Where Do I get My Clients : Roxy's Day Care Supplies

WHERE DO I GET MY CLIENTS?

Any good business person does market research. The businessperson determines the need for the product or service to be offered. Determine who the competition will be. Determine if the income will justify the labor needed to run a successful childcare business.

The good news for family childcare providers is that there are hardly any parts of the state that will not need this service. In some parts of the sate, competition may be a little more intense than other parts. This just means that the childcare service will have to focus more on either meeting a need not currently being met or providers will have to do a better job of marketing services than the competition does.

Call your local childcare resource and referral. In Minnesota there is a formal resource and referral service that receives funding to refer parents to licensed childcare facilities (centers and homes). Are you going to provide school age childcare, preschool childcare, infant/toddler childcare or a combination of the above ages? Ask for an estimate of the number of childcare slots needed to fill each age category. If a provider is interested in providing evening or weekend care, she should ask about the number of calls the R&R’s get for that. Resource and referrals will not place a provider’s name into their referral system until she has completed the licensing process. Make a habit of contacting them and updating your opening at least monthly.

In most counties in Minnesota there exists a local county association of licensing family childcare providers. In some of the larger counties, like Hennepin County, there may be many smaller family child care associations often divided from each other by their zip codes. Often these local association do childcare referrals for members of their group. It is possible to obtain information regarding the existence of a family childcare support group in your area in one of several ways:

1. Contact the Minnesota Licensed Family Childcare Association 1-800-652-9704 or 651-636-1989 and ask to have a call returned by someone in the family childcare mentorship program. The mentorship program can help you to locate several other resources as you start out in your business.

2. Check in the in-take packet or folder the county provided to you as you started your licensing process. Often the R&R and county association information are among the many pieces of information included.

3. Check your local newspaper. Often local support groups list their family childcare training in the small local papers under the Calendar of Scheduled Events or the meeting section.

OTHER RESOURCES:

1. Schools in the area. If you have school age children, you can make friends with the school secretary or other office staff. New parents often sign school aged children up at schools before a move and may ask questions regarding local childcare for before and after school care or for younger children. Make sure the school has your business cards. Ask about posting signs up at open houses at the school.

2. Your church, temple or synagogue. If you belong to a religious group, contact the place and ask to speak to someone who greets new parishioners or if they have a childcare referral person. Often parents are very appreciative to find someone who shares the same religious values and beliefs.

3. Children’s structured activities. If your children attend dance classes, ECFC classes, sports or any other activity where other parents with children are likely to go, you may wish to stay there. Meet other parent. Introduce yourself. Pass out flyers, business cards and any other marketing information you have.

4. Park and recreation activities. If your child is in T-Ball or other park activities you could carry a business card and flyer with you to the events. Parents always talk to each other at these events.

5. Become a McGruff or Safe House . Providers are often the only people on the block who are at home to have a McGruff or Safe House. What better way to let parents know that you can be trusted that to someone who works with local law enforcement for the safety of all children.

Is is a goal of Roxy Chuchna, owner of Roxy’s Foods & Crafts to do all that we can to help you to succeed. Our success depend on your success. You are our clients.

If you have any other topics you would like to discuss with Roxy and her staff, please call us. We welcome suggestions of other things you have found helpful regarding these topics. 1-800-244-2440 or 952-432-7700.

C- Roxy’s Foods & Crafts – July 2005