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

Posts tagged ‘marketing’

7 Marketing Strategies That I Gained From My Garage Sale!

Enrollment building tips…inspired by my Garage sale!

I love to go to garage sales and have my very own garage sale at least twice a year. Garage sales are a great way to find great bargains, shop for items that you need for home or for your business and garage sales have taught me so much about how to market a business or a sale.

On Friday May 24, 2013, I displayed my garage sale signs at the most traveled intersections in my neighbor hood. In fact,  I posted the signs shortly before rush hour, so that my neighbors would see my signs and plan to stop by my garage sale on Saturday morning.

After displaying my signs, I went home to get organized for my sale; I prepared my pricing stickers, created signs for my tables and my entire family was involved in the process; after all they will benefit from the proceeds of the garage sale.

On Saturday May 25, 2013 at 6:30am, we let up our garage door so that we could bring out all of the items for the garage sale and there was a man waiting in his car for my garage sale! I thought…Oh wow! Maybe he saw my Signs that I displayed on Friday night!!

This really caused me to think about the importance of signage when you are trying to build enrollment or simply market your business.

About 2-hours into the sale, 2 of my garage sale customers told me that, they could hardly see my signs and they began to give me suggestions to buy larger signs for my next garage sale.

Then I thought..Signage is important, however, if you want clients or your customers to find you; be sure that you have BIG SIGNS!

So in summary, my garage sale was a success, however, I wonder how many customers I missed, because my signs were small?

Moreover, my sale was 4-hours long and I had lots of time to reflect on the importance of marketing your business. Today I am going to share with you seven marketing strategies that I  gained from my Garage Sale!

1. Create signs that has large print with bright colors. BIG IS BETTER!!

2. Display large signs (in your yard or windows)

3. Place signs and ads where a high volume of people will see them

4. If they know that you are there..they will come

5. People do business with friendly people

6. Listen to your customers, they just may teach you how to market your business

7.  Add balloons to your signs…its a great way to stand out!

Home Providers: Many municipalities may not allow signs in yards, however, creating a festive home, with children decor is a great way to cause your home to stand out and attract parents to you. Also, when marketing your business online, skip the small ads and go big.

You can never market your business too much! After all…your enrollment depends on your ability to market your business.

I look forward to reading your thoughts and comments about this post. Talk with you soon!

Shiketa

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Category:

Enrollment Building, Marketing

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What You Should Know About Social Media and Libel Lawsuits

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I’ve been marketing my childcare business online for about 3 1/2 years now and in the beginning days of marketing my business online; I did not think much about lawsuits over my social media post. After all, I always get the parents permission to post photos of their children online and the parents love my social media post.

However, periodically, I may post helpful information  for parents or share fun photos on Facebook and an article that I read recently inspired me to think twice before I share photos or helpful information online.

If you have a social media presence for your childcare business , it is vital that you read an excerpt from an article that I recently read in the St. Louis Small Business Monthly titled: “Libel Lawsuits in Social Media: A Concern for my Business?”

Gerald M. Richardson, attorney, labor and employment lawyer shares his expert advice in the article also, regarding businesses who market their business online:

” Businesses whose marketing includes social media face heightened liability risks: libel; copyright infringement; invasion of privacy; false advertisement; advertising infringement; trade libel; and unlawful harassment based on gender race, national origin or disability to name only a few. Businesses should investigate whether they have the right insurance to cover social media risks such as errors and omissions, media liability,etc.”

Be sure to check with your general liability insurance company to be sure that you are covered in the event of a social media lawsuit. In fact, ask your agent if the policy covers defamation.

I look forward to your thoughts about this blog post and thanks in advance for joining the discussion.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes and not a substitute for individualized legal advice.

With your childcare business in mind!

Shiketa

Source: St. Louis Small Business Monthly

Category:

Marketing, social media

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