Whether you are a start-up or an established nursery, you will need to promote your business and ensure enough customers come through your doors to make your business viable.
Marketing your business is about promoting your business to the right people for the right price. Only by ensuring people know about your nursery and developing your reputation, will you reach the people you are targeting and deliver your service to them.
Why you need to market your nursery business
There are four main reasons why you need to market your business:
– create and maintain awareness of your services
– let potential customers know that you exist and what you offer if you are new
– to fill the places when children leave your care
– to let people know how your nursery is different to others or if things change e.g. you are providing more services or have limited places
If you are a start-up, you can advertise your nursery before you register with Ofsted, but you will not be allowed to open your doors until you have officially been registered and accepted by Ofsted.
You must also be confident that you will be accepted by Ofsted before you part with your money.
What does Market Research involve?
Market research is essential for the sustainability of your nursery business. You will need to know the following to plan and prepare yourself for the tasks ahead.
Know your area
Is the nursery located in an area with a high population of working families? Are there lots of new housing estates, with schools nearby?
Are there many day nurseries?
Are there many childminders?
Investigate the schools in the area and check to see if they offer ‘before and after school provisions’, or out of school clubs, if not then this could be a market you could tap into. If they do, are the times suitable for working parents?
After researching your area you need to tailor your services to what is needed.
Know your customers
Find out if there are large employers who operate in your area as well as offices and retail businesses. Check the hours that their employees work, to see if you can support with childcare.
Carry out a survey
Create a short, easy to fill in survey, which can easily be returned to you. Ask potential customers what it is they require from a nursery service and ask existing customers what they like about your service and how it can be improved.
Value your feedback
In order to keep the cycle of filling vacant places going as children come and leave as they get older, it is better to create a waiting list than have empty places waiting to be filled.
Your service
Even though you are providing a needed service to parents and children, you may still need to do your market research and pinpoint exactly what is needed – for example many schools in area may offer after school provisions but are only open until 5:00pm, but parents do not return from work till 6:00pm, your area may therefore have a shortage of childcare providers who work until 6:15 providing you with a gap in the market.
If you decide to fill this gap, you need to make it clear, so that everyone learns that you provide an extended hours service. This could be your unique selling point or USP.
Alternatively you may have an alternative USP to offer customers, or a reason to choose you over another childcare provider.
These could be:
– The experience or qualifications you have
– Your location – are you close to major routes?
– Resources available e.g. large garden or close to a park
– Pets – many parents like their children to be around animals (providing they do not have an allergy) – particularly if they do not have pets themselves due to working hours
– Sport/music/creative activities – do you provide these experiences to the children
– Cooked meals, catering for different diets
– Collection service for parents who do not drive – minibus etc.
– The experience or qualifications you have
– Ability to speak another language and could teach their child
– A well equipped garden
– Are you registered to deliver Funded Early Learning for 2 year olds, Free Entitlement for 3 and 4 year olds etc.
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