Compass Child CareBlaine · 10041 University Ave NE

Twenty-four things you could do. Pick one.

This is a menu, not a to-do list. Some weeks you have ten minutes — take something Easy. When enrollment gets tight, come back for something bigger. Nothing here is required.

The Compass page, the website, the listings and anything printed or designed are Marketing’s job. Yours is what happens in person — the conversations, drop-offs and phone calls — plus sharing in your own local community groups. Need a graphic or wording? Just ask.

Everything below, by distance from your front door

If you only do three things this fall

Everything else on this page can wait until you want it.

Start this month

The review push

Idea 01. You're being compared to the center across the street on a single number, every day.

One afternoon

Two leasing offices

Idea 07. Garden Oaks and Royal Oaks, both under a quarter mile. Materials supplied.

Call by early Sept

Movie in the Park

Idea 14. Sat Sept 19 at Aquatore Park. Best-fit event on the city calendar, and the deadline is real.

The lay of the land

Three things that shape everything below

Finding 01

A new competitor opened directly across the street

Dreamers Child Care, 10026 University Ave NW, Coon Rapids — roughly 300 feet from your front door. Their Google rating is 4.8 with 24 reviews; Compass Blaine is 4.2 with 20. Several of their reviews specifically praise how new and clean the building is. They also open at 6:30 and close at 6:00, against your 7:00–5:30 — a 90-minute spread that can decide it for a commuting or shift-working parent.

Finding 02

You sit on the Blaine / Coon Rapids city line

Everything west of University Ave is Coon Rapids (55448), including two of the three closest apartment communities. If local marketing has been scoped to "Blaine," half your neighborhood has been invisible. It also means your nearest neighbors don't think of themselves as Blaine residents.

Finding 03

An elementary school is two blocks away

University Avenue Elementary, 9901 University Ave NE (Anoka-Hennepin ISD 11), about 0.15 miles south. That's a kindergarten-transition pipeline and a school-release-day pipeline sitting on your doorstep. Their office fields "where do I find before and after care" questions constantly.

Full distance list — 28 places, straight-line from your front door

Dreamers Child Care (competitor)	across the street
CorTrust Bank, 10107 University Ave NE	0.1 mi
Garden Oaks Apartments, 9975 Butternut St NW	~0.15 mi
University Avenue Elementary, 9901 University Ave NE	~0.15 mi
Royal Oaks Apartments, 245 99th Ave NE	~0.25 mi
Northstar Ridge Apartments, 10060 Dogwood St NW	~0.3 mi
3 Leches Bakery EcuaMarket, 10529 University Ave NE	~0.6 mi
Blaine Family Veterinary Hospital, 10617 University Ave NE	~0.8 mi
Stonegate Apartments, 10720 6th St NE	~0.9 mi
Anytime Fitness plaza, 10731 University Ave NE	~0.9 mi
Cub Foods Blaine West, 10881 University Ave NE	~1.0 mi
Blaine University Avenue Townhomes, 10901 University Ave NE	~1.1 mi
Allina Health Coon Rapids Clinic, 9055 Springbrook Dr NW	~1.2 mi
Emma B. Howe YMCA, 8950 Springbrook Dr NW	~1.4 mi
Church of St. Timothy / farmers market, 707 89th Ave NE	~1.5 mi
MetroNorth Chamber, 9380 Central Ave NE	~1.7 mi
Aquatore Park, 9191 Lincoln St NE	~1.7 mi
Northtown Mall & Northtown Library	~1.8 mi
National Sports Center, 1750 105th Ave NE	~2.0 mi
Child & Teen Medical Center, 11107 Ulysses St NE	~2.0 mi
Blaine Kidds Pediatric Dentistry, 1351 113th Ave NE	~2.2 mi
Oakdale OBGYN, 11855 Ulysses St NE	~2.7 mi
Storyteller Cafe, 12064 Central Ave NE	~2.9 mi
Blaine City Hall / Parks & Rec, 10801 Town Square Dr NE	~3.0 mi
Foss Swim School / Classic Gymnastics, 12440 Aberdeen St NE	~3.4 mi
Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids	~4.5 mi
Aveda HQ, 4000 Pheasant Ridge Dr NE	~5.2 mi
The Mother Baby Center at Mercy, Coon Rapids	~5.4 mi

All 24 Easy Medium Hard Hardest Open all

Easy

Quick wins

6 ideas · 5–15 minutes each

Almost no planning. Most of these fit into errands you already run.

01 Close the review gap with the center across the street You're at 4.2. They're at 4.8. Same street. 10 min a month300 feet away +

From the booklet

#411 "Reviews, Reviews, Reviews." #42 — let any family who leaves an online review pick the month's charity. #418 — claim and clean up your online listings.

Here in Blaine

Dreamers Child Care at 10026 University Ave NW opened recently and sits at 4.8 stars / 24 reviews. Compass Blaine is at 4.2 / 20. A parent searching "daycare near me" from Royal Oaks or Garden Oaks sees both of you side by side, and the star rating is the entire first impression. Your existing reviews are genuinely excellent — several name you personally and talk about staff who feel like family — you simply have fewer of them, and a couple of old low ones are carrying too much weight. This is the cheapest, highest-leverage thing on this whole page.

