where is the best place to advertise?

[EmMum06]

Hi,
i am in the process of registering with ofsted. i live in woolwich and my registration is due for completion in august. i want to line up some families ready to go when i get my registration number. does anyone have any advise on the best way of doing this?

It is hard to advertise before your registration is through because you can't be sure when it will come through.
How do you know it will be completed in August? The various checks Ofsted does can take a huge amount of time... the 12 week estimate is often not met, it can take a lot longer.

What you can do though is host coffee mornings, whereby parents interested in using you for childcare could come over with their child/children and play (parents remaining on the premises). By doing something like this you are not advertising Childminding... but can use it to gather contact details of parents who may be interested in using you as a childminder.

Once you are registered, your Families Information Service will probably be where most parents hear about you. Though you could also pay to advertise online and in local newsagent type shops.

Yep I was going to say FIS (family information service) too
I think somewhere on Mumsnet you can leave your details, not sure where tho.
www.childcare.co.uk
forum.co.uk
www.emergencychildcare.co.uk
Local shops
Local notice boards
Leaflet drop advertising your services
Doctors surgery if they'll let you
I was told on my ICP course School's hold lists of childminders.
Parent & toddler groups
Local Pre-School if you have one
Just a few ideas

thanks to you both, i am a bit concerned now about not being registered by the 12 week period. I sent in all of my paper work at the beginning May so calculated that I should be registed by the end of July, I have a toddler lined up to start on August 16th but obviously i can't take him unless my registration is complete. I am going to start a thread asking how long the process took to be completed for other childminders.

I am new to mumsnet, what is CM Club?

:O)

I started an 'Advertising Tips' thread a LONG time ago so some ideas may not be valid now but some of it might help. I'll find it and bump it up for you