience in their first learning facility. By asking questions and doing some investigating, you can rest assure that they will be in a safe environment as well.

Michelle Annese, “The Diva of Defense™” is a self defense instructor, consultant, speaker, author, and copywriter. With a third degree black belt and inductee into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Ms. Annese is a safety advocate teaching thousands each year in school talks, special events and assemblies in elementary, high schools, and colleges nationwide. She is also the author of the book: “101 Self Defense Strategies” and creator of the programs “Diva Defense Training” and “The SafeGuard System for Kids”. Complete information on Michelle Annese’s books and other services offered is available from her web site http://www.annesemartialarts.com

Five Reasons You Should Fire Your Daycare Center

2007-10-09T23:31:00.000-07:00

Daycare centers are overrated. You can do better for your children. Here are five reasons why you should fire your daycare and hire a nanny for your kids.

1. Your children will get more one-on-one attention. Research shows that everything from school test scores to child self-esteem improve with more one on one attention. If your child is among many other children at a center, how is he getting the attention that he deserves?

2. Great nannies have become easier to find. For instance, you can try an online matchmaking service like Sittercity. They have thousands of awesome babysitters all over the country. You can search their database before you pay for their service and probably find 10 great babysitters right in your area that would be perfect to watch your little ones.

3. You can get a background check. Not every person at a daycare is as nice as they seem. You should make the decision about who is in charge of your children, not the overworked owner of the daycare center. Most babysitting matchmaking services offer background checks, so you can be sure of exactly who is minding your kids.

4. More flexibility for you. There is no more rushing out of the office by five just to get stuck in traffic trying to hurry to get to the daycare center before your mandatory pick up time. You can work when you want…not when the daycare tells you that you can. Many nannies will still watch your kids when they are sick, even when daycares would not allow them to be there.

5. It is not as expensive as you might think. One woman I know actually saved over $300 a month by having a nanny watching her children instead of taking them to daycare. She found that is worked better, the children thrived, and it saved her money.

With all these great reasons, you owe it to yourself and your kids to at least consider finally firing the daycare center and making life easier for all of you.

Beth Howland is a mom and advocate for great parenting products like Sittercity. For more information, visit http://www.SittercityReview.com

Attracting the Right Candidate for Your Daycare Position

2007-10-09T23:29:00.000-07:00

Once you’ve decided all the various qualifications that you’d like your dream help to possess and a remuneration package to justify your requirements, you’ll need to decide how you intend to hire. It is pointless to have the right job with the right package if the right candidate doesn’t know about it.

There are 2 methods in which you’ll be able to spread the word on your job position; either internally or externally.

Naturally with internal sources, you will be saving on time and money advertising for the position.

• You can consider promoting from within your daycare centre such as promoting the teacher’s assistant to replace a teacher who’s leaving. This is always the best option as you should be giving your existing staff a chance to develop before seeking external candidates. It also helps to motivate and boost the morale of your other staff as it shows your appreciation for your staffs’ hard work.

• If you have more than one outlet, you can consider transferring your staff from another outlet.

• You can also consider re-hiring other staff who have left. The advantage is the staff would already be familiar with your system and you are aware of the staff’s capability and character. The learning curve will be a lot less steep.

• If you have previously advertised for the position, you can re-look at the resumes again to reassess if you can obtain a suitable candidate from the pool. A good tip will be to speak to your second choice candidate in the previous recruitment exercise.

If you’ve exhausted all your internal sources, you will then need to look at external methods of hiring.

• You can consider participating at job fairs. This option might not be suitable if you are not looking to hire a large number of staff.

• You can next take up an advertisement. There are a number of publications that you can consider. The first is of course the classified page in your local newspaper. You can also consider alternative avenues such as trade publications such as childcare providers magazines.

• Other than printed advertisements, you can consider electronic versions as well. There are many online job portals for you to place your posting. You can also consider daycare providers’ forum pages or portals as well.

• You can spread the word around and have friends and families recommend potential candidates to you. You can also post the advertisement in your daycare centre’s notice board and let the parents keep a lookout for you as well.

• You can hire employment agencies or headhunters to locate potential candidates for you based on your job requirements. They will usually charge you based on one or two months of the salary that is offered to the candidate.

• You can also speak with schools offering diplomas and certificates in early childhood and see if they have candidates to recommend.

• You can also put up notices or banner advertising the position and inviting candidates to walk-in for an interview.

Recruitment need not be an expensive exercise. You can opt for cheaper alternatives but that could mean that you will need a longer leadtime. If you are really in a hurry to replace the vacant position, then external means such as employment agencies and advertisements is probably the quickest.

Good luck!

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Marketing 101 - Effective Ways To Market Your Daycare Services

2007-10-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

Marketing a daycare business need not be an expensive exercise, if managed effectively. Your marketing budget can be as expensive or as cheap as you wish for it to be. That said, sometimes it does pay to invest a little more in marketing to ensure greater returns. Remember not to fall into the trap of being “penny wise pound foolish”. Here are a number of suggestions to help you market your daycare centre:

1. Marketing collaterals / Direct mailers
Direct mailers are very important marketing tools. They need not be flashy. A simple flyer telling your audience about your centre and what you offer is good enough.

Distribute them wherever possible; put them at community clubs, cafés and restaurants and/or hire temporary help to distribute them at train stations, bus stations, basically any high traffic area in and around your neighborhood.

And if budget permits, a brochure will be a nice addition, especially when someone requests for more details about your centre. However, if you are a new start up and a little low on funds, a flyer will do just fine.

2. Business cards
Carry your business cards wherever you go and give them out.

3. Advertisements and listings
Ensure that you are listed in all the relevant directories such as the yellow pages, community guides, daycare magazines for parents, daycare directories, etc. If budget permits, you should also consider taking up advertisements in those guides and directories as well as your local newspapers.

4. Banners
Nothing attracts more attention than a banner. Print a bright and colorful banner and hang it at the entrance of your daycare centre. It’ll guarantee to attract the attention of passer-bys. Don’t try to recreate your entire brochure or flyer onto the banner. Keep it simple and short. Include basic information such as your logo/name of your centre, your contact number and website, if any. Ensure that the text is legible from a distance.

6. Website
Pick up a new skill. Learn to create your own website. A simple, professionally designed website with some pictures of your centre will do just fine. And don’t forget a map.

7. Car decals and bumper stickers
If budget permits, print car decals and bumper stickers to give to family, friends and customers. It’s free publicity on the move.

8. Posters
Print posters and display them wherever possible. Pin them up on notice boards at shopping malls, eating places or the supermarket. Pass them to your customers, families and friends and have them put it up in their offices.

9. Open houses
Nothing beats a preview of an experience. When a company wants you to sign up for their pricey conference, they will usually conduct an event preview to let you have an insight into what you will be experiencing if you sign up. In the same token, open houses are an excellent marketing tool, allowing parents a hands-on experience at your centre.

There is no need to execute all the above suggestion at one go. Pace them out throughout the year. It’ll be a lot easier on your budget.

Happy marketing!

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Finding the Right Daycare Center for Your Child

2007-10-04T23:22:00.000-07:00

If you are sending your child to daycare, you need to make sure that the facility meets your standards. Although each centre offers the parent an allocated set of visiting days, we'd suggest the old tried and tested technique of the surprise visit. This enables us to gauge the standards of such a facility on a regular day, when the staff is not pre-prepared or on extra special behavior. Although, we can expect to run into more than a few restricted zones on such an unannounced visit, we will have a unique insight into your child's daycare environment.

One of the first things you could evaluate is whether the centre has been adequately child proofed. Be on the look out for small details like unattended sharp objects (like scissors) or even unpadded corners, exposed wiring, open plug points and the general standard of cleanliness. Children are bound to litter the floors with their toys and dolls, however, there shouldn't be any stains, dirt or grime either on their playthings or on the floor. Spills are a commonplace incident in a daycare centre, nevertheless, the staff mustn't treat such a mess with a lackadaisical attitude or it can inadvertently lead to a hygiene hazard.

Potty training is usually provided at such a daycare centre and the staff is expected to maintain a schedule for each child. On your visit, you could check whether the staff is attentive to your child needs. At any given point of time there should be access to a bathrooms to avoid an embarrassing playtime incident. You might want to do a check on the facility's changing policies in the event of an accident.

Always have a heart to heart chat with the teachers to figure out whether you can trust them with your child. On the other hand, technology can reassure those flailing nerves and that building sense of insecurity. Several daycare facilities now present parents with Internet-based video monitoring systems that can be accessed from any online computer. As a result, peace of mind is only a few clicks away, as we can view the classroom at any point of time while managing our work.

A daycare centre also prepares your child for the upcoming school years. A good centre balances playtime, social interaction and a well-structure educational program into the daily routine. The staff should provide you with the sample papers or worksheets solved by the children. In this way we can determine the center's adopted approach towards structuring the child's mind through its curriculum.

At dispersal time, we should make sure that the attendants are quick to ask for some sort of photo identification. Then again, in a smaller facility the photo ID card is not required as the teacher will be familiar with each child's parent. This verification system must hold true, nonetheless, for anyone other than the child's mother or father wanting to pick up the child. Once you have performed all these impromptu checks you can bask in an unadulterated sense of security and peace of mind. Your child will blossom in a happy, playful and most importantly a safe environment under the attentive and caring eye of his daycare teacher.

The "Daycare Diva", Christine G. Groth, is the creator of "The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits". To learn more about this step-by-step program and to sign-up for her FREE "How to Start a Daycare" tips and articles, visit http://www.ExpertsAtDaycare.com

What Should a Parent Handbook Be About For Daycare Centers

2007-10-03T22:20:00.000-07:00

This article is mainly suited for parents who are looking for childcare and daycare owners who are constructing policies on what their daycare center rules should be.

The main objective of a parent handbook in the daycare setting is to establish rules and boundaries for the parent and daycare provider. Without boundaries and rules many issues erupt which could have been avoided in the first place. It is extremely important for you the parent to understand what your provider expects. As well as the provider, it is important for you to lay down the ground work so that no confusion lies between you and the parent.

Below will be a guideline that you may wish to follow regarding rules and standards established for your daycare center.

A parent handbook about daycare centers should have the following information:

1. Sick policy: What are the guidelines that the center will use when a child becomes ill? When will the parent be called, how high does the temperature need to be for a parent to be asked to come pick-up the child? What if the child has an unexplained rash? Loose bowel movements? Falls and hits his/her head? What is the policy for re-entering childcare after being home with illness? What contagious diseases are not allowed in your center? Will you allow sick children to be in your center? These are all very important questions that need to be addressed by the parent and the daycare provider as well.

2. Pick-Up Child Policy: Issues should be addressed on who is picking up the child, and what if someone else shows up to pick up that child and you don’t know about it. Are both parents together or divorced and what is the arrangement with custody. If there is a situation that a parent is not allowed to pick up a child it would be wise to have legal documents on file stating the arrangement by court. If a child is walking from school or being picked up by your center there should be paper work on file stating these arrangements.

3. Tuition: A contract stating price and payment should be filled out by both the parent and the daycare center. There should be a clear understanding of how many days the child will attend and what the charge will be. There should also be an understanding of what charges there will be when a child is not attending childcare.

4. Vacations and Time Off: Will the daycare provider be taking off for a vacation and will the parents still need to pay for childcare? What about emergency closings, what are the policies regarding this. What holiday’s will the center be closed and are they paid holiday’s or not.

5. Punishment and disorderly behavior: What are the rules of the daycare center regarding punishment? What ages and what ways does the center try to correct behavior? What are the daycare centers grounds for termination? What are the guidelines established when talking to parents about problems.

These are the fundamentals of a day care parent handbook. Remember that all concerns should be addressed in this handbook; it is there to help the parent and the daycare center and especially to protect the safety of the child.

Christine Groth, author and mentor of Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Receive her free 6 part newsletter on how to start your own daycare at www.instantdaycareprofits.com

What If You Have No Business Experience In Starting Up A Daycare?

2007-10-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

I get many questions from ladies who are concerned about starting a daycare and they have no business experience. To be very truthful, nine years ago I had no business experience and on top of all things I was a new mother and had really no experience with children.

Was I crazy?

Absolutely not. Starting a daycare in my home was one the best things I have ever done for my family. It allowed me to stay home and raise my twin daughters and make money at the same time. I loved caring for other children as well, it was wonderful to see them grow and develop. Not only was I caring for another family’s child but I was also a part of their family. Many parents over the years have disclosed their lives and have confided in me about their personal situations.

Back to the question at hand, do you need business experience? I would say no. One of the best things you can do in order to discover the world of childcare is to find a mentor. When I first started my daycare I called a family provider in my area and asked if I could come over and ask her some questions. She was happy to tell me everything about her daycare.

Remember, ladies who do daycare are very nurturing individuals who want to help others.

So feel free to ask questions, and remember that you can start out your daycare small. I started with only two children and then I grew from there.

I love family childcare and think it’s a wonderful solution for families and children alike.

Christine Groth is an author, mentor, speaker who has written the book, "The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits. You can receive her free newsletter at http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com.

Parent Hack #1: Secret to Easier Daycare Drop-offs

2007-09-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

The Dreaded Morning Drop-off. In the toddler room at our daycare, Little B. and her Mom were having a tough time in the mornings. Little B. did not want her Mom to leave, and was crying and clinging on to her. After 15 or 20 minutes, one of the teachers would pry little B. away, holding and comforting her while Mom makes her not-so-clean or happy getaway.

After a few mornings like this, I ran into B's Mom in the parking lot. She looked helpless, pregnant with guilt, little B's tears and cries still weighing on her.

"Tough, huh?" I asked. "Yeah, it's gotten pretty bad lately. I don't know what to do."

I felt compelled to reveal my Secret to a Guilt-free, Tears-free Morning Drop-offs. Actually, it's a technique (or Parent Hack, if you will) that we learned at our last daycare.

"You might have her push you out," I suggested. "What do you mean?"

It works like this: A teacher or parent asks the child, "Do you want to push Mommy (or Daddy) out of the room?" during the good-bye portion of the drop-off. The child agrees. Mommy or Daddy turns, faces the door and the child pushes the parent's butt, like a choo-choo train, out the room.

"Yeah, I'll give it try," said B's Mom.

How did it go? When I ran into B's Mom a week later, she was gushing with thanks. Amazing, she said. And I got to witness it in action the next morning, both of them happy and even having added their little tickling twist to the drop-off ritual. No tears, no banshee cries. No guilt in sight.

As a bonus. "Now she even pushes me out of her room at bed time, " said B's Mom.

The next morning, I saw Little N, another one of the kids who's been having a tough time. After 10 min., her mother spontaneously suggested to little N, "Do you want to push me out?" Little N. agreed.

"It's nice to leave her not screaming her head off in the morning," I overheard N's Mom telling B's Mom.

Why it works. It empowers the child. It gives them some control. They decide (sort of) when you leave. They are pushing you out; you're not leaving/abandoning them.

And it's fun. Like playing choo-choo trains.

The Downside.

1. It may not always work. Although I have yet to see it not work.
2. It's a little manipulative.

Yes, but. My instinct says a little manipulation is better than all the tears, cries and the guilt.

Give it a try and let me how it went for you.

J. Lee writes for http://mysearchformeaning-money.blogspot.com/ and http://daddymadeit.blogspot.com/

The Tax Advantages of Starting Up a Daycare in Your Home

2007-09-30T23:23:00.000-07:00

You are in the childcare business. Now what? You must decide a number of pressing questions. How to organize my business? What forms do I need to keep track of? What logs of information do I need to keep? Why does this all seem so confusing? What planet do accountants and IRS agents come from anyways?

Take a deep breath and we will try to create some simple rules to add some sanity to the confusion. I’m going to start with a couple of advantages to running a child care center from your personal home and will address some of the tricks to record keeping in its own special chapter.

Why is child care a business like no other? You are allowed to follow your own special rules not allowed by any other business run out of your home.

See the IRS is not all bad. Oh my, I did just say that?

You are allowed to count all the areas in your home used regularly for your business – not just those used exclusively for childcare when determining the space in the home that you can deduct. You are the only business that is allowed this treatment.

Here comes the real meat and potatoes, the forms and code sections. (Ugh.)

The most important calculation that you need to understand is a formula called the “Time-Space Calculation.” This is the calculation that allows you to make your personal expenses that no one else can deduct, as business expenses. In order to do this the IRS demands that you report these expenses separately on form 8829.

First we need to determine the space component of the calculation. Step one is to draw a floor plan of your home. Notice I said floor plan not blueprint. We are trying to determine the square-footage of your rooms a percentage of your home – we’re not trying to rebuild the home! Each room is labeled one of three titles: 100% Personal, 100% business, shared. The IRS has ruled that for a room to be counted as shared it must only be used regularly for business, not exclusively. Each year you will need to verify the space component with a new floor plan of the home.

The second component of the calculation is the time component. This seems pretty straight forward. At first you may just count the hours when children are present but you would be missing out on all the other time spent in you home working on your business. These hours include time spent preparing for the day, record keeping, and appointments with parents, and cleaning up from the day. Once you have determined the space percentage and the time spent percentage you simply multiply the two percentages together and you are set to go.

Okay. Now what?

Direct vs. Indirect Expenses

The easiest way to define direct business expenses is to call them expenses that you simply wouldn’t have if you hadn’t decided to start a daycare. Advertising, Liability Insurance, Toys, Art Supplies, etc. all fall into this category.

Indirect expenses are defined as those shared by you as an individual and your business. Rent, Mortgage Interest, Real Estate Taxes, Utilities, Household supplies, Home Owners Insurance, Repairs and Maintenance, etc. fall into this category. The indirect expenses are put through the “time-space calculation” and the direct expenses are put directly to the business tax return.

The last wrinkle that you need to deal with is to determine what a capital asset is verses an expense. Assets are things that you own that will last longer than one year. For example, your house, car, furniture, stove, refrigerator, microwave, are all assets. These items must be depreciated, expensed over a period of time, not expensed in the current year.

You then need to determine if the item is shared or directly used by the business. Your house is used jointly. A daycare van used specifically for child transportation is a day care specific capital expense. The jointly used assets must be depreciated and applied to the time space calculation. This manual does not allow enough time for an in-depth discussion of depreciation rules. Hopefully, however, you have a general idea that there are different expenses and assets for your business which need to be accounted for.

Startup Costs

Startup costs are the expenses associated with starting a business, both direct and capital, made prior to the actual start of operations. These costs are treated differently than normal expenses. The IRS does not want to see two years of startup expenses and no income on your income tax return. Therefore you are allowed to expense the first $5,000 of expenses in your first year of operation and any expenses over that amount are capitalized and amortized (divided equally) over sixty months. Examples of startup costs are Legal and professional fees, supplies, toys, day care furniture, license fees, education classes, etc. Capital costs might be room additions to bring the house in compliance, fence in the back play area and the like.

Choice of Business Entity

The type of entity that you choose to operate your business can have significant ramifications in the future. Record keeping stays an important component regardless of which entity you choose. We will address that in its own special chapter. A word about insurance would be appropriate at this time. You should always maintain insurance on your business no matter which entity you choose. I will make the assumption that you are starting your business for the long term. With that assumption your business will need to be protected and as such will need liability insurance, just like your home needs home owners insurance. You are attempting to protect the source of your future income from loss.

