I'm not gonna sugar coat it for ya. Getting a group going can be really tough.....or it can be really easy. Sometimes there are things out of your control fixing it to be easy or hard.
Location: You'll have better chance if your community has a large amount of stay at home moms. This could be effected by many other things, but you can always research the area, and see what statistics there are.
How you advertise: If you know me, I would say word of mouth is your best method. Carren Joye's Book, A Stay At Home Mom's Complete Guide To Playgroups, explains that the Internet will not get you many playgroup members. That may have been true when the book was first published (over ten years ago), but with places like meetup.com, or cafemom, I've had the most luck with them. My second source is Craigslist. So there you go. Majority of my members (90 or so) have come from the Internet.
Time of year: Meetup.com's CEO Scott Hieferman once wrote that people flock to social groups the most often after labor day. This is true. In my opinion the best time to start a playgroup is in the Fall, or Spring. Summer is taken away with vacations, and outdoor activities and school ages being home. Winter is overtaken by the holidays.
In my personal experience, it takes about two- three months to be satisfied with how successful your playgroup is going. The routine of getting out the house has to become routine. Once it does, it will feel successful.
How long did it take before you felt your group was "going"?
Showing posts with label Getting Started. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Getting Started. Show all posts
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Big vrs. Small
My first groups grew like a wildfire on a dry day. Soon our home playdates started attracting 12-14 moms (which is 18-28 kids as well!). Needless to say, some members of the group felt that we should limit the number of members we carry.
The current group I run has a open-door policy, but we do not host many in home playdates. When we do, there is only about 6-8 moms that attend (it yields about 10-19 children). Come this Fall, I expect more enrollment, and we may limit attentdees.
There are several advantages and disadvantages for different sized groups. There are so many infact, it's hard to really explain it in one shot. So instead I've made a chart!
The current group I run has a open-door policy, but we do not host many in home playdates. When we do, there is only about 6-8 moms that attend (it yields about 10-19 children). Come this Fall, I expect more enrollment, and we may limit attentdees.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Registering Members
So you have your playgroup set up. You've got a date, time, place. You've got moms and kids coming. You probably already have the mother's name, and phone number (If you don't; it might come in handy.....just FYI).
But do you need more information?
Perhaps. Your style of group, and what it does determines what information you need from your members. Sometimes if you don't have that information, you can mess up; big time. Here's some information you may want to consider collecting:
Do you have any other infomation you collect from your members? What do you use it for?
But do you need more information?
Perhaps. Your style of group, and what it does determines what information you need from your members. Sometimes if you don't have that information, you can mess up; big time. Here's some information you may want to consider collecting:
- Mother's Full Name
- Mother's Birthday
- Children's Names and birthdays
- Home/Cell Phone
- Address
- How they heard about the group (helps you find what to invest your promoting in)
- Husband's name and contact
- What they are most interested in (helps you determine what to put on your calendar)
- Children's allergies
Do you have any other infomation you collect from your members? What do you use it for?
Friday, September 24, 2010
Group Rules
One question that a lot of newbie organizers ask is what 'rules' they should use for their group. I can tell you right now, I don't know. Every group is different. Ultimately, it depends on you and what you want out of your group. So here are the questions you need to ask yourself;
Are you going to organize on or offline?
If your organize offline, you'll need to have a regular meeting day, time, and place. You'll have to print out schedules, and a phone list for your members.
Online groups tend to have members that fall off the map or slack in parcipation. Some online groups have rules regarding consistant activity in playgroups, online activity, or RSVPs.
Do you have a set time and day or do you want diversity?
If you are planning on having multiple days, times, and places, you may want to also insure your attendance follows through. Many groups, esp. online groups may have an attendance requirement of attending so many playgroups in a certain time frame (for example, once every month.)
Do want a large group, or small group?
Some leaders want to inlcude everyone that would like to join. Some want to ensure they are really going to get to know all the members. To do so, organizers will limit the memberships and require their attendance to be frequent. The downside to this that members do grow out or graduate out of groups and finding new members might be harder than anticipated.
Is your group diverse in religious beliefs, race, culture, ethinicity?
Unfortnetly diversity can also bring about conflict. It can be toxic and may need to be controlled. I am not saying groups should divide into pregigious arch-rivals. Sometimes diversity promotes growth and understanding; which is a good thing. If I remember correctly, the phrase from A Day No Pigs Will Die; "Fences bring men together". If your purpose for joining or running a playgroup is to connect with individual families who carry a specific simiularity like religion or race, by all means; state this in your group rules.
How should allergies, sicknesses, and chronic diesases be handled?
