We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
Childminder charging me for her holidays?
Comments
-
I have no patience for children unless they're in absolute angel mode, so I can admire childminders. Just was surprised at anybody self-employed (not in anyway limited to childminders) trying to have their cake and eat it.I'm not bad at golf, I just get better value for money when I take more shots!0
-
suited-aces wrote: »I have no patience for children unless they're in absolute angel mode, so I can admire childminders. Just was surprised at anybody self-employed (not in anyway limited to childminders) trying to have their cake and eat it.
i do think you have a point there
but isn't childminding a bit different as far as the self employed thing goes
if you were self employed as say, an electrician you could take on as many jobs as was physically possible to try and re-coup your losses for your time off
childminders have limited earning potential.. they can only have a set number of kids at any one time ( rightly so ) meaning that can they never work that 'little bit harder' to get the holiday loss back?
im by no means trying to start an arguement, more thinking aloud than anything else
if i have got that completely wrong then im sure someone will correct me£608.98
£80
£1288.99
£85.90
£154.980 -
Childminders are not classed as running a business in the same sense, for example many housing associations and social housing departments stipulate that a business cannot be run from the house, however in this instance childminding does not count as a business. I tell you its a minefield out there !!!'we don't stop playing because we get old, we get old because we stop playing'0
-
choccymoose wrote: »Childminders are not classed as running a business in the same sense, for example many housing associations and social housing departments stipulate that a business cannot be run from the house, however in this instance childminding does not count as a business. I tell you its a minefield out there !!!
yes it is/was :rotfl:
i lived in a council house so i had to write a letter for permission to CM, and im sure i had to sign something to say that this wouldn't be a nuisance to my neighbours
i had to change my insurance though , can't remember but is it to business purposes??£608.98
£80
£1288.99
£85.90
£154.980 -
thatgirlsam wrote: »i do think you have a point there
but isn't childminding a bit different as far as the self employed thing goes
if you were self employed as say, an electrician you could take on as many jobs as was physically possible to try and re-coup your losses for your time off
childminders have limited earning potential.. they can only have a set number of kids at any one time ( rightly so ) meaning that can they never work that 'little bit harder' to get the holiday loss back?
im by no means trying to start an arguement, more thinking aloud than anything else
if i have got that completely wrong then im sure someone will correct me
The only chance of re-gaining that money is if they get a random phonecall, asking if someone has got a space as a one-off. Same if they are working in a salon where the majority or all bookings are appointment only. Very frequent in 'villagey' old lady type hairdressers. I should imagine the same applies to chiropodists/beauty salons and so on.0 -
Thanks for all the replies!
Just to answer a few questions. She never mentioned this charge in any of our meetings but to be fair I never asked. I only noticed when I reading through our contract before signing it.
I haven't queried it with her because I wasn't really sure how to bring it up. I don't want to come across I'm not happy about and I really don't want any bad feeling before we've even started (DS hasn't even started with her yet)
I don't particularly agree with it but like others have said it's not all about the money. She's the only childminder around who is willing to have DS as early as I need her and at pretty short notice (I work shifts and sometimes don't get my rota till the week before)
The fact she's so flexible (and has come highly recommended) is a big plus for me. The positives definitely outweigh this one little negative (for me anyway!)Future Mrs Gerard Butler
[STRIKE]
Team Wagner
[/STRIKE] I meant Team Matt......obviously :cool:0 -
Maybe an electrician might be able to, but not all self employed no. A mobile hairdresser for example who has set customers and works to appointments. Her customers go on holiday/into hospital/are not well that day can't make that day cos they are off out somewhere, then the hairdresser has a blank in their book, that they can't fill. And they don't get paid as they don't charge mrs moggs for the shampoo and set they didn't do. If it's a shop they will still have overheads and they couldn't seek out a new customer to take their place as when she's back it's Mrs Moggs slot.
The only chance of re-gaining that money is if they get a random phonecall, asking if someone has got a space as a one-off. Same if they are working in a salon where the majority or all bookings are appointment only. Very frequent in 'villagey' old lady type hairdressers. I should imagine the same applies to chiropodists/beauty salons and so on.
i get what you are saying but a hairdresser for example has much more chance of filling an empty space for a week than a childminder does
people want their hair done randomly, or book an appointment on the off chance
a hairdresser does not need to worry about that amount of clients as they don't have these rules
if a hairdresser was only allowed to have 3 clients at any one time then they may be much more worried about booking these spaces to someone else
CM's need regular clients from the very nature of their job and given that they are limited to only having a certain number
again, im thinking aloud£608.98
£80
£1288.99
£85.90
£154.980 -
thatgirlsam wrote: »i get what you are saying but a hairdresser for example has much more chance of filling an empty space for a week than a childminder does
people want their hair done randomly, or book an appointment on the off chance Not if 99%+ of their custom is pre-booked regulars as I said in my post above.
a hairdresser does not need to worry about that amount of clients as they don't have these rules But unless they find a random 'one-off' person they can't fill their gap as it's being held till mrs Jones comes out of hospital.
if a hairdresser was only allowed to have 3 clients at any one time then they may be much more worried about booking these spaces to someone else If they are mobile or a very small salon, they only book 1 client at a time. I don't really follow your way of thinking here.
CM's need regular clients from the very nature of their job and given that they are limited to only having a certain number
again, im thinking aloud
I have overheard 2 childminder's giving parent's notice in the school playground. :eek: Personally I think that is out of order.0 -
Same as many other businesses. Personally I'd rather CM's 'standarised' what they do/what they charge for across the board. Instead of every single one having a different variant. For example
I have overheard 2 childminder's giving parent's notice in the school playground. :eek: Personally I think that is out of order.
It could be that a similar situation exists with these CM's - just a thought.
As for the analogy of hairdressers and plumbers - my gut feeling is these professions don't set their charges to break even in the hope that if they do enough then they'll eventually make a profit - there must be some element of a mark up in there. With CM's that's not possible as the market forces dictate charges are low.
Well that's my feeling at any rateI have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you it'll be with a knife Louise BrooksAll will be well in the end. If it's not well, it's not the end.Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars0 -
Bitsy_Beans wrote: »It's not something I would do BUT for example I had one child who was dropped off by his older sister. I rarely saw his mum unless it was at school and terminating a contract is something I'd prefer to do face to face rather than over the phone.
It could be that a similar situation exists with these CM's - just a thought.
As for the analogy of hairdressers and plumbers - my gut feeling is these professions don't set their charges to break even in the hope that if they do enough then they'll eventually make a profit - there must be some element of a mark up in there. With CM's that's not possible as the market forces dictate charges are low.
Well that's my feeling at any rate
Hairdressers are also dictated by local markets, what other hairdressers charge. whether there cliental is in an affluent/deprived area of the town. What their rent is (if a shop) and so on.
Using another example I've turned up for my chiropody appt at 2pm and my chiropodist has said I've been quiet since 10.30 one of my clients cancelled yesterday cos she's doing xxxx and another rang in this morning to say she was sick. She's then been stuck earning no more till I turn up, whilst paying her overheads. Rent/heating/lighting.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 346.6K Banking & Borrowing
- 251.4K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 451.4K Spending & Discounts
- 238.8K Work, Benefits & Business
- 614.3K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 174.8K Life & Family
- 252.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards