Operating Your Business
- Business Plan Overview and Checklist: Every business needs a business plan. This overview lays out the typical components of a business plan and includes a checklist to help keep you organized.
- Sample Marketing Tools: Browse a list of marketing ideas to fit your budget, including word-of-mouth strategies, direct marketing activity, and public relations and advertising suggestions.
Determining Costs
To succeed as a child-care business owner, you need a clear understanding of your expenses. Use the guided worksheets below to learn more about the different types of business costs and how to calculate your own.
In-Home Child Care Business
Use the guided worksheets below to calculate start-up costs, direct costs and overheard (indirect) costs for your in-home child care business. Note: these worksheets provide examples. Actual costs will vary depending on the size of your business, location of your business, and your star rating.
Child Care Center
Use the guided worksheets below to calculate start-up costs, direct costs and overheard (indirect) costs for your child care center.
Cash Flow Projections
It's important to understand your business's cash flow (how and when your business earns and spends money). Use the guided worksheets below to see how cash flows in and out of your child care business.