Requesting financial statments

[OrangeBlooded]

My son's daycare is raising the monthly rate. I don't have a problem with it. What I do have a problem with is how the money is currently being allocated, or how i assume that it is.

I plan to call the owner and ask for a financial statment. But before I do I just had a few questions.

Being that this is a privately owned business, I assume that I don't have a right to view one? Does this hold true considering I pay into the business?

I guess my point is is that I am expecting to get a "no" when I ask for one and I just want to know if I have a right to view one or not.

Thanks in advance

 

[Bookman]

You asking them for financial statements is like somebody who bought something from you asking for your checkbook register.

 

[Bernard]

You're going about it the wrong way. First off, the finanaical statements of someone else's business aren't really any of your business. There may be ways, however, to achieve what you really desire, which I assume is getting a better value for your hard earned dollar.

Instead of asking for the financial statements, simply ask for a meeting the those in charge to disucss the services they are providing. While most business owners will recoil at a request to see their income/expense statements, most would (or should) jump at the opportunity to discuss their customers needs and how the business can better serve them. During this discussion, you can emphasize which particular services you value most. You can also discuss which services the business provides that you value the least.

There's certainly nothing wrong with saying something like. "It seems that you are spending a large amount of money providing ABC service. Frankly, I don't find ABC service very useful. What I'd really like to see is a lot more of XYZ service.

Any reasonable business owner is looking to provide their customers with a basket of services that are valuable to the customer. Keep in mind, however, that you are only one of many customers. The business owner is trying to meet the needs of many parents. How confident are you that the things you value most also matter eqaully to the other parents?

If different people value different services, perhaps an a la carte pricing system would make everyone happy.

Bernard

 

[OrangeBlooded]

ppl don't hand out their checkbook registars?
seriously, thanks for the advice. I think I will take a different approach

 

[El_Guapo]

Businesses in regulated industries (insurance, for example) are oftentimes required to file annual and/or quarterly financial statements with the regulating agency, and those statements are usually available to the public. I doubt that's the case with day cares but I don't know for sure. At any rate, yeah, you don't generally have the right to look at a private business's financials. Nor should you.