Parents want to make sure that their kids are eating healthy food, so they make sure that they will be preparing healthy foods. How about when they are not around, they need to bring their kids to the daycare, are they sure that their kids are still eating healthy. Definitely, parents would make a review and check out if their kids are eating the right foods when they are in daycare.

As an owner of a daycare, you need to see to it that you will be serving nutritious foods. Actually, you do not only have impact on the nutritional intake of the kids under your care but also with their eating behaviors and health habits. You need to be there to help the kids learn the right mealtime behavior and also to enjoy different varieties of nutritious foods.

You need to review the foods that you will serve for the kids under your facility.

Actually, there are recommendations that several organization have agreed upon. For children who are in a daycare for seven hours, you need to give them one third of their nutritional needs. If they have to stay in a daycare for eight hours or more, they should receive one half to two thirds of their nutritional needs. For children who are under your premises for full time, they should have one meal and two snacks.

When serving breakfast, it should consist of milk, fruit, bread or cereal, vegetable or 100% juice. In serving lunch or supper you need to serve milk, meat, fruit or vegetable, bread. When serving snacks it should consist of at least two of these four components namely milk, meat or alternate, fruit or vegetable, bread or alternate.

You have to focus on the use of fresh fruits, vegetable and whole grain when serving meals and snacks, you can also include small amount of meat or meat alternative. Make sure that the foods you’re giving to the kids are fresh and unprocessed.

You have to be able to supply the recommended amount of iron, energy, Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin A, Zinc, Magnesium and Folic Acid. You can ask for guidance with a dietitian in order to determine and ensure that you are providing the right foods for the kids.

Do not serve foods that contain nitrates, foods with caffeine, drink with high calorie, salty foods and candy. Make sure that the foods you serve are appropriate the ages of the kids under your facility.

For more info see: How To Start A Daycare Business

Dolson McArt – Author of: What Types of Food Should You Serve in Your Daycare

Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007.

Setting expectations and laying out your rules is critical to your long term success. You have to be firm yet sensitive not to create tension. You will see the parent’s everyday and having a good ongoing relationship is key. Remember that this is your daycare, your house, your business so don’t be shy when it comes time to laying down the law. You have to be firm and okay with hurting people’s feelings once in a while.

For example, late pickups, late checks and rules with sick kids were an ongoing issue for me.

An Example

One of my longest term parents, who I had a great relationship with, and cared for their boy for almost my entire 3 year career were lackadaisical with paying and picking up their boy on time. My cutoff was at 6:00. The wife was a successful doctor and the husband a pharmaceutical salesman who had the job of both picking up and dropping off their child. I rarely ever saw the wife.

The late checks where annoying but I knew they were good for it and the dad was just disorganized and simply forgot. However the late pickups where terrible and for me far worse than the checks coming in 2 or 3 days late. After a long day, I wanted my break and to get all of the kids out of my house. Those 10 or 20 minutes of watching the clock really burned me.

Just about every time he was late he was really sorry and just mentioned traffic and the doctors he calls, will sometimes only see him at the end of the day, etc. I had no idea how to handle this. I didn’t want to do the $1 per minute thing that the daycare centers sometime do. But, I didn’t want this just to go on and on and he was late about once per week.

I did mention the $1 late thing, that, by the way was in my contract, and he was annoyed. I tried to reason with him and though he understood he just could not promise that he would be on time every day due to his job. In a way I appreciated his honesty though I didn’t like what he was telling me. He presented his “case” almost like a take it or leave it and that he would be late – there was nothing he could do to change it.

One late Friday night, spurred the climax of this issue. It was a beautiful evening and we we’re planning on meeting some friends for dinner and he was a full 30 minutes late! which put us back considerably. This was towards my “retirement” and I was getting really burned out. Out of desperation, I called his wife to try to reason with her. She of course had no idea this was going on as he had not told her a thing (she worked something like 80 hours a week). She freaked and apparently, as my husband’s says “dropped the hammer” on him.

He and I where never the same and though they did stick around our relationship was badly bruised as I think he felt betrayed that I “tattled” on him. And despite the drama, he was still late about once a week or so, but would no longer apologize.

Maybe I should have done the late fee, maybe not. They were good customers, all in all and their boy was excellent. He was such a little angel. He was a very happy child that really took to me and the rest of the children. Had he been high maintenance I would have been more firm and charged the fee though I would have lost them as a client. So, despite getting walked on a little bit I still think I did the right thing.