What you actually do

Pick 10 families you know are happy — the ones who've been with you 2+ years, the ones whose kids just moved up a room. Hand them the QR card at pickup and say one sentence: "We're trying to get to 50 reviews this year — would you mind leaving one? Takes about ninety seconds." Then do it again next month with ten different families. Don't blast the whole roster at once; personal asks convert far better.

Marketing will make

QR review cards sized for a diaper bag, a lobby table tent, a pre-written text and email template, a "Review Wall" thermometer graphic for the entry, and a monthly charity-jar sign so reviewers get to pick where the jar money goes.

Why it could work

You are being directly compared to one competitor 300 feet away, on one number, every single day.

02 Look at your building from a moving car Four photos from your car. That's the whole task. 10 minutes +

From the booklet

#177 "Are you missing areas to put logos or signage in view of the drive-by?" #190 — does your window signage say what ages you serve? #531 — eye-catching displays near the road, switched up randomly.

Here in Blaine

University Ave NE is a four-lane arterial and the main north-south route between the Northtown retail district and north Blaine. Thousands of the exact families you want drive past you twice a day. Meanwhile the newest center in the neighborhood is directly opposite with brand-new signage.

What you actually do

On your way in tomorrow, drive past your own building northbound, then loop and drive past southbound. Pull over and take four photos with your phone: from each direction, plus one from the entrance to your lot, plus one of your front door from the parking stalls. Text them to Marketing. That's it. Note anything you can't read at 40 mph.

Marketing will make

Window clings stating ages served and "Now Enrolling," a seasonal A-frame or banner-flag set, a refreshed entrance graphic, and a rotating "what's happening this month" sign for the road-facing window.

Why it could work

Free impressions you're already paying rent for, in a spot where a competitor's fresh exterior is setting the comparison.

03 Northtown Library bulletin board and storytime A free room full of toddlers, 1.8 miles south. 15 minutes1.8 mi +

From the booklet

#274 "Design a bookmark and have the library give out." #306 and the p.25 Quick Tip — libraries have community bulletin boards and lobby easels. #8 — partner with the library on literacy events.

Here in Blaine

Northtown Library, 711 County Hwy 10 NE, is the Anoka County branch nearest you and runs regular toddler storytimes — parent reviews specifically mention the toddler storytime and the kids' play area. It is full of parents of children exactly your age range, every week, for free.

What you actually do

Stop in on a weekday. Ask at the desk who manages the community bulletin board and whether they accept bookmarks or handouts for the children's area. Leave a stack. Ask when the toddler storytimes run and whether outside groups ever read — if yes, that becomes Idea 13.

Marketing will make

Branded bookmarks with a QR tour link, a bulletin-board flyer sized to their posting rules, and a stack of coloring pages for the kids' area.

Why it could work

It's a free, permanently staffed room full of your exact target family, 1.8 miles away.

04 Wear the shirt at Cub You already shop there. Wear the jacket. 5 minutes1.0 mi +

From the booklet

#362 "When you go grocery shopping, wear your company t-shirt." Quick Tip p.3 — wear the logo out in the community. #306 — hang flyers where your target market shops.

Here in Blaine

Cub Foods Blaine West at 10881 University Ave NE is one mile straight up your own street and open 24 hours — meaning it also catches shift-working parents at odd hours, exactly the families hardest to find. There's a community board near the entrance at most Cub locations.

What you actually do

Wear a Compass shirt or jacket when you stop there, which you probably already do. Once, ask customer service if they have a community board and post a flyer. If someone asks you about the shirt, you have a card in your pocket.

Marketing will make

Nice logo jackets and polos (not just t-shirts), pocket-sized cards with a QR tour link, and a Cub-board flyer.

Why it could work

Zero added time, and it turns the one-mile stretch of University Ave you drive daily into a marketing surface.

05 Fix the mundane touchpoints Voicemail, email signature, same-day callbacks. 15 min once, then habit +

From the booklet

#224 "Include something special in the mundane — your outgoing voicemail, your email signature." #298 — put your current special in your voicemail. #326 — let the phone ring only once. #142 — respond to online inquiries within an hour.

Here in Blaine

Every one of these is a moment where a family is already trying to reach you and can quietly leak away. A parent who calls at 4:45, hears a generic voicemail, and doesn't hear back until Thursday will call the center across the street on Wednesday.

What you actually do

Re-record your voicemail this week with your name, current openings by age group, and "leave your name and I'll call you back today." Marketing will send you a branded email signature to paste in — that one is on us. Set a personal rule: inquiries get a response the same business day, even if it's just "got it, calling you this afternoon."

Marketing will make

A voicemail script you can read verbatim, a branded email signature block with a tour link, and a one-page phone-inquiry script with the three questions that convert calls into tours.

Why it could work

Leads you already paid to generate are the cheapest enrollments in the building.

06 Introduce yourself at the bank next door Closest business to you. Costs a plate of cookies. 15 minutes500 feet +

From the booklet

#37 "Ask to be featured at your bank — they have spotlight tables." #300 — give the bank a booklet on children's milestones to hand out. #345 — introduce yourself to nearby businesses with a goody bag.

