Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/looking-at-revenue-in-a-different-way/5015625/
As directors of early childhood programs we are all expected to be responsible for our center’s financial performance. Even when we believe or are told that we have no fiscal responsibility, we actually do, even if it’s simply in terms of keeping our customers satisfied so the center can stay full. Too often, a child care director ends up in that unenviable role of middle manager when it comes to being in charge of the budget. This means that you end up with lots of responsibility, not too much actual authority, and few resources to truly handle the job. We now have the fiscal dilemma.Ah, how to go about defeating the monster of the fiscal dilemma? Initially, when a director first learns there are budget problems or that she needs to “meet her budget this year,” her first thought is to stop spending money. Too often our initial answer to everything is to find the same items cheaper. Finding puzzles at 12% less isn’t the answer, yet it’s our first instinct. Note that in most centers, our classroom supply allocation runs only about 1-3% of the total budget,
yet it’s the first place we go.
The next place we turn ...