Sometimes children can be deathly allergic to foods, such as peanuts, where even the smell can hurt them. When it comes to sickness, some families are very concerned about exposure, while others do not even shudder at continuious coughing and running noses. The question organizers should consider is how to handle allergies should the issue come up. Should all members be unable to bring certain foods? Is there a process in place for emergencies? Should members with specific allergies be excluded from certain activities?
Is solitation allowed in the group?
Many moms try to supplement income by running businesses out of their home. On occasion, you will find a mom joining seemingly only interested in promoting their business. If this is a concern for your group, you may want to develop rules for this, and the concequences for violation.
In the beginings of my adventures in organizing, I believed that rules were needed. Two years ago, I had enough of rules, and tried to organize as rule-free as possible. I'm still trying to find a happy medium. I can say this--if you choose to implement rules, you MUST apply them to everyone in the group; You must have consquences and you must follow through them as well. Otherwise you'll end up with a half-baked group and two eggs short of a waffle.
Stay tuned for more on advice on groups guidelines in the weeks to come!!! Happy Organizing!!
Are you going to organize on or offline?
If your organize offline, you'll need to have a regular meeting day, time, and place. You'll have to print out schedules, and a phone list for your members.
Online groups tend to have members that fall off the map or slack in parcipation. Some online groups have rules regarding consistant activity in playgroups, online activity, or RSVPs.
Do you have a set time and day or do you want diversity?
If you are planning on having multiple days, times, and places, you may want to also insure your attendance follows through. Many groups, esp. online groups may have an attendance requirement of attending so many playgroups in a certain time frame (for example, once every month.)
Do want a large group, or small group?
Some leaders want to inlcude everyone that would like to join. Some want to ensure they are really going to get to know all the members. To do so, organizers will limit the memberships and require their attendance to be frequent. The downside to this that members do grow out or graduate out of groups and finding new members might be harder than anticipated.
Is your group diverse in religious beliefs, race, culture, ethinicity?
Unfortnetly diversity can also bring about conflict. It can be toxic and may need to be controlled. I am not saying groups should divide into pregigious arch-rivals. Sometimes diversity promotes growth and understanding; which is a good thing. If I remember correctly, the phrase from A Day No Pigs Will Die; "Fences bring men together". If your purpose for joining or running a playgroup is to connect with individual families who carry a specific simiularity like religion or race, by all means; state this in your group rules.
How should allergies, sicknesses, and chronic diesases be handled?
Sometimes children can be deathly allergic to foods, such as peanuts, where even the smell can hurt them. When it comes to sickness, some families are very concerned about exposure, while others do not even shudder at continuious coughing and running noses. The question organizers should consider is how to handle allergies should the issue come up. Should all members be unable to bring certain foods? Is there a process in place for emergencies? Should members with specific allergies be excluded from certain activities?
Is solitation allowed in the group?
Many moms try to supplement income by running businesses out of their home. On occasion, you will find a mom joining seemingly only interested in promoting their business. If this is a concern for your group, you may want to develop rules for this, and the concequences for violation.
In the beginings of my adventures in organizing, I believed that rules were needed. Two years ago, I had enough of rules, and tried to organize as rule-free as possible. I'm still trying to find a happy medium. I can say this--if you choose to implement rules, you MUST apply them to everyone in the group; You must have consquences and you must follow through them as well. Otherwise you'll end up with a half-baked group and two eggs short of a waffle.
Stay tuned for more on advice on groups guidelines in the weeks to come!!! Happy Organizing!!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Attendance Policy
Today we are talking about rules! More specifically Attendance Policies.
Who needs an attendance policy:
Basically it is a group rule that stipulates a member attend a certain number of events in a certain time period. Some groups have a 'attend once a month policy', and others have a "miss three events and you're out". There is no perfect amount because it depends on your groups dynamics.
How it works:
This the way I worked my attendance policy (I don't use one anymore): My group meets every weekday, so I used to require that members attend once a month. At the beginning of the month I would pull out my member roster and star everyone's name who has RSVPd for the month. Those that have no stars I would write an email reminding them to find an event to come to.
Mid week, I would once again, pull out my roster. This time, I would cross out any names who have already attended an event. and I would bullet anyones name who is RSVPd for the upcoming events this month. I then write another email to those who have not RSVPd to anything, and to those who have not come to anything yet; even if they are RSVPd.
At the end of the month, I cross off all members who have attended an event and email the rest, asking if they are well, and if they need any help, because they have not attended an event and we are worried about them. I also let them know that we've sent out emails this month to them, and haven't heard back, so if we do not hear back within three days, we will excuse them from membership.