Now back to the subject at hand.

The moment you as an individual start to engage in providing a service or providing a product to others you are engaging in a business. This business can be regulated or unregulated; the IRS does not care for tax purposes. Your state licensing board obviously does care and you should follow all appropriate rules in your state.

Sole Proprietor

The default type of organization is the sole proprietor. This is the easiest to form, (no cost) but could be the costliest in the long run. The sole proprietor is fully liable for the debts and obligations of the business. The argument that I hear from clients is “I truly don’t have own anything right now, why should I be concerned?” If you are taken to court and a judgment is rendered against your business, it will be applied against all your current personal and business assets now and in the future.

Secondly, the net income of your business is treated as a wage. You are both the employee and the employer. Most employees are unaware that the employer matches an equal amount of their social security tax. This amounts to 7.65% from the employee and 7.65% from the employer totaling 15.3% on the first $90,000 of wage (adjusted annually upwards). This tax is assessed over and above any federal and state taxes.

Single Member Limited Liability Company.

As the name suggests, this is a form of an entity that will limit you from the full liability of the sole proprietorship. The costs are nominal $130.00 in the state of Wisconsin plus the attorney fees if you require assistance. The taxes are exactly the same as the sole proprietor, so the only difference is the peace of mind of the limited liability.

Partnership

Partnerships are two or more people organized to operate a business. There is no limited liability and all partners are held responsible for the action of each partner. If you do decide to organize a partnership you can also use the multi member limited liability company and your liability will limited to the extent of business assets and your investment in the company.

Corporation

A corporation is considered an individual entity, and as such, needs to file its own income tax returns. You, as the owner, will receive a wage for working in the corporation and rent for the use of your property. Additionally, you will need to follow the rules of your state and should consult an attorney. Make sure you are receiving the benefits of liability protection and numerous other tax strategies that are available. Consult your accountant or attorney to verify that you are following rules and guidelines in your specific state.

Subchapter S Corporation

The major difference between a regular corporation and an S-corporation is the way in which it is taxed.

The S-corporation’s profits are distributed to the owners, one or more, and are taxed to each shareholder as ordinary income.

As you can see, there are many choices when deciding to operate your business. Not every business is the same and therefore each business must be examined to see which form of business entity is right for you. If you are unsure, seek professional guidance and explore which option is right for you.

Start Up Your Own Daycare and Make $90,000 per year. Get My Free 6 Part Newsletter at http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com Christine Groth, mentor, author has published a 6-week home study course on how to start your own daycare and be profitable, fast.

Why Are Your Children Getting Sick In Daycare

2007-09-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

You may be thinking that your child is getting more cold’s lately, or maybe it’s a tad bit worse. You’ve just come home from the doctor and your baby is diagnosed with the RSV Virus. Anyway you look at it your pediatrician will elude to the fact that you probably picked up these viruses at “daycare”

Anytime children hang around with other children there is an increased chance of picking up viruses. It’s pretty simple and this law applies to everyone. You live in a glass bubble you won’t get sick, you go out and you take the chance of getting ill.

But, there are some occurrences in child care centers that really do increase the chances for illness. So it’s my duty to tell you why you may see your child getting sick and what you can do about it.

As a parent you have either decided to have your child attend a family center or a group center. Family centers are licensed for up to eight children and group centers are licensed for many more children. One simple fact is that the more children that are present the more chances you take for introducing illness. Very simple, but something you should think about. Group centers are known to be germ factories simply because of the numbers of children that are present.

Another item to keep in mind, it that parents do sometimes send their children sick to daycare. Parents will give their child Tylenol in the morning to “mask” the fever that the child has. By afternoon the Tylenol has worn off and the caregiver has figured out what the parent has done. The caregiver then calls for the sick child to be picked-up. Daycares do remind parents that sick children should not be brought into daycare, but many times parents have no alternatives and feel that they must go to work.

Daycare’s must clean and sanitize toys and equipment daily. This definitely cut’s down on germs and viruses spreading. Also, children’s hands must be washed before and after eating and after bathroom breaks. Hand washing is the #1 way children and daycare facilities can cut down on illness.

Some children for whatever reason seem to get more viruses and illness than others. There just is no explainable reason, but some children I’ve had in daycare are always ill and others never seem to get ill.

All in all, most childcare centers are healthy places with few occurrences of major illness. Congratulate all the caregivers who do their job in keeping things clean for your children.

Christine Groth, author and mentor of Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Instead of sending her twins to daycare she decided to open a daycare her home and now makes more money than most professionals. To receive her free newsletter Go to www.instantdaycareprofits.com

Learn the ABC's of Starting a Home Daycare Business

2007-09-28T22:33:00.000-07:00

There are many things to consider when you start a Day Home Day Care Business. Whether it is starting a Home Day Care Business or a Day Care Center you do not need to haphazardly set about starting one.

Just like any business it take much planning and many things to consider. Don't let the numbers blind you. $100.00 per child times 20 children equals $2000.00 a week. Sounds great until you start figuring in all the expenses that go along with running a daycare. Here you will find some things to consider below as you get started.

IS IT FOR YOU

The very first thing to consider when you want to start a Home Day Care Business or a Day Care Center is as with any business is it the right business for you. A day care is very demanding and requires great dedication. Parents expect and rely on you to be open and therefore if this is going to be a Home Day Care you will need to make arrangements in the event you are sick or have other obligations that need to be taken care of. Unlike your own kids you can't just take all your clients kids and load them up in a vehicle and go run errans. So it this will be a problem then maybe it is not for you. But if not then it may be for you.

You also must consider that you must love kids and being around them all day. It takes a special person to be able to have the patients to sit with a child eight to ten hours a day and care for their every need. Do you have a loving heart toward kids? If so then a daycare may be what you are looking for.

IN HOME OR DAY CARE CENTER?

So which do you start? Start a Home Day Care Business or a Daycare Center? This is were the business plan will help out. It will help you do an expense ratio and see what is the most cost wise.

It may not be a money thing alone to you. You may just have kids and want to stay at home with them and supplement lost income from staying at home. Whatever the reason still consider the numbers.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

Do you have room?

Can you rent space for the Center or Do you own a Building?

Is the building child care friendly or will it require work?

How many kids will you care for?

Will you be required to hire additional help?

What regulations does your state require?

Do you have to be licensed?

So you can see there are many things to consider. To help you ask the right questions I would recommend getting a good book abou how to Start a Home Day Care Business or Day Care Center.

J. Wayne Norris is the owner of http://www.start-a-home-day-care-business.com web site. Go to his site for information on starting a daycare and a review of ebooks on the subject.

Daycare Management Software Saves Business Owners Money

2007-09-26T23:26:00.000-07:00

Daycare Management Software

Here's the scene. XYZ daycare has 200 children enrolled in it's business records. A certain child has a medical need, but the assigned physician needs to know of any possible allergies that the child may have. "Sally", of XYZ daycare company scrambles to find the child's medical file. She is on her way to retrieve the record and suddenly realizes that the records have been moved to a different room. After a few minutes, Sally finds the child's medical records and all is well.

No big deal right? Actually, it could have ended up as a bad situation. What if the child was in dire medical need, and couldn't receive treatment due to lack of knowledge about the child's allergies to certain medications? All because of the fact that the child's medical records were filed away somewhere unknown to the daycare worker.

So, how could this whole ordeal be avoided? By usind daycare management software. There aren't many versions available, but I found some that do an excellent job of maintaining children's records. The good versions of this software also do a good job in managing the financial records of a daycare business.

Daycare management software was first developed in 2000, and is readily available today to all daycare businesses. Many daycare entrepreneurs are singing praises to this time-saving, cost-cutting software. Sure, some daycare owners still want to do everything the old fashioned way with folders and file cabinets, but more and more are turning to daycare software as a solution.

Click Here For A Special Offer on Daycare Management Software

Written and Researched by Matt Menster

The 5 Easy Ways to Market Your Daycare Center

2007-09-25T01:13:00.000-07:00

You’ve taken the leap of faith and decided your going to open your own family daycare center. You start thinking about where you’re going to have your daycare, and how it’s going to be arranged and what toys you are going to have.

But one thing you may not have thought about is, “how am I going to get kids?” Well, I’m here to tell you don’t worry. I really believe that there are a lot of families out there looking for childcare. Especially good childcare.

Marketing your new daycare can be relatively easy and painless. You don’t need to spend a whole lot of money or time. Just use a little creativity and you are well on your way. So, let’s begin with the 5 easy ways to market your new daycare center.

1. Visit your neighbors announcing your new business: Print up some flyers or invitations inviting your neighbors to an open house. Be sure to make it fun, serve juice and cookies and have some children’s games planned. Nothing to complicated but just make sure it’s fun. Remember even if your neighbors have no children, they may know someone who does so be sure to tell them to invite friends from work.

2. Reward Parents for telling others about your daycare: This is a surefire way of spreading the word about your daycare. For every parent who refers a friend who enrolls reward them with a special thank you. Perhaps a gift card, discount on childcare, something they would really enjoy.

3. Visit Employers in your area: Introduce yourself to human resources and or management. in any business. Tell them about your daycare and be sure to leave some business cards behind. Ask if you can place some on a bulletin board in the lunch room.

4. Become Good Friends with the School Secretary: Visit your local elementary school with a plate full of cookies and some business cards. Announce your new daycare and ask if they have a list of daycares in the area that do after school care. Be sure to place yourself on that list.

5. Get really excited about Halloween! Really decorate your home for Halloween and be sure to give out candy with business cards. Wear a costume and scare children as they walk up the side walk to your home. If parents see you love the holidays and you’re having fun wouldn’t they be interested in coming to your daycare?

There’s just a handful of fun and easy idea’s I have about marketing your daycare. And as you can see most of them cost little or nothing. Having fun and making money is what it’s all about.

"Daycare author and mentor, Christine Groth, "The Daycare Queen", is creator of the Guide to Instant Daycare Profits. To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for her FREE how-to-marketing articles and tips visit http://www.startingadaycaretips.com

Using Open Houses To Promote Your Daycare Centre

2007-09-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

Open houses are the best way to convince parents to sign their children up your centre. But for an open house to be an effective marketing tool, there are some pre open-house preparations to be made and a budget allocated. What you want to is create a memorable experience for both the parents and the child.

1. Timing
Open houses should be over the weekends so that the working parents can check out your centre at a leisurely pace. It can be over one weekend or if resources permit, offer it over two or three weekends.

2. Promoting your open house
There are a number of ways to ensure that news of your open house is spread.
- Put up a banner, with the date and time of your open house, about two weeks before your actual open house.
- Take up an advertisement in the local papers announcing your open house.
- Put up notices in as many high traffic areas as possible such as local cafés and eating places. Do not forget to put it up your own centre so that the other parents are informed. Nothing beats word of mouth advertising.
- Print flyers and distribute it at high traffic areas in and around your neighbourhood a week before your open house.

3. Pre event preparations
- Do some spring cleaning. Ensure that the centre is neat and tidy, no wires exposed, the books and notes neatly stacked, dirty stains painted over, etc.
- Frame up all your the licenses and awards and put them up. Pin up nice photographs of children’s activities and their drawings.
- Ensure that all the necessary materials are ready and inserted into nice presentation folders. Items include curriculum, time table, food menu, etc. Prepare a few sets.
- Prepare a nice little album / scrapbook of photographs

4. Open house programme
- Ensure that you have sufficient brochures for the parents to bring home.
- Ensure that you have lots of enrollment forms and writing materials available
- Prepare a programme for the children e.g. face painting, art and craft, story telling, etc.
- Ensure that you have enough helpers on the day of your open house
- Prepare some snacks and light refreshments
- If budget permits, prepare small little door gifts and give it to them as they depart, preferably with the name of your centre printed. Examples of door gift as car decals or balloons.

After the open house is over, the work is not done yet. Remember to follow up on all your leads. Write little notes on the form such as when to follow up with them, etc so that you do not forget. Organise and file them in an orderly manner. One suggestion is to file them according to when they said that they will sign up, so that you know when to follow up.

Happy organising!

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

What Kind of Nutrition is Your Child Getting at Daycare?

2007-09-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

A growing child requires your undivided attention, your uncompromising love, and also a properly balanced diet. In today's competitive world parents have high expectations of their children, but are rarely prepared to meet the expectations and sacrifices required to bring them up. When your job status is balanced on a knife-edge, even the smallest distraction can prove to be very costly. So how is someone expected to perform the role of parent and employee at the same time? Surely this is not possible! Well, it is almost impossible and yet the human species continues to multiply at a blinding rate. The answer to the current day, working professional's childcare problem has become the daycare centre. Despite certain shortcomings we notice that the trend is steadily gathering pace.

While a daycare centre certainly shelters your child in your absence. A number of attendants are hired to look after the children as well, however, they are still complete strangers to us. Also, a daycare facility for your child is supposed to provide a well balanced diet. In truth this point is extremely debatable, as we cannot judge the quality of food dispensed at the centre. However, we can certainly question the type of food on offer. A daycare centre, in all probability, is inadequately funded. The repercussions are quite disturbing and at times alarming to the parent. Statistics inform us that a majority of generated income is channeled toward staff and overhead charges. As a result, the centre is left with little or no money to procure a quality meal for your child. In fact, a large number of daycare centers do not provide meals at all. Countless studies have conclusively proven that health problems in adults are linked to malnutrition during the childhood years.

Since every parent wants the very best for his or her child they must investigate the quality and type of food provided by their daycare centre. Do not expect sensitive information such as exact figures of income and expenditure as they are either withheld from outsiders or anonymous to the staff themselves. On the other hand, you are well within your rights to demand a list of food items that constitute your child's daycare meal. Once you are armed with this information, you can now substitute the missing food groups into your child's daily diet. It is advisable to approach a qualified nutritionist for help with your child's diet plan.

Lastly, we must also find out whether the centre has any restrictions against parents supplying food items. Several centers highlight health codes violations and allow only authorized food items into the facility. However, if the daycare diet plan is inadequate you need to reconsider admitting your child into this particular centre. Remember, your child comes before your convenience.

Daddy Day Care

2007-09-22T01:36:00.000-07:00

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Employment After a Baby - Solving the Daycare Issue

2007-09-20T23:50:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why you, a parent, want or need to get back to work, whatever your reason, on of the biggest worries will be how to solve the day care issue. It is not really fair to expect other family members such as grandparents or parents to look after your child so you will need professional day care -- unless your employer is forward-thinking enough to provide a creche for its staff's children. There are several options open to you; day care facility, a child minder, au-pair or a nanny. But which is best for you?

Unfortunately, that is not an easy question to answer, it will depend on a variety of factors, not least how much you can afford and what services are available in your area.

Day care facilities offer certain advantages over nannies in that your child will get to interact with more children of similar age, as well as adults, developing their social skills. They will also interact with different adults during the day. With a nanny, the child will be interacting with predominantly one adult and will meet and play with fewer other children.

Whichever you choose, avoid being hasty, don't just go with the first one you find. Check them out - a good day care facility will be able to provide evidence of staff training and will not be shy to show you round. Try to visit when other parents will be there and make the opportunity to talk to them. Get their feelings about the place. A Nanny or au-pair will be able to provide you with references, but these alone are probably not enough to allow you to make the decision. Interview the candidates and probe to find out how you feel they would cope with emergency situations. Also try to get to talk with their previous employers and find out how they were and why they left. Using an agency can be helpful here as they should already have done the necessary vetting of the staff on their books.

So, in short, when going back to work, don't rush into the organisation of your child's day care, check it out carefully and only make the decision when you are satisfied with the service and credentials offered.

Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only, we can not accept any liability for any decision you make.

Visit http://www.superbabysitting.com for free babysitting tips, advice and how to claim a first aid book and babysitters handbook.

Essential Tips To HR Planning For Your Daycare Business

2007-09-20T23:46:00.000-07:00

You’ve done your planning and decided that you’ll need additional help. So how do you ensure that you get the best candidate through your door?

All business owners need to understand the importance of human resource (HR) planning. HR planning is not a fancy term for large organizations to execute. Even small businesses need to ensure that their HR is in order to function properly. Failing to manage your HR properly could result in a shortage of manpower when you need it or too many manpower when you don’t need them and therefore incurring unnecessary cost.

So, what is HR planning? Marketing has its 4Ps whilst HR has 6Rs. It is ensuring that you have the Right staff in the Right numbers, doing the Right job, at the Right time and at the Right place and most importantly, do the job right.

Finding the right staff in the right numbers

There are a number of options to manage temporary shortages in manpower. Firstly, you can hire part-time workers. They are a good option especially when you have a lot of children under half-day care. You can also think about engaging temporary employment agencies. This option is more suitable for less critical positions such as teacher assistants rather than the caregiver. The next option is to have your staff work longer hours and pay them overtime for it.

For permanent manpower shortages, you’ll need to a recruitment campaign to hire. You can do this either via advertisement, referral or hire an employment agency to help you with it.

Doing the right job at the right time and right place

There are a number of factors to take into consideration to ensure that you hire the right person. You need to look indepth into a number of factors:

• What will be the candidate’s duties and tasks. Try to be as specific as possible on the job duties that is required of the candidate. This information will come in useful when drawing up the advertisement.

• Do you need the candidate to be proficient in any tools or equipment such as the computer or musical instrument?

• What’s the working environment of the candidate? E.g. What are the working hours? Will the candidate be on shift? Where is the candidate supposed to be stationed, especially if you have more than one outlet)? How many children does the daycare centre care for? What are the age groups?

• What will be his/her working relationship with fellow colleagues. Who will the candidate be reporting to? Will there be any staff that he/she will be required to supervise?

• What are the job requirements?

- What are the qualities that the candidate should possess? Do you want the candidate to be able to handle children and be patient with children?

- Do you need the candidate to possess prior experience in childcare?

- What are the qualifications you would like them to possess? Do they need to possess a Diploma or Certificate in Early Childhood? Do you need the candidate to have first aid training?

Doing the job right

Finally, you need to sort out what you’ll need to do to attract candidates of the above qualities to apply for the position and perform their job well.

• You need to decide what are the benefits you will be offering to the candidate; e.g. annual leave, insurance, subsidy (if they put their child at your daycare centre), etc.

• Most importantly, you need to decide how you intend to remunerate the candidate.

Finding the right candidate is only the tip of the ice berg. The challenge after that will be to think of ways to retain your staff.

Happy Hiring!

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Is Buying An Existing Daycare Centre The Best Option?

2007-09-20T00:27:00.000-07:00

Once you’ve decided that daycare is the business for you, you need to decide how you intend to do it. There are a few options which you can adopt to start up your daycare centre.

1. Brand new start up
You can consider setting up your daycare centre from scratch. You’ll need to do a lot of homework and put in a lot of effort and hard work in the preparatory stages such as getting a location, planning the layout of your daycare centre, oversee the renovations, furnish your daycare centre, etc. The process can be very time consuming but if you are a very meticulous, resourceful and organized person, doing this yourself can save you a lot of money. There are a host of websites which can equip you with the essential information and resources to get you started.

