advertising in school

[Mum2Luke]

Today I noticed my advert had been taken down at school (am a childminder struggling to get work) and the sour faced school receptionist told me that because it had been in 2 weeks it had to come down because 'school things take priority' I have now lost business to a local nursery which am pretty fed up about as I think the school should support childminders already at the school and not (yet another) private nursery.

Local shops are stopping any postcards being put in their windows because it 'looks scruffy' so where am I supposed to advertise? Not everyone has access to internet and I have tried leaflets which were a complete waste of time as I had no replies.

I have been a childminder for 15-20 years now and work is drying up due to nurseries popping up everywhere, I have NVQ Level3 and various other qualifications and a Good Grade from Ofsted which I fear will be downgraded because I have no children (very unfair, I have worked very hard to get Good and it will be harder to get parents if am only a Satisfactory'

I cannot afford to go out to work as I still have my 10 year old to think about and not many jobs give paid 6 week holidays! At the moment I work as a casual dinner lady but I feel all my hard work is going to waste.

Advertise for free on childcare.co.uk and Gumtree. Instead of asking school to put an advert up in the window, why not pop into the Nursery or Reception class and ask them to put one up in there and to refer people to you (I do this as I get on ever so well with our nursery teacher). If school's got a website, ask them to put a link on there to your own site.

If you're finding it hard to find parents, have you a leisure centre/gym that would perhaps need a creche running? Or you could advertise there (our gym has a noticeboard in the changing room), or at the library, and make sure that your FIS information is up to date.

Oh and what about at the doctors surgery or baby clinic? Perhaps get a number for your local HV and give her some flyers in case anyone mentions that they need childcare to them.

I know that with the Olympics coming up all police leave over that time has been withdrawn and some of my friends are having a really hard time arranging care especially with shifts, so why not drop a flyer into the police station.

You could also try your local college to see if they'll put a flyer up for you. Have you any free local papers that do the rounds?

Sorry if you've tried all these, it's just what sprang to mind.

I do advertise on Childcare,co.uk but when they email me saying someone has viewed my profile I cannot see anything! As for school we have no nursery, will ask about reception class teacher but am not holding out any hope, the dragon of a receptionist doesn't help.

We are up in Greater Manchester, an area with high unemployment and the ones in employment are the very low paid who tend to use parents and Grandparents as free childcare.

I'm not going to give up, am just struggling to find people who want childcare. At the moment I can only offer before and after school and holidays as I work as a school dinner lady at lunchtimes to boost income. I have put NCMA postcards advertising my vacancies in local schools but with lots of other childminders fighting for the same places I may have a very long wait.

I hate to say it but have your tried advertising on the childcare board of netmums.

Might be worth a shot!

If you are a registered childminder, aren't you on the list provided by the local authority. It was a long long time ago but when I looked into this but I wouldn't have contemplated contacting anyone on that list and it was readily available. Good childminders here have long, long waiting lists.

Facebook may have a local parents network that you can join. If there isn't one, start your own. You'll find people on there will ask " can anyone recommend " questions and you can jump in.

I meant this in the nicest possible way, but you do sound a little defeatist/negative. Do you think you might come across like this in real life? I only say this because I have found that people fall over themselves to help some people, and usually these are the ones who come across positively. Sometimes negative people get what they think is going to happen.

Apologies if this isn't the case, but might be worth mulling over. When I found my childminder I could not rely on word of mouth because I didn't know anyone who had used a childminder. The Internet was the first place I looked.

Where do the after school kids go? Could you stand at the school gate with leaflets or ask if they would give them out to parents of children starting in sept?

Would you consider giving up the dinner lady job if you took on a baby? You're limiting yourself to only school age children by not being available in the day. Are you a paying member of childcare.co.uk? If a new member registers in my area I always message them with my details.

I don't see what calling the school receptionist 'sour faced' brings to your post either, having been a school secretary and now being a childminder.

She has a point - school things have priority in school, the amount of advertising material we were asked to display for local businesses in the school I worked in was ridiculous.

If you can get her on side rather than calling her names on here, she could be rather helpful to you - you'd be amazed at the things you get asked about working in a school office, and may get someone ask her direct about childminders in the area anyway.

If all you offer is pre/post school care, might you not be better off advertising for full time places and then give up the dinner lady work? My childminder is pretty busy with pre/post school kids, but they are basically kids she has had from day one - I would imagine a lot of people looking for childcare will be returning to work from mat leave and therefore wanting full days for a 9-12 month old baby. Then they will stick with that provider once the child goes to school.

You are limiting your customers by only offering childcare to either people who actively want to change their provider when their child starts school or those who have recently moved into the area - wouldn't you be better off broadening your potential target market?

Flisspaps - she is sourfaced, the board is big enough to put an MCMA postcard in as well as school stuff. If she can let a nursery advertise, then why not me?

I live in a poor area of Greater Manchester, not many have jobs and the ones who do either leave their little ones with day nurseries, parents or childminders, there are about 400 of us childminders so in constant competition trying to get any children to mind.

emsyj - I would give up the dinner lady job, I have now put business cards on cars and various NCMA vacancy cards up, so I await the phonecalls.

does your library have a noticeboard? Ours has a really well kept one at the entrance, and a seperate noticeboard in the children's section. I often read it through myself while waiting for son to decide what he's going to get.

Does the school's PTA have a newsletter? Perhaps you could ask whether you could pay to have a few lines in there?

There's no reason why the school should support childminders rather than the local nursery is there? Other than that they might have a good relationship personally with those childminders... so agree with others that getting on the receptionists good side is sensible - treating her as the enemy isn't going to help your case when people come to her for a recommendation!

Have you tried talking to local playgroups/children's centres (more likely to pick up younger children that way which will bring in better childminding money) - they usually have boards where you can advertise. Libraries, softplay centres...? And have a good look at the other childminder/nursery ads that are up there - how do they look (eg professional/friendly/colourful); what sort of things do they mention; how do their prices compare to yours? It's always worth checking out the competition - the market can move on a lot in 15-20 years (not saying you haven't!) & it might give you some new ideas about how to market yourself. What have you got that they haven't? Focus your ads on that - if nothing else major on all your childcare experience - not many nurseries have staff with that sort of experience!

I would definitely consider giving up the dinner lady job and advertising that you can do all day, especially as you say it's only casual. I never would have chosen my CM if she didn't do days because although i hardly even need it, it's good to have the option.

I would definitely consider giving up the dinner lady job and advertising that you can do all day, especially as you say it's only casual. I never would have chosen my CM if she didn't do days because although i hardly even need it, it's good to have the option.

We have a weekly school news pamphlet which anyone which for small fee anyone can advertise in.

I also some years ago *built a notice board with a glass front that stands on the entrance path to the school, we charge 50p(A5) £1 (A4) 30p (business card) a week per notice, and over the years has raised a lot of money for the school. We are about to add another one as it's so successful and popular.

I got the local building suppliers to provide the materials free of charge, and they are happy to do the same again.

Our local library has a local book which has local classes, childminders, playgroups etc. Could you offer to make one and speak to other childminders?

Loads of places round here have advertising boards in the windows. Heck, even the large Tesco Extra has one by the exit.
Also notice boards are at the community centre, library, sure start centres, leisure centre, children's gym club.... have you really tried all of these?

I'd find it irritating if the school had ads on the school notice board, because when I'm looking for a school notice I don't want the school stuff to be hidden by the local businesses.