Here in Blaine

CorTrust Bank is at 10107 University Ave NE — the next address up from yours, roughly 500 feet. It's a small-branch, relationship-style bank whose reviewers describe staff who know customers by name. Exactly the kind of branch that says yes to a lobby display or community spotlight.

What you actually do

Walk over on a slow afternoon with a plate of cookies from the center. Introduce yourself as the director of the child care center next door. Ask whether they ever spotlight neighboring businesses, and whether you could leave a small display or a stack of handouts for young families.

Marketing will make

A "Milestones Birth to Five" handout branded to Compass, a small counter display, and a note card for the branch manager.

Why it could work

It's the closest business to you, it serves the same neighborhood, and it costs a plate of cookies.

Medium

Meet the neighbors

7 ideas · 20–45 minutes each

One conversation with a business or organization nearby, then a light touch every couple of months.

07 New-resident packets at the five apartment communities in your backyard Five communities. Two are under a quarter mile. 20 min per property0.15–1.1 mi +

From the booklet

#363 "Partner with a local 'welcome wagon' group and have your brochures sent to new families that move into the area." #314 — get included in a new-family welcome basket.

Here in Blaine

This is the densest opportunity around your center, and most of it is on the Coon Rapids side, which is easy to overlook.

• Garden Oaks Apartments — 9975 Butternut St NW, Coon Rapids · ~0.15 mi. Two 36-unit buildings, recently renovated, on the bus line. Property manager named repeatedly and warmly in reviews.
• Royal Oaks Apartments — 245 99th Ave NE, Blaine · ~0.25 mi. Actively renovating and touring prospects; one reviewer calls it "a great place to raise our daughter in her first year of life."
• Northstar Ridge Apartments — 10060 Dogwood St NW, Coon Rapids · ~0.3 mi. Limited office hours (Mon & Fri mornings, Wed afternoon), so time your visit.
• Stonegate Apartments — 10720 6th St NE, Blaine · ~0.9 mi. Four buildings, strong reviews, engaged on-site management.
• Blaine University Avenue Townhomes — 10901 University Ave NE · ~1.1 mi.

What you actually do

Pick two to start — Garden Oaks and Royal Oaks are closest and both have staffed weekday offices. Walk in, introduce yourself as the director of the child care center a few hundred yards away, and ask two questions: "Do you give new residents a welcome packet?" and "Do you keep a resource list for residents with young kids?" Leave a small stack either way. Put a reminder in your phone to restock every 8 weeks.

Marketing will make

A "New to the Neighborhood?" card designed for renters (QR to schedule a tour, walking distance called out, openings by age), a branded acrylic holder for the leasing counter, an intro script, and a follow-up email template for the property manager.

Why it could work

A family moving into Garden Oaks can literally see your roof. Nobody is closer, and proximity is the number one thing parents filter on.

08 University Avenue Elementary — two blocks away Kindergarten pipeline and no-school days, both. 30 min, twice a year0.15 mi +

From the booklet

#3 "Partner with your local school district. Get to know their needs — even if it's just to bring them survival treats." #221 — market school days off and ask schools to help promote. #955 — give district teachers survival kits at the start of the school year.

Here in Blaine

University Avenue Elementary sits at 9901 University Ave NE, about 0.15 miles south — an Anoka-Hennepin school. Two opportunities live here. Their incoming kindergarten families are your graduating preschoolers' peers, and their office fields "where do I find before/after care" questions constantly. Separately, Anoka-Hennepin's non-school days are your school-age enrollment days.

What you actually do

Two moves, both small. First, drop a treat basket at the front office the week before school starts with a card that just says thank you — no ask attached. Two weeks later, call the office and ask whether they keep a list of nearby child care options for families who ask, and whether they'd include Compass. Separately, pull the Anoka-Hennepin calendar, mark every non-school day, and make sure your school-age availability is posted well before each one.

Marketing will make

Staff treat-basket cards, a one-page "Compass Blaine at a glance" sheet for the school office, school-release-day flyers dated to the actual Anoka-Hennepin calendar, and social graphics for each no-school day.

Why it could work

It's the closest institution to you that concentrates families with young children, and school-release days are enrollment you can fill without adding a single new family.

09 Pediatric dentist waiting rooms 670+ reviews means a very full waiting room. 30 min per office~2.2 mi +

From the booklet

#292 "Have a roll of stickers printed and donate to a doctor or dentist office to give away to kids." #346 — create a coloring book for waiting rooms. #171 — partner with pediatricians at clinics.

Here in Blaine

• Blaine Kidds Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics — 1351 113th Ave NE · ~2.2 mi. Over 670 Google reviews, which tells you the volume of families cycling through. Reviews mention they already hand out prize-machine coins, so they're comfortable with give-away items.
• Baylon Family / Pediatric Dentistry — 11943 Central Ave NE. Smaller, family-owned, with a play area for kids.
• Child and Teen Medical Center–Blaine — 11107 Ulysses St NE · ~2.0 mi. Weekend walk-in hours; the pediatric clinic equivalent.

