Just about all of us ask this question, “How am I going to leave my job to open a daycare?”  We wonder how are going to have our slots filled so that we can walk out of one job and into our new career.  I was in the same boat about 10 years ago when  I left my corporate job to open a home daycare.  The advice I give is the plan I used and it worked for me, so it should work for you also.

First I picked a date when I wanted to start my new career.  This gave me an exact date that I needed to have all my slots filled.  I was sure to give myself plenty of time do accomplish this; one month.  I first told all my neighbors and friends about my new career change and what my plans were.  I offered my services to them first, and I filled several of my slots this way.  Friends and neighbors were excited to use my services as they knew me and it was going to be extremely convenient for them.

Second, I ran a simple ad in my local paper.  My ad read something like, “New home daycare opening in the xxxxx area on (date), full-time positions available. Call now to reserve your slot (phone number).”  I then made fliers with the little pull-off tabs and hung them in the business that I frequently did business with… my hair dresser, vet, mechanic, and so on.  I then made postcard-type fliers and placed them in the elementary schools that were close to my home. 

 By using these simple techniques, I had all my slots filled by the date I wanted to open, and I left my corporate job with a nice peace of mind.