Tania Rauth. Author of “Start Daycare – Develop Twitch” More information on running a daycare at starting a daycare or how to run a daycare or opening a daycare.

If you’re anything like me, who has a vague idea of organization and planning, this can be a daunting process. What business plan? Can’t I just wing it? Of course you can, but even people who wing it have a plan in the back of their heads.

A business plan is simply an outline for what you want your business to become. My father makes business plans for everything-even his garden. That’s going a bit overboard, but you get the picture. It’s a bit like a rough guide for you. If this is the first time, start simple and follow these tips to make your day care the one most talked about in the block.

See a need, fill a need. Familiar? This is great advice from Mr. Bigweld in the animated movie Robots. Find a need that you can fill in your neighborhood or community.

Incorporate your passion. Do you like to do crafts, paint, draw or sing? This can be something valuable that you can combine with your day care for a unique spin on child care. Take your day care kids beyond finger painting.

Get people to chip in. Ask around; see what people want from their neighborhood day care. Cheaper prices? Better care, longer hours? This can possibly give rise to great idea. For example, if a lot of the parents in your neighborhood can’t drive the hour to your day care, why not provide a day care pick up like a school bus or van?

Logo, motto and mission. Create a logo, motto and have a mission that will get people to remember you. This can help fix your business plan as well. Your motto and mission will determine the scope of your day care, as well as contribute to any ideas that you might have in the future.

Plan the small things. Think about how you want to run your day care. What time will you open? What time will you close? Think of what programs you can use. Plan your menus and activities. Plan the big things. Where do you want your business to be in a year? In two years? Do you want to start small and work your way up or try it all for a one time, big deal thing? Set a goal. Do you want to be the biggest day care center in your state by the year 2010? It can be as big as that or you can simply say: I want the kids to love going to my day care center.

Be flexible because no matter how you plan things, you have to have some breathing room for yourself and your business.

A business plan is like your battle strategy, without the giant world map and little pins stuck in various places. Having your business plan can help you immensely, even just with the little things. Take some time, have a cup of coffee or tea and sit down to write it out. You’ll be amazed at what you can come up with.

Learn more: Start a daycare business

Dolson McArt – Author of: Business Plan And Ideas For Starting A Daycare Business

The two main professionals that can help you locate and introduce you to investors that may be interested in funding your new project is the law firms and accounting firms near you and afar a field. These people will help find possible investors after they have assessed your idea themselves. The first thing to do when you are asked for materials that explain your idea is to get the interested lawyer or accounting firm to sign a nondisclosure document which protects your confidential details and prevents them from unauthorized talk about your idea or replication of your idea. This legal instrument is essential and typically most lawyer’s making a request to see your idea will fax you a nondisclosure document without you even asking. Just to cover yourself inquire who else may possibly see the materials and request that they too sign, typically that may be a secretary or clerical staff.

These professionals have client books filled with high net worth individuals and typically they may confide in this professional their financial goals so the lawyer may already have 10 or 15 investors in mind to see your proposal even before he see’s your idea. If you want to find start up capital and you are certain your idea will be of great interest to investors, this would be the perfect way to start.

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Conventional financing, meaning traditional loans offered by a bank with their own money, for daycare centers typically consist of a 5 year fixed rate, with a 20 amortization schedules. Loan to values on purchases hover at approximately 65% (maybe 70%) and 60% on refinances. Most conventional sources are very conservative with daycares and want to see 2 years of tax returns that show a debt coverage ratios of 1.3 to 1.4 compared to an a 1.2 for most building types. The debt coverage ratio is basically a tool that shows/proves a level of cash flow. Management experience will be heavily scrutinized with conventional sources. One of the primary benefits of conventional financing is the rate will often be the lowest with this type of financing.

SBA loans are often the better way to finance daycare centers then conventional. First of all, borrowers can put down as little as 15% (85% loan to value) on purchases, compared to conventional financing at around 40% down. Debt coverage ratios are less conservative as well, and can go down to 1.1. In addition, future business projection can be used to improve historical financials if they fall below the guidelines. Also, because the SBA is guarantying so much of the loan for the bank there can be a lot of underwriting flexibility.

