Week 4: Entrepreneur Journal

Lessons Learned:

I think the most significant thing that I learned was through the Mentor Session assignment – I can be an entrepreneur starting now!  I always thought that I needed to finish school first, but that assignment helped me to think of different possibilities that I can begin immediately.  The one that I am most excited about is starting a home day care business.  The more I think about it, the more excited I am.  I am home every day with my 1-year old, but I love working and wish I could have a job.  Starting a day care business is the perfect solution for me – I can work while taking care of my baby!  I looked into the state requirements for starting a day care business, and I can start small at first without having any licensure requirements.  If I like how things are going, I can get my business and day care licenses, get CPR certified, and care for more children.  I discussed my ideas with my sister and asked if she would be interested in working together if we wanted to care for up to 16 kids, and she loved the idea as well!  I think that day care is something that is always in demand and I’ve thought about ways to set my day care apart from others.  First of all, my house is childproof and fun – it’s filled with toys, musical instruments, and we have a huge, fenced back yard.  I would create a schedule with times for snacks, reading time, music time, dance time, nap time, etc.  I would charge $5/hour for each child, which is a great deal for parents.  It would also work great for me!  If I started caring for 4 children, that would be a combined $20/hour!  I have also considered the possibility of offering a sibling discount - $5/hr for the first child and $3/hr or any additional siblings.  That would make the day care more affordable for parents while still providing an adequate income for me.  It really seems like the perfect solution for my business and home desires!