Cm Club - How to charge?

[KatyMac]

OK there has been a lot of chat over the last few weeks/months about holiday pay/bank holiday pay etc

Is there a way to sort it out I can understand people not wanting to pay for days they do not receive, but as a self employed person i need to earn to my maximum potential

So using £1 an hour as a nominal fee

52.5 hours a week 52 weeks a year at £1 an hour gives me an income of £2730

I take out 4 weeks holiday plus 8 bank holidays
I lose £294 which is approximatley 10%

so to not charge I would need to charge about £1.10

But if all the other childminders locally charge £1 I won't get much business if I charge £1.10

So what do i do

Childminding shouldn't be about how little you pay - but realistically we are often chosen by that criterion

If I use my regular fee

A year is £9555
The loss is £1029
The percentage is the same 10% (ish)

So I would need to charge £3.85 - no-one will go for this locally so I'm stuffed
Any thoughts on how to further this stale mate/catch 22 situation?

Alas I think the soluition is for everyone in the area to increase prices.

Personally I know childminders who charge more than others in their area - difference of 50p per hour, but they don't have trouble filling their places. I know it will vary by area, but for some, not all parents will shop around on price.

You could increase fees by stealth - for example, you advertise the same fee as local childminders, but then have add-ons, such as food and trips, even school-runs.

Trying to think about the bigger picture Nick - C/Mers won't become cartels (& probably shouldn't)

But I think this needs standardising in some way - whether by OFSTED/NCMA or by (or through) the Tax credit system

On a separate topic - how should I describe my setting?