And here’s the final tips and thoughts that Fran thinks is important to know if you’re considering a daycare business:
Question: Do you have any additional advice or suggestions for someone thinking about starting a daycare?
Answer: I think the first thing that you should do is really do a personality self-study course. Understanding what “color” or personality each child is really helps you to deal with the day-to-day antics. I can now anticipate what each child is most likely to do in given situations and arrange things so that they won’t be too stressful for either of us.
Another thing I whole-heartedly suggest is that you check with your local county to find out what kinds of perks might be available for your in-home daycare. I wish that I lived in a community that would allow me to run my daycare from home. Do not incur additional overhead by leasing a commercial space unless you have no other choice.
Before you invest one dime into anything for your business, you need to draw up a business plan, make forms, etc. Many of these things can be found on the internet for free or for a reasonable price. You should also get in contact with your local SCORE group to get a veteran business person to look over your ideas.
Do research before you invest in any big ticket items. Check your homeowner’s insurance to see if you need to increase your coverage. Check out your local daycares, Freecycle, etc. to see if the items you wish to add to your daycare are available elsewhere for free or at a low cost. The research time that you take now will save you hundreds of dollars later.
You should also educate yourself regarding the tax perks and breaks that you have available to you as a home-based business. The money you’ll get back in your taxes could be used to pay for any big changes that you might have in mind.
Never be afraid to ask for help from your family and friends. My two eldest children are boys. Most people find it amazing that they were “willing” to work at my summer daycare camps. Of course they weren’t jumping for joy at the prospect of changing little kid’s diapers, but they understood that the daycare was “our” business and I was counting on them to pull their weight as a team member. And they all stepped up to the challenge. And your family will too.