Many owners are unaware that they can use SBA loans to refinance their existing daycare center loan. Loan to values can go as high as 85% on refi’s when the SBA program is included. Borrower can pull cash out of their property for expansion, consolidate business debt, open another location, etc. Fixed rates on the SBA 7a loan are 5 years with amortization schedules of 25 years. 504 programs boast’s rates fixed for as long as 10 years.

Jeff Rauth is President of Commercial Finance Advisors, Inc out of Birmingham, Michigan. He specializes in Commercial Real Estate Loans between $100,000 – $5,000,000. Offers unique loan programs such as Commercial Second Mortgages, Commercial 30 Year Fixed, 90% non SBA financing, Commercial Equity Loans. 248 885-8797 or commercial real estate loans or commercial loan brokers or commercial loan rates.

These paycheck loans are meant to provide you with up to $1000 cash to take care of short term financial obligations when you’re short on cash. The reason you only want to use these loans for short term emergencies is that the fees and interest rates charged on paycheck loans are extremely high. If you continue to use payday loans on a regular basis you’ll end up paying way too much in interest and it’s just not worth it in the long run. Using payday loans judiciously however can be a very smart move if you use it to help you get out of an emergency situation and it can also be much better than damaging your credit further by having more late or missed payments on your current debt obligations.

You’ll find that the interest rate charged on a no credit check loan will be different with each lender so it’s to your benefit to shop around. If you’ve previously gotten a quick cash loan you may find that the lender will offer you a discount as a repeat customer. Once you provide the lender with the required information they will verify your bank account and employment and you could have cash in your account in as little as 1 hour, though usually it takes a bit longer than that. In any case, you can expect to receive the money within 24 hours. In some cases you may be asked to fax your last paystub and bank statement, this is simply to help speed the verification process.

If you need a payday loan then you shouldn’t be blocked from getting the cash you need because of past problems and bad credit. No credit check loans mean that your past credit history isn’t taken into account as part of the loan approval, only your current financial situation. Applying for a payday loan is quick and convenient and the approval is swift as well. Online lenders will process your no credit check loan application and have cash in your account the same day meaning you can take care of your emergency or financial obligations quickly.

Learn more about no credit check loans and how to get paycheck loans by visiting the authors website.

Daycare forms are filled by parent before you will accept the child under your care. This form requires the parent to submit medical record of the child, if the child has an allergy, asthma or any serious disease that need special treatment. This form must be sign by the parents to avoid problems. Another form they should submit is the updated immunization of the child with doctors’ signature. These are some proper ways to avoid lawsuit in the future. But accident with children while playing is not avoidable. Liability insurance comes handy if such accident happens.

Every state has rules and regulation about child care. And they imposed the daycare provider to secure license and insurance for their business. Liability insurance pays or settles the medical expenses of a child in case accident occurs in your house premises. You pay a certain amount in insuring this liability insurance. This liability insurance doesn’t cover child abuse. This insurance will pay the damage incase you lose in a lawsuit.

There are liability limit in any insurance, depending on how much you pay for the said insurance. The higher you pay for the said insurance, the higher insurance premium you will get. If your policy liability is $100,000 and the damage cost or hospital bill to be settled is $150,000, you are liable to pay the remaining $50,000. The insurance will pay the $100.000 but you are obliged to pay the remaining balance for the cost or damage.

Insurance liability cost depends on the coverage you want. This will include on how many children enrolled in your daycare center. The higher you pay for the premium, the higher the amount of money you will get from the policy.

Insurance premiums vary from one company to another depending on the insurance coverage they offer. You can seek advised from professional. They can help and explain the insurance policy you needed in your daycare center. The premium cost annually is $680 to $960 and the maximum coverage is $ 1,000,000 and the lowest coverage is $25,000.00 if you pay the premium of $290 to $416 annually.

It is better if you seek legal advised before you buy insurance policy. Some legal term may not be clear to you. It is best to seek legal advised. There are two form of insurance, the claim made and the occurrence form. Occurrence form is better than claim even the policy expires they will still cover the accident. Claim made only covers the policy while you are still paying the premium currently, if the policy has expired, they will not cover the accident. Accident insurance is much cheaper then the liability insurance and it offer small premium.

Before you start your own business make sure you settle all requirements needed. Make listing and preparation for your daycare center. You can check online for additional information you need regarding the insurance liability for your daycare center.