2. Buying over an existing daycare centre
You’ll probably save on a lot of time and planning as compared to a brand new start up. However, there are other concerns which you need to take note of. First, you need to ensure that the condition of the existing daycare centre is in good or satisfactory condition; not just the physical outlook but the business operations as well. Take a good look at the condition of the premises (are minor renovations required?), the state of the company assets (is it reusable?), assess the location (is it ideal?), ask to look at the accounts and the lease agreement, etc.

You’ll also need to examine the financial statement of the business to assess the financial health of the business; how is the existing daycare business doing, is enrolment stable or shrinking. That will help you to determine how much you are willing to offer.

Take some time of get to know their customers better. Survey their customers to understand them better. Find out if the parents are happy with the current services that are being provided. What is the reason(s) their children are still enrolled in the present daycare centre?

Gather as much information as possible about their competitors. Find how many daycare facilities are there within a 500 meters from them. Know what are their charges and preferably how many children they are caring for. Are they successful? What sort of value-added services do they provide which you need to take note of.

You’ll also need to ensure that all the legal aspects such as contracts, agreement, licenses, creditors, etc can be easily resolved.

3. Buying a Franchise
Alternatively, you can consider buying a franchise from a daycare franchisor. There numerous benefits which can be gained from purchasing a daycare franchise as opposed to a brand new start up or purchasing an existing business. For example, The chances of success, although not guaranteed, are good as the daycare franchisor would have established a set of proven practices and operations. Training will be provided and as a result of the transfer of management expertise, the learning curve of running a daycare centre will be significantly shorter.

You will also make significant savings on items such as cost of developing a curriculum and marketing which is usually assume by the franchisor and spilt amongst all the franchisees.

However, there can be some disadvantages in purchasing a franchise such as the prohibitive franchise fee, lack of flexibility in operations or lack of support from the franchisor. In addition, there is a possibility that the promotional programs rolled out by the franchisor might not be suitable for your local market.

In conclusion, which option will clearly depend on what you are looking for in the business and the amount of time and resources that you have. If you are short on funds but are willing to put in the hours, a brand new startup is best for you. If you are less of a risk taker, taking over an existing daycare centre or purchasing a daycare franchise will most likely suit you, depending on how much resources you have and how much freedom you are expecting.

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Start Your Own Home Daycare Business

2007-09-20T00:26:00.000-07:00

If you are the parent of small children anyway or perhaps a grandparent with extra time on your hands, then you might want to consider opening your own home daycare business. It is not unusual at all for a home daycare business to begin in the home as a natural result of babysitting duties and then expand into something much larger. While not everyone will want to take on the responsibility of caring for more children, the fact is that a home daycare business has the potential to blossom into a real opportunity.

Essential Equipment and Requirements

State law will most likely require you to get a license in order to take your babysitting to the home daycare business level. This is to ensure that you are qualified to care for small children. You will also be required in most states to have insurance before officially opening a home daycare business and make certain that your house is suited for the new purposes you intend. Other than these basic requirements which will vary depending upon the state in which you live, having age-appropriate games and activities will be the only other essential necessary to begin your home daycare business. Unless you need to make improvements to your home in order for it to meet the requirements of your state, you can start a home daycare business for $1,000 or less with most of this money going towards insurance and licensing fees.

Skills and Training

Patience and a love of children is all you will really need in order to start your own daycare business. Now it will look better if you have some sort of background in Developmental Psychology or teaching, but these are not requirements that are necessary in most states.

Charges and Earnings

If you have ever paid for daycare then you already have a pretty good idea as to the charges and earnings to expect from running such a business. It is not uncommon, depending on the area and demand for quality daycare services, to receive $150-$250 per week for children under the age of 5 and less for older children if you are contracted to watch them after school. Your home, state law, and the number of people caring for the children will ultimately determine your earnings. The more children you can legally take care of, the more money your home daycare business will earn.

Marketing

Quality daycare does not need much more than word-of-mouth advertising and maybe a classified ad in order to effectively market services. As your business grows and should you decide to make education part of the services offered (and remember that teaching will definitely require certification and qualified teachers), then advertising in the Yellow Pages will become part of your marketing strategy.

Most people do not plan to start a home daycare business but sometimes necessity and opportunity combine and offer people the chance to go into business for themselves. There are licensing and insurance concerns, but the start-up costs for this type of business are pretty low, as are the expenses. So if you love children and want to take babysitting to an entirely new and exciting level, then consider opening a home daycare business and thus take control of your financial destiny while helping children and parents in the process!

Doug Dillard has started and run many home-based businesses over the past 25 years. He has created a great site for those of you looking to start your own home-based business, but don't know how to get started. Visit his website: HomeIncomeOpportunities.com for more information.

Doggy Day Care

2007-09-19T02:07:00.000-07:00

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Developing An Effective Website For Daycare Centers

2007-09-17T23:14:00.000-07:00

Does the word "website" frighten you? Do you relate website design to complicated programming, complex html - java scripts? Ever wondered how a small daycare center can afford to setup a website?

Website designing has evolved since the start of internet. What used to be a complicated task, fit for a computer programmer, has now been made easier. Most web hosting packages now comes with web builder programs that enable non web designers to setup a professionally looking website without any/little knowledge of computer programming languages.

Here’s how you can easily develop a website for your daycare centre:
Step 1

Purchase a domain name (www.YOUR-DOMAIN-NAME.com) You can buy them from many domain name providers that is available on the web. Go to Google / Yahoo and key in "purchase domain name" and you'll have a list of domain name companies trying to promote their services to you. Domain names are usually charged annually. It can range from as cheap as $1.99.

Step 2
Sign up with a web hosting company
Many web hosting companies offer free domain name registration for as long as you host your website with them. Web hosting packages are charged monthly but many web hosting companies will offer you a discount if you were sign up with them for a number of years. There a number of things you need to take note of when selecting a web hosting company. How much space? How many email accounts are permitted? Does it have a website design software?

Step 3

Write your website copy
The most important and sometimes challenging task of building a website is to write the website copy. Fret not. It can be relatively pain-free.

First and foremost, I would suggest spending some time to surf the web for good examples to copy. The rule of thumb is, if you like it and find it attractive, then most likely your customers will as well.

Here are a number of suggested information to include on your website.

• Home page
This is an introduction or welcome page for your daycare visitors. Visitors normally land on this page first so you should make it easy for your visitors to navigate through. As they say “First impression counts” so ensure that it is attractive. However, don’t overdo it and put too many pictures because it will take a very long time to load.
• Core value and goals
As providing daycare services is a delicate profession, core values and goals of the daycare centre are extremely important.
• About us
Include a photo and short bio of all the caregivers. If it is too tedious, then have at least the daycare centre manager’s / principal’s information.
• Programme / Curriculum br> List down what subjects you offer as part of your curriculum.
• Schedule
Include a schedule of the centre’s daily activities. If possible, even include a menu.
• Photo Gallery
Snap some photographs of the children at play, during storytelling, etc and include it in your photo gallery. Some website design software already have a photo gallery function included.
• Rates and charges
Some owners may not like the idea of publicizing the charges, so it’ll depend on your preference. Personally, I feel that it helps to qualify your customers.
• What’s New
If possible, have a “What’s New” section where you can include short writeup about your centre’s activities or make announcements of upcoming events such as open houses.
•Contact us
In your contact page, list not only contact details such as address, telephone and email but include a map as well. It will be useful for parents who wish to visit your centre.

Step 4
Follow the step by step tutorials or guides to setting up a website. Most website design software comes with tutorials on how to develop a website step by step. It varies from software to software. I won’t lie to say that is a piece of cake but you’ll get better with practice. Just think of the amount of money you will be saving by doing it yourself.

Remember to publish your website only when you have checked it thoroughly. Preview it first to ensure the layout is fine. Check the spelling. Nothing is worse than a website that is poorly developed.

Step 5
Promoting your website The first thing you should do is email to all your friends and family and let them know about your website. Encourage them to forward to as many people as possible.

Next is to include your website address on everything; on your name cards and all your marketing materials (brochure, flyer's, posters, advertisements and banners).

Get your website listed in as many places as possible. There are also many web directories which you can list your website and not forgetting the metroguides. If you have purchased a franchise, ask if the franchiser will allow a link from their website to yours.

If after reading this, you find it too cumbersome, there are 2 alternatives. One is to have someone professional do it for you for a fee. Second is to forget about having a website for your daycare altogether.

For more information or resources on starting a successful daycare, please visit setupadaycare.com

Developing A Brochure For Your Daycare Centre

2007-09-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

A brochure is like a walking saleman for your daycare centre. It tells your target customer all about your daycare centre. However, some daycare owners are put off by the high cost of producing one as they are under the impression that it should be produced by professionals. And for a small business, that can be quite daunting. However, producing a brochure can be quite a breeze if you know what to do.

First and foremost, you do not need a professional designer. There are many publishing software that can do the job for you. A good example is Microsoft Publisher. There are many nice templates for you to choose from.

As for the copy of the brochure, you can easily do it yourself once you know what you should put inside it. Before we start writing, we first need to understand who you are writing the brochure for; i.e. your target audience. As a daycare owner, your target audience are the parents who wish to put their child at a daycare centre. Some of these parents feel guilty or worried about leaving their children with strangers. Your job is of course to ally their fears and reassure them that their precious little ones are in good hands.

Next, you need to decide what size you’d like your brochure to be; A4, A5 (A4 folded into half), DL (A4 folded into 3 parts), how many colours (will it be 4 colour throughout or 4 colour on the cover and 1 colour on the inside) and the number of pages.

Now you are ready for some copywriting. Here are some information you should consider putting in your brochure.

1. Introduction (How you are different)
Write up a nice and short introduction about your daycare centre. Let the audience know how your daycare centre is different.

2. Mission / Core values / Philosophy
As providing daycare services is a delicate profession, the core values and goals of the daycare centre are probably something which you’d like to communicate to the parents to let them know that their child is in good hands.

3. Pictures of children at play
Add photographs of the children doing different activities in the brochure. Include one on the children at play, one of the children during lessons and one of the children engaging in some interest activities. If possible, include pictures of celebrations such as Children’s Day, Teacher’s Day or graduation. If you are a new business, you may consider getting stock pictures.

4. Programme / Curriculum
Other than caregiving, parents will also be interested to know what’s included in your curriculum. Therefore, list down the subjects that your daycare centre is offering such as art and craft, language, music and drama, etc. And if you are offering other electives such as piano lessons or computer lessons, include that in as well.

5. Quotes / Testimonials
Quote and testimonials lend credibility to your daycare centre. Solicit for quotes from the parents to be included in your brochure. You can choose to have them write their own quotes or you can write it and have them endorse it.

6. Schedule
Include a schedule of the daycare centre’s daily activities so that the parents can have a rough idea of what their child will be doing at your daycare centre.

7. Rates
Include rates and charges. Some owners may not like the idea of publicizing their daycare charges, so it’ll depend on your preference. Personally, I feel that it helps to qualify your customers.

8. Contact details
In your contact details, list not only information such as address, telephone and email but include a map as well. It will be useful for parents who wish to visit your daycare centre. And don’t forget your website address, if you have one.

Now that you’re done with the copy, you are ready to work on the design on a publishing software.

Have fun!

For more information or resources on starting a successful daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Great Home Based Business: Start a Daycare

2007-09-14T23:37:00.000-07:00

My wife owned and operated her own home based daycare business for many years. This is her post–

Starting a home based daycare business:

I will tell you it is a lot of work, but very worthwhile and gratifying. There are very important things you must know before thinking of starting a home daycare, here are 10 things you should know:

1. Licensing requirements– For a home daycare some states and counties do require licensing, but most don’t. If you live in an area without licensing requirements, but most states require or want you to be at least certified. I was certified. It is rather easy, you just need to find a place that certifies you, lots to choose from, just look online for child care information in your state. Here is a great site http://nrc.uchsc.edu/STATES/states.htm But where I lived in Wisconsin, because I was certified, not licensed, I could only have 3 children at one time, that is including yours.

2. Only take as many children as you can handle realistically. I took part time, full time, short time, everything, and I will tell you, from my experience, do not take part time kids, it only makes it harder, unless you are only going to have 3 or 4 kids. I mean if this is a source of income, it's hard to make up for the few hours you get from them.

3. There are many ways to find children. This is the fun of ruining your own home based business. The number one way for me was to make really catchy, cute fliers, I made lots of copies and took them to grocery stores, post offices, door to door, put them on cars, anywhere you can people to see them. The most popular place that people saw them was at the grocery store.

4. There are lots of things to take into consideration before starting a daycare. As a day care provider you will not only be the manager, but the secretary, bookkeeper, accounts receivable collector, bottle washer (literally!), organizer, planner, referee, teacher, and counselor, to mention just of few of the roles. You must be patient!

5. There are so many forms you need to have ready on hand for when you start to except new clients. For example, you must have forms that parents sign ahead of time, like prescriptions, you can not give prescriptions to kids unless it is on paper signed from the parents. Just think of what you would be in if something happened to the child, they might be allergic, might give the wrong dosage, might have more than one child taking the same medication and give it to the wrong child, things like that. I have a daycare kit that I am selling that has all the information you need to have and know even before starting to think about running a daycare, I also include many forms that parents will need to sign before you can let there child enroll.

6. You need to think about how much you are going to charge and what age groups you are going to take. This is another business descision. I called big daycares and home day cares to check out what they were charging, don’t tell them who you are, just pretend you have a child you want to enroll there. Great way to find out what the rate is.

7. Think about the things you will need and where you can get them. You don’t have to purchase all new items, garage sales or good wills are great, just make sure to clean and sanitize them really well before giving them to the children.

For example:
* child-sized table and chairs
* individual sleeping places
* diapering area
* art materials
* assorted toys and blocks
* children’s books
* games, puzzles, vehicles, dolls
* props for pretend play
* music
* baby furniture
* storage area

8. Another thing to consider, have the parents bring, and supply you with items, like diapers, wipes, food, (unless you want to include this in the price). That’s what I did, so much easier, because you might have different age groups and lots of different wipes and diapers, that can get expensive. As far as the food, its up to you. I had the parents bring there food, they know what they will eat more than we will.

9. Remember if you have children of your own, this would be a great opportunity for you and them, you can be a stay at home parent and have friends for your kids to play with. You will never have to worry about where your children are or what they are doing.

10. Make sure to review everything and make sure you are ready to make the investment. It is really a life changing opportunity, but again worth while. I loved every minute of every day. I would do it all over again…

Here is a great daycare kit, its rated #1 on clickbank. It Includes:

* what is required to start the business

* determining what to chargesetting

* policies and procedures

* attracting clients

* establishing your daily scheduleplanning

* activities for children

* billing and accounting

* managing your cash flowrecord

* keeping your clients happy

* growing your business

* plus much, much more!!!

Kerry Mann is the creator of http://www.MakeMoneyIdeasBlog.com

Starting a Daycare Business - Inside Secrets to Success

2007-09-13T23:49:00.001-07:00

Most people that run a successful babysitting business in their local area have considered the possibility of starting a daycare business. If you have a love for children and your area has room for some professional child care then you have what is necessary to consider starting a daycare business in your area. While it seems like it should be such a breeze to start up your new business there are some things that you should take into consideration before beginning your business. Thinking about and planning for these things in advance will help keep you from being surprised at the last minute with any problems.

The things that you should keep in mind when considering starting a daycare business are whether you have a love for children and would like to work with other people's children day after day. The day care business is not generally one that will make you rich, but it can support you. If you have a real love for children then you have a strong basis to start your new business. Another thing that is very important to understand before beginning your new daycare business is to check out your local area and see if there I a real need for additional child care. If the market is saturated with other child care businesses then it may be difficult for you to make a profit.

You should also get a copy of any licensing regulations to make sure that your place of business (generally your home) is in compliance with local codes. You can probably expect that you will be looked over rather closely because of your working with children. Just make sure that everything is up to par and you should be fine.

Download our easy step by step guide to starting and running a successful daycare at our website http://www.start-daycare.info/

Start Your Own Daycare with a daycare startup kit, available on our website.

Copywriting Tips for Daycare Business Owners

2007-09-13T23:48:00.000-07:00

Copywriting can seem overwhelming for some. Some do not even know how to begin. Here are a few tips to make it a little easier.

Before you begin your copywriting, here’s what you should do.

First, take a piece of paper and list down what you think are the needs and wants of the parents are. It’ll probably be somewhere along the lines of a trustworthy caregiver to care for their child or a daycare centre that is near their house, a clean and hygienic daycare centre or even a daycare centre that is affordable. We’ll call this List A

With that in mind, list down the things / services that you possess which you think will be able to meet those needs and wants. For example, a good track record or it is a new centre or you offer the lowest rates in the neighborhood. That will provide you with the foundation to start your draft. We’ll call this List B.

Traditionally, advertisers use the AIDA (stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) model as a guide to generate highly successful advertisement copy. It is fairly simple, once you get the hang of it.

“A” stand for Attention. There should be an element in the copy whose job is to capture the audience’s attention. It usually is the headline or a photo/graphic. It should be arresting and should entice the potential parent to want to read more. The headline can be anything which you think will capture the attention of the reader. It can be in the form of a statement or a question. For example, you can use “The cheapest daycare charges in Town A” as a headline or “Are you looking for a cheap and reliable daycare centre?

"On the average, five times as many people read the headlines as read the body copy. It follows that, unless your headline sells your product, you have wasted 90 percent of your money." David Oglivy

Therefore a headline is extremely important.

“I” stands for Interest. The copy of the advertisement should aim to generate the audience’s interest. It should address their concerns / needs or provide them with a solution to a problem, using the information gathered from List A as well as List B.

“D” is for Desire. The next step is to get them to “buy” into your idea / product and really want the product. There should be a hook / bait such as testimonials, free gift, or even a time based discount etc.

The final and most important step - Action. Many advertisements miss this out. After telling your audience how your company is going to solve their problems, you need to tell them what to do next. Do you want them to call a hotline to make an appointment or come down to see your open house or bring this advertisement for a free gift. Don’t leave them hanging. Close the copy by telling them what to do.

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Leaving Your Child In Daycare

2007-09-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

As I write this, I am sitting alone in my house for the first time in eighteen months. I am totally and completely alone, bar the cat. It is quiet, just the sound of birds outside, even the usual drone and thud of construction work in neighbouring fields has halted in honour of the occasion. I can do whatever I want: drink tea which is still hot, read a book and fall asleep with it on my face, leave the house with just my keys and mobile. And what do I actually want to do? Well, other than compulsively tidy the kitchen and my sock draw, I want to bite my nails and fidget and maybe, just maybe, make one tiny call to the childminder, just to make sure that her phone is working and that Squidget isn’t too distraught without me.

Yes, dear reader, I have finally done it. Little Squidget has gone off to her childminders, alias Wonderwoman and Superman, for the morning, for the first time, and I am feeling bereft, like I have sent her away to borstal. Wonderwoman and Superman are the most capable, wonderful people I know, having looked after Goldilocks when I returned to my former life of Career Woman following her birth, some three years ago, so my feelings of dread, guilt and sheer loss are at once rendered ridiculous. But I still feel loss, like part of my body has weirdly evolved and fallen off.

