Home Daycare Advertising Suggestions?

I've seen ads at Starbucks, Coffee Beans in my area and I have called them! Local gymnastics centers seem to allow them too. Panera Bread has a bulletin board at every location I've been to with everything from personal trainer business cards to childcare info.

Hi K.~
I'm up near Dekalb & run a home daycare here. My library lets me hang my flyers there. Also, I actually ordered a small bulk of business cards from vistaprint. I found that many local places are more likely to let you put out business cards before flyers. If you're up at a local school, ask them to spread the word if anyone mentions looking for a local sitter. Also, care.com and sittercity.com are free for providers to list their services. I've also used craigslist, but have had much better success with care.com and sittercity.com
Hope this helps!!

Apartment complexes in the laundry room? Laundry mats?

Word of mouth is the best. Perhaps motivating your current clients to talk you up would help. Kind of like what my haircutter does; if you refer a new client, you can get a discount on the next haircut. Maybe a $25 credit to existing clients for a new client enrollment? It's a small price to pay for good publicity.

Hello,
I also provide daycare in Buffalo Grove. Do you have a constant add on craigslist. I would say I get 85% of my kids from craigslist. I have actually found two awesome families from this sight as well. I also tell everyone I know when I have a spot to fill. Send an email out to the parents that you are currently working with. Maybe they have a friend that is in need of childcare. Also if you are on facebook, put a message in your status that you have spots open in your home daycare. It takes a long time to get to where you want to be. I have been doing daycare in my home for about 11 years. Many, many of these years I have not been full. Just the past two years, I have been exactly were I want to be as far as numbers. Several of my families live right here in my neighborhood. Parents love to find providers walking distance from their homes!

Go lo local businesses frequented by moms: gyms, clothing stores, kid stores, etc. Local preschools, etc.

Read Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson -- a marketing/advertising classic.

do you have a local Pennysaver? i would also check the laws in your area. if you aren't licensed, you aren't allowed to advertise for a daycare. you can for babysitting, though. we have a Pennysaver, and there are tons of daycare ads in it.