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Date: 4/14/2007 2:51:00 PM
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Author:
jules
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Subject:need ideas for free/almost free advertising
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I am the new director of a very small part time preschool. Enrollments in most preschools in our city have dropped dramatically because our public school system just added 4k. It's hard to "sell" our program at $875 a year to a parent who has a free option. We are a non-profit school whose population is typically mid/low income families who have made sacrifices to avoid needing daycare. Raising tuitions much higher will not work for most of our families. I'm looking for creative low or no cost ways to get parents to notice us and maybe see the value of our program. A few preschools have closed their doors because of low enrollments. We want to be sure we've done our best to stay alive for the families who are counting on us ti be here for their kids. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Date: 4/16/2007 3:43:00 AM
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Author:
mary-jane
(chev-seven@hotmail.com)
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Subject:advertising
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We too faced lower enrolments this year. It meant carefully looking at our budgets and capping our group to just one, rather than a rotational model we had used before. Our pre-schools are parent committee run. We have done things such as an open day with free activities such as face painting and trash and treasure stalls, cake stalls etc to attract people. In our area local schools will advertise in their newsletter for a very small fee, and we found if a parent who had an older sibling at the school asked we sometimes got the ad in for free. It never hurts to ask. We have also left flyers at local health centres, libraries etc. Sometimes shopping centres will allow you to have a stall, we had balloons made with our centre logo for a very low price. The children decorated a banner and a parent who is a desk top publisher designed a coloring sheet also with our logo which the children colored whilst at the stall and then we laminated as a placemat. We find word of mouth is probably our best advertiser. Try asking your parents if they can support or have any ideas for advertising - they have a vested interest in keeping the pre-school open and may offer services free or at a greatly reduced cost.
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Date: 4/17/2007 7:25:00 AM
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Author:
Barbara
(cocalicocare@dejazzd.com)
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Subject:What makes your center unique? You need...
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What makes your center unique? You need to find that special something and use it to your advantage. We are a church sponsored program and that is one reason parents seek us out. Make up flyers about your program and ask to place them where parents take children - pediatricians, children's dentists, welcome wagon type organizations, real estate agencies, rec centers. Word of mouth is your best advertising. Can you offer some sort of incentive to parents who recommend your program to another famiily who enrolls their child? When you are competing with public schools for PreK children, you must be very creative in finding ways to spread the word about the advantages of your program.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Barbara
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Date: 4/20/2007 3:38:00 AM
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Author:
jules
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Subject:Thanks for the input.I had a few of the ...
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Thanks for the input.I had a few of the suggestions already in action and am looking into the others. I'm actually loving the challenge.
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Date: 5/2/2007 11:29:00 AM
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Author:
Linda Arocho
(t0good@webtv.net)
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Subject:money
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Money always seems on short supply, doesn't it? I also offer my families a "finders fee" of sorts if they bring in a family for me. Also, I make up fliers and bring them to fairs and such - I don't hand them to people, but rather I leave them on their cars, etc. Any place we field trip to, I leave fliers or business cards behind. I don't know if you're a whole day or not, but maybe you could contact your local resource and referral agency and perhaps they'd put you on your list. - Also, my local elementary schools allow me post on their bulletin boards. AND I also wait until the local YMCA does a family day and I bring my fliers there. I always manage to stay full and I even keep a waiting list.
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