What Are the Best Tips for Starting a Daycare?

Paying attention to good tips for starting a daycare business may translate into a better chance of success. Among the best tips for starting a daycare are those that recommend getting information about licensing as your first step and obtaining any required licenses before you begin accepting children. Tips that involving researching the business and getting input from daycare owners and parents may prove helpful as well. Additionally, you may benefit from creating a business plan to help keep your efforts on track.

One of the best tips for starting a daycare is to begin with a phone call or visit to the department that handles daycare licensing in your area. By contacting the agency responsible, you can learn exactly what you will need to be licensed as a home daycare or traditional daycare business. For example, you will likely find information about the type of facility you will need, the education or training required, and the number of children for which you can legally care at one time. You can also obtain information about daycare licensing fees and mandatory criminal background checks.

You may feel tempted to start your daycare business first and then obtain licensing once you have begun to accept children. Some of the best tips for starting a daycare are those that recommend against this. If you choose to operate a daycare without a license in a jurisdiction that requires licensing, you may face fines and other penalties. In many places, the licensing agency can shut down your business until you meet its requirements.

Another good tip for starting a daycare business is to take some time for research. You may think a daycare business is a simple concept and not one to require much research. In reality, however, you may boost your chances for success if you learn as much as you can about this business. You can do this online and by reading books about starting a daycare business, but you may get a wealth of information by speaking with people who own or have owned daycare businesses. You can also ask parents of small children what they would consider the perfect daycare and then work to make your new daycare as close to their ideas of perfect as possible.

You may also find it beneficial to create a business plan when you are starting a daycare business. Some people do start this type of business without a concrete, written plan, but you may have a smoother start-up experience if you create one. Your business plan should include such information as your unique mission, whom you will serve, how much you will charge, how much you will need for startup expenses, and where you will get the startup money. It should also include details about how you will advertise your business and run it on a daily business. Including goals and objectives may also help you to stay on track.