Note, I do not like removing members, but it may be a necessary action if you want to meet your group goals. Decide with your leadership team what actions you wish take at each situation.
Attendance policies help foster stronger friendships, and make the group come together. Once you decide what you want for your group, you can decide if an attendance policy is the right way to go.
Who needs an attendance policy:
- a group with low attendance or
- a group with limited space or
- a group that provides childcare and number of caregivers are limited
- a group looking to 'sell' their group for sponsors or
- a group looking for committed members
Basically it is a group rule that stipulates a member attend a certain number of events in a certain time period. Some groups have a 'attend once a month policy', and others have a "miss three events and you're out". There is no perfect amount because it depends on your groups dynamics.
How it works:
This the way I worked my attendance policy (I don't use one anymore): My group meets every weekday, so I used to require that members attend once a month. At the beginning of the month I would pull out my member roster and star everyone's name who has RSVPd for the month. Those that have no stars I would write an email reminding them to find an event to come to.
Mid week, I would once again, pull out my roster. This time, I would cross out any names who have already attended an event. and I would bullet anyones name who is RSVPd for the upcoming events this month. I then write another email to those who have not RSVPd to anything, and to those who have not come to anything yet; even if they are RSVPd.
At the end of the month, I cross off all members who have attended an event and email the rest, asking if they are well, and if they need any help, because they have not attended an event and we are worried about them. I also let them know that we've sent out emails this month to them, and haven't heard back, so if we do not hear back within three days, we will excuse them from membership.
Note, I do not like removing members, but it may be a necessary action if you want to meet your group goals. Decide with your leadership team what actions you wish take at each situation.
Attendance policies help foster stronger friendships, and make the group come together. Once you decide what you want for your group, you can decide if an attendance policy is the right way to go.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Original Group Names; Easy as 123!
Need help picking a name? If you are looking for the perfect name, here are tips!
1. Location, Location, Location!
Think about your group and locations associated with it. It doesn't have to mean your city's name. Perhaps you are limiting your group to a certain neighborhood? Maybe you meet reoccurring at your favorite park? Perhaps you'd like to open it to people within your county or even your state! (wow!) Make a list of all the possible locations you can use for your group name.
2. Adjective!!
If you could think of one word that describes your group, what would it be? Fun? Awesome? Creative? Active?...Write down as many as you can think of, then see what fits best with your group's name.
3. Who?
With any group, people need to know who you are. For example, everyone knows when they walk into a red hat ladies convention, that they shouldn't expect to see young men wearing red hats! Why? Because the word ladies is in their group's name. Whether your group is for walkers, parents, young moms,etc, stating it your name will help people understand what's your groups about. And don't limit yourself to one choice, look it up in a thesaurus and find similar words too!
Once you've taken these three steps you've got a basis to start your name out on. Here are some examples of group names made from the advice above:
Hayford&2nd Fabulous Friends
Eastside Active Moms and Kids
Cheney's Child Connection
1. Location, Location, Location!
Think about your group and locations associated with it. It doesn't have to mean your city's name. Perhaps you are limiting your group to a certain neighborhood? Maybe you meet reoccurring at your favorite park? Perhaps you'd like to open it to people within your county or even your state! (wow!) Make a list of all the possible locations you can use for your group name.
2. Adjective!!
If you could think of one word that describes your group, what would it be? Fun? Awesome? Creative? Active?...Write down as many as you can think of, then see what fits best with your group's name.
3. Who?
With any group, people need to know who you are. For example, everyone knows when they walk into a red hat ladies convention, that they shouldn't expect to see young men wearing red hats! Why? Because the word ladies is in their group's name. Whether your group is for walkers, parents, young moms,etc, stating it your name will help people understand what's your groups about. And don't limit yourself to one choice, look it up in a thesaurus and find similar words too!
Once you've taken these three steps you've got a basis to start your name out on. Here are some examples of group names made from the advice above:
Hayford&2nd Fabulous Friends
Eastside Active Moms and Kids
Cheney's Child Connection
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Warning! Your kids will grow up!
My personal pet peeve of playgroup leaders is designing a playgroup that they will grow out of in a few years. Some may natural grow into changes, but if the group continues to recruit members overtime, eventually your children will outgrow your own playgroup!
I absolutely HATE to see a group labeled "for mothers of babies under a year" or "for the age of two". News Flash; One year goes by quickly as a mother. I mean, come on; it's ridiculous to work hard building a group you will be forced to abandon the following year.
My playgroups are all inclusive ages, provided the mother has one child under five years old. My daughter started kindergarten this year, but I still have two more, and it will be another five years until all of my children graduate from the group.