See: How to start a daycare

Dolson McArt – Author of: Daycare Provider – Childcare Insurance

Provide them a copy of your handbook, let them sign and understand the rules and regulation before you accept them as your customer. This will lead to no misunderstanding between you and the parents.

Some guideline may help you and you may need to follow regarding rules and restrictions for your daycare center.

Create a sick policy, think of a guideline that you need to use when a child got sick. Set a standard on what to do every time a child got sick. Consider on how you will contact parents and in to what extent you will need to call the parent. There are some cases that a child will have unexplained rash, we don’t want to be reported for a child abuse, make sure when a child was left in your care, have a physical check up and identify if there are any rashes or wounds on child’s body. This will save you from being reported to 911. Have a list of infectious disease that is not allowed in your daycare. Those are just some guideline that you and the parent need to know.

Have a record of relative of a child, this will identify on who is authorized in picking up the child. You should let the parent know about the policy of picking up the child, be strict on this kind of policy. For security purposes, don’t let someone who is not authorized to pick a child even if he or she is a closed relative of the child. Set standards on how and who will pick a child. Be strict to it, because you don’t want to be blamed when a child got kidnapped. There are some cases that parent are not allowed to pick their own child, have legal documents filed stating the agreement by court.

Make an understanding between you and the parent with regard to payment or tuition fee. Also, include on the understanding on how many days will the child be in a daycare. Explain all of the extra charges if there is any when a child is under your care or even the child is not attending your daycare.

There are also instances that you need to anticipate wherein for some reasons your daycare is closing, make sure you have this kind of policy on your handbook. Include holidays on when will your daycare is close.

Lastly, set some rules and regulation in punishing kids with uncontrollable behavior, let the parent have the knowledge about these rules and regulation on who are about to be punished and the grounds for such disorderly behavior.

See: How To Start A Daycare Center

Dolson McArt – Author of: Why You Should Create a Parent Handbook for Your Daycare

Contributing to EzineArticles.com since March 2007.

One of the reasons that so many plans are so poorly written, and there are many, many additional reasons, is that the writers do not understand how plans are read. Investment banks, venture capital firms, family offices, angel firms, banks and blind investment pools receive a stack of plans for consideration every day. Typically a junior reader, often a recent MBA, is assigned to read and screen the plans editing out all of the obvious losers. The remaining business plans are then marked up after sections are read in the following order: Executive Summary, Financials, Management, and Exit Strategy.

Why is the order in which a business plan is read important to recognize? Because, these are the areas that must be powerfully and compellingly addressed in order to have the business plan placed in front of decision- makers. The writing and construction of these sections dictate the level of interest that the original screening reader will express in the synopsis they will attach to the business plan copy as it begins it’s route through the project analysis process.

The Executive Summary is read first. This should be a two page vivid snap shot of the enterprise, and touch on each aspect of the opportunity. The Executive Summary needs to paint an exciting word picture that leaves the reader wanting to know more. Unfortunately, most plans are not read beyond the first paragraph or two.

Why? I have discussed this with investors on many occasions. I have asked the question, “aren’t you worried that you might be missing out on a great product opportunity just because the document has a weakly written Executive Summary”? The universal answer, “if there is no more passion or ability to excite us than we see in a poor Executive Summary, we have never had to look back at a missed opportunity. If you can’t make a great first impression for us, you won’t for anybody else either”?

You only get one chance to make a great first impression. The business plan is your projects first impression. It is the superstructure of your opportunity, the skeleton, and a foundation. If a house has a weak foundation it will not stand up for long. Why entrepreneurs submit documents that do not properly reflect the excitement they believe inherent in their invention is a sad mystery. A poorly executed Executive Summary negates all of the time, energy, investment and innovation built into a new offering.

Assuming the newly submitted Business Plan has an exemplary Executive Summary, and passes the initial screening read, Financials are read next.
Why Financials? Well, the Executive Summary is the skeleton of a project, while the Financials are the muscle.

Financials are based on a set of assumptions that are key to presenting a realistic, justifiable cash flow, balance sheet and income statement. Investors have certain Return on Investment parameters that they must seek to achieve before they can consider any investment commitment. The assumptions upon which the Financials are based must be from thorough research, current market conditions and historical means.

