starting a day care

When you start a day care your business can benefit enormously from having a website and blog. I have connected with a lot of clients that otherwise might not have found me or might have overlooked my service in favor of one of the above. There are many bigger, faster, shinier, more centrally located days with bigger advertising budgets than mine.

Instead, thanks to my website including pictures and information on every aspect of my day care people were impressed. They liked the beautiful setting, the family run element and our montessori program. Quite simply, they liked the fact that the website had put a face to the name, had added the personal touch and people felt like they knew us already.

Having an online presence has many advantages in terms of marketing and simply communicating with current and potential clients. It is not difficult to maintain or create a website and a professional look can be easily achieved. A vibrant, regularly updated site and blog can sell your business better than anything else. Include lots of information about you and your day care and ensure your site is easily navigated.

Granted it took a few months of work submitting my site to online business directories and ensuring I had all my meta tags and keywords up to speed but ultimately it was worth it. My day care almost always shows up in the first few listings for any search for child care in my area (oftentimes for nationwide searches).

Pictures of your day care should abound, both interior and exterior - nice bright shots of your playrooms and playgrounds. Parents love to see concise details of essential policies, fees and curriculum - so they know what to expect. You can include downloads of your day care contract and parent handbook - the more information you provide the less questions they’re going to have.

Keep your existing and future clients up to speed and interested in your day care by adding a blog to your website. I just recently revamped my site adding a blog (I use wordpress and highly recommend it) and am already reaping the rewards and hearing lots of nice feedback. Put pictures of you and your employees on a staff page and include a few details about each person. People love that personal touch and feel that you are less of a stranger to them as you start a day care.

Owning and operating a day care for 10 years provides Fiona Lohrenz with lots of material for her child care articles. Not to mention her childcare website and DVD guide to Starting a ChildCare business: How To Start A Daycare You can find her at her Daycare focused website.

- Rene Sandan