Been approached about running a sports centre creche........not clue how to

[KatyMac]

I've been brainstorming thinking very hard about it & the meeting is on Tuesday.

So there are several options & I need to choose the most cost effective/practical ones to produce some sort of proposal

Creche at the centre
Pros - most use for parents, additional space for children, fixed costs covered
Cons - not ideal, no access to outside space, additional staffing needs

Could be done by us or we could consult on provision by sports centre

Creche at the setting
Pros - easier to man (esp if numbers are low), total control, setting is more child friendly
Cons - not ideal for parents (about 1/2 mile away). limited numbers

I need to make it work for the sports centre chap & for me - I'm not sure if there should be some 'gain' for both of us due to working together

Can anyone comment or throw ideas/problems/issues my way

My point is YOU shouldn't have to run it at a loss. The centre want you to provide a service but there is absolutely no point for you if you don't make a profit. Just say no

Hopefully my proposal will explain the pitfalls & why I can't just do it

I run a creche for someone else (which is why they asked me) but I charge £150 a session for that

£8.50

the creche i use chares £3.35 per child for 1.5 hour session, there is scheme in place where those receiving jsa/income support/wtc get 50% discount (also apllies to gym session price)

there is no charge for settling session 30 min and no registration charge

exactly Littleducks - you can see why it wouldn't be viable

I don't want to let them down but tbh I can't afford to do it

I think to make the 2 hours session viable I would need to charge parents about £5 - which if I did 2 sessions a week the SC would need to subsidise me £50 a week - if I was full & tbh that is a very big if isn't it

My (council run) sports centre charges £2 per half hour - so £8 for 2 hours. However is free for up to 10hrs a week with peak membership, is very popular!

I have been thinking and I would probably use a nursery nearby (if it was only a few minutes away like yours) if it was advertised/described as the gym creche rather than a nearby nursery IYSWIM.
I don't really know why, just the reassurance that it is backed by the gym and maybe you could pay the extra fees to the gym to pass onto you so only having to pay once or something.
If you explained it with the figures and that he woujldn't need to subsidise you if you were offsite it might sway him?
Good luck!

That is a really good idea

I could advertise as the gym creche @ WC (company name)

& state what times it is available (when I have space)

They could take the money when they booked the space & the creche could email me the places

Sorted

Glad to be of help!
I have been thinking about this as I went for a run this morning and have to time my exercise around DH's shifts, would be so much easier if I could go to a gym with a creche, but the leisure centre is all I have, and the creche is only 9-12am, which is not helpful.
When I do use it though I call in advance and book it and then pay all at once, which makes it all a lot easier.

We are open from 7:30 until 6pm....so hopefully people will use us around the times they need rather than set times

TBH - I think the chose is between nothing or an established setting with an Outstanding from OFSTED

As a setting we can't lose offering sessions to gym users & the gym might gain

chose choice

What happened to your ECO nursery plans KM?

They crashed & burnt

The bank wouldn't lend me any money when the credit crunch happened

Looking hopeful!

Hope so - just got to convince the chap tomorrow

Fingers crossed

Well that was a bizarre meeting

I get to write a questionnaire to see if customers would use me

Oh & would I like to open a nursery in his field

Field, you say?

Well, you could let the children run wild....
Sounds good though as customers probably would like it, I have been looking all over for a gym with a creche near me apart from this one that is only open 3 hours a day, adn there is nothing!

He can't afford it...yet

Questionnaire is tricky

Tricky how? Can we help?

And if you are running it in your premises how much would it cost him anyway?
(feel free to tell me to f off DH is out and I am bored!)

In my premises I run a very high quality childcare service, & the gym creche must not impinge on that.....no how, no way

Tricky because, as any sensible person knows, you have to ask the right question to get the right answer

I wonder if I should start a separate thread to get marketing/research people on board?

More than happy for people to critique.....god knows my ideas need reality checks

I would just ask,
Do you need / Would you use the gym more if childcare was available.
Would you be happy wiht an offsite caring if it was 'linked' with the gym

And just ask what hours and how long they would need it for, that way you can see if it wold be viable for you.

But then know feck all, maybe marketing would be a better idea!

I did here

katymac, what happened in the end?

They advertise me & I get no work