It has been a long road to today, a road pitted with emotional minefields and practical nightmarishness. Who would have imagined that organising enough time to sit and stare gormlessly out of the window could be so complicated? When I gave birth to the Tweenager, I was in my second year at university. I was 22, had just moved to the UK, got married and moved house. My life fell apart when she was born and daycare was the best option. Even as a tiny baby, she was very stoic about the whole thing, bravely heading off to nursery and then school with a rucksack the same size as her on her back, blinking back the tears as she bravely waved goodbye. I never got over the guilt that crippled me every time I left her and went to my lectures. Staying at home was never an option I considered – I was grateful to get through the day without having a tantrum of my own. By the time Goldilocks was born, I was in Cyprus, running a successful business, stronger, healthier, happier, but I had gained that enemy of kids the world over: a Career. I swore I would do better by my second daughter and delegated frantically. Unfortunately, my maternity cover proved to be barking mad and so I returned to work (not altogether unwillingly), baby on hip and often on breast (much to the combined curiosity/shock of anyone within burping distance). A year later, Wonderwoman and Superman entered our lives and Goldilocks found her happy ever after with them for the next two years. The fact that she was and is never fazed by anything, giving any poor soul looking after her a real run for their money, helped assuage any feelings of guilt I might have been harbouring.

Fast forward to today. Before gathering the resolve to ask Wonderwoman and Superman to help out with Squidget (it took me two months to make the call), I read every darn article discussing the pros and cons of early childcare, about separation anxiety and how to handle it. There is a massive amount of information out there on how and why to leave your child but precious little discussion of the emotional impact separation has on the frazzled parent left holding an empty packet of wet wipes. I have always been oddly clingy with all my kids. I’m known for it: well-meaning friends and not-so-friendly others have often joked that I am too attached to them. I couldn’t bear the thought of letting them go, a genuine problem not helped by the fact that it seems to be a medical condition peculiar to Turkish Cypriots to squeeze, stroke and physically grab your baby out of your arms at any given opportunity. If I let them go, what would I do with myself? Knit? Become an estate agent? So I became a Stay At Home Mum extraordinaire. With no life. Enter Wonderwoman and Superman, who I can hear coming up the driveway now. Squidget is smiling in the back seat and all is good with the world. I think I might be able to get used to this.

Nikki is a freelance writer whose work is regularly commissioned by and published in a variety of international magazines and newspapers. As a mother of three young daughters, her writing often focuses on parenting and lifestyle issues but, secretly, Nikki also has a 'proper' job, as an expert writer on overseas real estate investment. She acts as a consultant to agents and developers, identifying and marketing key emerging markets. She is currently collaborating with Property Club International. See more at http://propertyclubinternational.net

Fundraising For Your Preschool Or Daycare Center

2007-09-12T23:58:00.000-07:00

Most day cares are non-profit organizations that must operate within a tight budget that covers the costs of facilities, staff and all of the equipment and materials for operating a quality and stimulating environment for children. It’s a balancing act with little room for extras for the center or it’s staff.

One way to offset the cost of extra curriculum, supplies or staff bonus programs is through fundraising. Our moms have successfully raised funds for our daycare centers, enabling them bring in additional music, art and science events, animal encounters, host special celebration days - like Hawaiian Luaus, purchase sun shades for the playground and fund the staff bonus pool.

Listed below are fundraising programs that have been successfully implemented that you can take, adapt and use at your center:

Garage Sales. Gather your family’s extras and have a group garage sale to benefit your daycare center. Post signs at school to have other families bring their donations in a few weeks before the sale so you can have time to price and organize the items.

Auction. Have an informal auction of donated goods and services in your daycare’s lobby with write-in bids. You can also help organize an auction event, complete with tickets that must be purchased to attend. The event usually has catering, a bar, entertainment and live auction and those costs must be factored into the budget.

Donations. Ask the merchants your frequent regularly if they have goods or services they can donate to the center. Describe the center, what you are raising funds for and explain the donation is tax deductible. Many requests will be positively received. We have found that we’ve received the best response when collecting donations in the spring, summer and early fall so we’re not competing with other donation requests around the holidays. These donations are then incorporated into the school auctions.

Open Ebay Store. Large scale auction events are really only practical one or two times a year for daycare centers because of the costs involved. Consider having a committee that solicits donations year long and sells them in an open market, such as Ebay. It expands your fundraising circle from the immediate circle to a global reach.

Matching Gifts. Remind parents that many corporations have matching gifts programs for donations to non-profit organizations and daycare centers usually qualify. Under this benefit, the corporation may match your cash donation by 50 to 100%.

Artwork By Children. Work with the classroom teachers to create artwork that can be displayed a gallery and sold to parents. Creative projects made by the children or that feature a child’s picture make wonderful gifts for family and friends and sell well when priced appropriately.

Recognition. Parents can memorize their children by purchasing an engraved plaque for a wall, a stamped brick for a walkway or a large piece of equipment for the playground. Think about how large non-profit organizations recognize their large donors and adapt it to your environment. Have an area in your newsletter that regularly recognizes contributions from the parents of the center, whether they be monetary, time or goods and services.

For more great information about expecting and parenting, visit MomRecommended.com, a site for moms by moms. Annie Valle is a freelance writer, web designer and a mom. You'll find product reviews, recipes, baby names, free projects and more, when you visit http://www.momrecommended.com.

How to Effectively Sell Your Daycare Centre?

2007-09-11T23:47:00.001-07:00

There’re many misconceptions about sales. Some individuals believe that a salesperson is born, not bred and feel that they are not cut out for sales. Whilst there is some truth in that, it doesn’t mean that a person who is not “born” a salesperson cannot be trained to be one. When someone is being categorized as a “born” salesperson, it simply means that that person is outgoing and is eloquent and will possibly find selling an easier task to master than a person who is more reserved. However, that said, with some preparations, it is still possible for a seemingly less “sale-sy person to do sales.

The second misconception is good product/services will sell itself. Whilst there is some truth in that, without a good sales pitch, even perfect products will have problems flying off the shelf.

When you are setting up a daycare business, chances are, you will be required to be the principal, teacher, salesperson and sometimes even the cleaner. At least for the first year. As a business owner, you will be required to wear multiple hats and expect to be good at all of it. You will naturally be the frontman of the company and will need to sell your daycare and its services to prospective parents.

Here are some of the basic requirements to be an effective salesperson for your daycare centre.

1. Know your services

First and foremost, you need to list down a fixed set of benefits which you wish to communicate to your potential customers. This is especially useful because you can carry this through, not only to your sales effort but your marketing as well. You can also use this to educate new staff who you’ve recruited.

2. Know your competitor

How much do you know about your daycare competitors ? Do you know how many daycare providers there are within a 500m radius? Do you know what are their pricing strategies? Do you know what they are offering in their curriculum? How do they keep their customers? What do their customers not like about their daycare centre?

You need to gather as much competitive information as possible so that you are able to identify what sets you apart from them. That will be your unique selling proposition when try to promote your daycare services to your potential customers.

3. Know your customers

You need to gather as much information about your customers as possible. Firstly, you need to know what is the demographics of your potential clients. If you are a new daycare centre, look at the client base of the neighbouring daycare centres. It’ll give you an idea of what to expect for your daycare centre.

You need to understand what your customers are looking for in a daycare provider. Are they price sensitive? Are they concerned about the curriculum you are offering? Are they looking at a new and clean facility?

Matching their demographics with what you can offer them, what do you think is the value which they can get from putting their children at your daycare centre.

4. Relate product

By understanding what your customers are looking for, you’ll be able to better cater your sales pitch to their needs. During the initial 3 minutes of the meeting, you should already know what they are looking for in a daycare provider. E.g. If it’s the physical facility that they are concerned about, bring them on a tour around your daycare centre and explain the maintenance policy of each area. If it’s the curriculum that they are looking at, start by sitting them down to show them what your daycare centre offers before bring them on a tour around the daycare centre.

Sales is like riding a bicycle, it become easier with practice. The key to success is lots of hardwork and perseverance.

Good luck!

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Pet Sitting Day Care

2007-09-10T23:34:00.000-07:00

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Budgetting Tips For New Daycare Businesses

2007-09-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

Many new businesses owners shun budgeting because they are unsure about what sort of cost to budget for. This article will shed some light on the type of cost a new daycare business owner is likely to incur.

You’ve drawn up your business plan, decided on your marketing plan and even detailed your operations plan. Now you need to sit down to calculate how much money you will actually need. But how would you know how much you will need if you do not know what sort of cost you will incur? Whilst there are many types of setup costs for new businesses, here’s a list of costs that a new daycare start up will likely to incur.

1. Set up costs

These are one time cost incurred for the setting up of your daycare facility.

First, let’s look at the physical centre. You’ll need to work out how much the renovations are going to cost you, what sort of furniture and fittings as well as office equipment which you are intending to purchase for your daycare centre. Don’t forget such as fire alarms, smoke detectors, cutlery, mats and decorative items such as notice boards, posters and clocks etc. Sometimes, these small items can add up to quite a lot so be a little careful in that area.

Next, think about all the paper work cost such as licenses, permits, setting up of bank account, lease deposit, commission paid to property agent for helping you secure your centre. Basically any administrative cost.

2. Staff costs

Next, you will need to work out how many staff you are intending to hire and what it is going to cost you on a monthly basis. To have a more accurate gauge, you will need to do a forecast about the number of children you are expecting to have, which will in turn impact the number of staff you will require.

Based on the findings, calculate what you are intending to remunerate your staff. Next, you will need to look into the auxiliary cost such as health insurance, medical benefits, taxes, sick or vacation leave and bonuses. On average, such cost will be about 15-20% of salary.

3. Operating cost

Finally, list down what are the costs you expect to incur on a monthly or regular basis to operate your daycare. The first type of cost will be the administrative costs such as monthly loan / mortgage repayments, insurance for your centre, conservancy charges, hire purchase repayments, rental, utilities, food supplies, etc. You should also take into consideration costs which occur on a regular basis such as maintenance and repair.

Drawing up budgets is an exhausting affair but a good budget and forecast is absolutely necessary as it helps the owner to anticipate the amount of capital and operating cost he/she will need to set aside for a smooth running of the daycare centre.

Happy budgeting!

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Is A Home Daycare The Answer For You?

2007-09-07T22:28:00.001-07:00

In America today, it takes two incomes in most cases to live a regular middle class lifestyle. This is due to rising costs of necessities such as housing, power, and insurance and Americans are seeing many non-necessities as needs such as cell phones, cable, and video games.

A few generations ago, one income would support a family. Dad would work and Mom would stay at home and play homemaker. Most people raising families in those generations were much more frugal and children were not spoiled. Many of the things we pay for today on a monthly basis didn’t even exist then. How much do you pay for internet, cable/satellite, cell phone plans, big birthdays, name brand clothes, video game systems and video games? If these things existed back then, most families could not afford them.

A major problem for single parents is childcare. Unfortunately many single mothers can not even afford to work, because childcare would cost more than what they would bring home in a paycheck, leaving them stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The answer for homemakers wanting to help their husbands bring in some money or for single mothers who can not afford child care themselves may be a pretty basic idea: Start your own home daycare.

As long as mothers are working, childcare will always be a service in demand. This could be an ideal solution for a mother with children who wants to stay home with them and bring in an income. Watch other children along with your own children. Your children will have playmates and you will get paid.

There are basically two things you need to make sure you have before you start a home daycare:

1) Patience and love for children.

2) A suitable place to keep them.

This is written under the assumption that you know that watching children all day is hard work!

If you live in a cramped apartment, this isn’t a good idea until you move to a better place. Parents would like to place their children in a home that has plenty of room and a place outside to play.

What you earn depends on where you live and how many children you keep. Childcare costs are high in some areas of the country, while other parts are relatively low.

Many parents prefer home daycares to regular daycares because their children get more attention, they have the same sitter everyday, and it costs less than regular daycare. You could also just be a regular babysitter, but many parents feel better knowing their childcare provider is licensed by the state. Plus, if you are licensed you are allowed to keep more children.

Before you start a home daycare, you will need to do some planning and it will take time before you are officially open for business. You will need to get a license, your home will be inspected, you will need to child proof your home if it isn’t already, and get some extra toys and baby equipment and decide on meal and snacks everyday.

Then you will need to decide what you will charge, draw up contracts which parents will sign and begin marketing. Put up fliers, get business cards, tell your friends and family to spread the word, and put an ad in the paper. Some home daycares are filled up soon after opening, while others will take time to get established.

An example of one successful home daycare owner is a single mother who could not afford to put her own children in daycare. So, she decided to open up a home daycare and is now making $1,600 a month gross, with the benefit of being able to raise her children herself and be with them everyday. She could earn more money because she is able to watch more children, but has decided to limit her business to watching 4 other children and they are charged $100 a week. However, if she wants, she has options on earning more money from her business.

If she worked outside the home, she’d be only making about $300 per week and would be paying $300 per week for her two children to be in regular daycare, meaning she’d make nothing for working hard all week. Now, she makes $400 per week, doesn’t have to pay a penny to put her kids in childcare and gets to spend tons of quality time with them. With her home daycare income and child support, she is doing well for herself.

Valerie Alanati is a work at home mother who owns a website aimed at helping others find work at home. http://www.workfromhomeforreal.com

Starting Your Own Home Daycare Business

2007-09-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

If you have a love for children, and perhaps you are already involved in child care, you are a perfect candidate for a home daycare business. The daycare business is fun and easy to run once it is in place and does not take much maintenance, but sometimes getting it all started can be a bit overwhelming. One of the main problems that you will probably face is that you will be up against some pretty strict code enforcement issues, and you need to be ready from the beginning to tackle these problems as they come up. So what is it that you will need in order to start your own home daycare business? Let's start from the beginning.

The first thing that you will need to do when starting your own home daycare business is to check the local requirements and code for establishments that deal with children. You will generally find that they are a little more strict when it comes to these codes and being up on the requirements will help you to know what you need to do before you apply for the permits. You will also need to come up with a solid daycare business plan so that you will be able to know where the money is coming from to start and how you will be able to operate through the years.

Once you have your business plan written up and are familiar with the local codes then it is time to hire out some contractors to get your establishment (your home) in line with those codes. You can also seek some financing, if necessary, for some advertising and any expenses incurred from the work being done on your home.

It can be a little rough at first getting your business off the ground, and making sure that everything is running smoothly, but the rewards can be great. Sure, you probably aren't going to make it rich by running a home daycare business, but if you love children, and love what you do, you will be happy with your business.

Download our easy step by step guide to starting and running a successful daycare at our website http://www.start-daycare.info/

Start Your Own Daycare with a daycare startup kit, available on our website.

Making Choices In Selecting Or Starting A Daycare Biz

2007-09-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Daycare is the process where you drop your child off with a provider. Daycare is a great way for your little one to acquire some socialization skills if you’re in a situation where there aren’t other kids around. I suggest you check your state and local regulations before enrolling your child in a center or home daycare.

The geographic limitations, and the diversity in type of daycare providers, make child daycare a highly fragmented industry. This leads to frustration for parents who are attempting to find quality child daycare, with 87% of them describing the traditional search for child daycare as "difficult and frustrating".

There are often local industry associations that lobby governments on childcare policy, promote the industry to the public or help parents choose the right daycare provider. In some cases, good daycare can provide different experiences than parental care does, especially when children reach two and are ready to interact with other children. As a matter of social policy, consistent, good daycare, may ensure adequate early childhood education for children of less skilled parents.

Childcare

The vast majority of childcare is still performed by the parents, in house nanny or through informal arrangements with relatives, neighbors or friends. For example, in Canada, among two parent families with at least one working parent, 62% of parents handle the childcare themselves, 32% have other in-home care (nannies, relatives, neighbors or friends) and only 6.5% use a formal day care center. Some home day cares operate illegally with respect to tax legislation where the care provider does not report fees as income and the parent does not receive a receipt to qualify for childcare tax deductions.

Under the current law, educators and childcare workers at daycare centers, schools, and other organizations need to have their backgrounds checked. According to provinces and cities some shortages of subsidized openings can lengthen the time needed to find a suitable childcare provider.

Almost all areas of the country reported a rise in the costs parents have to pay for all forms of childcare, when they can find it. Continuing high costs of childcare highlight the need to subsidize services more effectively. The government needs to support affordable quality childcare which is provided locally through the voluntary, public and independent sectors, and meets the requirements of parents.

Business

Don't be mislead in thinking that operating a day care business means working 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You can run a profitable home daycare business from your home and avoid paying high costs to rent a large space. If you're tired of leaving your child in the care of someone else, but need the money to help meet your financial obligations, running a home daycare business is the solution you've been waiting for.

A home daycare is one of the easiest, cheapest and fastest home businesses to start. Many experts expect the demand to increase through the next dozen years, and the popularity of this type of business to continue growing from there. Be sure to know the regulations in your area, and then design your business plan to meet these regulations. There are software tools to assist you in running a smooth daycare operation.

Whether you run a home daycare or a daycare center, a good daycare software will:

Organize your child care business making it run more smoothly and trouble-free

save you time by automating time-consuming administrative tasks such as attendance tracking and billing

save you money by reducing administrative costs

reduce stress with automatically generated schedules

event reminders make you money by allowing you to focus on growing your business while helping you avoid legal and tax problems

Finally, if you have employees, the software with automatically keep track of their hours and pay.

Placing your child in a daycare can be a stressful decision for any parent as in most cases they're literally giving all their trust to a stranger to look after their child. Check with local governments to ensure the daycare facility is known as having a good track record with few complaints. The daycare industry is vast and can be profitable if you are frugal and decide to operate the business from home.

Looking for a daycare all-in-one resource? You've come to the right place! Click here and browse through articles regarding all sorts of daycare needs, such as childcare, preschool, adult daycare, starting your own daycare business, and yes, including doggie daycare!

So You Want to Start a Home Daycare

2007-09-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

I hang out with the other mommies. No, I am not a "Mister Mom" or a "Househusband". I do have one enviable situation, though. I work from home and I have the flexibility to say, "This morning I am going to spend with my daughters. I can play with them. I can sing with them. I can laugh with them. I can clean up their ice cream that drips all over me."

Or I can say, "This morning I am taking my daughters to the play center, where they can play with other children, sing with other children, laugh with other children and spill ice cream on other children instead of on me."

So I hang out with the other mommies.

I've noticed that many mommies want to start a home daycare. The reasoning seams to go like this.

I'm at home within my own children anyway.
So far I have remained relatively unscathed, with few permanent injuries.
How much trouble can a few extra children running around spilling ice cream on the rug cause?
Let's tempt fate.

I have two children, a toddler and a baby. They are enough of a handful, and the baby can't even climb on counters...yet.

Before setting up your own home daycare, consider this: how many more inspiring diaper-changing hours do you want to spend each day? Little Lady is on her sixth month of perpetual toilet-training. If there is a purgatory, this is it. Too old to just carry her treasures in her quick-change diapers, too young to just go on her own, stuck in the middle in a high-maintenance waiting room of sorts. Little Sister has a nickname: Poopasaurus, because...oh wait just a minute. I have to go clean up a mess. Another mess.

