Interview with Fiona Lohrenz of Child Care Only
This week we have an interview with Fiona Lohrenz of Child Care Only. She’s developed a unique online business based on her day care experience.
WAHM-Articles: Hi Fiona! Welcome to the WAHM-Articles Blog. Please tell us about your business.
Fiona Lohrenz: I have run a day care for the past 10 years which caters for up to 50 children. More recently I have developed a child care site www.childcareonly.com which is aimed primarily at people starting a child care business or providers already in operation and provides articles and resources to help them start/run their businesses.
W-A: How did you get started in the daycare business?
Fiona: I was desperately trying to find a way to get out of the ‘working for someone else for minimum wage’ trap and saw a niche in the market for quality child care. The industry ticked all my boxes as I realised I could work for myself, be with my kids and also feel like I was doing some good for others too. Plus I knew there would be lots of variety in child care – no watching the clock.
W-A: You have developed a really unique product to help other moms start daycares, a Start a Daycare DVD guide. How does that work?
Fiona: Literally, it does what it says on the box. It is a take you by the hand, step by step dvd guide to starting a day care. The great thing is you can pop it in, watch it through and then rewind and pause on pertinent sections. It covers everything from building permits (if
required) to licensing, to designing rooms, equipment, policies and paperwork, daily schedules/routines, handling kids and parents etc.
We’re also putting the final touches to our paperwork software which will ask a few questions and then produce all the forms, contracts and policies you need completely personalised. That will be included with the dvd soon.
W-A: Why did you create this DVD?
Fiona: I spent 2 years researching and planning before I opened my day care and it was still a steep learning curve for a long time thereafter.
It was hard work and extremely frustrating so I figured why not take that 2 years of hard work plus all the other years of experience and save someone else all that heartache. I just wish I’d had it starting out – at the very least I could have started my business a lot sooner and saved a lot of sweat and tears.
W-A: Operating a daycare is a challenging job. How can a mom know if opening a daycare is the right business for her?
Fiona: Anyone who reads my articles knows I am an advocate of on the job experience. It’s the only way you’ll ever know if you are suited to this profession. I always recommend volunteering your services at an existing day care so you can observe first hand if it’s the industry for you. Another fantastic way of finding out about the nuts and bolts of these business is to arrange interviews with existing day care owners and pick their brains. The practical knowledge and advice of people ‘on the ground’ is unbeatable. Other than that, be honest with yourself and trust your instincts….if the sight of a snotty nose or a stinky bottom sends you reeling then you might want to consider a different profession!!
W-A: How has writing and submitting articles helped your business?
Fiona: I have been amazed at the cumulative effects of writing articles. It does take a bit of time to see any results but if you are consistent with your writing and submitting you will see a definite and tangible increase in traffic purely from articles alone. The great thing is seeing yourself repeatedly high in the search engines thanks to submitted articles. Aside from all that the discipline of consistently writing interesting, informative and relevant articles has kept me on my toes and always looking out for new angles and ideas that can improve my business.
W-A: Do you have any other words of wisdom for moms who are thinking of starting their own business?
Fiona: Believe. Believe. Believe. Don’t listen to the naysayers.
Research. Research. Research. Be ready for the long haul. Persist.
Persist. Persist. Keep an open mind. Listen to ideas. Don’t give up. Consistency is key.
W-A: Thanks Fiona! We wish you the best of luck in your business.
You can visit Fiona’s website and learn more about her DVD at http://www.childcareonly.com. You can also read her articles on WAHM-Articles.com.
