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How to Plan a Fall Open House

Holding an annual Open House is a great way to invite the parents to tour your program/classrooms; open up your program to the community and introduce a back to school theme!

So let’s start planning for a fun, exciting, enriching and informational open house.

1.Get Organized/De-clutter 

Several weeks before the open house, start to De-clutter classrooms and office space. This includes, dusting, removing items that does not need to be seen by visitors. When families tour a childcare program, they look at every detail. Be sure to post Lesson Plans!

2.Create a Festive Flyer 

Using Microsoft word or office publisher, create a flyer that announces your open house including the date, location of your program, time, activities and events. This will also be a great to time promote enrollment specials, such as: Free registration or 50% the first week.  Invite parents to help plan the open house and volunteer to help serve food or issue information about the program.

3. Signs/Banners 

Creating a banner to place inside and/or outside your home or center draws attention to the event and compels parents and kids to come to the Open House. Yard signs also catch the eyes of traffic driving by your business.  Hanging colorful Balloons on the fence surrounding your playground or signs draws attention to the Open House event.*Check with your local municipality regarding signs.

4. Open House Activities 

The night before open house add pencils, back packs with school supplies, toy school buses, books about school and  back- to- school bulletin boards to the environment. This will create a Back to school environment. When the children arrive, invite them to find all the new back to school items.  *Here is a link to  back to school Coloring pages to enhance the back to school theme.

5. Give-a-ways 

To liven up your open house, give away prizes every 15-20 minutes of the Open House! Some of the prizes could include: toys for the kids, books, tuition coupons for parents and donations made by local businesses in the community. * 30-60 days before the Open House, invite other businesses in the community to donate give-a-ways for the families.

6.Information for Parents 

Open house is the perfect time to show parents every aspect of your program, from daily schedules, toys in the play areas. Having a self guided tour check list for parents is a sure way to get the parents to view all areas of your program. Be sure to issue parents any new policies, parent handbooks, calendars, enrollment forms (for new families) and fundraising information. ** This is also a great time to incorporate new Tuition Policies!

7. Serve light refreshments 

Refreshment ideas include: Lemonade and cookies or Cake and Fruit Juice. You will also need plenty of plates, napkins and cups to serve the refreshments to the families.

Have a Great Open House!

Shiketa Morgan

Download a Sample Open House Check List

Category:

Administration, Enrollment Building, Events

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Expand Your Marketing Territory

 

How often do you place flyers, brochures or Business cards in near by businesses or Schools?

In fact, do you ever consider going outside of your neighborhood to market your Child Care Business?

I was recently was traveling about an hour away from my home and I noticed a bulletin board of a Local Casino that was approximately 1.5 hours away from where the bulletin board was displayed.

Then I thought, Wow!! That’s a great way to attract more business into downtown St. Louis.  Furthermore, I realized that this is  how big companies attract so much business from surrounding communities. I call this strategy: Expanding Your Marketing.

My goal today is to inspire you to start Marketing your Child Care Business in neighborhoods that are outside of your normal marketing range.

You never know…… your may attract more clients that work near your facility, but live in communities that are outside of your area.

Give it a try. Drive down the highway near your home or business and pay attention to the bulletin board ads. Are the businesses nearby or far away?

I also want to challenge you to drive at least 30 minutes from your facility and place brochures or flyers in those communities. Then track the results, by asking callers how they heard about your business when they call you.

It’s time to Expand your Marketing!! I want to hear from you. Leave your comments below!

Shiketa

For more Marketing tips, be sure to grab my Marketing 101 ebook.

 

 

 

 

Category:

Enrollment Building, Marketing

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