Business Idea: Start a Childcare Business

Childcare is a considerable expense for many households and a flexible way for a stay at home parent to earn additional income.   Working parents are in high demand for high quality and affordable childcare in almost every market (really every but hey there might be one).

You will need to find out about licensing and regulatory requirements for your specific local market.  These do vary greatly depending on where you are located.  In many markets, the regulatory burden is based on the number of children you watch and may or may not include your own.   In most markets, you will also need to complete CPR and first aid certifications.  Consider complying with most regulations even if they may not apply to you just to provide best practice and credibility for your service.

Keep in mind that you are providing a service so your customers can go to work, so you will need to build your business and contract specifically for this market.  Your contract will need to dictate your fees, expectations, and availability.  Additionally, you will need to detail what happens when you are unavailable due to illness or vacations, and what happens when the parents are late or they go on vacation.

To attract potential customers consider soliciting a key demographic target that you know.  Maybe you focus on 2^nd shift working moms because you like to have your mornings free.  Or only watch kids for teachers because you want your summers off as well.   There could be a market for weekend childcare for a specific industry or function that occurs in your town.

Childcare is a very important and valuable role to provide parents and you have great rewards and responsibility to provide a high-quality service.