Business vs Childcare!

[New Boy]

Does anyone else have to manage business around the school runs etc like me?

 

I am trying to establish myself as a new business but am frustrated that I am unable to put in a long day so to speak, how do you deal with it, do you think it makes a business look unprofessional or is it just a fact of life that most customers get???

 

Also do you in the quoting phase discuss your hours of work with the potential customer?

 

Thanks

 

New Boy

[Gillsgardening]

Many people have to juggle child care with business, you just need to work harder while you on the job! I wouldn't discuss hours with customers because if you get finished sooner they are looking for some money back.

[Jaarkeal]

Never discuss hours with clients as they are paying for job not an hourly rate. If they want to I can give them an hourly rate!

As for school runs it can be done but you may find jobs take longer, roll into the next day and end up costing more. I tend to do school run some days after setting the guys up or twice a week with the other days "normal" hours.

[doobin]

Man up and tell the wife to do it...

[gensetsteve]

Does anyone else have to manage business around the school runs etc like me?

 

I am trying to establish myself as a new business but am frustrated that I am unable to put in a long day so to speak, how do you deal with it, do you think it makes a business look unprofessional or is it just a fact of life that most customers get???

 

Also do you in the quoting phase discuss your hours of work with the potential customer?

 

Thanks

 

New Boy

 

Are you a single parent if so may be the grand parents could help. The other option is drop them off but get a child minder to collect and look after till 5pm. If you have a wife get her a small car its cheaper than taking time off work.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

I stay home Thu & Fri to look after our daughter. It used to frustrate me when things were frantic as it felt like lost time. It's quite the opposite actually, there's no job in the world that's worth more than a day with my daughter.

 

Do the school run, value the time with your children!! Just make the work fit around it, there's always a way.

[slack ma girdle]

A lot of my customers often express that they wish they had spent more time with their kids when they were younger, when i tell them that i have to do the school run. It makes business sence to get the job done in a day, but your kids are only young once, and very quickly grow up. Family always comes first.

[Kev Stephenson]

I use the out of school club for 3 mornings and 2 afternoons a week meaning that at least for part of the week I have the option of an 8-5 day. I also have someone on the books that is happy to finish up a job on the days I need to do the school runs, I just take my discovery as well as the chip truck then I can disappear when needed.

 

It also works for me to use a subbie one day a week leaving me the option to man a job up, sort out paperwork, go quoting or do SFA if I choose again leaving more time with the kids out of school hours.

[scraggs]

My girlfriend is a childminder so never been a problem, If they are school age then most schools have an obligation to provide before and after school clubs and if they don't it's because there is generally sufficient childcare in the area for them not to have to.

[chrisj]

I sometimes have to do school runs depending on the hours that my wife is working.

 

I find clients don't have an issue with it. If they have a fixed price quote then it doesn't cost them any more if you do 6 hrs one day and 2 hours the next compared to 8 hours in one day.

If you explain to them about it when you quote they may worry that you'll be trying to charge a full days money for a short days job. But, if you just say when you arrange to do the work that you'll have to do the school run, then more than likely they'll just assume that something has come up that has caused a problem that you are working around, and be pleased that you've made the effort to get to their job despite that.