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[Decadense]

Good morning, I hope everyone is having a great one. I was just wondering what avenues of advertising do you use and which gives you the most response and revenue.. How do people find you? What are your rates? Do you rate by age? Is it one price for all? How compatible are your rates in your area? Do you have a sign outside of your day are?..Is Facebook essential to your advertising and response rate? Do you network with other daycares in your area to fill spots? Thank you in advance for any/all your responses. I really appreciate it..😊

[Blackcat31]

Good morning, I hope everyone is having a great one. I was just wondering what avenues of advertising do you use and which gives you the most response and revenue.. How do people find you? What are your rates? Do you rate by age? Is it one price for all? How compatible are your rates in your area? Do you have a sign outside of your day are?..Is Facebook essential to your advertising and response rate? Do you network with other daycares in your area to fill spots? Thank you in advance for any/all your responses. I really appreciate it..😊

Good morning!

I used to place ads in the local newspaper but wow! That was a long time ago. ... lol! Long before internet and social media.
I have a website now and my website address is listed on the state search sight that parents use when looking for care. I get most my families via word of mouth and haven't advertised in many years now. I guess that is a perk of being in business for so long.

As for rates, I can have 12 kids. I charge one flat rate for each of those 12 spots. I bill that same rate 52 weeks a year regardless of the actual number of hours or days a family needs/uses. It's the easiest method for me to manage. I've charged hourly, billed only for time used, charged according to age, developmental abilities and honestly have probably tried every formula out there for billing but again, having been in business for a long time I've found I can easily settle on one rate for each spot due 52 weeks a year. I raise my rates for yearly for incoming enrollments only. Families in care get one rate assigned to them for the duration of their time here. Makes budgeting for them easy. I don't offer discounts of any kind.

I do not have a sign advertising my daycare. But I do have a banner stating I am QRIS (Parent Aware in my state) rated and have the highest possible number of stars available.

I tried Facebook but can't deal with the cattiness, the drama and outright fakeness of it all so I don't do Facebook and avoid it at all costs. I also don't do Instagram or TikTok in regards to business either. I do network with other providers but mostly because we've formed friendships over the years. I can't however tell you a single name of any of the newer providers in my area because I haven't had the option to meet any of them during trainings etc and COVID and now because most of the trainings I need to do can be done online I don't get out much. haha!

If you are looking for ways to advertise your business, use the search option on the forum and you'll find hundreds of threads on advertising ideas but the best advice I've ever gotten was to be a good quality program and encourage your current clients to spread the word. Another good idea that worked for me was to get involved in community events involving children and spread the word yourself. Go to family events, volunteer at the library or local ECFE classes or the YMCA. Post in mom groups on Facebook or create a website and share it with any and everyone you know!

Advertising, networking and getting your name out there is a tough part of this job and can be extremely difficult if you're an introvert but once you do it, it becomes easier and easier.

[GirlMomma]

Most of my advertising is done by word of mouth. If I have a spot and I’ve called down my waiting list, I’ll make a Facebook post. Enrolled and previous clients/friends/family will share the post, too. They also recommend me if they see that someone is looking for childcare so they can at least get on my waiting list. That’s all I use FB for.

I am listed on Google, just my phone number and general location. I don’t have any signage out front. I have an Instagram that I keep private and post updates on. I do not accept followers on my IG page unless they are enrolled. Most of my communication with parents is done via brightwheel.

The most expensive daycare in my area is $165/week, it’s a center. The least expensive center is $125. I charge $150/week and I think I am the most expensive in-home provider in my area. However, I offer things that other in-home providers don’t offer, so it sets my program apart. I charge 52 weeks/year, regardless of attendance. I only enroll ages 18 months to 5YO, the rate is the same for all ages.

I don’t offer any discounts for siblings. I will increase my rates as needed, but I strive to keep parents on the same rate they start with.

I have three other in-home providers in my area that I send prospects to and they do the same for me. But we’ve never really networked outside of a “Hey, do you have an opening?” mostly because I’m very introverted and I have a young family to care for when my daycare is closed.

[Cat Herder]

I don't actually advertise at all. I volunteer in the community and benefit from word-of-mouth referrals from that, alone. I do have a facebook account, but that came much later. One of my clients set it up and pushed me into the deep end with it. An act of love, she called it.

Our state has a page where we are listed, but none of the clients who called from that have ever worked out. They usually have weird expectations of free, extra long hours and personal exceptions to every rule. The correlation is not super apparent to me, yet.