Articles from GBE Friends

It's the age old question; 'How can I market my day care business locally without it costing an arm and a leg?'. Truly, it's not that difficult, just takes a little hard, consistent work. First off, get some stationary printed which should consist of;

- A must have - letterheads. - Personal business cards - Small flyers/brochures for distribution. These should spell out the tantalising key selling points of your day care including;

- Your contact details - What your day care offers in terms of curriculum, additional services e.g. afterschool, french classes etc. - Let the flyer be a voucher - offer a reduction upon presentation of the flyer. - Anything extraordinarily special about your day care that makes it stand out from the competition.

Consider hiring some people or a reputable company to put flyers on cars for you (particulary ones with car seats). Please check with your local city ordinances first to make sure you ain't breaking no laws!

It is worth checking into mass mailings out of your local post office ensuring that the direct targets are subdivisions containing lots of young families and not retirement communities (having said that, I have had many a grandma forward my flyer to her children for their children!!!).

Local networking is your next task so get those walking shoes on and prepare to work the locality. On this particular mission think places of congregation for locals, especially anywhere they have to hang around for significant time periods with nothing to do;

- Any and all clinics where pregnant women attend...do I need to spell it out? - Dentists and doctors surgeries - those waiting rooms are crammed full of potential clients. - Let the creative juices flow and think of anywhere you might have a captive audience who would idly pick up your brochure.

Trawl around for;

- Check out public buildings for community notice boards - Stores that post advertisements (or just ask nicely!). - Local financial institutions - banks and credit unions often have bulletin boards.

Pay a visit to your local schools because they often have notice boards and you might be able to post your flyer there. Sweet talk the prinicial or careers officer and try to arrange doing a talk on child care or the day care business for the P.T.A. or a careers class (it's all exposure and building trust locally).

These are just a few easier ways of marketing your day care locally. So, what are you waiting for? Get yourself out there.

Fiona Lohrenz writes childcare articles based on the 10 years she has spent running a daycare. She also incorporates that knowledge into her 'Start a Day Care Business' DVD Guide: Start A Day Care Business DVD Find out more at her website: ChildCareOnly.com