Month: June 2010

[continued from Part 3]

 

The benefits of an at-home daycare business

 

Despite the long start up time, many Work At Home Moms find that owning their own in-home childcare center is a great solution to their work at home problem. There are many benefits to taking care of other people’s children.

Your children will never be without playmates to entertain them. You’ll have access to many fun and exciting programs made especially for daycare business owners, including discounts on supplies, and of course, many of your expenses can be written off on your taxes if you set up your company correctly.

Remember to keeep receipts for everything you buy and note if it was personal, or for your at home business.   You may even be eligible for federal subsidies for food and diapers for the children you take care of.

 

Research your topic

To find out if owning a home daycare is right for you, research the subject. Visit other home daycares and ask how those Wahms are enjoying their business. Find out what your state and local regulations are regarding licensed and unlicensed daycare.

Do a trial run with multiple children by volunteering to look after your friends’ children for an hour or two at a time, say on a Saturday morning so they can go shopping unhindered but not leave you alone with them all day.

Work out what hours your facility is going to be open. My sister in law drops off her son at 7 every morning and picks him up at 6 every night.  That is a pretty long workday for some people.

You need to work out your fees so that they are competitive with other daycare facilities in the area, and also need to decide what to do if one of the parents is running late. It is important to keep the client happy, but you also need to balance your work and family time as well so that everyone is pleased with the arrangement.

Also keep in mind that you will basically be stuck at home if you take on this job. What are your contingency plans if you run out of milk, or in the event of an unexpected emergency?

Working at home affects the entire family, especially your own children having to interact with other children, and share your time with them.  What will your support system be?

Once you’ve done your homework, and are able to answer all these key questions and discuss them with your husband, friends and family, you’ll know if childcare as a work at home opportunity is right for you.