? About Contracted Rates

[Boymom]

My hours are 7:30-5:30 and I charge a flat fee regardless of age. (I'm about to have ages 2 and up only.) All of the families that I have use the full 10 hours.

Instead of just being available from 7:30-5:30, I would like to do contracted hours. I just don't know how to change my fees!

For 8 hours, how much should I deduct each week? $5? $10?

For 9 hours, I'm thinking of charging the fee that I charge now for 10 hours

For 10 hours, maybe add $5 each week?

I don't want to undercut myself, but I don't want to charge too much and scare people away.

[Leigh]

My hours are 7:30-5:30 and I charge a flat fee regardless of age. (I'm about to have ages 2 and up only.) All of the families that I have use the full 10 hours.

Instead of just being available from 7:30-5:30, I would like to do contracted hours. I just don't know how to change my fees!

For 8 hours, how much should I deduct each week? $5? $10?

For 9 hours, I'm thinking of charging the fee that I charge now for 10 hours

For 10 hours, maybe add $5 each week?

I don't want to undercut myself, but I don't want to charge too much and scare people away.

If I were to do this, I'd start with today's rate for 8 hours, and then add $10-$20 per week for each additional hour. I wouldn't set myself up to make LESS money.

[Boymom]

If I were to do this, I'd start with today's rate for 8 hours, and then add $10-$20 per week for each additional hour. I wouldn't set myself up to make LESS money.

Thank you! You're right, I don't need to make less money!

[Blackcat31]

If I were to do this, I'd start with today's rate for 8 hours, and then add $10-$20 per week for each additional hour. I wouldn't set myself up to make LESS money.

my old rate.. before switching to contracted hours.. became my rate for the earliest pick up (8 hrs).

I added $ for later pick up times.

Rates only increased for those that picked up later than 8 hrs.
I work less hours per week now but make the same if not more money. win -win

[daycare]

Agree with all others. When I did it years ago I made the base rate of 8-4:30 my cheapest and current rate at the time.

Now I do this.

Core hours and cheapest price is 8-4:30
Need before 8:00am add $5 more. I will only open as early as 7:30

Need after 4:30
4:45 pick up $5 more
After 4:45 Until 5pm add $5 more.

So if 8-4:30 is $100 and you needed 7:45-5, your rate would be $150 week.

I love the contracted hours. It really helps with my planning EVERYTHING. 😃

[Boymom]

I charge $120 a week right now, which is about what everyone else in this area charges. The best center charges $145 for infants, but when my son was 3, we were paying 125.

So is this what I should charge? (See below) All of the parents I've ever had work 8-5 and then with time to drop off and pickup, that's about 9 1/2 to 10 hours. I don't think they would pay 140. I could be wrong and I would love to make that, but that's more than the center, so I don't know if I could do that.

8 hours: 120

9 hours: 130

10 hours: 140

[Blackcat31]

I charge $120 a week right now, which is about what everyone else in this area charges. The best center charges $145 for infants, but when my son was 3, we were paying 125.

So is this what I should charge? (See below) All of the parents I've ever had work 8-5 and then with time to drop off and pickup, that's about 9 1/2 to 10 hours. I don't think they would pay 140. I could be wrong and I would love to make that, but that's more than the center, so I don't know if I could do that.

8 hours: 120

9 hours: 130

10 hours: 140

That's how I basically do it...

I used to have parents that "needed" open to close.
But oddly that "need" was no longer so important when I switched to contracted rates and parents realized they could save money if they picked up earlier. Funny how they had family and friends coming out of the woodwork willing to pick up when it suddenly benefited them. ::

[Boymom]

That's how I basically do it...

I used to have parents that "needed" open to close.
But oddly that "need" was no longer so important when I switched to contracted rates and parents realized they could save money if they picked up earlier. Funny how they had family and friends coming out of the woodwork willing to pick up when it suddenly benefited them. ::

Haha that's awesome! Money definitely motivates people, so maybe I could motivate the parents and then we could all benefit! They would save a little and I would keep some sanity! ::::

[midaycare]

When I switched to this, no one took me up on picking up earlier for less money because my dcf's have certain hours they have to work and that's that. But I did get a raise happyface