Grow Your Child Care Business With Expert Guidance
We understand that as early childhood professionals, your primary focus and expertise lie in creating nurturing environments where children can thrive. We also recognize that running a successful child care business involves more than just caring for children.
The business side, with its various tasks and obligations, can sometimes feel overwhelming. That's why the Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) partnered with Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) to develop the Essential Business Skills for Child Care Administrators program.
This program pairs expert-designed child care curriculum with free, confidential one-on-one advising and low- or no-cost business training to help child care professionals confidently start, grow, or exit their child care business.
Let's get you started! Click the button below to schedule a call with our Small Business Navigator to learn more about our Child Care program and other Colorado SBDC programs.
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What Does This Program Cover?
For entrepreneurs and small business owners, having strong business essentials is key. These foundational elements provide a clear roadmap, establish a strong market presence, streamline operations, and help attracting talent. By providing structure and direction, these essentials transform a business idea into a viable and sustainable entity. Enter the Colorado SBDC.
Through a series of workshops, courses, advising and assignments, we can help with:
- Access to Capital
- Business Planning
- Financial Management
- Human Resources
- Marketing
- Networking
- Operational Efficiency
Who Should Enroll In This Program?
For those in the child care industry, whether just starting out or already operating, Colorado offers a lot of potential. A Common Sense Institute report found that as of late 2023, Colorado had a deficit of approximately 88,500 licensed child care slots for children under the age of six with all parents in the labor force.
Ready to help close this critical gap? This program is suited for child care professionals and administrators at all stages of business, including:
- New and existing child care administrators
- Home-based child care businesses
- Child care centers and preschools
- Individuals interested in starting a child care business
The Advantages of Our Child Care Business Program
Gain Expert Guidance
Learn essential skills in financial management, marketing, and operations, tailored specifically for the child care industry, ensuring your business thrives from the start or reaches new heights.
Develop Proven Strategies
Learn effective marketing techniques and relationship-building strategies to build a strong reputation and maintain consistent enrollment.
Enhance Operations
Discover practical tools and techniques to streamline your daily operations, manage resources effectively, and improve your bottom line.
Access a Supportive Network
Connect with fellow child care professionals, industry experts, and Colorado SBDC advisors, building valuable relationships and receiving continuous support for your business growth.
Ready to get started? Connect with the Colorado SBDC Small Business Navigator to request a free and confidential one-on-one advising session today.
Improve Your Colorado Shines Rating
By implementing the fundamental business strategies covered in this training, you can also positively impact your Colorado Shines rating. For those unfamiliar, Colorado Shines is Colorado’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), designed to recognize high-quality licensed child care programs and assist families in finding the best options.
This system evaluates child care centers and family child care homes across various areas, including business practices, on a level of one to five. A strong Colorado Shines rating not only attracts more families but can also unlock potential grant opportunities and influence reimbursement rates through the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).
How do I earn QRIS points? In short, schedule an appointment to meet with a Colorado SBDC Advisor while enrolled in the Colorado Child Care Business Program. It's that easy.
Program participants will receive three hours minimum of Colorado SBDC advising focused on general business topics of your choice like Marketing, Operations, or Insurance.
Program participants that add one additional hour of finance advising to their baseline three (3) hour advising block, will earn one additional QRIS point.
CDEC has provided a spreadsheet outlining the QRIS indicators that are related to this business training. Please refer to this document for advising support for the QRIS.
(Family Child Care) QRIS Leadership, Business & Administration
(Child Care Centers) QRIS Leadership, Business & Administration
How Do I Access The Child Care Business Program?
After nearly 40 years of working with entrepreneurs and small business owners, we've learned that flexibility is key. With that said, we've designed three ways to access the tools, learnings and resources we offer child care professionals. Pick the option that best accommodates your schedule.
Virtual
The virtual format is a self-paced learning platform that covers the same structured learnings in the other two options, but is delivered in four self-paced modules with advising between each module.
Access Via CDEC Professional Development Information System
Hybrid
The hybrid format offers flexibility, allowing participants to choose between attending in person at their local Colorado SBDC center or joining remotely via video conferencing, based on their individual schedules.
Find My Local Colorado SBDC Center
In Person
The in-person format fosters dynamic learning through interactive discussions, hands-on activities, and personalized guidance, allowing you to gain practical skills and insights directly applicable to your business.
Find My Local Colorado SBDC Center
In Their Own Words | Testimonial
“You can have the best business idea, but without visibility, your business won’t thrive. The missing piece is client attraction. We understood this, but didn’t know how to execute it effectively. For us, Diego provided the guidance we needed. Following his advice marked a turning point—phone calls and traffic increased fivefold. Now, our child care is fully booked, and we’re in the process of expanding.”
-Maria Cooper, Support Staff
Tree of Learning Child Care, Thornton, CO
Get Help For Your Small Business
The Colorado Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is the only statewide, nationally accredited program founded to support entrepreneurs and small businesses at every stage of business. Since 1987, the Colorado SBDC has driven statewide economic growth by providing public access to expert resources and business guidance, empowering business owners to make informed decisions. With 14 full-time Service Centers, over 25 Satellite Centers, and approximately 300 business experts, the Colorado SBDC provides free, confidential one-on-one advising, no- or low-cost business training, and connections to community partners and resources.
Partners
