The way you choose to market your home day care will make the difference between your success and failure. Like any other business, a child care center provides a service that people want and must purchase. Only your marketing plan will help you achieve your goals in starting your home daycare.
Know Your Customers
Knowing your customer is the key to successfully marketing your center. The more you know about the parents' expectations, the easier it will be to develop a program that meets their needs, as well as the kid's. You can also, develop a list of questions to help you identify what the parents will likely need, want and expect of your center.
The questions may include:
1. What type of service will be provided?
2. What are the operating hours?
3. Do the operating hours match the parents' work schedule?
4. Is extended evening care available?
5. Where is the center located?
6. Is the location convenient and easily accessible?
7. How many staff members training in early childhood education or a related field?
8. What is the teacher-to-child ratio?
9. Will there be a curriculum? Will it be structured?
10. Will you create an activities schedule?
11. How will the center be operated? Hours? Activities?
12. Have medical/first aid policies been developed?
13. What will the sleeping arrangements be?
Once you have answered these questions, you will have a foundation from which to develop your marketing plan.
Know the Competition
A vital rule of marketing is to know your competitors. Although operating a home daycare won't require you to compete for business like a daycare center would. It is still best to know who your competitors are.
Your competitors should include all those who offer related services. They may be in the same geographic area or another area that is accessible to your clients. To determine the competitiveness of your market, find out...
1. The location of other childcare services in your area.
2. Who your major competitors are?
3. How long your competitors have been in business.
4. How your center will benefit the clients more than your competitors' centers.
5. If there is a need for additional centers in your area or in an area that is easily accessible?
6. How competitors' centers are like or different from yours.
7. What your competitors' strengths and weaknesses are?
8. How competitors will act when you enter the market.
9. What competitors' are your competitors' reputations, etc., are.
Find out as much as possible about your competitors.
Get The Word Out
Marketing your daycare center will require several strategies. The best on that I recommend is word of mouth. Tell everyone you know about your business, most likely they will know someone who needs your services. By the way word of mouth marketing is the cheapest of all.
However, any other method of advertising you use, you will have to spend money and costs will very.
You should put your marketing plan into action at least five months before you open for business. Make sure your advertisements match the image you are trying to project.
If you are going to pay to advertise, try to meet your competitors head on. Look at your competitors. In what sections do they advertise? What size advertisements do they use?
Inexpensive Advertising Techniques
If you do not have the money to advertise by television, newspaper, or radio don't here are other inexpensive, yet effective ways to do so. Here is a list of some of the things you can do:
Fliers and brochures
business.educationeasy.net Business cards
Referral agencies
Networking
Yellow Pages
Classified ads
A successful marketing plan, carried out effectively should render your business successful. Again know who your customers are, find out who and where your competitors are, and then market your business until you reach your opening day goals.
To find more in-depth information on the ways to market a Home Daycare please visit: [asapchildcare.com]
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