What you actually do

Call the office manager (not the front desk during rush) and ask: "We're a local child care center — would you have any use for branded stickers or coloring pages for your waiting room? No cost to you." Almost nobody says no to free supplies. Drop them off in person so you meet someone.

Marketing will make

Sticker rolls, a Compass coloring sheet with a maze or seek-and-find on the back, crayon packs, and a small counter display.

Why it could work

It puts your logo in a parent's hand during the 20 minutes they're sitting with nothing to do, holding a preschooler.

10 Storyteller Cafe — the coffee shop with a kids' play room A room whose entire purpose is parents with toddlers. 45 minutes2.9 mi +

From the booklet

#294 "Work with a local coffee shop and see if they will use your branded coffee sleeves." #451 — partner with a coffee shop and tag each other. #384 — find the non-chain restaurant near you and partner on everything.

Here in Blaine

Storyteller Cafe at 12064 Central Ave NE is a nonprofit coffee shop with a dedicated kids' play room in the back — toy kitchen, drawing materials, the works. Reviewers describe it as a place people specifically bring small children. It's functionally a room full of local parents with toddlers, run by an organization with a mission orientation that makes partnership easy. Much better fit than a chain.

What you actually do

Go in on a weekday morning, buy something, and ask to talk to whoever handles partnerships. Two asks, easiest first: leave a small stack of cards or a bulletin-board flyer in the play room; or offer to co-host a low-key "Coffee & Play" morning where Compass covers a few drinks and you're simply there to answer parent questions.

Marketing will make

Branded coffee sleeves, a play-room-appropriate flyer, a co-branded social graphic they can share, and a small giveaway (crayon packs, board-book stickers) for a co-hosted morning.

Why it could work

You'd be marketing inside a room built for parents-with-toddlers, without renting a booth or running an event at your own building.

11 The plaza at 10731 University Ave One plaza, three parent-heavy businesses, one mile north. 30 min per business0.9 mi +

From the booklet

#6 "Partner with a local gym and invite them to host a class for current parents." #296 "Gym dressing rooms are great for flyers." #26 — partner with an aligned business and do a giveaway. #405 — share each other's content.

Here in Blaine

One plaza a mile north, at 10731 University Ave NE, holds Anytime Fitness (24-hour; the owner is described in reviews as personally welcoming, and one reviewer mentions she keeps toys on hand for a member's toddler), Athena Nail Bar, and Nice-N-Fit Nutrition, a shake-and-tea shop with a loyal regular crowd. Three parent-heavy small businesses, one parking lot. Also on this stretch: Blaine Family Veterinary Hospital (10617) and Pet Supplies Plus (10809), both with heavy weekend family traffic.

What you actually do

Start with Anytime Fitness, because the owner is the kind who says yes. Walk in mid-morning and propose a straight swap: their flyer in your lobby, your flyer in their locker room, and each of you shares one social post about the other. If that goes well, do the same at Nice-N-Fit. A joint giveaway basket (one month of shakes plus a Compass registration credit) is a natural second step.

Marketing will make

Locker-room and counter flyers, a co-branded giveaway graphic, giveaway entry cards, and a partner-swap one-pager so the ask is clear and low-commitment.

Why it could work

Same street, same customer, no money changes hands — and gyms are full of parents in exactly the "I need to get my life organized" mindset.

12 Church of St. Timothy and the Blaine Farmers Market A parish bulletin and a farmers market, same parking lot. 20 min, or one Saturday1.5 mi +

From the booklet

#293 "Advertise in a church bulletin." #189 — partner with churches; they host family events you can join. #360 — rent a booth at your local farmers market.

Here in Blaine

Church of St. Timothy, 707 89th Ave NE · ~1.5 mi, does double duty. It's a large, active parish with a well-known annual carnival — and its parking lot hosts the Blaine Farmers Market, run by the Anoka County Growers Association, Saturday mornings 8am–noon and Tuesday afternoons 3–6pm through the growing season. One location, two completely different audiences, both local.

What you actually do

For the bulletin, call the parish office and ask for advertising rates and lead time — these are usually inexpensive and run a full year. For the market, contact the Anoka County Growers Association about community booth space, or simply walk it one Saturday in a Compass shirt with cards in your pocket and see the crowd before committing.

Marketing will make

A church bulletin ad sized to their spec, a market booth kit (tablecloth, sign, giveaway), and a simple kids' activity for the booth so parents linger.

Why it could work

Saturday-morning farmers market crowds skew heavily toward young families, and the bulletin reaches the same neighborhood every week for a year.

13 Read a story at the library Bring a teacher. A teacher reading beats a brochure. 30 min + 1 hour1.8 mi +

From the booklet

#30 "Ask to read stories at the library to mom's groups." #8 — partner with the library on literacy events. #347 — donate branded tote bags to the library with a flyer inside.

Here in Blaine

The natural follow-on to Idea 03. Northtown Library (711 County Hwy 10 NE) runs toddler storytime; Johnsville Library (12461 Oak Park Blvd NE) runs a preschool craft program. Both are Anoka County branches with children's programming staff.

What you actually do

Ask the children's programming librarian whether they host guest readers, or whether they'd be open to Compass sponsoring a storytime — you bring the book, a craft, and a small giveaway, and they promote it on the county calendar. Bring one of your best preschool teachers; a teacher reading is more compelling than a director reading.

