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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Flip

Original poster

Cms - how's business?

11 replies

nervatious · 27/04/2011 20:29

Hi, business very slow here, quite depressing. Just had Ofsted and got 'Good' but still no enquiries. Why is it so hard to get the word out? Bet everyone else is turning people away....sniff.....

So how's business? Better than us I hope!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

southernbelle77 · 27/04/2011 21:29

It's the same here too. No enquiries going around really and lots of people in need of work. Very depressing. Hopefully it will pick up soon.

lollipopmother · 27/04/2011 21:31

I don't know what ways you've been advertising but have you thought of getting yourself a website? Every person I've taken on have always said they've contacted me first before any other minder in the area because I have one. I also have a childcare.co page but rarely get enquiries from that for some reason. I'm a regular at the Children's Centre and get enquiries through there. Its hard at the moment, it took 2 months to fill 5 days that were left when a full-time mindee went, I got 1 enquiry between Nov and March!

Danthe4th · 28/04/2011 08:34

Really quiet here as well, only childminder around as well but too many grandparents around here. I live in a village and earn more by babysitting for holiday makers.

eastmidlandsnightnanny · 28/04/2011 10:46

When searching for a childminder I searched online and contacted those that had email address' first as its so much easier than finding the time to ring so make sure you have an email contact - I searched on sites such as www.childcare.co.uk and www.netmums.co.uk

RosieGirl · 28/04/2011 10:55

Congratulations on your good.

I had a lot of enquiries a couple of months ago, but couldn't fit most of them in due to lots of part-timer's, and unfortunately they needed immediate places. I will have lots of space soon, due to bigger ones off to school and no-one to fill them as yet. So just hoping there is a sudden rush before the school holidays.

I'm on the Essex/Suffolk border.

Flisspaps · 28/04/2011 10:57

Slow. However, I have a full timer and a very part timer - both children of friends, and another friend's child due to start in December when her ML leaves.

Just go make friends with people with babies, or who are pregnant [cwink]

Original poster

nervatious · 28/04/2011 13:10

We do have a website, but not sure how you would find it if you didn't know it was there if you know what I mean....
We go to lots of groups packed with people with babies, but unfortunately so do all the other childminders and I know of at least one who said if she had known we were there she would have gone with us rather than the one she did go with... I guess I just have bad timing!
We also have a childcare.co.uk profile.
I am also upset because a full-timer we had contracted in for sept has cancelled, and since then nothing!

OP posts:

Flisspaps · 28/04/2011 13:15

I also have a website and childcare.co.uk profile, but my website only comes up if you search for my name in the first place, you can't just put 'childminder in Telford' and have my site appear. I have a free vistaprint car magnet with my number and web address on, and am looking at getting one of those QS codes put on it (the square bar code things) so people don't have to type the address in.

Flisspaps · 28/04/2011 13:16

*QR code

cairnterrier · 28/04/2011 22:24

don't know if it helps, but recently I was looking for a new childminder for when we move house to an area that we don't know anyone in to ask for recommendations. I looked on childare.co.uk and did a Google search for CM in ....... and then contacted everyone who came up.

HTH

HSMM · 28/04/2011 22:46

Fairly busy in my neck of the woods for under 5s, but no work for school holidays, due to many cheap holiday clubs. I am lucky that there are very few CMs in this area and we all seem to offer something different.

Flip