I've already written about the challenges of dressing a toddler while she's running bounding over the couch at record-shattering speeds: http://www.thehappyguy.com/toddler-dress.html

Then there is the atmosphere. Now that Little Lady doesn't nap anymore, she can get mighty cranky. I know the feeling. It doesn't take much to get a good wail going. And she has lungs. Or she might break a few rules or a few toys. Or she might just disobey. It doesn't take long for a parent to lose patience.

Crying. Stress. Babies sense it, and Little Sister can get cranky, too. It's a whole wailing chorus. Before long, the tension in our house can get so thick you could almost cut it with a chainsaw. Almost.

Does it get any better in a daycare? Yes. You can take in only children who are completely toilet trained. Unfortunately, those children can climb counters. And chairs. And tables. And balconies.

If you still want to tempt fate and see how many children it takes to cause irreparable damage to your house, your car and your body, here are four tips:

Keep all sharp objects, cleansers and medications in a safe place...like another town.
Laminate your couch. And your carpets. And your clothes. And your ceiling. And your food.
Get a good pair of industrial strength earplugs – the kind they give the guy who pushes the rockets off a Cape Canaveral.
Place Velcro strips along your walls...just in case.

That's about all the advice I can offer. Oh yes, and did I mention to have fun.

David Leonhardt is a humor columnist:

http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/positive-thinking-free-ezine.html

Info@thehappyguy.com

Dog Day Care

2007-09-05T23:24:00.000-07:00

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5 Things You Need To Start A Daycare

2007-09-03T23:15:00.000-07:00

Before you start you daycare you need to make sure you have some things. Starting a daycare isn't hard but it does take some initial preparation. Don't start you daycare before drawing up a checklist of things you must do and have. Only after you've completed checking off your list, should you actually start your daycare.

Here are some must have things in order to start a successful daycare center:

1. Permits - Each state and sometimes even each county has its own set of permits for starting a daycare. You have to make sure you have all the necessary business permits before you start your daycare.

2. Insurance - Starting a business, any business, without some sort of business insurance is not a good idea. If you're worried about premiums, don't be. As long as your daycare is small the premiums will be low. And if you ever get to the point when you want to expand your daycare, it means you're doing so well that you can afford the higher premium.

3. Toys, children's books, sleeping mats - If you want to be able to keep the kids occupied, you're going to need toys. You don't have to spend a whole lot to get some, but a few toys are a must. Children's books are also great since they help you get the children to take an afternoon nap which give's you a much needed break. Of course, in order for the children to sleep, you also need some sleeping mats.

4. Application and registration forms, receipt book - Make sure you have all the necessary forms so when a new customer shows up at your door, you can sign their kid up to your daycare without a pointless delay. Also make sure that you have all the accounting forms and receipt books that you need.

5. First aid kit - Make sure to have a full stocked full aid kit around just in case one of the children gets hurt. Don't let this scare you. Children run around, fall down, and get hurt all the time. Just make sure you can put on a band-aid when you need to.

Starting you daycare can be fun, profitable and rewarding. Having the things I wrote above can help you make an easy and profitable start of it.

To learn more on how to start and run a highly successful Daycare Center, visit this webpage: Starting A DayCare Center Lucy Doyle runs a home business. To read how you can too become a successful businesswoman by starting your own profitable daycare visit Lucy Doyle's webpage on starting daycare centers at this dedicated webpage, click here: How To Avoid Costly Daycare Mistakes

Opening a Daycare Center - Do Your Homework!

2007-09-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've already decided that starting a daycare center is for you, or maybe you're simply considering the idea. As with all entrepreneurial ideas, it's best to do your homework and research them thoroughly before jumping in midstream.

Starting a daycare and making a success of it will require certain very specific strengths in your situation and character and that of anyone who helps you work it. Consider these essential traits:

-Do you like kids?
-Are you a people person?
-Can you start a daycare center and run it for a year without a profit?
-Do you have childcare experience?
-Are you a self-starter, responsible and reliable?
-Are you willing to put in long hours, at least at first?
-Can you lead well?

If your answers were positive, read on. Otherwise starting a daycare center may not be for you.

For starters, check out the licensing requirements in your state. Then go take a look at some successful daycare centers and try to talk to the owner or manager. Don't be afraid to tell them that you're thinking of starting a daycare facility and ask them for any tips on how to make a go of it.

While you're visiting the other daycare, notice their setup. How is the place laid out? What kind of furniture and supplies do they have? Ask them how hard it was for them to start a daycare center. Ask to see the contract they use. If they're reluctant, offer to buy them lunch! If they say they don't have time, offer to hand them the money you would have spent on the lunch. Usually, though, successful business people are happy to share tips.

Gather your information first. If you do a good job on this first, crucial step, you will be rewarded when you're ready to start a daycare.

Charissa Bear is the owner of MomsInc.biz, a work at home mom resource site dedicated in helping moms find home based careers.

Developing An Effective Daycare Business Plan

2007-09-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

In order for any business including a daycare business to be successful it is advised to do a business plan. By completing a daycare business plan you will be better prepared and know if your business idea is one that you can succeed at. Below are a few steps that you can take when developing a business plan. You can use the information below as well as go to the 2005 Small Business Resource Guide and develop and write your own business plan. If this is more than you think you can handle you can hire an accountant to do this for you, but realize that it can be expensive. Or another way is to go the middle road and utilize a Business Plan Template that will cover all the basics, you will only have to update the information that pertains to your individual business.

Daycare Business Plan Outline

A business plan should consist of six (6) things.

Cover sheet

Statement of purpose

Table of contents

The Business - Covers Description, Marketing, Competition, Operating procedures, Personnel, Business insurance and Financial data

Financial Data - Loan applications, Capital equipment and supply list, Balance sheet, Breakeven analysis, Pro-Forma income projections (profit & loss statements) and Pro-forma cash flow.

Supporting Documentation - Tax returns, Personal financial statements, Lease or purchase agreements, Copy of Licenses and other legal documentation and Copy of resumes of all principals

Other things to consider

While developing your daycare business plan their are some things that you will want to make sure that you focus on and decide on in the process. A business plan should be a well thought out process and should not be rushed. Focus on these areas below and it will help ensure that you have a well thought out business plan.

Define Your Business & Vision.

Write Down Your Goals.

Know Your Customers.

Learn From Your Competition.

Count The Cost

By following this information, you should have a good start at creating a successful business plan. Remember in order to have a successful Daycare Business a Daycare Business Plan is a must. This is a start but you will need more indepth informations.

To help with this J. Wayne Norris the owner of http://www.start-a-home-day-care-business.com has compiled his site with information on the subject. Go to his site for information on starting a daycare and information about developing a daycare business plan.

Partnering With Your Daycare or Preschool

2007-09-03T03:20:00.000-07:00

For the most positive daycare experience for your child, partner with your childcare center and make a personal investment beyond the monthly tuition. You can build your partnership with your daycare by volunteering your time, contributing goods or services, or donating money.

If your child is in daycare full-time, he is spending 40 – 60 hours at your daycare facility with his childcare providers. You owe it to your child to help make the center the best it can be for him.

Beautification Day. Schedule a few hours on a Saturday morning for a group of parents to come into the center and give it a really thorough spring cleaning where you tackle involved chores like painting walls, repairing bookcases, decorating classrooms, scrubbing cubbies.

Fundraising. You can support your center’s fundraising efforts by asking for goods, services or monetary donations. Ask friends and family to partake in fundraising auction events with you – spirited bidding in a live auction is a lively way to spend a Saturday evening with friends while benefiting a good cause.

Participation. Spending an hour or two in the classroom a week reading stories, engaging in dramatic play or just lending a helping hand are all time well spent and greatly appreciated by the daycare center.

If your schedule is too tight to accommodate volunteering at school, think creatively about other ways you can contribute – do you have a skill, talent or connection that can potential benefit the school in some way. It may be an activity that seems inconsequential in your normal course of business but would be invaluable to your daycare center.

Here are some examples to get you started:

Investment Banking. Most centers have an emergency fund they must keep for unexpected facility maintenance or other unplanned expenses. Suggest the best short term investment vehicles for them.

Tax Accountant. Offer to review their current tax preparation forms or evaluate their tax planning process.

Medical Expertise. Conduct a 30 minute seminar or write a column in the newsletter about common childhood ailments, healthy eating or sleeping practices.

Educational Background. Suggest weekend learning activities or offer to conduct a 30 minute special event for one of the older classrooms.

Music. Entertain the kids with an impromptu concert or offer to entertain at the center’s annual fundraising event.

Legal. Offer to review contracts or agreements the school is considering. Offer to review the current application portfolio and identify policies or additional waivers or agreements that should be included.

Sales. Create a bonus plan for the teaching staff that takes into account length of employment and special recognitions.

Marketing. Review the centers brochures, ads and marketing plans. Make recommendations for how to best sell the centers services, help develop creative materials and negotiate print rates with vendors.

Facilities. Offer to inspect the daycare facilities and make maintenance repairs or negotiate with preferred vendors for discounted rates.

About the Author

For more great information about expecting and parenting, visit MomRecommended.com, a site for moms by moms. Annie Valle is a freelance writer, web designer and a mom. You'll find product reviews, recipes, baby names, free projects and more, when you visit http://www.momrecommended.com.

Baby and Toddler - Daycare Advice

2007-09-03T03:19:00.000-07:00

Making the decision to put your child in daycare can be a very tough choice. There are always stories on the news about horrible things that happen there. The most important thing with daycare is to make sure you find a good center.

Many parents like childcare centers because they have a very structured, regulated environment. Most daycares have a pickup time, drop off time and also make the children do everything on a schedule. This is great because all kids need to be on a very rigid schedule.

People usually don't want to put their kids in daycare because they don't want them exposed to all the sicknesses of the other children. It is true that kids in childcare centers have more infections than kids that stay at home. However, these children will probably get much fewer infections later on in their life. People need to be exposed to viruses and bacteria at a young age so that their body learns how to fight them off. Children that are exposed to these viruses and bacteria early on are much less likely to develop allergies than other children.

If you send your children to daycare, they will be taught many different skills, such as storytelling, dancing and singing. Your child will spend the day doing projects and learning many new things. A recent study has found that kids that go to good quality childcare centers do better on tests than other kids. When you start looking for a daycare, make sure the one you choose has a good mix of activities.

If you decide to get a nanny, it will be much more expensive than daycare. You will also be relying on only one person. If your nanny gets sick, you will have to find other arrangements. With daycare, you know that people are always there to look after your children. Toddlers especially benefit from daycare because they get to spend time with other kids and learn important socialization skills. If you get a nanny, your child won't be developing these skills as quickly.

At a good quality childcare center, the staff members are usually trained in child education and child development. Because of this, the staff knows what to expect and knows how to take care of the children properly. When you start looking for a daycare, make sure the employees are knowledgeable.

A disadvantage of daycare is that your child won't get the one-on-one care that you or a nanny could provide. Babies especially need constant attention and love to be happy and healthy. At a childcare center, one person will have to look after several babies at the same time. This can be very difficult for them.

If you choose daycare, you will have to find other arrangements for your child when they are closed on holidays. If your child gets sick, you also will have to stay at home. You have to remember that your child will most probably be getting sick more often with things such as colds and pinkeye than other children.

Overall, daycare is great if you pick a good center. The most important thing is to make sure there aren't too many children for the amount of caregivers. For babies there should be one caregiver to every three babies. For children aged 25 to 30 months there should be one caregiver to every four kids. For children aged 31 to 35 months there should be one caregiver to every five kids. For three year olds there should be one caregiver to every seven kids. For children aged four and five there should be one caregiver to every eight kids.

Michael Russell Your Independent Baby and Toddler guide.

Child Care - Daycare And Nutrition

2007-08-29T23:28:00.001-07:00

In this article we're going to discuss one of the most important parts of providing daycare for your child and that's your child's nutritional needs.

Out of sight, out of mind is a common philosophy among people. So if a parent ships his child off to daycare and doesn't see what he's eating or not eating then it's okay. Certainly the daycare center is not going to let the child starve and the food the child is given to eat will certainly be good food. Right?

Well, not always. Unfortunately a daycare center's food value is often dictated by its food budget. In most cases daycare centers are poorly funded. Most of the money goes to paying the workers themselves. Then there is the overhead. This leaves very little for food. As a matter of fact, many daycare centers have no food budget at all.

So, what is a parent to do?

For starters, you have to find out exactly what the center's food budget is. They may not give you exact dollar amounts, as they may not even know this figure, but they should be able to tell you what foods they can and can't get. This will give you a good idea of what part of your child's nutrition will be taken care of by the center and what part you will have to take care of yourself.

That brings us to the next problem. Some daycare centers do not allow food to be brought in from the outside. Many times this can be because of certain health codes that they have to enforce. In these cases only food that the centers are authorized to have will be allowed at the center. This is why knowing what the center will be feeding your child is so important.

What a parent really needs to know is exactly what good nutrition for their child is. Unfortunately not all parents are great roll models for good nutrition. Many people in this country (the United States) are either overweight or malnourished. Depending on these people to know what's good for their child is like expecting a foot doctor to disarm a nuclear warhead. Probably not a good idea.

So the first thing the parent should do is consult with a nutritionist to design a diet for the child based on the child's needs. After this is done, find out which of these foods, if any, the daycare center itself provides. If only some, or worse, none, then find out if you can provide the center with the food it needs to feed your child properly. If this is not allowed then maybe you need to rethink whether or not you want to send your child there.

Why such a fuss about nutrition? Simple. Plenty of studies have proven conclusively that a child's progress and health are directly related to how well the child eats. So if you can't be around to take care of your child and still want him to grow up healthy and strong, then make sure the daycare center is providing him with the food he needs to be healthy or find yourself another center. Your child's health depends on it.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Child Care

Child Care - Choosing A Daycare Center

2007-08-29T23:27:00.000-07:00

In this article we're going to cover some basic things to do and ask when choosing a daycare center for your child.

The first thing you need to do when going to a daycare center to determine if it's one you want to send your child to is ask them if they have any openings. This should be the very first question you ask. If their answer is no and you need daycare in the near future then they most likely will not be able to meet your needs. If, however, you really want this center then find out when they expect to have an opening and make plans.

The next thing you have to find out is where the center is located and how the traffic is in early morning or rush hour evening hours. If traffic is really bad you know that you're going to have to leave yourself extra time to get your child to the center and extra time for pickup, especially if the center closes at a certain hour.

The next thing you have to find out is what their hours of operation are. If the center has hours from 9 to 6 and you have to be at work at 8 AM then you are going to have a bit of a problem unless you can arrange to have someone else bring your child to the center. Most centers however do have hours long before normal work hours begin and long after normal work hours end. Just make sure you find out exactly what the hours are.

The next thing that's important to know is if there are any special holidays or dates when the center is closed. Not all businesses celebrate all holidays. For example, many businesses may be open on Martin Luther King's birthday. If yours is one of them and the center is closed for that day you are going to have to make plans for someone to either stay with your child or if possible bring your child to another center for a day or if worst comes to worst, bring your child to work. Make sure you know this well in advance.

Of course you are going to have to find out what the center charges and if there are any special supplies you will have to bring. Some centers provide diapers and food but many do not. So find this out in advance. Also, find out how payment needs to be made and when. Some centers require payment in advance and other allow you to pay at the end of each period, whether it be weekly or monthly.

It may not be a bad idea to find out the ages of the other children. If they are all older than your child you may not want to take your child to that center as there could be a greater danger of problems.

Find out if the center offers some kind of flex time in case you have a strange schedule. Some centers actually have a day shift and a night shift. Find this out if your needs require odd hours.

This may not seem important but find out what their turnover rate is. A high turnover rate may indicate a poorly run center.

Find out if there are backups to the main provider should he or she become ill. The last thing you want to find out is that you can't bring your child one day because there is only one caregiver and they are out sick.

Finally, find out if the center is certified. While this doesn't always mean the center is great, you'll have a better chance of getting a good center if it is certified.

By following the above tips you should have little trouble in finding a suitable daycare center for your child.

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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Child Care
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Daycare Tax Deduction - How Do I Start?

2007-08-28T23:46:00.001-07:00

So how do you get started claiming a daycare tax deduction? You have your own children to take care of, but for some reason you've decided to help other parent's out and take care of theirs too. You've decided to run a daycare out of your home. There is some good news in this, because of this you can apply for a daycare tax deduction on your taxes. Following are a few suggestions that should help you get started.

A good thing to know is that there are certain qualifiers to really be considered a daycare in the sense that will qualify you for the daycare tax deduction. In order to properly qualify you must be correctly certified or have valid exemptions. Obviously if you do not have these or your license has been revoked or rejected for any reason you are no longer qualified for this exemption and cannot legally apply for a daycare tax exemption.

Of course there are also a few factors that you need to know before calculating how much you can correctly deduct and use in qualifying for a daycare tax exemption. Anything related to the facility, in this instance your house that you used to run the daycare could be included. However, in order to calculate this properly you need to figure out what portion you use for business and what is used for living expenses. In this way you can use a portion of the amount you pay on your general bills, such as electricity, that may be employed in running your daycare. Only the amount used when running the daycare can be used to qualify for the daycare tax exemption.

Also included in expenses that can be claimed are any food you may use to feed the children or any employees. In fact you can deduct 100% of the employees meals and use this as part of the calculation for the daycare tax deduction. Of course this is only their salary or wages don't already have a food allowance included. There needs to be careful records in order to use these amounts for the daycare tax deduction. It may be easier to keep a standard rate for all meals and snacks provided as part of the daycare. You can use this up to three snacks a day, beverages and three meals, but you cannot include any non-food items used to prepare the meal.

Therefore, in the end, not all is bad when it comes to running a daycare out of your home. By taking advantage of the daycare tax deduction you are gaining many benefits from running the daycare out of your personal residence. In addition, with careful calculations and a little extra work, you can make the daycare tax deduction work the best for you as it possibly can. So good luck!

Check out http://www.easy-tax-deductions.com/ for more articles on vehicle tax deduction and tax deductions for donations.

What to Write on a Daycare Business Plan

2007-08-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

If you have a love fore children and there is a need in your area for a daycare business then you have the start of a solid business. More than likely you will not get rich from owning your own daycare, but the rewards are great none the less. When it come time to start the business, however, you should put together a daycare business plan, one that will tell your business story from the start to the finish. Here is what to put on the business plan in order to make it a success.

A great daycare business plan will be broken down into sections and stages. The first stage should be all about what you need to do in order to get the daycare business up and running smoothly. This would include any upgrades that need to be made in order for you to meet the local code requirements for a daycare business as well as how and where you are going to get financing, as well as exactly how much you are going to need to get started.

The second section should include information about the operation of your daycare business. You should include everything that you can think of to include that would cover everything from employees that you may have to operating expenses. Don't leave anything out of this part as it will be very helpful in getting some financing for your new business.

The last part of your daycare business plan should include everything that has to do with the future growth of your business and where you expect to be in one, five and ten years. Give details as to how you reached any projections that you have included.