Marketing will make

Branded tote bags, a themed craft kit, a book to donate with a Compass bookplate, a social graphic, and a photo-release-friendly plan for capturing the event.

Why it could work

You get to demonstrate what your teachers are actually like, in front of parents who already chose to spend a weekday morning on early literacy. That's your buyer.

Hard

Go find new families

7 ideas · 1–4 hours each

Seeking out opportunities, partnerships and leads. Worth reaching for when enrollment becomes a priority.

14 Get Compass onto Blaine's city event calendar Free family events almost every month. Real dates inside. 30 min to ask, half a day to work one1.7–3.0 mi +

From the booklet

#4 "Participate and attend local festivals and kids' events." #40 — sponsor a Movie in the Park with games and face painting. #78 — join community outdoor movie nights with free handouts. #308 — booth at parks & rec events. #514 — advertise with your local recreation group and sponsor their family events.

Here in Blaine

Blaine Parks & Recreation runs a remarkably full free-event calendar, and most events carry visible sponsors. Confirmed dates:

• Safety Camp — Aug 12–13, SBM Fire Station #3
• Summer Concert (LP and the 45s) — Thu Aug 13, 6pm, Tom Ryan Park
• Movie in the Park: Finding Nemo — Sat Sept 19, 6:30–9:30pm, Aquatore Park Bandshell. ~1.7 mi — the best fit on this list.
• Oktoberfest + Fall Craft Fair — Sat Oct 3, Tom Ryan Park & Blaine City Hall
• Flashlight Pumpkin Hunt & Dance — Fri Oct 23, 7–8:30pm, Tom Ryan Park
• Prince & Princess Party — Sat Nov 7, 5–7pm, Blaine City Hall
• Winter Celebration — Sun Nov 29, 4–6:30pm, Tom Ryan Park
• Mingle & Jingle Craft Fair — Sat Dec 5, Blaine City Hall
• Breakfast with Santa — Sat Dec 12 and Sat Dec 19, Blaine City Hall
• Blaine Festival — last weekend of June at Aquatore Park; the 2026 edition ran June 26–28 with a carnival, parade, petting zoo, pig races and a business vendor fair. Sponsorships sell early.

What you actually do

Call Blaine Parks & Recreation at 763-785-6164 (10801 Town Square Dr NE) or use the Event Information Form on blainemn.gov. Ask one question: "Which upcoming family events accept vendor booths or small business sponsors, and what does that cost?" Then pick one. Movie in the Park on Sept 19 is the obvious first swing — close, family-only, with a natural pre-movie window where a Compass table with face painting or glow sticks is genuinely welcome. Ask separately about Blaine Festival deadlines now, since that decision gets made months ahead.

Marketing will make

Full booth kit (tent, tablecloth, banner, activity), giveaways sized for the event, a lead-capture drawing entry form, a pre-event social push, and the sponsorship paperwork handled end to end.

Why it could work

City-promoted, free-admission, family-only events within two miles, where the audience has already opted in to "things to do with my kids in Blaine."

15 Subscribe to Blaine BizConnect and be first to every new business The city will email you every new business. Free. 2 min to subscribe, 15 min a month +

From the booklet

#663 "Stay on top of new businesses that come into your community by asking your local village administrator who got new permits and approvals." #345 — introduce yourself to new businesses with a goody bag. #358 — give the chamber a pile of your brochures for new businesses.

Here in Blaine

Blaine publishes BizConnect, a free e-newsletter listing exactly this — featured developments, groundbreakings, grand openings, new businesses arriving, and recent City Council approvals. It's at blainemn.gov/blainebiz, managed by the city's Economic Development Specialist ([email protected] · 763-717-2778). The city even has a "Request a Visit" form for grand openings. Blaine is consistently one of Minnesota's fastest-growing cities with 1,400+ businesses and about 26,000 jobs, so this feed is not thin.

What you actually do

Subscribe today — two minutes. Then set a standing 15 minutes the day it arrives. Scan for two things: new businesses opening within about three miles, and new residential developments. For any new business with employees, drop off a small welcome bag in their first month. You'll be the only child care center that does this, and you'll be there before they've printed their own business cards.

Marketing will make

Pre-assembled "Welcome to the Neighborhood" bags, an intro card for new business owners, an employer-facing one-pager on child care as a retention benefit, and a running list of new developments flagged for you.

Why it could work

New businesses hire new employees who need care and haven't chosen a provider yet — and you find out before your competitors do, for free.

16 Realtors, lenders and the people who move families into Blaine Families closing on a house have 30 days to solve care. 1 hour to set up, 15 min a quarter1.8–3.4 mi +

From the booklet

#387 "Partner with local real estate agents to give your brochures to families touring homes." #186 — partner with mortgage lenders; give them enrollment care packages for new home buyers. #192 — partner with home inspectors.

