5 Problems When Owning a Daycare Center, and How to Resolve Them

Even though working with children can be an incredible and gratifying experience, it’s not always easy to own a daycare center.

Fortunately, every issue can be resolved fairly quickly. In this guide, HoppingIn brings you the most common problems daycare owners face – from kids and families to administration and enrollment, and the remedies.

We’ll even show you how to increase profits and customer satisfaction at the same time.

Let’s hop straight in.

1. Kids Will Be Kids.

Number one is definitely keeping the kids safe. It’s impossible to explain to a child that if they run too fast, they will get hurt – until it happens.

We’ve all been there, curious about the world, so it’s very likely that there will be attempts to explore it (which means running and climbing).

There’s only so much you can do when testing boundaries is a vital part of growing up, but precautions go a long way. Installing baby-proofed furniture and making sure there are no objects they can climb is a good way to do your part in keeping the kids safe.

In order to improve communication with the parents, familiarize them with the measures you are taking to keep their children safe. Chances are, they already know it, but it’s always nice to hear it verbalized.

2. Accidents Happen, But…

Following up on parent-owner communication, make sure that you notify them whenever something happens.

Most parents understand that scraped knees are as much a part of the childhood as is playing (in fact, can one even exist without the other?) but tell them if it happens.

Same goes for seasonal flus and outbreaks of lice and chickenpox. They can’t be prevented but they can be controlled, making sure that the kiddos and their folks all feel safe and sound under your care.

Implementing a policy on contagious illnesses is vital – make sure the parents know when it’s okay for their kids to come in, and when you think it would be better for them to be nursed back to health at home.

In return, you can ask parents to notify you when kids are staying at home, and you can even help them with HoppingIn that gives them back money for the days their kids won’t be using the daycare.

3. Information Is the Key to Success

Tracking every important bit of information will come in handy more than you realize.

Jot down every allergy just in case you find a kid with their fingers in the peanut butter. Sometimes you don’t even have to stress about it but at other times it’s good to know how to proceed.

Talk it out with parents – what is recommended that you do in case of ingesting foods the children are allergic to? Should you administer special drugs or epiPen?

Same goes for sicknesses. When an outbreak like that of chickenpox happens, you want to know who’s at greatest risk.

In case of flus, keeping the space clean and teaching the kids the importance of washing their hands is great, but if there are children with weaker immunity who still like playing around, it’s better that you know it before an emergency.

4. Staff You Can Count on

When it comes to staff, they will either make your life easier or way harder than it should be.

There is a lot to juggle when you’re a daycare center owner, and having quality staff means knowing that the children are in good hands.

Good wage goes a long way in showing your employees how much you appreciate their hard work, but increasing profits to make sure they are satisfied isn’t always easy. When you use HoppingIn, you can use the extra revenue to motivate your staff.

In-house training is always good, despite the level of experience. People spend so long working in one place that they absorb that company (or daycare center’s) culture. Show them your way.

Old dogs can absolutely be taught new tricks, and if they also entertain the kids, you’ve made it.

5. Enrollment and Profitability

Like in every business, profit is important, and steady enrollment numbers are the lifeblood of owning a daycare center. It may take some time for all of the spots to be filled out but even then, there is room for improvement.

Software like HoppingIn allows you to sell unused daycare spots. A child may get sick or their parents may organize an impromptu trip, which is where HoppingIn – well – hops in.

It works by displaying vacant or absent spots on a booking calendar.. Then part timers or drop in kiddos can book those empty spots. This brings even more revenue which you can spend on making sure that your daycare center not only satisfies expectations – but exceeds them, as well.

Parents, on the other hand, can split the profit with you if another parent books the spot they dropped.

Owning a daycare center is a matter of trust. When parents put their trust in you to keep their children safe and happy, they also trust you to value them as clients.

HoppingIn makes sure that the satisfaction is mutual – parents get some of their unused tuition money back, and you get extra revenue. It is one step closer to the dream: a waiting list and a smooth business experience.