By putting this all down in writing you will not only have a powerful document to take to the bank when looking for financing, but you will be able to refer to it to keep yourself and your business on track from the start all the way to the conclusion.

Download our easy step by step guide to starting and running a successful daycare at our website http://www.start-daycare.info/

Start Your Own Daycare with a daycare startup kit, available on our website.

Is Your Child Too Sick to Go To Daycare?

2007-08-28T01:32:00.001-07:00

On February 8th, 2007 the Wall Street Journal published an article on “sick days-when to keep your child home from daycare”. To summarize the article it basically discussed the fact that many parent’s have problems when children become ill and they still have to go to work.

This is very true, many parent’s do have problems when finding back-up childcare mainly because we are a busy society and just about everyone has something planned today, tomorrow and next week. So when a child does all of the sudden become ill it’s a huge issue.

Part of the problem also lies in the child care facility and their clear explanation of what their policies are. The article in the Wall Street Journal stated that many parents were not sure as to what the sick policy was of their childcare center. So, at 2A.M. does the parent have a clear understanding of whether that child should stay home? Maybe, maybe not.

Everyone realizes that the best place for a sick child is at home- it's in the best interest of the child to advocate this in our daycare centers and to our parents.

As a reminder, when new parent enrolls in your childcare be sure to discuss with them your policies. What are the specific restrictions you have when a child is ill? And be exact, what is the exact temperature that a child should be not allowed into childcare. Make sure that you take a special time to discuss your policies on illness and what illnesses are not allowed in daycare.

Policies are so very important you definitely want to keep your daycare smooth and running.

Love and Blessings,

Christine Groth
Daycare Diva

Is It Expensive To Start A Daycare In Your Home?

2007-08-26T23:29:00.000-07:00

Opening a daycare in your home has so many benefits to it, the list goes on and on. One of the greatest benefits that excites so many ladies is the fact that you can make money and stay home and raise your children.

This was initially why I started my daycare.

I was a new mom of twins and I had an absolute desire to stay home and care for my daughters. So it all worked out perfectly, I made money, took care of my family and had a really great time teaching and caring for other people’s children.

Many of you have asked me advice on starting a daycare is expensive. This could be farther from the truth. To be honest with you most of the items I use in my daycare I had already owned. Just think about it for a minute, many of you are already mom’s and have toy’s laying around the house.

And if you don’t you can purchase toys at rummage sales, and Goodwill for cheap. Books and toys can be borrowed from the library and parents who attend your daycare can be asked if they have any items they would like to donate. Over the years I’ve gone to businesses in my area asking them if they had any donations, I’ve gotten items such as envelopes, huge roles of paper, colored sheets of sticker paper, books of wallpaper samples, the list goes on. All these items can be used for craft projects with children.

It always helps to be creative, one other thing I did that received rave reviews is I bought a large circular wooden table at Goodwill for $15.00. It was a beautiful table but too tall for small children. My solution was to chop off the legs.

It’s very important to keep in mind that many items around your home can be turned into items that would be great for daycare. Another example would be bones from Thanksgiving Turkey Dinners. Keep the large sized leg bones to show children and teach about bones in humans and animals.

Starting a daycare in your home is one of the cheapest businesses you can start. It only takes a short time to get things up and running. It’s not uncommon to start a daycare in one week’s time.

Christine Groth is an author, speaker, mentor to daycare business owners. She has wrote the book, "The Guide to Instant Daycare Profits" To receive her free newsletter on how to start a daycare go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/

Daycare Supplies & Equipment - 7 Must Have's

2007-08-26T23:27:00.000-07:00

Daycare supplies and equipment generally include toys, books, and other items, but these are only part of what you need to really create an organized learning environment for your students. Below is a list of seven “must haves” you need for your classroom.

1. Art storage for kids – Part of the daycare supplies and equipment you need to get ready for your students are art supplies because children love to be creative and to make art. However, keeping track of all those supplies and the children you’re watching can be a nightmare. You need to have some type of storage unit that will keep all of these supplies organized and accessible to your students.

2. Art easels – Setting up art stations where everything students need to start creating is available is a nice way of letting the students have a little more independence and self-expression. Plus, if you use art easels with underneath storage you’ll also have art storage for kids.

3. Appropriately sized tables and chairs – Your daycare supplies and equipment may not normally include classroom furniture, but it’s worth considering. While it may be easier to use desks and other items designed for older students, you should always try to provide your students with tables and chairs they can work at comfortably.

4. Safe steps or stools – One problem in many daycares and elementary classrooms is that existing items may not be easily accessible by your students. For example, drinking fountains are sometimes too high off the ground to be useful to students. Lowering the fountains is not a cost effective option, but you could buy special child-friendly stools or steps to make the fountains – or other taller parts of your classroom – easy and safe to reach for your students.

5. Media storage – A few decades ago, the only media storage you would need in your classroom is a place for books and maybe a place to listen to records or cassettes. Today, you might have a sizable arsenal of media at your disposal, including CD’s and DVD’s. That means you need a place to store all of those items. Remember if you want your students to be able to select the items or to return them when they are finished, you’ll want to choose media storage furniture that is closer to the ground and is visually appealing.

6. Cubbie storage – Part of the daycare supplies and equipment you need should include a way of your students to safely store their own items. Cubbie storage is a good way to do this because each child can have their own pre-assigned spot and because the cubbies make it easy to keep their items organized. Having the items stored far away from the actual classroom learning environment is a good idea so students won’t be easily distracted.

7. Toy storage – Toys, especially building blocks and similar “loose” toys, can be hard to keep organized. However, there are options available to make it easier. Consider using clear tote boxes to keep together certain types of toys, such as blocks, doll clothes, plastic food, etc. Your students will be able to easily see what’s inside each box and can pick the one he or she wants to play with. When finished, they can put everything neatly back in the box for the next students to enjoy. When you’re trying to get together all of the daycare supplies and equipment you need, don’t forget the importance of organization in your classroom environment.

Patricia Giadone is the owner of http://www.childrensorganizers.com/ an online provider of discount classroom and home furniture for parents, daycares, preschools, and churches. Her writing focuses on early childhood and the benefits of organization in the classroom and at home.

Record Keeping for Daycare Centers

2007-08-24T23:27:00.002-07:00

The key to record keeping is to simplify, simplify, simplify. As with any other repetitive task you want to make it as easy as possible so the main goal is achieved. At the end of the chapter I will reprint a copy of what the IRS is providing to its auditors when looking at child care centers. This information will give you some insight.

The end result of keeping accurate records is two-fold. Sometimes we get all caught up in defending against problems with the IRS and tax return preparation and that we forget the purpose of record keeping. We should be using the information from the records to advance our business and allow us to make decisions on how to run the business more effectively.

Good record keeping will allow you to keep track of the health of your business. Again, seek professional help or read as many books as possible to aid you growing your business effectively and keeping it on track. Don’t become overwhelmed with everything in your business and allow this area to be the one that always falls short. Remember the rule – simplify! Get the information you need to make a proper decision and give the government the information they need in the form of tax return or reports.

Lets’ get started.

There are a number of logs that are necessary in the preparation of good records. They are: time, food, auto, and asset. In addition to these logs we need to keep track of income sources: private pay, government pay, grants, and food program. The other sources of funding must also be tracked: bank loans, vehicle loans, and loans from others. The final things that need to be kept track of are the valid expenses of the business.

Lets’ break down each of the above in a little more detail.

Income sources

1. Private pay from parents by child

2. Food Program (USDA)

3. Grants

4. Government Programs

I recommend that you keep track of each source of income separately and then report them separately on your income tax return. Each source can be verified by the IRS so if you report it this way there is no question to its accuracy. All money received should be deposited into a business bank account. This allows you to easily verify the income to the deposits that were made during the year.

Time, Food, and Auto

Many states provide a calendar for the tracking of these figures. In the end we need to know how many hours the day care was in operation to calculate the time space percentage (discussed previously.) Do this daily and weekly, (record on the calendar) to be able to answer all questions at the end of the year on your tax return. If you’re anything like me, you can’t explain what you did last week much less what you did eleven months ago.

In 2004 the IRS made a significant change in the calculation of food expense. Prior to 2004 the only way to track food was to provide receipts of food purchases. This method was always in question to providers on how to determine what was personally eaten food, (non-deductible) and what was consumed by children, (deductible). We now have a new log to keep. You now need to provide the number of breakfast, lunch, dinner, A.M. snack and P.M snack. The IRS provides a rate that is equal to the tier-one food rate for the USDA food program.

This new program eliminates the tracking of food receipts. I still recommend keeping the food receipts to prove that you have spent at least what you are claiming. You are still allowed to keep actual receipts and use those for expense. Just realize that on audit the auditor will do a test of meals served and if your expense is higher than the calculation of meals times rate they will argue to reduce the expense.

The auto log is simply the record of miles driven on a personal vehicle for the pursuit of business. If the vehicle is used 100% for business you may take the actual expenses for that vehicle. If you share the vehicle for personal and business you need to determine the percentage of business that the vehicle was driven. The choice of using actual or mileage method is made in the first year of service. In both methods you will need to keep an accurate mileage log. The total miles driven are also necessary. The other information needed is date, miles driven, and what the business purpose was. This can be recorded on your calendar or a special book specifically for this purpose. Again, if you do it daily, it becomes natural to you and the information is readily accessible for tax time.

Asset Log

Asset Log is defined as: what is in your home that will last longer than one year. There are two types of assets: those you owned before you started operation, and those you purchased after you started operations. These assets can be further broken down into those that are 100% used for business and those that are shared by you personally and the day care. No matter which kind the assets are you need to record information about them.

Owned before operations started

1. Asset Name (ie refrigerator)

2. Location (room from floor Plan)

3. Fair Market Value at date of start of operation

4. How you determined value

5. Asset type

Purchased after operation started

1. Asset Name (ie refrigerator)

2. Location (room from floor plan)

3. Date Purchased

4. Where purchased

5. Asset Type

Based on the above information you will be able to create a depreciation schedule and claim the proper amount of expense. The depreciation schedule will either go directly to the business return or be further reduced by the time space percentage depending on whether it is a shared asset or a total business asset.

Loan List

You will need to keep track of the monies that are entering your business and from where. When you make a loan to the business it needs to be tracked. The bank wants to get their money back when they loan you money and you should want the business to return that money back to you as well. The money you loan to the company should be deposited into your business bank account, and the expenses that the loan was needed for will be recorded in the business checking account.

Many times I will have a provider complain that they are not being treated as a business person and instead are being treated as a baby sitter. Keeping accurate records and acting like a business requires you to have good records. Be sure to keep strict separation between personal expenses and business expenses. By doing this you will be treated as the professional that you are, and will give you piece of mind when tax time or decision time arrives.

Lastly, Direct Expenses

All direct business expenses should be written from your business checkbook. I have found that using a credit card has been very helpful. If you use a credit card use it for business purposes only, and pay the balance monthly, you will be able to track expenses easily. Debt is a burden that will many times destroy a new business. Good record keeping will allow you to better keep track of the monies coming in and going out. You should keep the receipts associated with the expense and organize them by category, not the month. The IRS wants to know the amount of supplies, not January, February, etc. This will allow you to easily assemble the information for the tax return or financial statement purposes.

Whether you decided to use a computer with the many programs that are available for record keeping or not, the overall goal doesn’t change. You need to systematically assemble the information in a way that you can make decisions from, and also comply with the laws of your state and federal government.

I thought it would be helpful to take a look inside what the IRS auditor would be looking for. In 2004 the IRS published an audit guide for child care centers. This publication is used by auditors to get up to speed on a certain industry segment. If you know what they are looking for you can better be prepared when the time comes. It is too late to prepare after you are selected for audit, because the audit will happen between two and three years after the year that they are auditing.

The IRS has given its auditors specific guidance that lets you know what issues the examiners are looking for. This is not an absolute list because the individual auditor can ask for anything they want to look at but this is a great starting point.

From Child Care Providers Audit Techniques Guide

1. Be prepared to discuss the business history including the starting date, a brief description of a typical days activities, and internal controls for income and expenses information

2. If you are taking a deduction for the use of your home, provide a floor plan, blueprint or other significant documents to reflect the square footage of the residence. Provide the escrow and/or closing statement to verify the cost of the property. Mortgage company statements showing the paid property tax renting your home provide substantiation of the expenses and a copy of the rental agreement.

3. Provide copies of Federal Tax Returns for prior and subsequent years, prior Federal and State audit reports, any related returns: partnership, corporation, or employment tax returns and any Forms 1099 filed and/or received.

4. Provide journals, ledgers, records, notebooks used to keep a record of clients and the amount they paid (weekly, monthly, etc)

5. Provide all bank statements, business and personal, for the period beginning _______ and ending _______.

6. If you are participating in the food program, provide copies of the reimbursement statement, name and address of the food sponsor, attendance and meal count record, and time record.

7. Provide copy of any benefit or retirement plan.

8. Provide substantiation in the form of canceled checks, receipts, statements, or invoices for expenses identified for examination.

9. Provide all business licenses, approvals, registrations, and certifications.

When facing an examination by the IRS, it is best to provide the auditor with exactly what they ask for and nothing more. Answer only the questions they specifically ask and avoid offering additional information that they don’t specifically ask for. You don’t want to expand the scope of the audit by offering information that will lead to additional areas of inquiry. Do not go to the inquiry alone and preferable bring your tax advisor to assist you. If the tax advisor has complete knowledge of your return he/she may prefer to complete the audit without you present. This normally avoids the expansion of the audit and allows it to proceed to a conclusion as quickly as possible.

If you take the process of record keeping one step at a time and do one thing every day you will stay on top of the work and benefit from the wealth of knowledge that can be derived from that information.

Christine Groth, business owner, and author of 6-weeks to Instant Daycare Profits Home Study Course. Subscribe to our free 6 part newsletter on how to start a daycare and make over $90,000 per year. Go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/

Starting A Daycare Center - 2 Things to Consider

2007-08-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

Do you work and have young children?

Does any of this sound familiar at all to you?

You're a working couple or single parent trying to make a decent living for your family by working fulltime. You're away on the job anywhere from 40-60 hours a week. Since most of your time is spent away from home, someone's got to care for your children, so daycare is critical to your family's existence.

You feel terrible when you drop your kids off at daycare every morning and wish there was a way you could change that and be able to spend the days together with them yourself. Then, at the end of the day, you're lucky to spend an hour or two with your kids before it's bath and bedtime and time to get ready to repeat the cycle tomorrow.

But what can you do, right? Someone's got to bring home the money to pay the bills, buy the food, pay the mortgage. Wouldn't everything be so much better if you could be in your home everyday raising your children the very best way you know how?

You may have even brainstormed ways you could change this common situation in your life. Get a night job so you're home during the day? Get some type of work-from-home income going like "typing-from-home", "stuffing envelopes", "home assembly", etc. All those so called "opportunities" that just don't sound legit right from the get go. You may have even had a passing thought of starting your own in-home daycare. But that could never work either, right?

Well, that might not be quite as far fetched as you think. In fact, that same little dream has become a reality for many former out-of-home working parents. They've started their own mommy or daddy daycare and have made life changes for the better because of it. More time with their kids first and foremost, but they're still paying the bills as well. And they're their own boss too by the way! Commonly for most though, this is only a quick passing idea and then the thought of "I could never do that, I wouldn't even know where to start" pops in and snuffs out any chance of progress. You may think too that there just wouldn't be any way of getting anyone else besides your own children to enroll in your daycare.

Certainly, the market is open for excellent, quality childcare at reasonable fees. Daycare centers across the country are at full capacity or are getting close to it. You may have even encountered placing your own children on a waiting list to enroll at a daycare you chose. People rely on childcare these days, and it's hard to foresee that changing anytime soon.

Well then, what if, just what if you COULD start your own daycare and knew how to make it a success? Wouldn't it really only take having a good, proven plan and sticking to it to get started? Sure. But there are a couple of things you really need to have as your foundation before starting to build on this idea. After all, not everyone who loves their kids, and enjoys spending time with children in general, has the mettle to make a daycare business work long term. Do you have what it takes?

Thoughtfully consider the following first:

1) Do you possess a true desire to succeed in changing your life for the better for you, your children and for other families who would depend on you for their child's care and nurturing during their time at your daycare?

2) Do you know the steps required to make it happen?

It sounds pretty simple I'm sure. But, as with accomplishing anything, you need to first WANT to do it and then you have to DO it! The first part, wanting to do it and having that desire, comes from within your self. You already know if it's something you'd want to do or not. If you don't, there's no magic information out there that will change that.

If you do want to, it's simply a matter of having the right, proven blueprint to follow the steps to making it happen. Maybe you already have a general idea of what it takes from past experiences in childcare, babysitting, youth groups, etc. But where do you get a detailed plan to work from? Where do you find the information that walks you through each step in the process of starting a daycare as your own business? It's difficult. There is a lot of information available out there that can give someone general conceptual ideas to getting started. There are also some resources that include very good details about what needs to be done. Problem is, finding the right information that covers everything necessary all in one resource. Something that covers the "big picture" while still "filling in all the blanks" that might frustrate you otherwise.

The good news is that there is such a complete resource available to anyone who is interested in starting their own daycare center as a business. It's called the Starting a Day Care Center Start-Up Guide Kit™ by Vanessa Rasmussen. You may want to learn more about this guide and how it can help you make your daycare dream come true by visiting freedom4usall.blogspot.com

David has contributed articles and information to multiple websites and forums. If you've found this article useful and informative and would like additional information, please visit http://freedom4usall.blogspot.com/

How to Find a Child Daycare Center

2007-08-24T00:04:00.002-07:00

It’s a daunting question for many parents, new and old. Some of you are first timers with a brand new baby in your home and others of you have several children. All in all you have decided it’s time to go back to work and find a child daycare that meets your beliefs.

But the question is what are your beliefs on what a good child daycare should be?

This is something for you to definitely think about, for you to find a good child daycare you need to determine what kind of environment you most definitely feel comfortable in.

Here are some of the questions you should be asking yourself before you venture out in looking for a child daycare center.

1. Do you feel more comfortable with a family child daycare or a group child daycare? Both are very different. A family child daycare is usually run by one person who is the owner, and usually out of someone’s home. A group child daycare is usually out of a commercial building with staff on hand. Children are divided according to ages. For example all babies are in one room, all toddlers in another, and so on.You get the idea. Family child daycares usually mix all ages together, but family daycares are small- only about 8 children per center. Group centers can be very large. Perhaps up to 250 children in one center.

2. What is the policy of the child care center? Be sure to ask what there rules are regarding sickness, time off, vacations, paid holidays, emergencies. Make sure that you are clear on what these policies are; be clear on what the child daycare center is expecting of you and vice versa. Many times this is how parents and child daycare centers get into disagreement. Not over the actual childcare provided but over the policies established by the center.

3. Do you trust the provider who will be taking care of your child? If you don’t trust the provider chances are you will leave the center. Also understand that child daycares aren’t perfect. Anytime you leave your home you take the risk of error. I’m not trying to protect the child daycare center, but people do make errors and understand that children will be children. They will argue, get dirty, hit their friends and so one but realize that they are learning and this is their nature at such a young age.