Here in Blaine

Blaine is one of the metro's top new-construction markets, and the agents and lenders serving it cluster in a few nearby offices:

• Edina Realty – Blaine — 10945 Club W Pkwy NE · ~2.1 mi. Large office, many agents.
• Obvious Real Estate / eXp — 9100 Baltimore St NE · ~1.8 mi. High review volume, very active.
• Keller Williams Classic Realty – Blaine — 12301 Central Ave NE · ~3.3 mi.
• RE/MAX Advantage Plus — 11806 Aberdeen St NE · ~3.4 mi.
• CrossCountry Mortgage — 12301 Central Ave NE. Several loan officers with strong local followings.
• Refined Lending (Luminate Bank) — 9240 Baltimore St NE · ~1.9 mi. 400+ reviews, heavy first-time-buyer volume.

What you actually do

Don't try to "partner with realtors." Pick two individual agents or loan officers whose reviews mention first-time buyers and young families, and email one specific offer: "I run the child care center at 101st and University. When you close with a family that has young kids, would a small 'New to Blaine' packet from us be useful in your closing gift? We'll supply them free." Deliver a box of 25 to whoever says yes, and check in at 90 days. Agents love having something local and useful to hand over that isn't another branded notepad.

Marketing will make

A "New to Blaine — Family Resources" card (not a sales flyer — parks, library branches, school district, and Compass), a closing-gift insert, an agent email template, and a co-branded version if a specific agent wants their name on it.

Why it could work

A family closing on a house in Blaine has a defined moment — usually 30 to 60 days out — where they must solve child care, in a city they don't know yet.

17 Get in front of families before the baby arrives Infant rooms fill six months before the baby does. 2–3 hours across several visits2.5–5.4 mi +

From the booklet

#45 "Partner with local OB/GYN and midwives to cross-market." #84 — host seminars for newly pregnant families. #88 — provide free gifts to new parents at the hospital. #172 — partner with a lactation specialist. #594 — gift certificates for expectant mothers. #580 — partner with a maternity store.

Here in Blaine

Infant rooms are the hardest to fill and the longest-tenure enrollments you'll ever get — a family who starts at 12 weeks often stays five years. The prenatal path around Blaine is well-defined and mostly untouched by child care marketing:

• Oakdale OBGYN / Premier Women's Health of Minnesota — 11855 Ulysses St NE · ~2.7 mi. Nearest OB practice, high patient volume.
• The Mother Baby Center at Mercy with Children's Minnesota — 4020 Coon Rapids Blvd NW · ~5.4 mi. Where most families here deliver.
• Family First Chiropractic Center — 11901 Hwy 65 · ~2.5 mi. Reviews specifically mention Webster-certified prenatal care — a steady stream of third-trimester mothers.
• Empowered Health Chiropractic & Wellness — 4255 Pheasant Ridge Dr NE. Reviews full of newborn and postpartum families referred by midwives.
• Sweetpea and Co. — 1452 85th Ave NE, Spring Lake Park · ~2.5 mi. Local baby boutique — car seats, newborn gifts.
• Allina Health Mercy Women's Health Clinic — 3960 Coon Rapids Blvd NW.

What you actually do

Pick the two closest — Oakdale OBGYN and Family First Chiropractic — and make one offer that's about them, not you: a small "Planning Ahead" card their staff can hand to expectant parents explaining when to start looking for infant care and what waitlists are realistic, with Compass named as a local option. Frame it as a patient-service resource, because that's what gets past a front desk. Separately, ask Sweetpea and Co. about a gift-certificate or cross-promotion arrangement.

Marketing will make

An "Expecting? Here's When to Start Looking for Infant Care" card, a waitlist-reservation gift certificate designed as an actual baby-shower gift, an intro letter for clinic office managers, and a Compass-branded newborn item small enough for a hospital or boutique bag.

Why it could work

You reach the family six months before they start searching, at the exact moment they're making a list — and infant enrollments are your longest-tenure families.

18 Talk to employers with shift work and lots of parents Start with where your current parents already work. 10 min to map, 1–2 hours per employer +

From the booklet

#993 "Find out where families work and ask if you can post flyers at their companies." #282 — find out the professions your families work in. #611 — consider a second or overnight shift.

Here in Blaine

Blaine has about 26,000 jobs and real concentration, but the useful employers split in two.

• Big: Aveda Corporation, 4000 Pheasant Ridge Dr NE · ~5.2 mi — roughly 700 employees on a 58-acre campus with manufacturing and distribution, meaning shift work and a predominantly female workforce. Infinite Campus, 4321 109th Ave NE · ~5.1 mi. Northtown Mall, ~1.8 mi, dozens of retailers whose staff work evenings and weekends.
• Close and shift-heavy: Allina Health Coon Rapids Clinic, 9055 Springbrook Dr NW · ~1.2 mi. Mercy Hospital, Coon Rapids (24-hour). Cub Foods Blaine West, one mile north, open 24 hours. Emma B. Howe YMCA, 8950 Springbrook Dr NW · ~1.4 mi.

What you actually do

Start with your own families, not cold outreach. Look at your current roster and write down where the parents work — that's booklet #282, and it takes ten minutes. Wherever you already have two or more families from one employer, you have a warm introduction: ask that parent whether their HR or office manager would allow a flyer on the break-room board or a mention in an internal newsletter. That converts far better than cold-calling Aveda's HR department. Save the cold outreach for after you have one internal referral working.

