Archive for 'tips'

Tips For Helping Your Child Exercise

Thursday, June 16th, 2011 at 3:39 pm  
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Tips For Helping Your Child Exercise

Getting plenty of exercise is important not only for children’s health, but also for their emotional and physical development.  More and more kids are becoming obese.  Even children that are of a healthy weight now are in danger of becoming sedentary adults.  Our society and lifestyle doesn’t require much physical work.  With cars, computers, telephones, and busses, we may feel like we’re doing a lot, but in reality, more of us are sedentary than we may realize.

Children can be extremely influenced by TV, computers and video games.  These things can offer learning experiences, but only in small doses.  Many parents concerned with their child’s inactivity may get frustrated feeling like they’re competing with all of the marketing and instant gratification of television and games.  Use these steps to get your kids moving and more importantly, help them to like their active lifestyles so that they carry it into adulthood.

1)  Set a good example.  Signing your child up for a sport will only get them active for so long.  You need to think long-term.  Get involved in a sport yourself.  Go on a walk every day.  Challenge your child to a sit-up contest or a race across the back yard.  Get on that trampoline with them!  Kids that see parents involved in physical activity are way more likely to be involved when they become adults.

2)  Make it fun.  Take your kids out on regular hikes.  See how many playgrounds in your town you can hit in a month.  Get out there and go down the slides with them.  Pack a picnic lunch instead of stopping for fast food.  That ten minute romp around the fast food play ground does not negate the hundreds of calories, massive amount of sugar, and loads of fat that they just ate.  You can encourage healthy food choices and activity by taking a healthy lunch on a hike with you.

3)  Talk about why you’re doing what you’re doing.  Letting your kids know that you care about being active will stick with them.  Make sure that they are having fun when you bring it up.  The last thing you need is eye rolling and a child saying, “You may like it but I don’t”.  Offer lots of positive comments.  Avoid yelling and putting down.  Some parents find themselves so stressed about getting their child active that they end up fighting the whole time that they’re out.  Avoid saying things like, “This is why you’re so big.”  Avoid bickering or being over protective while they’re trying to have a good time.

There are things you can do at home to be more active.  For toddlers, choose preschool toys that require climbing, like a small plastic slide, foam climbing structures, or a play house.  For babies, provide them with things to pull up on, like an activity table.  Older children may be interested in trampolines, pull-up or sit-up contests, and bikes.  Be sure that you are setting a good example and providing your family with plenty of opportunities to be active and they can benefit for their entire lives.

Jim Ford is the President of KinderMark, a family owned and managed business which sells waiting room toys and waiting room furniture used in doctor’s offices, hospitals, auto dealers, dentists offices and libraries. Preschool toys such as an activity table and learning toys are favorites for pediatric offices. For more information, visit www.kindermark.com .

Tips for Getting the best Educational Preschool Toys

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011 at 11:24 pm  
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Tips for Getting the best Educational Preschool Toys

If you are buying toys for a pre-schooler, then you are probably tempted to get something cheap and yet adorable. You might pick a stuffed toy, which your pre-schooler could hug at night. You might pick clothes or books, or other things that your pre-schooler could use. However, educational toys are now on the market, and they are playing a big role in preparing your child for school. Moreover, educational toys can kill two birds with one stone: while your child is learning, he or she is still having a lot of fun. Here are a few tips that you can use as you plan out your child’s toys and get your child the education that he or she deserves.

First, pick toys that have many bright colors. Dull colored toys will not attract the attention of your pre-schooler, and your aim right now is not only to have your kid start playing with good toys, but to play with them long enough. Moreover, dull colored toys will grow even duller with age, and their colors will make them even less appealing. They might even resist laundry and cleaning and will end up white! Bright colors can hold your children’s attention better, and it can catch their attention when they start scouting for toys to play with.

Second, pick toys that do not have small parts, or that may have small detachable parts. If you sit with your child and learn along with your child, then you could watch over your child and make sure that your child does not swallow any toy parts. However, educational toys can be fashioned so that your child keeps on coming back for more, and you should be delighted if your child gets a toy on his or her own without you having to prompt it. You will have to let your child learn on his or her own, so make sure that you can leave the toy with your child and not have to worry about safety.

Third, and last, get toys that also develop your child’s motor skills, as well as hand-eye coordination. Such toys will help your child improve in his or her later skills. This way, you can prepare your child for pre-school and have a well-developed child even before your child steps into a school classroom!

These are only a few tips that you might want to use. For more information, talk to your child’s teacher or to child development experts.

If you’re planning to buy a pre schoolers toys make sure that they are educational toys and easy to work with. Pick toys with lots of colors and that can hone children’s motor skills.

6 tips to good brand management for daycare business owners

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 at 9:46 am  
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6 tips to good brand management for daycare business owners

Here are 6 tips to good brand management for daycare business owners

Define why you are in business.
Know what is the key purpose of your business and what sets you apart from your competition. Ensure that all your staff are aware of that information because it is what your daycare stands for.

What you want people to think
Consider what you want people; your employees, suppliers, customers, prospects, competitors, to think when they hear your name. You need to ensure a consistent message to all of them. E.g. you cannot be the cheapest daycare in town when you advertise in to attract the right staff with the most extensive pay package.

Is your brand image believable to everyone? If not, then you need to see how you can alter your daycare operations to achieve that.

Words to define your business
What are the words you want people to use when defining your daycare. A good method will be to ask people who know your business. Are they all saying the same thing? Are those the words that you want to hear? If not, you may need to relook at presenting the right characteristics to showcase that brand image and use it consistently in all your communications.

What is the advantage you want to showcase
Pinpoint the advantages you want people to associate with your daycare and use that inyou’re your communications.