I think that the above questions are so important in asking yourself. Realize that choosing a child daycare center is an important decision. Children need consistency and stable loving relationships- this is so much more important then fancy toys and big buildings.

Christine Groth, has helped hundreds of women open their own family childcare centers. An author and mentor she has developed a mentoring system that guarantees their success in small business. To receive her free 3 part newsletter, go to http://www.instantdaycareprofits.com/

Babysitters Or Daycare And Children

2007-08-24T00:04:00.001-07:00

After being a stay-at-home mom for a year or two after having a child, you are most likely to question the correctness or the wisdom of not yet having decided to go back to work. In reality it may be actually beneficial for your child to start interacting with children of his age, and it is certainly wrong for you to feel bad about wanting to get back to your career and your world.

All you need to do is ensure that the day care facility that you choose is a well organized one which places a lot of importance on the development of children’s skills. Such places devote a lot of time towards teaching such skills to your child and within a very short time you will be able to see the positive changes in your child.

After hearing dreadful tales of the babysitters and day care centers from all parts of the world, you would definitely want to find a place that offers the best service and suits your child the best. You should neither be hasty nor should you be afraid to check, and ask questions before you decide. After all, a good straightforward sitter or daycare will not have anything to hide and will be more than ready to clarify all your doubts.

For both your child and yourself, being away from each other may be a good thing. While offering an enjoyable time with other children, going to a day care will also inculcate the right values in your child. It will help her grasp that adults need to work to support their family. You will be instilling in her the ideology of hard work and responsibility, which she in turn will practice when she grows up.

On the whole, instead of being harmful or wrong, opting to leave your child in day care and going back to your job is good. Since all of us want what is best for our children, it is of course necessary for one to be thorough in checking out the day care that one chooses for one’s child. This way while you get back to your active work life, your child will be in good hands.

Swati Banerjee is the owner of Writing Ink, a web content management firm based out of India, that services clients from across the globe. Please take a minute to visit http://www.writing-ink.com/ to experience how the bright young minds here make magic with words!

Quality Daycare Services - Is It A Reality?

2007-08-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

The question on providing quality daycare services is no longer about whether it is a reality because to be successful in the business, you HAVE to provide quality services. If you are thinking that running a daycare centre is going to be an extension of babysitting, think again.

With the affluence of today’s society, customers have become highly accustomed to quality services. For example, when we walk into a diner, we are no longer satisfied with just good food. We expect the waiters and waitresses to be polite, we expect to be served some ice water whilst we wait for our meals, etc. Anything less than a good service and we will feel shortchanged.

So what exactly is delivering quality service in daycare? It simply means either meeting or exceeding the customers’ (parents’) expectations of the daycare service provided. A good technique will be to benchmark against your competitors. Gather as much information as possible about your competitors within 500 meters from you; know what are their charges, how many children they are caring for, why the parents have chosen to deposit their children at their facilities, etc. And use it as a benchmark to set the minimum standard for quality. For example, if all the daycare facilities in your neighborhood operate from 7.30am to 5.30pm, then all the parents will expect you to operate from 7.30am to 5.30pm. However, should you decide to operate from 7am – 7pm to accommodate parents who have to work a little later, it is exceeding their expectations.

What then are examples of quality services? Well, it depends on how much the provider is willing to spend. It can stem from providing better quality meals to developing better quality curriculum or even having a low caregiver to child ratio. Naturally, there is an element of cost pegged to it. You can choose to pass this cost back to the parents or absorb it and use it as a strategy to attract more customers.

But why go through all that trouble? Simply because you have to! Whilst providing quality service does not guarantee success, delivering poor quality service will most definitely be doomed for failure. As the saying goes, if you are not going to serve the customer, someone else will. Going that extra mile for your customer and providing high quality could potentially become your competitive advantage and the key to retaining your customers.

So, do you think providing quality daycare service should be a reality?

For more information or resources on starting a daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com/

Opening a Home Daycare Business

2007-08-20T23:07:00.002-07:00

Opening your own home daycare center can be a wonderful way to spend more time with your family and enjoy a career working with children. Before setting off on this adventure, however, you need to determine what your motives are. If you are looking for a way to get rich it isn't going to happen. If you are looking for an easy job and a day lounging around the house you are in for a shocking surprise. Running a daycare is not an easy job and there is no place in this field for those who do not love children and have the patience and endurance that is needed to work with them on a daily basis. Taking care of other people's children is an entirely different job than caring for your own. You need the ability to love unconditionally and to accept the children in your care into your home and family. If, after thinking long and hard about this career choice, you decide that daycare is right for you than there are several steps you must take.

First, you must find out what your state regulations regarding home daycares are. Most states require a food handler's permit, first aid, C.P.R., and a business license. These are easily obtained with some time and small fees. There are organizations out there that will provide grant money as a reimbursement for your start up costs after you have remained licensed for a set period of time. After you have done that you need to find out what your city regulations are. The state and local regulations are not always the same. In order to do business in the city that you live in you must follow their ordinances. They will generally want to do a fire inspection of your home and will take a written plan for the amount of traffic you will receive during business hours. None of these things are hard. They simply require time to process.

Once you have fulfilled all of the legal requirements of running your home business you need to determine what your business model will be. Hours of operation will have to be decided, keeping in mind that you will need to work longer hours than the parents you serve in order to give them time to travel to and from work. A daily schedule will make your day go much smoother and give the children a routine to count on. This will relieve many of the behavior issues you may run into. A contract and parent handbook is necessary to maintain good relationships with the parents and to assure that your own needs are met. The contract should cover weekly fees, when payment is due, consequences for late payment, and the type of notice on monetary compensation that must be given when the contract is terminated. The parent handbook should cover the rules of your business at home. This is the place to tell parents what you expect of them. Some things you may want to include here are your sick policy, whether or not you allow children to bring things from home, what your stand is regarding vacations and sick days etc. There are many home daycares that have posted their contracts and parent handbooks online that you can look at for ideas. Be sure to be as thorough as possible because these are the things that will primarily determine your satisfaction with your business. It allows you to be in control and avoid many of the typical complains of daycare providers. Once you have a contract be sure that you follow it. This sounds simple but it is easy to become lax in rules trying to please the parents. You need to remember that they have not employed you. You are running your own business and you set the rules. They are a client and agreed to the terms that you set for them. Start strict so the parents know where you stand. It is easier to be more lenient over time as you develop relationships with the parents than it is to go the other direction. The last thing you want is to hate your job because parents are constantly late picking up or paying their fees.

Many daycares choose to provide full preschool programs. If you are not comfortable developing your own curriculum there are many companies such as Mother Goose Time and Funshine Express that will send you boxes of materials every month with each day planned for you. This is not a requirement for running a home daycare. Children can learn quite a lot through play as long as they are actively engaged in activities and interactions throughout the day.

Advertising can be fairly easy. Signs can be printed for under $20 at vinyl shops with your business name and phone number. These can be placed in your yard if your neighborhood allows it or on streets nearby. Flyers can be posted on bulletin boards at many local businesses, including grocery stores. Word of mouth is the best advertising. Talk to everyone you know and let them know what you are doing. Parents are desperate to find quality daycare and once you build your reputation you will never need to advertise. Local Resource and Referral agencies offer fantastic childcare placement services. They link parents searching for daycare with a list of daycare providers in each city. Be sure and sign up with them once you have received your license. It can take up to 6 months to fill all the openings you have but once you develop a name for yourself your business should be pretty steady.

Daycare can be a wonderful profession with the right attitude and passion. It requires patience and love and a lot of work but the time it gives you with your own children and the freedom to control your employment is well worth the work.

Rachel Lister is a 26 year old mother of two young children. She teaches preschool and runs a home daycare. Rachel is the teen editor for Bellaonline.com (http://www.teen.bellaonline.com/) and writes for various other online markets.

http://www.rachelptg.blogspot.com/

http://www.kaleidoscope-childhood.blogspot.com/

How To Start A DayCare Business

2007-08-20T23:07:00.001-07:00

So you have decided that your town or community could do with a good daycare center and now you are wondering how to get started. There are several important things to think about before you should start doing anything:

1. Setting

Is this going to be a home-based business or will it be a daycare center with its own discrete location? If you plan on running your operation at home, consider the expenses: will you need to do any remodeling to make managing an orderly and safe daycare feasible? Is there anything in the house that could be damaged or that could be harmful? If you want to go the other route and have your own separate daycare center, the best option here is to find a small building somewhere near a residential area and rent it out. If you become very successful and anticipate further growth of your business, you may want to invest in buying the property.

2. Certifications and Licenses

This is very important as you do not want any starting investment to be ruined because you violated a law. This can be very area-specific so it is recommended that you sit with an attorney to discuss legal matters, but generally you will need a business license as well as some kind of certification that recognizes your institution as a legitimate daycare center or home-based business.

3. Management

Who will be running the center? Will you need to hire helpers or will this be a family-oriented advent? Be sure to keep on top of this form the start because you can easily find yourself in over your head if you do not have enough help and keep track of expenses very well and how they are distributed to your employees if you have any.

It may seem intimidating, but starting a daycare business can be extremely rewarding both monetarily and emotionally, and if you do your research before diving in, you will be on your way to opening sooner than you think.

Isaac Phillipson has assisted in the opening of two daycare businesses within his own community. To view the very guide he used to do this, visit http://www.review-source.com/startadaycare.php

Starting A Home Daycare Business

2007-08-20T01:55:00.002-07:00

The childcare or daycare business has become a valuable part of modern society. Parents want a place they can leave their children while they are at work and be assured that their kids are in good hands. With this said, it is apparent that for anybody interested in running a home based daycare business or daycare center, the first priority must be the love of children. Their safety and well being must come before financial gains on your priority list. Starting a daycare center could be the best way to positively impact on the lives of the children and parents in your community. Obviously, in the long run, if properly planned, a daycare business is bound to be lucrative, but you are sure to enjoy the bond created between you, the children and their parents in decades to come, more than any financial again.

However, the love of kids cannot be the only requirement for starting a daycare business. As with any other business, especially small and home based business, several other factors must be put into consideration before jumping into the business. Let's take a look at some of these vital requirements.

For a start, you really have to do thorough research. You have to know what you are getting yourself into, the pros, the cons and the prospects. Does your locality need another daycare operator? Will it be profitable in your area? Are those running the existing centers enjoying the experience? These are some of the numerous questions you need to get answers to. It would be a great idea to visit existing daycare centers; you could interview parents about what they think of the services they are getting, what they expected and also the operators about how well the business is thriving.

You will also want to learn about licensing and certifications required for running a daycare business. Some states will require that you get licensed while some others may not. You may also want to get First Aid, CPR or other kind of certifications. Even if these were not pre-requisites, they would come handy when the business gets into full swing. You never can tell what events could occur, it is always better to be prepared for accidents and eventualities.

There is also the personal side of the story. You need to consider if you want to run a home based daycare business or a daycare center. If it is going to be home based, do you need to modify or change your house to be make it child friendly, do you own a building or will you have to rent the required space. You should also consider what impact being with children all day long would have on you and your family. If you are not a natural child lover, a daycare business may be very demanding, as tending children requires a lot of love, understanding and patience. If you have growing kids yourself, the task may be more demanding, as you never can tell what impact the kids you are tending will have on your own children. However, if handling such things is not stressful for you or if you are stay at home mom that is seeking to supplement her income with the venture, then a home based daycare business might just the right thing for you.

As with any other business venture, a clear business plan would definitely impact positively on its success. You need a business plan to map out the viability or otherwise of the venture. You need to consider the initial capital and expense you will incur setting up the business, where these monies will come from and how you are going to recoup your initial capital plus profit. Your business plan will also take care of all necessary accounting and tax expenses, and even create back ups in case of accidents or other eventualities.

In all, the success of your business venture will be directly proportional to how well prepared you were before you jumped into it. Do as much research as you can, learn all you can find about children and their needs, what parents wish for their children and especially, a good business plan. It is never wrong to be well prepared, you will be better for it.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Child Care

How To Choose A Daycare Provider

2007-08-20T01:55:00.001-07:00

There is no greater decision that a working parent has to make than who will provide childcare while they are away from home. You want to make sure that the provider gives your child all the love and attention that they can provide. Certainly no provider can provide the attention that a loving parent can, but some are better than others.

The key to making the right decision is in knowing what to look for and what questions to ask. Each parent will be different in what value they place on each area: however there are some things that all parents should be concerned about. Recommendations are nice, but what may be important to your friend may not be as important to you.

The first thing you need to know is the difference between a group center and a family care center. A group care center is usually held in a large, commercial facility. It usually houses 9 children or more. A family daycare is usually in someone's home and usually houses 6 children or less.

Check with your state social services for the requirements in your area. Also check for licenses and certificate requirements. They can also provide a list of reputable providers. You may also want to only consider state licensed centers.

You will also want to consider the adult:child ratio. The lower the ratio the better for your child. This will allow your child to get more attention. The picture of your child sitting alone while some overstressed worker handles too many children is one of a parent's worst nightmares.

Also, ask about staff turnover. The lower the turnover rate, the better it is for your child. The turnover rate is an indication of the stability of the company. You also want to consider how long they have been in service.

Make sure that you are in agreement with the caregiver's philosophy on teaching, breaks, games, discipline (a real biggie) and naps.

Below are some questions that you will want to ask the provider. Many of these can be asked over the phone be nothing replaces an on site visit:

1. What are your emergency policies?

2. What is the cancellation policy?

3. What is the latest I can pick my child up and what are the penalties

4. Who will be taking care of your child and what happens if that person becomes sick?

5. Under what circumstances would you call the parent?

6. How long have you been in business? How long have you been at this site?

7. Could you provide references from other parents?

8. How do you check the backgrounds of your employees?

9. How do you handle sick children?

10. Is there a length of time for the contract?

Remember to take your time when you make this decision. Where you place your child can make a big difference in your little one(s) life and yours. It will also affect your work. If you are concerned about your child it will be harder for you to concentrate on your job.

There are no guarantees. There are many considerations that you need to consider when choosing a daycare. By being patient and doing your homework you will give your child the best possible chance of being safe and happy while you are away at work.

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Legal Duties as a Daycare Director

2007-08-20T01:54:00.001-07:00

Do you know what your duties are as a director of your daycare centre? Many business owners are unaware of the legal implications of being a director of an establishment. Whilst understandably, many of us are not legal professional, it is important to know what’s required of you as a director so that you can make a conscious effort to stay away from situations which could potentially put you in conflict with your duties as a director.

A director’s duties can be categorized broadly as:
• Fiduciary Duties
• Duties of skill, care and diligence
• Statutory Duties

1) Fiduciary Duties

a. A director is required to act in genuine interest of the company’s interest at all times

As a director, he is required to act honestly and conduct due diligence when discharging his duties as a director. Should a director be forced to make a decision or undertake a transaction which may seem inviable or disadvantageous for the company, he must be able to justify other intangible benefits for the company; either to the company as a corporate entity or its group of company, the members and employees in the company or the interest of the creditors in the company.

b. A director must avoid positions where his personal interest may be in conflict with his duty

A director must ensure that he acts in the best interest of the company at all times and not be in a position where his personal interest will impair his judgment resulting in a situation where his personal interest take precedence over the company’s interest.

c. Duty to use powers for proper purposes and not for any collateral purpose

A director must understand that he is the trustee of the company’s assets and the company assets entrusted to him are to be applied for the company’s purpose and interest. It is considered a breach of fiduciary duty should the director misapply the company’s assets or abuse his power. Even if he was misguided on what was in the company’s interest, the director is still in breach of his duty should be misuse his powers. And should he misapply the company’s funds, he is in breach of criminal breach of trust, be it or not he has personally benefited from it. A director must not accept any form of reward or payment from any third party other than his company.

2) Duties of skill, care and diligence

A director must ensure that he exercise reasonable care and skill when undertaking his director responsibility with any additional knowledge and experience which he actually has..

3) Statutory Duties

A director’s breach of statutory duty can be a civil breach rendering the director liable to the company for any profit made by him or for any damage suffered by the company or a criminal offense.

a. Duty to disclose certain important information

A director is bound to disclose certain information to the company such as interest in a proposed or existing transaction or arrangement with the company or loans to director, etc. The type of information that a director is required to disclose can vary slightly from country to country and state to state.

b. Duty to ensure that the accounts are properly prepared

It is the director’s duty to ensure that the accounts are properly prepared and managed. The accounts should provide a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and explain its transactions.

In essence, it is important to note that a director’s duty to the company is an important one. He must at all times act with care, honesty and diligence and make decisions which are in the best interest of the company and not oneself.

For more information or resources on starting a successful daycare, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com/

Tips on Choosing a Good Daycare

2007-08-20T01:53:00.000-07:00

Now a days it is hard to make it with one parent working, that we have to find a good and caring daycare for our kids, and go on to work also. I found that it is better to find out all you can about the daycare before you decide to leave your children there.

First of all, these are your pride and joys and you don't want anything to happen to them while you are away from them. When you first go to check out a daycare center, check for their license, if you don't see it then ask about it and physically look at it. No license then I wouldn't consider them taking care of my child. And training. Make sure they have had training in taking care of children. I am talking about training in taking care of quiet kids to the hyper ones that just don't want to listen. There is a requirement in some states, you have to go to classes every year for so many hours to qualify to work in a daycare.

Next, how about smoke detectors and fire exits? Make sure they have both. Ask about the plan if there should be a fire and if they have fire drills with the kids so they know what to do should a fire break out.

How about the atmosphere there? Is it a happy room, with toys and tables and chairs. A room that your kids can't wait to tear into or just a drab room that really hasn't caught your fancy. If you can't get excited with the daycare, they most likely you child won't either. Are the daycare workers friendly, and do they pay attention to your child while you are asking about the place? Some places just want to get your child there to make the money. Check out how they treat your child and others before you make a decision.

Are you looking for just a place to drop you kids off or do you want something that not only takes care of your kids but also teaches them things that will help when they start school. That is important too. Some places have the play time then learning time and then play time. How about naps? What do they do if the child doesn't want to take a nap?

When you decide which daycare you want to take care of your child, make sure you make up a list of important things incase of an emergency, medicines, phone numbers and also make sure you put it in writing if you or someone else will be picking your child up. If you chose you and your husband only or who ever, make sure they know that and put it in writing so no one else can snatch your child up.

There are a million questions you could ask, and don't be afraid to. Remember this is your child that they are taking care of.

Visit Lenores World Today

Childcare Management & Daycare Software

2007-08-18T00:48:00.001-07:00

Running a childcare facility can be an exhausting, 24/7 job. There are always kids to keep track of, records to update, fees to collect, bills to pay, reports to write, and so on. Often, your To-Do List seems both frighteningly endless and drearily cyclical.

If you're not careful, trying to keep up with all your duties could wear you ragged. You also run the risk of spreading yourself too thin. And that could spell the difference between delivering quality and substandard childcare.

Fortunately, Professional Solutions' ProCare software provides a way to streamline your operations. With this line of childcare management and daycare programs, you can quickly automate your facilities for maximum efficiency and minimum headaches. This means you can now instantly accomplish tasks that would otherwise take you minutes, hours or even days to complete. This also means that investing in the ProCare system can save you a fortune in wasted time, effort and money. It can very well be the soundest business decision you'll ever make.

