It may seem like a given fact that you will make mistakes when you start your own daycare, especially if you've never run your own business before. But when you are responsible both for your income, and for taking care of other people's children, there are some mistakes that you cannot afford to make. Here is a list of five major mistakes that could prove to cost you more than you can afford, and how to avoid making them.
1) Failing to research your state's daycare legislation
Every state has different laws about how to run a daycare, and what qualifications you must have in order to start your own daycare business. It will save you hours of confusing red tape if you get to know your state's daycare legislation (and maybe develop a relationship with the staff at your local regulatory agency) before you start getting into the legal aspect of starting your daycare.
2) Selling yourself short in the rates you charge
People believe that they get what they pay for, and why you may feel overly confident as a newcomer who charges the going rate for daycare, you will actually be doing yourself a favor. Your clients won't view you as cocky or deceptive if you charge a rate that is average for your area, they will view you as reasonable, and obviously qualified to take care of their children. People may want "cheap" when it comes to detergent or gasoline, but they won't cut corners when it comes to the care for their children.
3) Endangering your clients' children to make a little extra money
This is a surprisingly easy mistake to make, but it is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Some of the legislation concerning daycares may seem overly cautious or even ridiculously difficult to follow through on, but you need to make sure you stick to the letter of the law. If a child is harmed or goes missing while in your care, and you aren't meeting state regulations in your facility, you could face penalties of thousands of dollars, and could easily lose your license. It may seem like a good way to save money, but cutting corners in your daycare is dangerous, and could easily cost you more than you would ever save.
4) Turning your business into a charity for lazy parents
Some parents think they can walk all over their service providers, and if you give these parents an inch, they'll take a mile. If a parent of one of your children doesn't follow through on their end of the contract, you need to stand firm. Give them a penalty (such as extra fees for repeatedly picking their children up late) and if those penalties don't work, suspend your business with them. You need to be professional, and if you don't stand up to this type of client, you will be rewarding neglectful behavior, while punishing those who do honor their contract with you.
5) Not taking the advice of experienced day-care professionals
When you do anything for the first time, it is a good idea to get as much advice as possible from people who know what they're doing. Since running a daycare requires keeping track of many different details at once, it will be easy for you to overlook something, or not think of the easiest way to do something, and this is where experienced daycare professionals come in. By doing your research and gaining from the wisdom of other daycare professionals, you can get tips on how to save money, how to keep children happy, and how to keep your sanity, without the mess of making so many mistakes.
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