Four Trends to Know If You’re Running a Childcare Business
There are a lot of good reasons to be part of the childcare industry including flexible hours, high employment growth, and gaining the respect of your community. If you’re considering running a childcare business of your own here are four important trends you should know.
1. Controlling Costs is Top of Mind
The childcare services market is highly fragmented, by age, by format, and by location. Parents can choose between in-home care or day care centers, part-time care or full-time care, and pre-kindergarten or standard care. They can opt for after-school care, drop-in care, or on-demand babysitting care, or a combination of all three.
Whatever the format, industry experts agree that managing costs and keeping reliable childcare affordable is a top priority for anyone running a childcare business. More and more, providers like Jovie are offering flexible hours and creative payment plans to meet the demand for quality care that won’t break the bank.
2. Transitioning from “Just” Babysitting to Early Education
Running a childcare business today can go far beyond babysitting. Educators say the first five years of a child’s life are crucial to developing important language and processing skills, and parents are looking for providers who can teach and mentor their children from an early age.
A Jovie franchise is a “cradle to college” solution committed to helping educate kids, from pre-K to college prep. Our franchisees are at an advantage when it comes to marketing and attracting new customers because they can offer a full suite of childcare services including certified full-time nannies and babysitters.
3. Partnering with Corporations to Help Employees Achieve Work-Life Balance
Leading companies know it’s hard for working parents to stay focused on their job when they’re worried about who’s taking care of their kids, and that has a direct impact on productivity. That’s why more companies today view childcare as an important tool to help them hire and retain the best talent.
Corporate childcare is a specific type of service that is sponsored or managed by employers for the exclusive benefit of their employees. It can be an on-premises daycare center, or discounted rates for local childcare centers. Exxon Mobile, for example, relies on our partner, Bright Horizons™, to operate a childcare center at their Houston headquarters. As a Bright HorizonsTM preferred provider of back-up care, Jovie offers in-home care options when parents need an alternative to on-site daycare.
4. Technology is Enhancing Childcare Services
The childcare industry has not embraced technology as quickly as some other franchise businesses, but that’s starting to change. Creative providers are using social media, video streaming, and blogs to stay in touch with parents, and to help parents stay in touch with their children. Jovie pioneered the use of a mobile app to make it easier for parents to schedule and manage babysitters and as-needed childcare, and other software developers are building new software tools specifically for busy people running a childcare business.
Owning and running your own childcare business can be a rewarding way to do well while doing good. It helps to know the trends and understand where the industry is headed before you decide to invest in a business of your own.
Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of becoming part of the exciting childcare industry, and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.