The other day I sat down to do planning for the fall calendar and I began to roughly layout our field trips. Working the trips around my kindergartner's schedule is a little difficult. I became very sad when I realized that many of the things we have planned for the playgroup she won't be able to attend.
Then I slapped my hand on my head!
Gah! I've done the same thing I complain about in other organizers! My child is outgrowing the playgroup! Not that it is a bad thing. LOL. In any case, I am seriously considering the age limits to be "born in 2005 or under" or "between 2005-2010 and their respective siblings".--that way we never grow out of it. Lame. I know.
So I wanted to give a shout out to all you playgroup leaders who have age limits on your playgroups. Reality check; When your child or you outgrow the playgroup: Are you going to let it go?
I absolutely HATE to see a group labeled "for mothers of babies under a year" or "for the age of two". News Flash; One year goes by quickly as a mother. I mean, come on; it's ridiculous to work hard building a group you will be forced to abandon the following year.
My playgroups are all inclusive ages, provided the mother has one child under five years old. My daughter started kindergarten this year, but I still have two more, and it will be another five years until all of my children graduate from the group.
The other day I sat down to do planning for the fall calendar and I began to roughly layout our field trips. Working the trips around my kindergartner's schedule is a little difficult. I became very sad when I realized that many of the things we have planned for the playgroup she won't be able to attend.
Then I slapped my hand on my head!
Gah! I've done the same thing I complain about in other organizers! My child is outgrowing the playgroup! Not that it is a bad thing. LOL. In any case, I am seriously considering the age limits to be "born in 2005 or under" or "between 2005-2010 and their respective siblings".--that way we never grow out of it. Lame. I know.
So I wanted to give a shout out to all you playgroup leaders who have age limits on your playgroups. Reality check; When your child or you outgrow the playgroup: Are you going to let it go?
Friday, September 3, 2010
Finding Members for your group Online
The biggest problem for many groups, especially groups that are small or just starting out, is enrolling members. How does one find others like his or herself? Without a clue about Marketing or Advertising, I gave it my all, and I can say from experience that for any social group word of mouth produces the best results (We'll cover that later!).
But for argument's sake, let's assume that you have no one to spread the word. So what do you do?
First you have to make your group visible. Get your group's website an individual address. Godaddy is the provider I use; it's not expensive, and not too hard to figure out how to link it. Submit your website to search engines like Google, and Yahoo.
Now the real work begins. Start linking your web address to other high visibility websites. Find blogs that on remotely relating to your group, and see if they accept guest bloggers. Write articles for some article websites like ezarticles and put the link to your group in the signature. This will strengthen your visibility on search engines.
Let's realize that the Internet is our friend. Although it can be a risky place to put information, organizers can control the amount of information released. It can be as simple as an advertisement of a playgroup, simply stating, please write to this email if interested. Then these responses can be collected and emailed more information or a phone number to call.
If advertising online, there are many approaches to doing so.
Social Media.
It's the new wave of advertising word of mouth. Social Media has even been accused of out-doing google ads, the top online provider in advertisement. Something as simple as starting a facebook fanpage or twitter account can roll out some new members. Just be sure to keep your followers updated on all the cool stuff your group does!
Online Classifieds
More places to advertise items for free are popping up. Craigslist has a place designated for groups specifically, but you may find free classifieds on your local newspapers/station's websites.
Online Groups
Online groups are becoming a major part of online social activity. Many places like google or yahoo allow anyone with an account to start one. Facebook and Meetup.com also do any type of social group you might be looking to start.
For playgroups specifically check out these sites:
cafemom.com
iplaygroups.com
raisingthem.com
socialtoddler.com
playgroupsusa.com
A word about invite etiquette
I am a big supporter of 'the more the merrier' and 'everyone's invited' attitude. However, inviting members of other groups to join yours may be offensive to other group organizers. Remember that they have worked to get the amount of members they have, and there is a possibility that they will see an innocent invite as an indication that his or her group is not 'good enough'.
If you intend to invite members from another group, ask the organizer his or her feelings first. Make sure that when you invite members that you keep your main intentions of joining that group to participate, and not simply solicit your own group.
But for argument's sake, let's assume that you have no one to spread the word. So what do you do?
First you have to make your group visible. Get your group's website an individual address. Godaddy is the provider I use; it's not expensive, and not too hard to figure out how to link it. Submit your website to search engines like Google, and Yahoo.
Now the real work begins. Start linking your web address to other high visibility websites. Find blogs that on remotely relating to your group, and see if they accept guest bloggers. Write articles for some article websites like ezarticles and put the link to your group in the signature. This will strengthen your visibility on search engines.
