Start your own: Day nursery

Tips for success

• Try to find existing school or nursery premises that will make it a lot easier to get the premises approved
• If you don't have the right experience, make sure that you get a very experienced officer in charge
• Think carefully about the space that you have and how many children you can fit in – if you are providing a baby room you will need to think in multiples of three
• Make sure that you can get through the 12 months without your nursery being full. It does take a long time to get the numbers up
• Reserve the right to refuse entry. Nothing will kill off your business quicker than one unruly child who bullies others. Parents who see their child coming home unhappy every night will soon move them to another nursery
• Get the fees paid up front, and make sure that parents are paying all year round. Most nurseries allow parents to book three to four weeks’ holiday which do not have to be paid for, but otherwise they should pay to reserve the place
• Track all the enquiries you get to see how effective your marketing is
• Allow at least six months for the registration to be finalised. In particular, every member of staff will be checked for their suitability to work with children and this can be slower if staff have lived out of the borough in the last five years.