Marketing Your
Family Child Care Business
Creating a Marketing Plan
Below are a few strategies you might want to include in your marketing plan.
Media/ signage
* Make sure you always include your license number!
* Keep content concise and clear.
* Include your phone and e-mail, but for safety reasons, do not put your address on your marketing materials. Once you have spoken with a prospective client and feel comfortable doing so, you can give out your address.
* Make it interesting. Use color and a picture or your logo.
* Know the local regulations and permit requirements.
Internet
* If you are listing on Craigslist or other sites, there are so many other providers listing their programs as well, you need to make sure your listing stands out. You will have to catch the readers’ interest so they will want to click on your ad.
* Avoid scams. Don’t give out too much information on-line, and NEVER accept money from, or send money to, someone claiming to be looking for childcare. Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into anything; Follow the same screening and enrollment procedures with these prospective clients that you apply to parents who contact you by phone.
Promotional items/events
* Take advantage of events such as school enrollment fairs, neighborhood fairs and festivals, storytime at the library, trips to the park… Parents will be at these events, and it’s a great opportunity to hand out business cards or brochures.
* Many providers wear t-shirts, bags or other items of clothing with their logo and business name printed on them to events like these.
Literature
* Make sure you have at least one of the following made up with your logo and business information and carry them with you: Business cards, brochures or flyers.
* Great ways to promote your program either in print, or on-line, (for free) is to get a write up in a non-profit newsletter (or even the local paper), or write an article yourself and submit it.