Define your brand
Look at the business through the eyes of your daycare customers. What do they will think and say about the services that your daycare is offering? How do they define your brand? What is the one consistent thing that you are hearing that they are saying about your daycare?

Build your brand
Build your brand through every impression that you make. Keep it constant and consistent.

Remember. A well-managed brand creates a strong emotional connection and strong emotional connections foster brand loyalty.

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Website Tips for Daycare Centres

Wednesday, May 18th, 2011 at 4:47 am  
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Website Tips for Daycare Centres

Does the word “website” frighten you? Do you relate website design to complicated programming, complex html / java scripts? Ever wondered how a small daycare centre can afford to setup a website?

Website designing has evolved since the start of internet. What used to be a complicated task, fit for a computer programmer, has now been made easier. Most web hosting packages now comes with web builder programmes that enable non web designers to setup a professionally looking website without any/little knowledge of computer programming languages.

Here’s how you can easily develop a website for your daycare centre:

Step 1 – Purchase a domain name (www.YOUR-DOMAIN-NAME.com)

You can buy them from many domain name providers that is available on the web. Go to Google / Yahoo and key in “purchase domain name” and you’ll have a list of domain name companies trying to promote their services to you. Domain names are usually charged annually. It can range from as cheap as .99.

Step 2 – Sign up with a web hosting company

Many web hosting companies offer free domain name registration for as long as you host your website with them. Web hosting packages are charged monthly but many web hosting companies will offer you a discount if you were sign up with them for a number of years. There a number of things you need to take note of when selecting a web hosting company. How much space? How many email accounts are permitted? Does it have a website design software?

Step 3 – Write your website copy

The most important and sometimes challenging task of building a website is to write the website copy. Fret not. It can be relatively pain-free.

First and foremost, I would suggest spending some time to surf the web for good examples to copy. The rule of thumb is, if you like it and find it attractive, then most likely your customers will as well.

Here are a number of suggested information to include on your website.

• Home page – This is an introduction or welcome page for your daycare visitors. Visitors normally land on this page first so you should make it easy for your visitors to navigate through. As they say “First impression counts” so ensure that it is attractive. However, don’t overdo it and put too many pictures because it will take a very long time to load.

• Core value and goals – As providing daycare services is a delicate profession, core values and goals of the daycare centre are extremely important.

• About us – Include a photo and short bio of all the caregivers. If it is too tedious, then have at least the daycare centre manager’s / principal’s information.

• Programme / Curriculum – List down what subjects you offer as part of your curriculum.

• Schedule – Include a schedule of the centre’s daily activities. If possible, even include a menu.

• Photo Gallery – Snap some photographs of the children at play, during storytelling, etc and include it in your photo gallery. Some website design software already have a photo gallery function included.

• Rates and charges – Some owners may not like the idea of publicizing the charges, so it’ll depend on your preference. Personally, I feel that it helps to qualify your customers.

• What’s New – If possible, have a “What’s New” section where you can include short writeup about your centre’s activities or make announcements of upcoming events such as open houses.

• Contact us – In your contact page, list not only contact details such as address, telephone and email but include a map as well. It will be useful for parents who wish to visit your centre.

Step 4 – Follow the step by step tutorials or guides to setting up a website.

Most website design software comes with tutorials on how to develop a website step by step. It varies from software to software. I won’t lie to say that is a piece of cake but you’ll get better with practice. Just think of the amount of money you will be saving by doing it yourself.

Remember to publish your website only when you have checked it thoroughly. Preview it first to ensure the layout is fine. Check the spelling. Nothing is worse than a website that is poorly developed.

Step 5 – Promoting your website

The first thing you should do is email to all your friends and family and let them know about your website. Encourage them to forward to as many people as possible.

Next is to include your website address on everything; on your namecards and all your marketing materials (brochure, flyers, posters, advertisements and banners).

Get your website listed in as many places as possible. There are also many web directories which you can list your website and not forgetting the metroguides. If you have purchased a franchise, ask if the franchisor will allow a link from their website to yours.

If after reading this, you find it too cumbersome, there are 2 alternatives. One is to have someone professional do it for you for a fee. Second is to forget about having a website for your daycare altogether.

For more essential information and resources on starting a successful daycare business, please visit http://www.setupadaycare.com

Inexpensive branding tips to help grow our daycare business

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011 at 9:45 pm  
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Inexpensive branding tips to help grow our daycare business

All products and services, big or small, require a brand. Branding is not an expensive exercise and limited to only multinational companies. Branding is simply about communicating the positive attributes of your daycare to your daycare customers and prospects.

Branding for daycare is made by the impressions made by encounters with your daycare as well as from the various communications that you have with your daycare customers and prospects on a regular basis. Building a successful brand for your daycare need not burn a hole in your already fragile pocket. These are 4 key things that you need to remember when developing a branding strategy for your daycare business:

Know the brand image you want
First, decide on the brand image that you wish to portray to your daycare customers and prospects. Remember that the first point of contact that your potential customers will have is your employee so you have to ensure that all employees are aware of your branding as well.

Be committed
Branding requires commitment and disciple. You must ensure that every effort is made to project your image well and consistently. There should be no “the colour looks the same”. It has to be “the colour IS the same”. There is simply no room for negotiation when it comes to branding.

Allocate for it
Nothing comes for free. If you want to build a successful brand, you will need to commit to spending what is necessary to convey the necessary message to the customers – time, effort and of course money.

Keep it consistent
You need to manage your marketing such that the impression it leaves on your customer is always consistent. Don’t keep changing brand image unless it is no longer appropriate.

Remember that consistency builds brands and brands build business as it makes selling easier.

 

Sign up for a FREE 7-part Develop a Winning Marketing Plan for your Daycare eCourse and learn how to build up the brand of your daycare and Win More Customers Than your Daycare Can Handle! Sign up NOW!

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