Automation allows ProCare to simplify many monotonous and mundane administrative chores for you. With just a few keystrokes and mouse clicks, it can help you organize customer information into easily retrievable records. It can also help you perform other time-consuming duties, such as scheduling, bookkeeping and generating reports, in practically no time at all.

ProCare knows that the decision to automate your center is no small matter. This is why ProCare willingly provides you with a free software demo (available for request at http://procaresoftware.com/demo.shtml that will walk you through the system. This gives you a firsthand feel of the features and benefits without having to shell out any funds.

ProCare is a completely customizable software package solution. With the comprehensive ProCare Family Data program at its very heart, managing child and family data becomes swift and simple. Other optional modules can be purchased as add-ons to this core software. Each module is intended to target a specific function, such as accounting or attendance tracking. While the Family Data software is a must-buy, you only pay for the add-ons that you want or require. ProCare can therefore be designed to meet the individual needs of most any preschool or daycare. It can even be designed to fit most any budget. A pool of well-trained and dedicated ProCare consultants are always on hand to help you pick out which features will work best for your particular center.

Once you choose and install the ProCare package best suited for your needs, you're ready to hit the ground running. Its intuitive interface guarantees ease of use, with absolutely no learning curve necessary. Even computer novices will be able to successfully navigate through the application's user-friendly menus and functions. So from the moment you fire up your software, all you have to worry about is what you're going to do with all the time you'll save.

For an entire decade now, ProCare's business solution expertise has given childcare professionals more time to focus on what really counts: nurturing and caring for kids. Isn't it time you automated your center the ProCare way too? For more information on Day Care Software, please visit http://www.softwareperfect.com/

About The Author
Jasmine Ong is a staff writer for Software Perfect - a leading independent software review website. softwareperfect.com

SMS Daycare & Gaming

2007-08-18T00:47:00.002-07:00

Using the Physical World as a Game Board.

This is not Kinky Day Care! SMS stands for Short Message Service.

If your children carry cell phones, or if you have an extra family phone you can let them borrow for the day. This is a good way to get a break and run the kids all over the neighborhood.

The Treasure Hunt. Come up with a few locations around the house or the yard and create hints to explain each location. It's better to have three or four hints for each location. I usually put a card with a number on it at each location. This will help you know if they actually made it to the location. You don't have to use the cards or "PostIt Note" if you don't want to. Once you're setup, get the kids ready.

Page them with the first hint. It's always nice to have your hints as short as possible. You should have at least three hints, from hard to easy. This would also depend on the age groups your working with. Now you get to sit back in the hammock in the backyard while you keep the children busy! It's a great way to take a break.

You can make up as many location as you want, but sometimes they get a little frustrated after about five or so locations.

Always have a prize of some kind at the end. Maybe a candy bar or a trip to the ice cream store.

When they find the first location. They are to page you and give the number you wrote on the card or PostIt Note. (The numbers shouldn't be in order, i.e. 1,2,3 etc. You can use anything you want. If your child is OK with text paging, you can have them explain the location in the text page, i.e. "Tree in backyard"). At that time, you page them back with a Congratulations and the next hint. If you have more than one cell phone in the group, you will be able to setup teams. You have to be fair as far as which message you send to each group, (hard, medium, or easy hints). If I have more than one group, I'll send them in different directions so they can't cheat off one another. If group number 2 is ahead of group 1, and I give group 2 an easy hint. Be fair, when group 1 gets to that hint; give them the easy hint first. If they still need help, I'll shoot the others to them also.

I like the easy way to keep kids busy. And it's even fun for you too. If the children are older, you can have them running all over the neighborhood and you can use up to ten or more locations if you like. If they begin to get tired, you can always skip to the last location where the prize might be. So you might be ready with as many locations as you can think of. You can always use them on the next hunt.

It all depends on who you’re doing this with. Some kids get bored after 5 locations; others are still ready to go after 10 locations. The age groups don't matter in this situation. Have fun.

Email me with any new or better ideas on "Creating your own breaks". Thank you.

Robert Lett http://www.robertlett.com/

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When you're out of the office and that potiential client calls, do you have to tell them that you will get in touch with them when you return to the office? Is that potiential client calling your competition in the mean time to see if they get a better response? What if you could have all your important files with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Hanging on your belt or sitting in your purse, and it wouldn't weigh too much more than the cell phone you are currently carrying.

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Work; Adult Daycare

2007-08-18T00:47:00.001-07:00

Anyone that has read some of my articles can probably tell that I have a bitter taste in my mouth as it relates to Corporate America. The reason I have this view is because I am not a Corporate America person, but I am in a Corporate America position.

Why do I refer to work as adult daycare? Simple. There are a bunch of people that have to go to a place for 9 hours a day (usually much more). While you are there you are dealing with people who are petty, extremely sensitive and their feelings are easily hurt. They talk about people behind their back like kids do with the weird kid playing in the corner by himself. There are people in upper management that get upset when you don’t agree with them and they pull a power trip like the kid in the neighborhood that took his ball and went home when he didn’t get his way. And, there are bullies. The people who stink at their job but try to intimidate people into thinking they are someone important.

I said before that I am not a corporate guy and that is because I am honest. I say what I feel and what I mean. I don’t pull any punches. I make my opinion known in a professional way and I have refused to do some things my manager has asked me to do simply because I did not agree and thought they were wrong. There is something very ironic about my situation and that is, for anybody that has kids you are constantly teaching them to be honest and not to lie to people. But, when you get older and get into the “real world” all you deal with on a daily basis is lies and deception. I guess it is also ironic that it is called the “real world” too. What is real about it?

I have a little girl turning 2 years old next month and I would spend all my time with her over adults any day and that is because she is honest. If she is at her daycare she is honest with her classmates. If one of them has a “booooga” (as she pronounces it) she tells them. If someone hits her she tells them, “I no like that!” My friends all have kids now and they are a bit younger than my daughter but they are rapidly approaching that honesty stage. If we have a cookout this summer there is a good chance I will be found playing with the kids because the honesty is just refreshing. Not that my friends aren’t honest, because they are for the most part, but because they are not honest like a toddler is honest.

I called the article Work: The Adult Daycare not because we are babysat at work, although in some cases we are, but because it is everything a child daycare is without the honesty. At what point in life is it not OK to be honest anymore? Why do our parents teach us the importance of being honest when they are most likely participating in the lies at Adult Daycare?

I work for Liberty Mutual Insurance, for about 3 more weeks. I am on probation. I am on probation for being honest. I have expressed my concerns about the way we handle homeowner’s insurance. Refer to my article, The Scam We Call Homeowner’s Insurance. There are many other examples of my being honest. One other big one has to do with the Massachusetts Auto Insurance “Program” we implemented last spring. I will be writing an article about that very soon as well. But the biggest reason I am going to be fired is for being honest with my manager.

I know what it takes to be successful. You need to play the “political game”. I am not oblivious to this, I just don’t agree with it. Because of this I have begun my work-from-home business and will soon be doing it full-time. At least then I will be able to say I work for someone I respect.

Scott Bianchi operates http://www.best-internet-bargains.com/ He writes on a variety of topics. If you would like to be added to his distribution list for his new articles when they are published just send an email to articles@bestinternetbargains.com.

Kids and Daycare

2007-08-18T00:46:00.000-07:00

Now a days the only way for some families to make it, is for both the mother and father work and the children go to daycare. The daycares are not only expensive but you don't really know what goes on while your children are there.

My daughter and son-in-law were in the group of working parents. My grandson was put in a childcare while they worked. My grandson wasn't the type to cry and act up when he was dropped off. Then he changed. We all thought it was because he was spoiled and didn't want to leave mommy and daddy. It got to the point that my daughter had to get him interested in a toy and sneak out of the place. This went on for months. Then Grandma showed up and was blessed with babysitting for the day. Let me tell you, what a day. From the time my daughter and son-in-law left for work, and until they came home my grandson did nothing but cry. And I mean really cry. How heartbreaking. He kept saying, I want my mommy, I want my daddy, I really love my mommy, I really love my daddy. It made me cry. This went on for 6 hours steady. He would sit there and play but still cry and repeat I really love my mommy, I really love my daddy, I want my mommy, I want my daddy. Finally I got him down for a nap. He wore himself out from all the crying. My daughter had finally arrived home from work. She couldn't believe him acting like that. Tristan never had a problem staying with me. We couldn't figure out why all of a sudden there was a big change in him.

She had called the daycare to see if there was something going on there. She had explained his actions for the day. The lady she had talked to had said that it was probably because he wasn't use to being around Grandma cause she lives in Georgia and doesn't come often. Wrong. Grandma was there every other week. After she went round for round with the lady, she ended up taking my grandson out of the daycare and put him in another one. My grandson was back to his old self. Laughing and playing, having a good time. Even found himself a girlfriend.

A few weeks later, my daughter was talking to a friend who works in the building next to the daycare. Well, she started talking about my grandson and how he was acting, and that she had to put him in another daycare. It turns out that the friend witnessed one of the workers at the daycare outside on the side of the building sitting in a chair with my grandson sitting on her lap with her arms around his chest and her legs wrapped around his legs and him crying his little heart out. This act of discipline nearly ruined my grandson. If they did that to my grandson, what else were they doing there?

My grandson is no longer in daycare, he is in second grade and his mom is a stay at home mom. He is doing great and a happy little fellow.

So if you need to put your child in a daycare, be sure to check it out before you leave your child. And if you see a difference in your child's attitude or behavior, check it out. There is a reason why.

Continue

Daycare Fundraising

2007-08-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

Fundraising is at times the only means of sustaining a non-profit organization like a daycare. There are several ideas, resources, and products available on the Internet for the fundraiser.

Fundraising for daycare is accomplished typically through brochures or through direct sales. Several firms have brochure programs that promote fundraising. It is easy to use these brochure programs for any day care as they involve lesser costs and have no associated major risks. The brochures come with separate programs for fall and spring and are generally updated with the latest ideas and items for fundraising. Several products are included in the catalogs such as cookie dough, pies, gift-wrap, cheesecakes, and household items.

The fundraisers cater to all the various requisites that would be needed for by the center, including awards and kits for starting of the campaign. The companies also develop relationships with fundraising clients and supervise every attribute of the fundraising.

With the help of volunteers, it is possible to market the products and the brochures to bring about sales. The proceeds of this sale go towards the campaign behind the fund raising plan. Generally, an inventory is listed of the products that have to be sold by these volunteers. They are expected to sell the product, deliver it, and collect payment for the product from the customer. Certain fund raising companies require the money upfront before the sales. Others allow time until the products are sold.

Daycare volunteers are provided a fundraising brochure that they demonstrate to prospective supporters and an order form. If fundraiser groups are selling only a single item, then the volunteer can carry a sample of the item. Supporters typically select an article from the brochure and the order is placed on the form. The fundraising companies then ship the items to the fundraiser. Volunteers deliver the specific item to the supporter, as per the order form. The funds can be collected on delivery of the items.

Fundraising provides detailed information on Fundraising, Fundraising Ideas, Fundraising Software, School Fundraising and more. Fundraising is affiliated with Recycling Center.

Daycare Home

2007-08-17T05:14:00.002-07:00

I would like to thank you for visiting and reading this article. The topic has been carefully researched and documented for your benefit.

For the working parents the need to keep their beloved child some place safety and yet home feeling is a situation that many of us face. The day care home provides the solution to this problem. These day care “centers” are homes where a small group of young children get to interact with other children of their own age.

The care supplier is normally a woman or mother who loves look after children. She has made a conscious decision to turn her home into a day care location. Here is a warm and family type of environment the small children can play and learn fun training games. At the same time their emotional needs will be looked after.

These types of day care home surround can stimulate your child into feeling happy and interested in learning the world around them. They will be able to play with other children and learn to exercise in a societal environment. The only real drawback to this typewrite of care is that some of these daycare home “mothers” have no experience in dealing with a fair total of rambunctious toddlers.

In these places your tike will be at run a risk from having the wrong care given. To make sure that you have chosen a daycare home center where you can be sure that your baby is receiving good care you should see if you have the ability to visit the home center during the hours when your child is in the daycare home....please read more on a site that is all about this topic and other related information for your interests...Thanks for reading and good luck putting this information to good use.

Michael Malega presents several daycare home articles for your information. You can visit Michael's web site here Daycare Home

Pet Daycare

2007-08-17T05:14:00.001-07:00

Nowadays, pet owners consider their pets as members of the family. Pet owners try to provide their pets with the comfort and the care they would provide family members. As a result, a demand for certain pet services like pet grooming have been created, as pet owners try to provide the best for their pets. A number of business opportunities have also been created for entrepreneurs who wish to cash in on this demand. Among these opportunities, one that has become lucrative is holding a pet daycare. There is a huge demand for daycare services among pet owners especially for pet owners who leave the house and do not want to leave their pets all alone. The good news is that for people who want to open up a pet daycare.

There are some steps that entrepreneurs can take that can help them get a good start on their pet daycare business. One of these includes embarking on a learning process about the pet daycare business. This is important because knowing every detail of the business can help business owners to take further steps that can ensure success. It is then important for business owners to come up with a business plan, which can help them strategize and plan the operations of the business. The business plan should include the ways by which the performance of the business could be monitored and evaluated.

It would also be a good idea for business owners to evaluate the competition as well, as this can help them come up with ways that they can distinguish themselves from other similar companies. In addition, business owners also need to provide excellent customer service, which they can do by talking with their customers and responding to their needs and concerns.

Starting up a pet day care business has become a lucrative business options for entrepreneurs because there is a huge demand for pet daycare services from pet owners. By doing enough research, an entrepreneur can maximize the opportunities that running a pet day care service can provide.

Pet Care provides detailed information on Pet Care, Pet Health Care, Pet Care Products, Pet Day Care and more. Pet Care is affiliated with Pet Health Care.

Maximize Daycare Income: Blog Daycare Activities-Menus, & Mom Tips For Passive Income

2007-08-17T05:13:00.002-07:00

When you run a daycare at home, you may think you’ve maxed out your time and effort, but - have you?

Every day you plan a daycare menu, child activities, and offer Mom’s tips for making the most of parenting time, because you have experience in those areas. Why not share your daycare experiences and have additional income?

Blog your daycare experiences, run an online forum for parents, and design a website with Tips for Mom’s and Toddlers, or After School Plans and make a bundle from your efforts with passive income streams. Use your daily child-loved meal plans as pages on your website, or blog the craziest stunt your most recently acquired two year old attempted, and you’ve got a winning site with frequent visitor miles.

When you share your day online, other moms become part of your community and you make a buck or two from an alternative source of business. The day is good. Your active income from running a daycare may only make a few dollars a day with all the deductions, but your alternative income streams may bring you a hundred dollars or more, depending on what kind of income streams you include.

You can Maximize your Daycare Income by sharing what you do, increasing your visibility, and making a name for yourself as an expert in your field of child care.

The daily events that make you laugh with joy or cry tears of distress can bring you fame and additional income if you blog it.

When you share your expert knowledge with other daycare moms through a forum, or website, you can offer benefits and bonuses that bring them more income options. Your ideas become valuable and people begin to look for your words of wisdom.

Jan Verhoeff enjoys additional Spring Income from operating a Tax Consulting Business from her home in Southeastern Colorado. IF you’re looking for information, need help with online filing, or just want to discuss your tax prep with a professional, Jan offers hourly consulting fees at reasonable rates. Or you may search http://taxprep101.blogspot.com/ for Tax Advice and Information at no cost to you.

If you choose to develop your business with additional income streams, Jan Verhoeff can help. Visit http://brandyourmarket.com/ for more information about business development and branding your market.

Opening A DayCare Center - How To Use Birthdays And Holidays To Stengthen Your DayCare Business

2007-08-17T05:13:00.001-07:00

Starting a daycare is not an easy decision. But, for many women around the world, it has proved to be the right one. Women are turning their once small daycare centers into successful businesses which earn them a great income. Many women have quit their jobs and are now financially independent. These women have more time to spend with their family and to do the things they love.

Once you have an initial number of kids in your daycare, it is time to ensure that they and, more importantly, their parents, are happy that they've chosen your daycare center. Remember the following sentence, because following it basically ensures a successful and growing daycare center business: "Happy children make for happy parents who in turn bring you more customers and more money."

You need to woo the parents who entrusted you with their children. There's no other way to put it. You can do so by appealing to the children. You should of course keep the children happy and safe all year around. That's the basic rule of running a day care. But you can also put in a little more effort on special occasions and get a lot more in return.

Don't know when and how? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Birthdays - you should make each child's birthday a special occasion. Either buy a cake or bake one yourself. Make a day of it, or at least an hour or so at the end of the day. Make sure to invite the child's parents to attend the party about 2 weeks in advance. They will be pleasantly surprised. Make them a part of the celebration. It will connect them more firmly to you and to your daycare.

2. Holidays - each holiday should be preceded by a special day at your daycare. For halloween, you can throw a preliminary costume party for the kids. Again, invite the parents. Make sure they know what you're doing. They'll be impressed with your energy and creativity.

3. Arrange a daycare play in which the kids act. Make sure that each kid gets about the same number of lines so that no parent will feel as if his/her kid got the short end of the stick. The children's families will be the audience.

You can come up with more ideas, I'm sure. Any event that brings the parents to your daycare center in a positive atmosphere, makes them more loyal customers who will recommend your daycare to more people. You will get more customers and make more money. All these events shouldn't cost much and can be a lot of fun to produce.

To get more ideas and tips on how to start and run a successful day care center, visit this dedicated webpage: Opening a day care center

Lucy Doyle runs a home business and is an expert on starting and operating successful daycare centers.

Starting A DayCare Ebook - How Can This Help You Start Your DayCare Center?

2007-08-17T05:12:00.001-07:00

The increasing demand for daycares, large and small, has drawn many to consider opening one of their own. All across America and Canada, thousands of women have already made the move towards financial and business independence. But many simply don't have a clue as to what they should do in order to fulfill their dream of opening a daycare. How to start? What do you need?

A daycare center, even though it is a very simple business, still requires some thinking. What you don't do in the beginning, you will have a difficult time to fix later. That is why many people invest in a daycare startup ebook to guide them through the early stages of their daycare business.

Here's how a "how to start a daycare" ebook can help you:

1. Make sure you have all the necessary permits

2. Make sure you have the right kind of insurance

3. Show you how to arrange a schedule for your new business

4. Show you how and where to advertise your new business

5. How to get customers

6. How to keep the necessary accounts of money coming in and going out

7. How to keep the children in your daycare safe

8. How to deal with difficult kids

9. How to deal with angry or irrational parents

10. How to draw a contract with your customers (saving big on lawyer's fees)

There is much more than those 10 things in which a good how to start a day care center ebook can help you with. Mostly it's for keeping you from making a serious early mistake which can cost you big time later on. It's a small investment which pays for itself time and time again later on.

To learn more on how to start and run a highly successful Daycare Center, visit this webpage: How To Start A DayCare Center ebook review Lucy Doyle runs a home business and is an expert on starting and operating successful daycare centers.

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