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The decision has been made, the full time job discarded and you are starting your day care however, you're only now realizing what you've let yourself in for. Weighty questions must be tackled, decisions must be made e.g. Montessori day care or Steiner, daycare franchises or go it alone and the to do list continues to grow.

A day care franchise can be a great, no fuss, instant business way to go. First off you'll get the benefit of instant brand recognition thus making it easier for you to gain customer loyalty. Generally there will be a development process in place to help with funding acquisition, unit selection, the construction process, getting licensed, training and launching your business.

Ongoing direction and support for staff may be included in the package along with a proprietary curriculum and building design templates. Advertising effectively and successfully will be a breeze with the use of a recognized brand plus tried and tested operations manuals and paperwork will mean a lot less headaches. Home office support can be part of come franchises also.

Sounds like a great, turnkey deal huh? All this convenience comes with a high price tag (and that's before you start collecting fees!) plus you often need to prove a substantial net worth before a franchise will touch you. Better hope to win the lottery!Sounds like a great, turnkey deal huh? However, franchises are extremely pricey and require an upfront financial commitment plus proof of a healthy net worth (and that's before you even open your doors). Better hope to win lots of cash somewhere!

So, to the curriculum question. There are many, excellent programs to choose from so you really need to do some thorough research to establish which method might best suit your day care (or you could just draw straws :-)). Ever helpful I've included a list of some of the more popular curriculums with a brief explanation to get you started:

- Play based - children learn through focused play - Montessori - teacher observes the development, supporting the child but not getting in the way of, nor interfering in the child's ability to perceive the real world - Waldorf Method - based on the concept that the children must love to learn therefore they learn through play, imitation and imagination. - High/Scope - children learn through doing. They have responsibility for their own work and teachers facilitate - Reggio Emilio - focuses on the natural development of the child in relation to their environment - Piaget - children develop best through interaction with both teachers and peers - Steiner - based on the belief that education should be designed to meet the changing needs of children as they develop

While daycare franchises may not be the route for you they definitely have a lot of appeal to those with a little extra cash and not much time. Your curriculum definitely requires lots of thought and whilst I find my Montessori day care to be a wonderful learning environment, so to are many of the other excellent methods.