How to Offer Child-Care Services

So what do you need in the way of cash and available credit to open your doors? Depending on what you already own, the services you want to offer and whether you'll be homebased or in a commercial location, that number could range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars.

As you consider your own situation, don't pull a startup number out of the air; use your business plan to calculate how much you need to start your ideal operation, and then figure out how much you have. If you have all the cash you need, you're very fortunate. If you don't, you need to start playing with the numbers and deciding what you can do without.

Many of the child-care entrepreneurs we talked with used their own personal savings and equipment they already owned to start their businesses. Because the startup costs for a family child-care business are relatively low, you'll find traditional financing difficult to obtain--banks and other lenders would much rather lend amounts much larger than you'll need and are likely to be able to qualify for. A commercially located center will take a more substantial investment and would likely qualify for a bank loan.

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Brenda B. estimates that she initially spent $300 to $400 on equipment for her family child-care center. She shopped at garage sales and accepted donations of used toys and other items from friends and acquaintances.

Janet H. spent considerably more--about $5,000--to set up her family child-care center because she remodeled her garage to serve as the primary room for her business as well as added a bathroom for the children. When she opened her first commercial location, she used a combination of personal savings and credit cards to pay the expenses. By the time she opened her second location, she was able to qualify for a commercial loan. Lois M. took out a second mortgage on her home to get the $15,000 she needed to adequately equip her commercial center when she opened in 1982.

Yvette B. in Miami, put $70,000 of personal savings into her children's transportation service. Deborah B.'s startup costs in Front Royal, Virginia, were in the range of $20,000 to $25,000, which she funded primarily with personal credit cards.

As you're putting together your financial plan, consider these sources of startup funds:

• Your own resources. Do a thorough inventory of your assets. People generally have more assets than they immediately realize. This could include savings accounts, equity in real estate, retirement accounts, vehicles, recreation equipment, collections and other investments. You may opt to sell assets for cash or use them as collateral for a loan. Take a look, too, at your personal line of credit; most of the equipment you'll need is available through retail stores that accept credit cards.
• Friends and family. The next step after gathering your own resources is to approach friends and relatives who believe in you and want to help you succeed. Be cautious with these arrangements; no matter how close you are, present yourself professionally, put everything in writing, and be sure the individuals you approach can afford to take the risk of investing in your business.
• Partners. Though most family child-care centers are owned by just one person, you may want to consider using the "strength in numbers" principle and look around for someone to team up with you in your venture. You may choose someone who has financial resources and wants to work side by side with you in the business. Or you may find someone who has money to invest but no interest in doing the actual work. Be sure to create a written partnership agreement that clearly defines your respective responsibilities and obligations.
• Government programs. Take advantage of the abundance of local, state and federal programs designed to support small businesses in general, and child-care programs in particular. Make your first stop the SBA, then investigate other programs. Women, minorities and veterans should check out niche financing possibilities designed to help these groups get into business. The business section of your local library is a good place to begin your research. Another good resource is the National Children's Facilities Network and Community Investment Collaborative for Kids (see Resources).

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