Kinds of services:Based on your preferences and community needs you may decide which of the following services to offer:

• Full-time care during traditional weekday hours
• After-school care
• Non-traditional hours like very early mornings, evenings, overnight care, weekends
• Drop-in or on-demand care
• Part-time care
• Age-based care
• Transportation services

Fees:The fee has to be competitive, reasonable and affordable for the parents in your area without being unfair to you. While calculating the fee, you should consider the following costs you incurred:

• Labour and material costs
• Overheads
• Profits

A fourth significant factor determining the fee for a child-care service business is the maximum number of children you can accommodate which is often limited by state laws. You can always open more centres in nearby areas to increase your client base and income once you have understood these points.

Marketing:Your marketing materials should look professional and convey your existence and the quality of your service. Though a simple word-of-mouth is a good technique, you may hire a graphic designer and/or professional writer for your marketing package. Consider these questions/ points while formulating your marketing plan:

• Potential customers and their number and location
• What are they currently doing for child care?
• Exactly what new can you offer as compared to your competitors?
• How can you persuade them to bring their children to you?
• What kind of image do you want to project?