Stephanie Davies' success in the audition for the show came as a great surprise to her, after she took part on a whim thinking she had nothing to lose. 'The Biz', which will be shown on BBC Wales, will follow the lives of five entrepreneurs for a year, each with a mentor assigned to support and guide them in their new business venture.
Ms Davies said, 'I went totally unprepared. It was similar to "Pop Idol", with three judges and only five minutes to sell the idea. At least I didn't have to sing!'
She said she was surprised to be chosen, as she did not think she was 'exciting' enough and competition was fierce.
Ms Davies has a background in childcare, having gained the NNEB and held jobs as a day nursery supervisor and as an external NVQ assessor in childcare for Pembrokeshire.
She already knew there was a shortage of childcare provision in the Haverfordwest area and originally planned to open a nursery Monday to Friday, 7am to 7pm. After doing research and seeking advice from the local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership, she discovered there was demand in the area for childcare out of hours from parents who worked shifts. She now plans to open seven days a week and offer overnight childcare facilities.
Ms Davies' Little Darlings nursery is due to open in mid-September, housed in a former nursery which has been empty for the past couple of years. The cost of setting up the 17-place nursery is estimated at 25,000, and she is seeking advice on funding from the Welsh Development Agency. If all goes to plan, Mrs Davies hopes to open a second Little Darlings nursery in the next two years.
Her husband Clive is a farmer but the family farm business is now winding down after struggling over the years during the BSE and foot-and-mouth crises. 'Over the past five years we really didn't know which way we were going to go, but my husband encouraged me to pursue this,' she said. 'I'm learning to be a businesswoman and he's learning to be a house-husband.'
Her vision for the nursery is to create 'a very homely atmosphere, the sort of place I'd be happy to leave my own children'.
Initially, she intends to employ eight staff and is looking for what she describes as a 'mother-hen attitude towards children - that extra-special quality of being like a mum'.
