When people decide to open a daycare, one of the very first questions is how they should do it. Should they do everything themselves? Should they hire a consultant? Or should they buy into a franchise?
Everyone wants to know which option is better. The truth is, there is no single “best” choice. There is only the option that is most suitable for you.
Opening a daycare is not one task. It is a long, interconnected journey that starts with designing your niche and ends with enrolling your first children. In between, there are funding approvals, site selection, zoning and due diligence, architectural design, permits, possible municipal approvals, construction, policies, licensing, staffing, marketing, technology setup, curriculum planning, and finally enrollment. Missing one step or doing them incorrectly, can easily delay a project by months or stop it altogether.
Choosing between DIY, a consultant, or a franchise is like choosing a method to travel. You could walk, run, bike, drive, uber, e-scooter, etc – one is not better or worse than the other. They simply serve different needs and situations. The same logic applies here.
DIY: Do-It-Yourself
DIY means you handle everything on your own. You research the rules, talk to the city, work with architects and contractors, prepare policies, navigate licensing, hire staff, build your brand from scratch, advertise and do your enrollment. Many people are drawn to DIY because it looks cheaper and gives full control.
The advantage of DIY is freedom. You can design exactly the kind of daycare you want, make decisions quickly, and avoid franchise fees or consultant costs. You also gain deep knowledge of every part of your business, which can be empowering in the long run.
However, DIY comes with real risks. The learning curve is steep, and mistakes in zoning, permitting, or licensing are often expensive. Delays caused by missed requirements or incorrect assumptions can cost far more than what a consultant would have charged. DIY is also extremely time-intensive and stressful, especially for first-time operators.
DIY is most suitable for people who already have experience in childcare operations, have gone through the process before, or are working closely with someone who has. If you’ve never done this before and are trying to figure everything out from scratch, DIY can quickly become overwhelming.
Working with a Consultant
Hiring a consultant sits between DIY and franchising. A consultant can help with part of the process or manage the entire setup, depending on their experience, their scope of services and your needs. Some consultants act like a project manager coordinating with different professionals. Others focus on advising, reviewing decisions, and helping you avoid mistakes.
The biggest strength of working with a consultant is flexibility. You can design your own brand, your own niche, and your own operating style while still benefiting from someone who has done it before. Consultants can also be hired later, even after the daycare is open, to help solve specific problems or guide expansion. Consultants could also act as a business coach depending on their expertises.
Consultants are usually paid hourly or through a one-time fee, which means there are no ongoing royalties. That said, the quality of consultants varies widely. Not all consultants provide the same level of hands-on support or real-world experience, and choosing the wrong one can be frustrating or costly. Hiring a consultant still requires you to stay involved and make decisions. They guide, but you remain the owner.
This option is well suited for people who want independence but don’t want to learn everything the hard way.
Franchise
Franchising offers the most structured path. You pay an upfront franchise fee and ongoing royalties, but in return you get an established brand, a proven business model, and systems that are already built. Branding, curriculum frameworks, policies, marketing strategies, and operational processes are usually provided.
One of the biggest advantages of a franchise is combined advertising power. Even if each location contributes a small percentage of revenue, the collective marketing budget can create strong brand recognition that an independent daycare may struggle to achieve. Franchises also benefit from the fact that their model has already been tested across multiple locations.
The downside is flexibility. Because the system is standardized, your ability to customize operations, branding, or programming is limited. You are also committing to a long-term relationship with the franchisor, including ongoing fees and contractual obligations. For some owners, this structure provides comfort. For others, it feels restrictive.
Franchising works best for people who value systems, predictability, and support over creative control.
So which one should you choose?
DIY, consultant, and franchise are not better or worse than each other. They simply fit different types of people at different stages of their journey. Your experience level, budget, time availability, and risk tolerance matter more than the method itself.
The real mistake is not choosing the “wrong” option, it’s choosing an option that doesn’t match your needs and situations.