The principal reason Financials lead to project death is that the assumptions are based on dreams, hope and pie in the sky. A rule of thumb for successfully leaping the Financials section hurdle is this: investors need to realistically see that they will receive a mid-30’s per cent return on investment commencing between month 24 and 36 (year 3) after an investment is made. This rate and speed of return must be able to stand aggressive scrutiny. Believe me, investors are manic about analyzing, poking, prodding and tearing apart the assumptions upon which the Financials are constructed.

Good News! Your Business Plan has successfully passed through the Executive Summary and Financials doors. Next up, Management!

The Management section represents the brains of the new enterprise being considered for investment. An experienced (industry specific) management team must be either on hand, or readily available for successful placement.
The downfall in this area for so many prospective entrepreneurs is a complete lack of direct management experience. I recently reviewed a terrific safety product that had immense appeal. An exciting product, great margins, consumer need and obvious benefits, however, the group seeking funding had no executive management experience in any area the project required. They are candidates for a sale or license, but no funding round ever occurs without strong management. Remember: the investment is being made in people, people capable of driving an exciting opportunity to success.

Do not dream about running your own company, with someone else’s money, if you are a warehouse manager by trade but need production and marketing experience to succeed at the new business. It just will not happen, unless the investment comes from Aunt Hazel.

However, if you have strong and direct management experience and the Management section indicates a rounded team, the plan will move on through door three and to the last initial barrier to be overcome. What is your Harvest Goal (exit strategy)?

The Exit Strategy is crucial for investors and the effective management of their money pools. The Exit Strategy is the brain, intellect and emotional component of the deal. Venture capital is a high risk/high reward game. Investors know that the successful investment must pay out large, and relatively quickly, in order for them to cover the losers that greatly outnumber the home runs they hit.

Some entrepreneurs are unrealistic about harvesting gains from their business. This scares investment and venture money. An agreed plan to depart, take profits, sell or exercise myriad other harvest mechanisms at maximized points in the business cycle will be demanded before investment will be considered. It is best for the entrepreneur to be highly flexible when negotiating the harvest. The Exit Strategy is best summarized as an area where the entrepreneur is open, flexible, wishing to maximize profits and make a deal fair to all parties.

Inflexibility is a mortal sin for those seeking investment. I can not overstate how many deals never happen, products linger and die, opportunities are lost because an owner is unrealistic in framing his requirements for his enrichment when potential success is achieved. Leave something on the plate for all parties in a deal.

The other sections of a customized business plan are now important, but only after the pre-eminent Executive Summary, Financials, Management and Exit Strategy areas have passed muster. If your business plan has all four in good order you will be in rare company. Too many entrepreneurs dream about securing investment. This is anything but a dreamy exercise. It is tough, competitive, demanding, hard work. If you put the necessary effort into your project you will greatly enhance your chance for success!

Do not take shortcuts! Do not guess at details and assumptions! Do not fill in the blanks on a store bought template! Do not offer your opportunity for review until you have a professional, exciting presentation! Your Business Plan represents you, your family and your partner’s future!

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.

After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.

Mr. Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (http://www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Daycare Business Plan Outline

A business plan should consist of six (6) things.

Cover sheet

Statement of purpose

Table of contents

The Business – Covers Description, Marketing, Competition, Operating procedures, Personnel, Business insurance and Financial data

Financial Data – Loan applications, Capital equipment and supply list, Balance sheet, Breakeven analysis, Pro-Forma income projections (profit & loss statements) and Pro-forma cash flow.

Supporting Documentation – Tax returns, Personal financial statements, Lease or purchase agreements, Copy of Licenses and other legal documentation and Copy of resumes of all principals

Other things to consider

While developing your daycare business plan their are some things that you will want to make sure that you focus on and decide on in the process. A business plan should be a well thought out process and should not be rushed. Focus on these areas below and it will help ensure that you have a well thought out business plan.

Define Your Business & Vision.

Write Down Your Goals.

Know Your Customers.

Learn From Your Competition.

Count The Cost

By following this information, you should have a good start at creating a successful business plan. Remember in order to have a successful Daycare Business a Daycare Business Plan is a must. This is a start but you will need more indepth informations.

To help with this J. Wayne Norris the owner of http://www.start-a-home-day-care-business.com has compiled his site with information on the subject. Go to his site for information on starting a daycare and information about developing a daycare business plan.