How to Buy the Right Child Care Bus
If you own a child care center, it’s important to invest in a bus. The bus helps you to offer better services and makes it easy to pick up and drop off kids, enhancing their safety. It also boosts brand awareness. According to the NHTSA, students are 70 times more likely to get to school safely when they travel in a school bus than in a standard car. For this reason, most parents prefer child care centers with transportation. Here’s how to buy the right child care bus.
Do Your Research
Before buying a child care bus, do proper research on what your business needs. Know how many kids need transportation every day to determine what bus size you need to buy. In addition, you should identify a good dealership to buy your bus from. Compare prices from different dealers that sell buses to ensure you get the best deal.
Set a Budget
After you’ve researched your options, set a budget to help you buy a bus you can afford. Your budget will depend on whether you are buying one bus or several. It’s important to ensure that you don’t overspend, and that the income from the child care center will be able to cover the car maintenance costs.
If you’re buying a new bus, know that you’ll have to part with more money. You’ll also need to pay for insurance, fuel, and repairs. If you come across a good second hand bus, check it out. Find ways to limit your expenses and invest in other parts of the business.
Find a Reputable Dealer
When buying a vehicle for a child care center, it’s advisable to go for a bus instead of a van. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) recommends school buses because passenger vans are considered non-conforming cars. Vans don’t meet the set requirements, so find a dealership with qualified car experts who can assist you in the selection process. They are more knowledgeable and will advise you which vehicles are meant to transport children.
Focus on Safety
Safety is a vital part of a child care center. Parents will bring their children to you if safety is assured because they’ll have peace of mind. One way you can enhance safety is by ensuring your bus is safe. It should have seat belts and other safety features to protect the kids on the road.
Buy Several Buses
If your child care center is large and you have a big enough budget, you can invest in several buses to make the transportation process easier. Once you buy the buses, hire experienced drivers to guarantee safety. The U.S. has more than 168,661 employed school bus drivers, so it’s easy to find one. They will ensure that kids get home safely. In addition, many buses enhance brand awareness.
Parents rely on child care centers to take care of their children while they are away at work, so it’s important to do everything you can to keep them safe. If you are planning to buy a bus for your child care center, get the right one. Follow these tips to enhance your service provision and attract more clients to your child care center.
