Kris Murray is, “Living the dream!” Through her company Child Care Marketing Solutions, she has helped hundreds of early childhood business leaders and owners grow and prosper through unique strategies that work to attract and retain new customers.
We recently had the chance to chat with Kris about her work.
Please tell us about your business.
Child Care Marketing Solutions provides business coaching, training products, and consulting to child care center owners and managers. We help child care centers and preschools grow their enrollment and revenue, and receive a better return on their marketing investment and advertising dollars.
How did you get started in this industry?
As a marketer who happened to be a mom of young children, I noticed that child care center owners and managers really struggled with the business side of child care. These folks are mostly educators and caregivers, not “business thinkers”. When you find a problem and can effectively solve it for people, that’s a great basis for a successful business.
What challenges have you faced as an entrepreneur?
Like many entrepreneurs, I have many ideas and I love to start new things. The follow-through and completion of ideas, visions, and tasks is the tough part. The DemGen team members help me stay focused and also help me do a better job of optimizing everything we do at Child Care Marketing Solutions.
What’s been the most rewarding thing about being a business owner?
For me, the payoff is when one of my clients tells me how much more successful they are by using what I’ve taught them. I’ve had so many incredible success stories and I know we’ve helped create more stability in the child care industry, which is good for business owners, children, and parents. I am making a unique difference in the world, and that feels really good.
What have you done to increase revenue and achieve your goals?
We have doubled our revenue every year so far (knock on wood!). We do that by closely monitoring our various streams of revenue and having a strategic plan for how to grow each one. Each year we receive more clarity about our best target customer, and we create products and solutions that get results. And lots of testimonials and success stories – your clients can “toot your horn” far better than you can.
How do you manage your time?
That’s been a challenge, but I’m getting better at it! DemGen builds our team, and we’re starting to use online tools like Basecamp, Google Calendar, and TimeTrade to automate tasks and improve communication within the team.
How did you become an expert in this field?
I have a marketing background – that’s all I’ve ever done, for the past 24 years. In addition, many of my best strategies and ideas I’ve learned from Dan Kennedy, who I consider my marketing “guru.” If you’re not familiar with Dan, get his books and start reading.
What programs have helped you the most as an entrepreneur?
I attended Dan Kennedy’s Renegade Millionaire Retreat in 2006 and that was a turning point for me – the concepts laid the foundation for me to quit my day job and start my own coaching / information products business. I am currently in two mastermind programs – my mentors are Fabienne Frederickson and James Malinchak. I strongly believe in the power of the mastermind process and it’s one of the key things I’m doing to continue fast growth of my business.
How do you juggle mothering and running a business?
Of course, finding that balance can be challenging! I’m lucky to have an amazing, supportive husband who has always been willing to help with child care, homework, and even laundry! So that makes a huge difference. If you can carve out some hours to work after the kids are in bed, or in the wee hours of the morning, that will help you get things done and still be there for your kids when they get off the bus. I usually am at my laptop by 6:00 am so I get a lot done in the 2 hours before they wake up.
What tips can you offer those just getting started?
Be persistent – don’t give up. You’ve got to have a burning desire to make it work, or it probably won’t. Find a mentor and/or mastermind group of peers that can support you. Try to be very clear about the value you provide and what problems you solve for your ideal client or customer.
Have there been any challenges and/or benefits to being a woman entrepreneur?
I love my life right now. I absolutely love being a woman business owner and I think it’s a great model for my children. They already think very entrepreneurially. The challenges are many, but the benefits are huge. We can live wherever we want, so we are moving to a small ski town in Colorado. Life is good.
To learn more about Kris Murray or Child Care Marketing Solutions, please visit: www.childcare-marketing.com