Marketing will make

Break-room flyers, an employer one-pager positioning child care access as a retention benefit, an HR intro email template, and an employee-discount or priority-waitlist offer structure if leadership approves one.

Why it could work

Employers with irregular shifts have employees who chronically struggle to find care, and one break-room flyer reaches hundreds of parents who all share a commute past your door.

19 Join MetroNorth Chamber and actually use it One morning, twenty referral sources in one room. 1–2 hours a month1.7 mi +

From the booklet

#20 "Join your local Chamber of Commerce." #317 — host a ribbon cutting with the Chamber. #284 — get into the chamber's business directory or map. #350 and #355 — networking groups and after-hours events. #358 — give the chamber your brochures.

Here in Blaine

MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce, 9380 Central Ave NE Suite 320 · ~1.7 mi, started life as the Blaine Chamber in 1968. It runs Business After Hours monthly at a different member business, a Sunrise Breakfast lead-generation group, a "Working with Women" program, and publishes a free Community Resource Guide anyone can pick up at their office. It also convenes a Blaine Business Council. Blaine is served by a second chamber, Twin Cities North, if MetroNorth isn't the right fit.

What you actually do

Go pick up the Community Resource Guide first — it's free and it's a map of who's active locally. Then call about membership and ask specifically about the Sunrise Breakfast lead group, since that one is built for referrals rather than mingling. If Compass Blaine has had a remodel, an anniversary, or a new program, a Chamber ribbon cutting is a free press moment.

Marketing will make

Chamber directory listing copy and imagery, a ribbon-cutting kit (invitations, signage, refreshments, photographer), networking business cards, and a 60-second intro you can deliver at the breakfast without freezing.

Why it could work

Chamber rooms are full of the exact referral sources on this page — realtors, lenders, gym owners, clinic managers — and you meet twenty of them in one morning instead of twenty separate drop-ins.

20 Trade lobbies with the kids' activity businesses Their waiting parents have 40 minutes and nothing to read. 45 min per business1.4–3.4 mi +

From the booklet

#372 "Share flyers with a karate place to give to their families." #361 — provide free snacks to gymnastics or dance groups at tournaments. #405 — share a partner's content and ask them to share yours. #215 — cross-market with a trampoline park.

Here in Blaine

• Foss Swim School and Classic Gymnastics share a building at 12440 Aberdeen St NE · ~3.4 mi — one parking lot, two lobbies full of parents of 3-to-8-year-olds, waiting.
• Emma B. Howe YMCA — 8950 Springbrook Dr NW · ~1.4 mi. Closest of all, with swim lessons and child-watch.
• Jam Hops, Ham Lake — very large gymnastics and dance program.
• AirbornXtreme — 9541 Foley Blvd NW, Coon Rapids. Birthday parties and tumbling.

What you actually do

Offer a straight trade, which costs neither side money: their flyer in your lobby, your flyer in theirs. Lead with what you're giving. Start with the YMCA because it's closest, then the Aberdeen St building because it's two businesses in one stop. If a relationship warms up, offer to sponsor a water station or snack table at a meet or swim showcase.

Marketing will make

A lobby-appropriate flyer (short, visual, QR to tour), a partner-swap agreement one-pager, a co-branded social graphic, and branded water bottles or snack items for a meet.

Why it could work

Their waiting parents are captive for 30–45 minutes with nothing to read, and their customer base overlaps almost perfectly with your preschool and school-age rooms.

Hardest

Fill the classrooms

4 ideas · for when enrollment is the priority

More direct. These are for a director who's comfortable actively selling, following up, and asking for the enrollment out loud.

21 A referral program with rewards from businesses on your own street A cake from the bakery down the street beats $50 off. 2 hours to launch +

From the booklet

#307 "Referral program to enroll new families." #604 — host a snack party where families invite a friend; offer the referred family a special and the referring family a credit. #515 — annual contest for the most referrals. #603 — pop-up referral specials by text.

Here in Blaine

Your reviews say your families are evangelists already — one literally writes "run, don't walk." That enthusiasm is currently uncaptured. And your rewards don't have to be tuition credits: 3 Leches Bakery EcuaMarket at 10529 University Ave NE · ~0.6 mi makes custom cakes people rave about, Palmar Mexican Restaurant is at 10565, Pizza Man at 10559, and Storyteller Cafe sells gift cards. A custom birthday cake from the bakery down the street is more memorable than $50 off, and costs less.

What you actually do

Launch one clear offer — referring family gets X, referred family gets Y — and then, critically, ask out loud. At pickup, to specific parents: "Do you know anyone at work looking for care right now?" Most referral programs fail not because the incentive is wrong but because nobody ever asks. Run a "bring a friend" snack party once in the fall and once in the spring. Track who refers; those are your top 20% and you should be calling them personally anyway (#214).

Marketing will make

Referral cards families can hand out, the program rules and reward structure, a mass-text template for pop-up referral weekends, "bring a friend" event invitations and signage, and negotiation of the local business rewards.

Why it could work

Referred families tour at a much higher rate and enroll faster, and you already have the goodwill — you just haven't monetized it.

