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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.

Turnkey, tried and tested, lots of hand holding - all make a day care franchise vey appealing. Customer loyalty is more easily acquired thanks to instant brand recognition. Licensing, staff/owner training, building selection, getting funding, the building process and actually opening your business will be covered in the development process.

Packages may also include design templates for buildings, proprietary curriculum plus ongoing training and support for owners and staff. Operations manuals will make hitting the ground running a breeze and having the use of a recognized brand for advertising may well mean a busy opening day. Some deals even offer home office support.

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!

Onwards to the curriculum consideration. Sticking a pin in a list probably isn't going to cut it so you'll need to put your head down and do some serious research to decide which of the fantastic educational methods will work best for your day care. Ever thoughtful, I've compiled a list of the better known programs with a short synopsis to help you on your way:

- Play based program - play is the educator with children learning through focused play - Montessori - development is observed by the teacher, who neither interfere nor get in the way but support the child - Waldorf Method - learning through imagination, imitation and play due to an inbuilt love of play - High/Scope - teachers are facilitators as children have responsibility for their work and learn through doing - Reggio Emilio - focuses on the natural development of the child in relation to their environment - Piaget - interaction based - Steiner - the changing needs of the children as they develop dictates how the education is designed

Should you have extra money but not a lot of spare time then daycare franchises will have definite appeal for you. The program you choose is also extremely important and while I find my Montessori day care to be a fantastic method only you can decide which is the best fit for your day care.