Let's realize that the Internet is our friend. Although it can be a risky place to put information, organizers can control the amount of information released. It can be as simple as an advertisement of a playgroup, simply stating, please write to this email if interested. Then these responses can be collected and emailed more information or a phone number to call.
If advertising online, there are many approaches to doing so.
Social Media.
It's the new wave of advertising word of mouth. Social Media has even been accused of out-doing google ads, the top online provider in advertisement. Something as simple as starting a facebook fanpage or twitter account can roll out some new members. Just be sure to keep your followers updated on all the cool stuff your group does!
Online Classifieds
More places to advertise items for free are popping up. Craigslist has a place designated for groups specifically, but you may find free classifieds on your local newspapers/station's websites.
Online Groups
Online groups are becoming a major part of online social activity. Many places like google or yahoo allow anyone with an account to start one. Facebook and Meetup.com also do any type of social group you might be looking to start.
For playgroups specifically check out these sites:
cafemom.com
iplaygroups.com
raisingthem.com
socialtoddler.com
playgroupsusa.com
A word about invite etiquette
I am a big supporter of 'the more the merrier' and 'everyone's invited' attitude. However, inviting members of other groups to join yours may be offensive to other group organizers. Remember that they have worked to get the amount of members they have, and there is a possibility that they will see an innocent invite as an indication that his or her group is not 'good enough'.
If you intend to invite members from another group, ask the organizer his or her feelings first. Make sure that when you invite members that you keep your main intentions of joining that group to participate, and not simply solicit your own group.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Where to Meet
Playdates are the core of many Mom's groups. Sometimes, depending on the moms in the group, playdates are held at churches, community rooms, or parks. It's a simple and effective way to bring moms and kids together. Playgroups often gather weekly at places mentioned above or in each other's homes. Here's some help on getting your playgroups up and running.
Finding your Venue
If your playgroup is based off a church or a religion, then you may already have the best place to run your playgroup. By talking to the staff at the church, you should get an idea of:
-how large the space is you are going to use.
-if you need to provide the toys and entertainment for the kids and mommies
-if food is allowed
-what dates and times you could possibly use the facility
-any other details regrading using the space
If your playgroup is mainly for any mom and kids, then selecting a proper venue may be difficult if you are looking for a re-occurring place to meet. Check out your libraries and local stores and community center to see if they have community room available for little or no cost. Some do and some don't.
Most mom's don't realize it at first...but they may already have an appropriate venue right in their own home! This makes it easy. There's no cost, and toys are already available (because most families have a variety of toys appropriate for the age groups their children belong to). Alot of mom's find it most comfortable in each others homes. Some playgroups alternate hosting the playgroup in their home.
Although most playgroups offline run their playdates at the same date and time, it may be difficult to implement this with an online group. In this case, it may be easier to let the host decide on the date and time, and specifics of their event.
As organizer, you also have the right to decide if you want to let the members of the group determine your events, or if you want the group to suit your needs, and then seek out members with the same needs. So if your group does depict a reoccurring playgroup in each other's homes for (i.e.) Weds at 9:30 am, then it should be clear on your web page, and members should be made aware of this, before joining the group, so they can decide if the group is right for them.
Finding your Venue
If your playgroup is based off a church or a religion, then you may already have the best place to run your playgroup. By talking to the staff at the church, you should get an idea of:
-how large the space is you are going to use.
-if you need to provide the toys and entertainment for the kids and mommies
-if food is allowed
-what dates and times you could possibly use the facility
-any other details regrading using the space
If your playgroup is mainly for any mom and kids, then selecting a proper venue may be difficult if you are looking for a re-occurring place to meet. Check out your libraries and local stores and community center to see if they have community room available for little or no cost. Some do and some don't.
Most mom's don't realize it at first...but they may already have an appropriate venue right in their own home! This makes it easy. There's no cost, and toys are already available (because most families have a variety of toys appropriate for the age groups their children belong to). Alot of mom's find it most comfortable in each others homes. Some playgroups alternate hosting the playgroup in their home.
Although most playgroups offline run their playdates at the same date and time, it may be difficult to implement this with an online group. In this case, it may be easier to let the host decide on the date and time, and specifics of their event.
As organizer, you also have the right to decide if you want to let the members of the group determine your events, or if you want the group to suit your needs, and then seek out members with the same needs. So if your group does depict a reoccurring playgroup in each other's homes for (i.e.) Weds at 9:30 am, then it should be clear on your web page, and members should be made aware of this, before joining the group, so they can decide if the group is right for them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)