The Business Basics of Running Your Child Care Center

October 6 – November 17, 2021 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm | virtual sessions via Zoom

This seven-week course is designed to be a hands-on workshop assisting both owners and staff of Child Care Centers improve and strengthen their business practices to both better serve their customers and enhance their business sustainability with increased revenues and develop business acumen. This course is designed for those with or without prior business training, all levels of development are welcome! The course meets virtually via Zoom meetings, and participants are also invited to meet online one-on-one with an SBDC business consultant during and after the course for specific and continued training and support. Training and consultation are available at no cost at the Denver Metro SBDC located at 1445 Market Street, Denver, 80202 through our partnership between the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and the Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) who have assisted in offering this complimentary course to you.

Child Care providers can earn professional development hours through the Professional Development Information System (PDIS) by attending all training sessions. Please note, a recorded option and follow up with the trainer is available if you have to miss a live class. rse Outline: By the end of this course, you will have the resources and knowledge needed to make improvements in your business model and operational practices. Examples of areas covered include:

• Examining your current business structure
• This course will also examine your system for tracking finances
• Discuss and analyze market research and pricing for tuition
  • We will assess your business liability insurance policy
  • Update your marketing and pricing strategy to optimize revenue now and for future growth and success
• Examine and help create your HR policies and COVID health compliance policies
• Recruitment of staff and where to find your next staff member

Throughout the course, and after, you are equipped with one-on-one coaching support from experts in the field via your Denver Metro SBDC team of consultants ranging in experience from Child Care to marketing, sales and finance as well as several other area of focus for your business success.

Course Weekly Topics:

Week 1 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

This first session is an orientation. In this introductory session we will meet to familiarize everyone with the course objectives and content, test the participants’ internet connection and proficiency with the Zoom platform, and conduct an “intake survey” to learn about each participant’s business challenges and objectives for taking the course.

Week 2 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

This session is focused on entrepreneurial mindset. We will uncover common industry mindsets and how they could be posing challenges in your business. We will learn about the process of overcoming limiting mindsets and how that process translates into positive business action.

Week 3 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

This week’s session is focused on market research and pricing. We’ll compare and contrast industry standards as well as market rate studies and challenge you to think about your own business’s pricing. Should you make a change? We’ll talk through the pro’s and con’s and what that could look like for your business. We also need to talk about how to communicate price changes to parents, grandfathering people in if that is what the program wants to do. This session would also talk about what types of software people are using to track parent accounts.

Week 4 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

This session is focused on business revenues and expenses, the financials of your business. We’ll cover systems for tracking finances and a tool to help you account for Child Care expenses specifically. We’ll also talk about the importance of grants, open opportunities for funding, and other ways you can take full advantage of your revenue.

Week 5 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

This session is focused on taxes, business structure, and business liability insurance. We’ll break down the various requirements at the state and county level to assess what makes the most sense for your business. These topics can feel very overwhelming, but we have tools to help and experts to assist!

Week 6 | 5:30 – 7:30 pm

This session is focused on marketing and licensing. We’ll go over considerations to keep in mind when promoting your business and industry best practices. We’ll also hear directly from the Office of Early Childhood with open opportunities for questions around the licensing aspects of your business and industry.

Week 7 | 5:30 – 6:30 pm | GRADUATON

We will have each participant share a short presentation of their business planning overview to discuss next steps of development and execution. We will celebrate your accomplishment, discuss next steps through working with the Denver Metro SBDC & Denver Metro Chamber, continued education and resources available to you, and how you can receive your PDIS credit for the course.

CLASS FORMAT We will meet virtually (via Zoom) for seven classes. In addition, we will be sharing resources, supplemental materials, class recordings and weekly homework assignments to help you implement what you are learning in class into your own business.

COURSE FEE: This course is complimentary to all attendees thanks to our generous partnership with the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) and the state office of the Colorado SBDC network. However, the course will be limited to the first 30 who complete their registration.

SCHEDULE: The course is held from 5:30 – 7:30 PM on Wednesdays beginning October 6 and ending on November 17th.

HOW TO REGISTER: This course is limited to the first 30 participants and will fill up fast!
Please click below to reserve your virtual seat in our October session NOW!!!