Inspirational and Empowering Child Care Business Owners To Build Successful Child Care Businesses

Archive for the ‘Enrollment Building’ Category

A Key Part of Building Enrollment Is In the Follow-Up Process

I arrive at my center on August 22, 2011 and I checked my telephone message log.  As I scanned the message log, I noticed that several parents called the center to inquire about  enrolling their children.

After checking the message log, I went to the talk with the  Assistant Director about the enrollment inquiries. As we began to discuss the telephone message, she also informed me that a mother of a School-age child had stopped by the center shortly before I arrived to pick-up enrollment information.

I was thinking to myself…Wow! I love it when parents inquire about enrollment.  After our conversation, I immediately wrote down the mother’s phone number that stopped by the center and went to my office to call her.  

When the mother answered the phone, I introduced myself and  thanked her for visiting my center.  I asked her if she had any questions in regards to enrolling her child. She said, ” I would like to schedule a tour to get started on the process of enrolling my child and what is your registration fee?

After my phone call with the mother, I realized the importance of follow-up with parents. When parents are visiting your program, they may forget to ask you something, however,  if you follow-up with them, they may have more questions.

Several days, prior to writing this blog post, I decided to contact all the families that had recently visited my center, to see if they were still interested in enrolling their children.

I was quite surprise to discover that many of the parents that recently stopped by center, had already enrolled their children in the program. 

One of the parents on the visitor log had already found a center for her two-year old child. She seemed so excited when I called her and she thanked me for following up with her. In addition to me calling her, she assured me that if her current baby sitter did not work out, that she will keep my center in mind.

Here are six ways to follow-up with parents and help to build enrollment :

  1. Create a visitor log that ask for the parent’s name, phone number and email address
  2. Collect contact information from parents when they call your home or center.
  3. Follow-up within parent 24-48 hours of calling or visiting your program
  4. Send an email  or e-newsletter to potential customers every week so that they won’t forget you.
  5. Invite parents to follow your program on social media. This allows the parent to check our your program.
  6. Send a post card in the mail to the family and consider offering a “Free Day”

With Your Child Care Business in Mind,

Shiketa

Category:

Enrollment Building, parent communication

Tagged with:

Steps To Having Increase In Your Child Care Business?

The Child Care Business is full of financial ups and downs, including: Low enrollment seasons.  Has there been times when you looked around your business and you really want to upgrade, but you didn’t have the funds? Also, have you wondered, where are the grants or should I get a bank loan?

These are all valid questions and  I believe that if you are asking these questions, you want your childcare business to succeed.  Having financial increase assures that you are able to supply your business with the things that it needs and to also supply you with financial increase.

In 2005, I experienced some financial lack in my business. It was devastating. My enrollment went from 40 to 10 children. I was forced to cut my employee hours and I was in the process of selling my business to another childcare center that was thriving.

After much prayer and thought, I found the faith to keep going. I reviewed my marketing practices, I evaluated the books that I was reading, I sought spiritual advice and I changed my mindset about my business.

Some of the things that I did to transform the financial status of my business included:

  • I bought an audio series titled” Increase” by Bob Harrison. This changed the way that I looked at my business and transformed my thoughts to increase thoughts. I stopped thinking lack, and started thinking increase.
  • I started speaking increase over my business. Instead of talking about the lack of enrollment, I started talking about the kids that were to come.
  • I expected the enrollment to increase!

After applying all three of these steps, my enrollment increased, my employees were more confident in my leadership and I do not speak lack words over my business any more. Moreover, I constantly meditate on increase thoughts and speak increase daily over my childcare business. Furthermore, I get rid of slack when I see it, because slack also leads to financial decrease.

My experience  has motivated me to share with you that a childcare business can be a wealthy and thriving business if we think increase, have increase behavior and expect increase.

Examples of Increase Confessions and Thoughts:

  • My Business will thrive
  • I am expecting more finances
  • Looking forward to grant opportunities
  • I need to be prepared for an increase in enrollment
  • I am expecting a Great Fundraiser to purchase needed materials

If you know of any grant opportunities or fundraising programs that will help other providers increase funds in their childcare business, feel free to share them by commenting below.

 

To Your Success,

Shiketa Morgan

Category:

Administration, Budget, Enrollment Building, Finances

Tagged with:

Tag Cloud