3 Ways You Can Make Your Home Daycare Different

Differentiating your daycare is everything, but lowering your rates isn’t the only way to do it. In fact, you don’t have to change the pricing. If you want to make your home daycare different, the trick is in recognizing what your customers need – and making sure potential customers know it.

These three strategies are universal, no matter if you’re just starting your daycare or have been running it for some time. Just like there’s always room for more kids, there’s always room for improvement.

So, what can you do to make your home daycare different?

Highlight your specialties

This is a no-brainer. If you want to make your home daycare different, you have to know why it’s different.

Maybe you’ve opened it because there was a need on the market and daycare centers weren’t cutting it.

Or maybe you’ve assembled an incredible curriculum that works well for all learning types, which is even better.

But no matter what you excel at, make sure you show it.

Include it in the brochures, and state it on the first page of your website. Standard daycares are okay, but parents love home daycares for the personality and the approach. They want their children to get the best possible education and care, while nurturing creativity and curiosity.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children typically states that you should have different centers like dramatic play, art, science and nature, and book centers. You can fully customize these and include what the kids like the most, as well as rotate toys.

Kids love fully engaging with activities so if you have workshops where you create learning materials together, that’s something the families will love. Same goes for field trips which are typically low-cost but the kids get a kick out of them, and parents are happy knowing that their children are learning in more ways than one.

Don’t be afraid to state boldly what you do to make your home daycare different.

Use digital marketing

Except for a great logo that will be on all your brochures and advertising your child care business through flyers, you can make your home daycare different by using digital channels.

The most important one is social media. All the parents are using it and with new ways to geo-target, you can make sure that the local parents know about your daycare.

You can make a Facebook page for your daycare and advertise open spots, or if you are holding a special activity, having a discount, etc. In some cases you won’t even have to pay for post advertisement – shares work like a charm among parents looking for great care for their kiddos.

Facebook groups are another great way of communicating with potential customers. There are mom (and dad) groups in most of the cities, so why not ask them what they need out of a daycare? If you can help with that, let them know. You don’t have to just advertise to them – you can start by communicating with them.

Having a private Facebook group for parents in your daycare is also a great way to make your home daycare different. Lots of in-home child care providers share the latest information through the groups, which also create a space for discussion.

Make your home daycare different by allowing the families to “participate” in their kids’ days. You can share funny things the kids do, pictures of activities or teamwork.

However, if you are going to post photos of the children’s faces, make sure parents agree to it by having them sign a waiver. If you would rather not post the kids’ photos, you can still post activities or artworks.

Another thing you can do to market your home daycare is use email marketing. Emails are very effective for exchanging information, as well as getting feedback and staying in touch with your (potential) customers.

If you can, make a website. Social media is great for updates, email marketing works like a charm for feedback and promotions, but website can really make your home daycare different. Make it a go-to resource for all parents in your daycare, and those who want to book an interview.

Make your home daycare different by growing

Finally, just like kids grow and develop, so should your daycare. Make your home daycare different by following the kids’ progress and improving constantly. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but if you’re using social media and email to keep track of what the customers need, you’ll know what to change.

This can mean needing extra revenue or getting to the stage where you can make a waitlist. You can try Hopping In for that.

It displays your daycare’s availability so parents can book the extra time they need or drop the spots their kids will be absent from (allowing others to book them). It’s a great way to boost your revenue and customer satisfaction.

Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to make your home daycare different. No two kids are the same – neither should be your daycare. Have fun, and keep growing.