Daycare Franchises? Montessori Daycare? -- Startup Decisions Tackled

The decision has been made, the full time job discarded and you are starting your day care however, you're only now realizing what you've let yourself in for. Weighty questions must be tackled, decisions must be made e.g. Montessori day care or Steiner, daycare franchises or go it alone and the to do list continues to grow.

A day care franchise can be a great, no fuss, instant business way to go. First off you'll get the benefit of instant brand recognition thus making it easier for you to gain customer loyalty. Generally there will be a development process in place to help with funding acquisition, unit selection, the construction process, getting licensed, training and launching your business.

Ongoing direction and support for staff may be included in the package along with a proprietary curriculum and building design templates. Advertising effectively and successfully will be a breeze with the use of a recognized brand plus tried and tested operations manuals and paperwork will mean a lot less headaches. Home office support can be part of come franchises also.

There is no doubting the appeal of all of the above. However, franchises are extremely pricey and require an upfront financial commitment plus proof of a healthy net worth (and that's before you even open your doors). Now, where did I leave that goose with the golden egg laying capabilities?

So, to the curriculum question. There are many, excellent programs to choose from so you really need to do some thorough research to establish which method might best suit your day care (or you could just draw straws :-)). Ever helpful I've included a list of some of the more popular curriculums with a brief explanation to get you started:

Play based - children learn through focused play Montessori - development is observed by the teacher, who neither interfere nor get in the way but support the child Waldorf Method - based on the concept that the children must love to learn therefore they learn through play, imitation and imagination.

High/Scope - teachers are facilitators as children have responsibility for their work and learn through doing Reggio Emilio - focuses on the natural development of the child in relation to their environment Piaget - interaction based Steiner - based on the belief that education should be designed to meet the changing needs of children as they develop

Should you have extra money but not a lot of spare time then daycare franchises will have definite appeal for you. The program you choose is also extremely important and while I find my Montessori day care to be a fantastic method only you can decide which is the best fit for your day care.