Marketing Ideas

Your Contact Information

Consider the different ways you can be contacted:

• Phone

• Address

• E-mail

• Fax

• Website

Marketing Materials:

· Business Cards, Letterhead, Return Envelopes & Labels with your name & consistent logo/graphic

· Business Card Magnets

· Car Magnets including name of business & phone number

· Flyers with tear off section for name & phone number

· Brochures

· Business Sign

· T-shirts for children and provider to wear: business name, phone number, registration # & logo/graphic

· Bank Checks with business name, phone number & logo/graphic

· Welcome Mat: WELCOME Mrs. Jones’ CHILDCARE

· Incentive Coupons: (example: $25 off third week of care for your infant)

· Raffle off gift or offer discounts to parents who bring in referrals

· Keepsakes: (example: photo frame key chain – “Ms. Smith Does Care” pictured with children)

· Door Hangers

· Portfolio (certificates, daily schedule, child care philosophy, pictures of children involved with activities, etc.)

Information to include in your Marketing Materials:

· General location

· Phone number

· Slogan (“Where learning is fun!”)

· Logo/Graphic

· Program name

· Provider’s Registration Number (Maryland State Law)

· 3-5 Benefits of your program

Find Marketing Opportunities:

· Tell everyone you know that you are a Family Child Care Professional and pass out extra business cards

· Have an Open House/Coffee/Family Child Care Home Tour

· Advertise at Neighborhood Yard Sale

· Participate with children in Local Parade

· Advertise on Halloween with written program information attached to treat

· Consider a Special Schedule: (example: Stay open later one evening during holiday season, Evening Hours, Weekend)

· Offer a Parents’ Night Out

· Participate in Community Events

· Write Article for Local Newspaper/Newsletter

· Contact Chamber of Commerce

· Mail flyers/letters to homes in immediate & surrounding areas

· Greet new neighbors

· Visit new businesses

· Carry business cards at all times

· Purchase inexpensive children’s books (Dollar Stores, Gently-Used Stores) and create business label on back of book (example: compliments of Miss Eloise’s Family Child Care, 410-000-1111), and place in waiting rooms

· Create bookmarks to hand out (see if you can distribute/leave at libraries, bookstores)

· Visit small and large businesses in the area to see if you can post or leave business cards/flyers

· Decorate inexpensive tote bags with children’s handprints and program information to give as gifts

· Create a Child Care Newsletter

· Provide scratch notepads with your business information

· Volunteer for a fundraiser that puts you in contact with parents

· Join professional organizations (example Howard County Family Child Care Association) and network

· Do follow -up calls of potential parents

· Maintain phone log all clients with contact information and how they heard about your child care program

· Record and listen to your professional message on answering machine (check it often)

· Place ad in the Yellow Pages

Other Marketing Tips:

· Continually promote your program, even when you have no anticipated openings

· List benefits of your program, indicating how your program can make a positive difference to a parent and child (example: child-centered curriculum), pick your top three benefits to share with prospective clients

· Ask parents and children what they like best and consider for your top three

· Ask previous and current parents to write a letter of reference for your portfolio

· Have an exit interview with parents to get another perspective of what’s working & what may need to be re-evaluated/improved

· Potential client’s impression of your home will be some of your best advertising

· Create a positive, professional impression for your recorded phone message, identify yourself and your business

· Personal connections can be key. For example, if a parent's hairstylist or sister-in-law or mail carrier knows you personally and knows that you provide quality child care, the parent may feel more comfortable putting their child in your care.