Many moms who need extra money often think about opening their own daycare center. However this is not as easy as it seems even if you are thinking of opening up a very simple operation in your home.
The first thing you need to do is write a business plan. This does double duty as a guide as to how you will conduct the business as well as a document you can also show investors.
You also need to include your rent or mortgage costs plus the cost of making this business legal. There can be many permits and regulations that come with costs, fees and dues that must be paid for before you can even open the doors of a day care center. This is why more stay-at-home moms do not do it more often.
The bottom line is though it seems like anyone can do it, childcare is actually serious business. The licensing requirement of opening a daycare center really do vary state to state and you need to go to individual state websites to see what they are. Usually it is a Department of Health or a Department of Health Services that outlines what you need to do to open a home-grown child care neighbor.
One real selling point of any daycare is the nutritional quality of the meals that you offer. The more organic or progressive the food is that you offer the more you will be able to charge parents. As a rule of thumb children's meals usually adds between $8 and $25 per week to the bill of any kids you are taking care of.
Another reason that more moms do not open day care centers in their homes is that most states and cities have real restrictions about where one can be located.
When you do decide to launch a home-based business like a day care you need realize that it is a little more expensive and a little more high maintenance then most businesses just simply because there is such a liability involved whenever you are dealing with children.
Keep in mind that it is a business where laws govern everything and that your doors can be closed within minutes due to one silly little violation. You have to watch out for things like a member of your staff disciplining a child in just the wrong way and you have to be very mindful of how you discipline your charges. The fines for violating any part of the fire safety code and that the insurance required to run it can also be quite expensive.