22 Build a tour and follow-up system you actually run The 72 hours after a tour decide it. 3 hours to build, 15 min per tour +

From the booklet

#571 "Learn how to ask for the enrollment." #241 — create habits so leadership consistently follows up on leads. #322 — don't forget to follow up with prospective families. #288 and #289 — tour packets and branded folders. #574 — fresh baked cookies for every tour. #239 — train teachers on their role in a tour. #176 — don't over-restrict when families can tour.

Here in Blaine

The least glamorous item here and probably the highest-return. Every idea above generates tours; this is what converts them. Right now the gap between "toured Compass" and "enrolled at the newer center across the street" is decided in the 72 hours after the tour — and that window is entirely yours to control.

What you actually do

Three changes. Ask for the enrollment before they leave — not "let us know," but "Based on what you've told me, I'd put your daughter in Miss ___'s room starting the 15th. Should I hold that spot?" Follow up within 24 hours, always, with something specific from the tour: the kid who liked the water table, the question about naps. Keep a "didn't enroll" list and check back at 30 and 90 days; a large share of families who choose elsewhere are unhappy by month three. Also brief your teachers — a tour walking past a classroom where the teacher looks up and says the child's name closes more families than any brochure.

Marketing will make

Branded tour folders and packets, a tour script with the ask written out, a 24-hour follow-up email and text template, a 30/90-day re-engagement sequence, a teacher one-pager on their role during tours, and video testimonials from current families to show or send.

Why it could work

It costs nothing, it multiplies the value of every other idea here, and it's the one place where a smaller, warmer center reliably beats a newer building.

23 Know your competition and trade waitlists with them They open at 6:30. You open at 7:00. 3–4 hours a year +

From the booklet

#323 "Have you toured your competition lately? We recommend doing this at least once a year." #155 — become advocates with your competitors; share wait lists and refer each other when full. #145 — determine your USP.

Here in Blaine

Your direct competitive set within about three miles:

• Dreamers Child Care — 10026 University Ave NW, Coon Rapids. Across the street. Opens 6:30am, closes 6:00pm — an hour wider than your 7:00–5:30.
• Young Scholars Montessori — 10181 Able St NE · ~0.9 mi.
• Small World Child Care Preschool Learning Center – Blaine — 1390 Paul Pkwy NE · ~2.8 mi. 64 reviews.
• Learn & Grow Child Care Center — 13142 Central Ave NE · ~4 mi. Reviews emphasize they stayed open during snow days.

That hours gap is worth escalating to leadership even if nothing changes. For a parent commuting to downtown Minneapolis or working a hospital shift, 90 minutes can be the entire decision.

What you actually do

Once a year, call and tour two of them as a parent would — or have a friend do it. Write down rates, hours, waitlist by age, and what they say about themselves. Then, separately and more usefully: call the directors of the two centers not directly across from you and propose a referral relationship. When they're full in infants and you're not, you want their overflow. This is standard practice and directors are usually glad to have somewhere to send families.

Marketing will make

A competitor comparison worksheet, a written USP for Compass Blaine you can deliver in one sentence on a tour, and a director-to-director intro template.

Why it could work

You'd stop guessing about the center across the street, and overflow referrals are free enrollments that arrive pre-warmed.

24 Fix the staffing pipeline, because staffing is capacity You can't fill a room you can't staff. 2 hours to set up, then per semester4.5 mi +

From the booklet

#733 "Partner with nearby colleges and universities with education programs." #736 — host practicum students and hire on after graduation. #828 — partner with the high school's child development class. #995 — get involved with the local technical college's ECE program. #747 — create ambassadors on local campuses.

Here in Blaine

Enrollment capacity and staffing are the same problem. Two pipelines are close:

• Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids Campus — 11200 Mississippi Blvd NW · ~4.5 mi. Lowest tuition in Minnesota, heavy PSEO and adult-learner enrollment, early childhood program.
• Anoka Technical College — Anoka, ~8 mi, with early childhood coursework.
• Anoka-Hennepin high schools, including Blaine High School, run child development coursework and need placement sites.
• Emma B. Howe YMCA and similar child-facing employers, where people already comfortable with kids work retail-adjacent jobs (booklet #962: hire on personality, not credentials).

What you actually do

Call the ECE program coordinator at Anoka-Ramsey and ask to be added to their practicum placement list. Separately, call the Blaine High School career or child development instructor and ask the same. Both calls are 10 minutes and neither costs anything. A practicum student who has spent a semester in your building is the easiest hire you will ever make.

Marketing will make

A careers one-pager for campus career centers, a "Why Compass" recruiting flyer, campus tabling materials, social content aimed at students, and a practicum-host information sheet for the college coordinator.

Why it could work

It's the same distance as your competitors' recruiting reach, and every classroom you can staff is a classroom you can sell.

No ideas in that group.

Local research conducted August 2026 via business listings, the City of Blaine event calendar and BlaineBiz, MetroNorth Chamber, and the Anoka County Growers Association. Verify event dates and sponsorship deadlines before committing — city calendars shift. Booklet numbers refer to 1,001 Child Care Recruitment & Enrollment Strategies, Child Care Biz Help, 2019.