Business Development: Giving parents the best of both worlds

Imagine a light and airy modern office where you can focus on work, knowing that your child is safe and having fun just one floor below - and there you have Third Door's unique selling point.

In addition, parents can book a place on a flexible basis, enabling them to use their time cost-effectively. As an alternative to juggling work and children at home, or paying for childcare and office space as separate costs, it certainly makes sense.

When Shazia Mustafa set up the London business last year in partnership with her husband, Yusuf Chadun, it had to be the sort of service she would like to use herself. Located close to Putney town centre and next door to Wandsworth Park, the combined nursery and workspace is believed to be the first of its kind in the UK and reports an expanding clientele.

A PLACE TO COME TOGETHER

There is a community feel to Third Door and children benefit from the fact that parents get to know each other through sharing office space.

The presence of parents and carers on-site also allows the nursery staff to build strong relationships with them and encourage them to be an integral part of the nursery.

The upstairs office area provides a well-equipped environment designed for co-working, including private work spaces and a large meeting room.

The ground-floor nursery area is uncluttered and spacious. Children are taken on regular trips out to the park and to the nearby river for fresh air. Enrolment is currently growing, with families travelling in from Clapham and Tooting, and further afield from Croydon and Ealing. Third Door is registered for 24 children, including 18 under-twos, and currently it has 15 children in the morning and ten in the afternoon. Four full-time staff members are managed by Gemma Manns, who has Early Years Professional Status.

Many of Third Door's current customers are parents who are employed on a freelance or part-time basis, or who have irregular work patterns. The service aims to meet the needs of all types of workers, including those who are in high-pressured jobs in large companies.

AMBITIOUS PLANS

Ms Mustafa had her 'light-bulb moment' while on maternity leave. With a degree in marketing and maths, and experience as a global brand researcher for Nokia and audience research manager for the BBC, she meticulously researched her potential market before launching.

'This revealed many insights, some new, some old,' she says. 'Many new mums are reluctant to return to work as they are nervous about placing their child in childcare. More dads want to spend time with their child during the workday instead of just mornings, evenings and weekends.'

While more people are able to work from home with the advent of mobile technology, Ms Mustafa recognises that this can bring its own problems.

'There can be a problem of loneliness, missing the office buzz and having the distraction of household chores,' she says. 'Third Door solves many of these problems. Members are creating a community and referring business and tips to each other in a co-working space. Dads are able to spend more time with their child as they cut the commute to work down to just the 30 seconds it takes to walk upstairs into the workhub! One of the most important insights has been lack of flexibility in the traditional nursery model. Third Door members are able to pick the sessions they need as long as they give notice.'

Ms Mustafa believes her big idea can go the distance. She and her husband are evaluating other possible London locations and eventually would like to develop Third Door as a nationwide franchise.

'When we launched we spread the word through social media and press coverage. We have invested in producing a strong brand to convey trust as well as recognition once we go nationwide,' she says.

'Feedback from parents is fantastic,' she adds. 'We have a growing number who are just using the nursery. We're here to help a wide variety of parents in the best ways we can and will develop our service to suit their needs.'

SNAPSHOT

• Third Door is registered for 24 children, including 18 under-twos, and has 15 in the morning and ten in the afternoon.

• Sessions are booked on the basis of a minimum of two hours and parents have to give at least 48 hours notice. Monthly packages for both childcare and deskspace start at £63 a day.

• The five full-time staff include two graduates, and are managed by Gemma Manns, who has EYPS.

• Third Door has a central communal area where parents can spend time by themselves or with their children.

• The workhub can be hired out for events and exhibitions.

PARENT POWER

'The set-up here means that parents are part of the everyday routine of the nursery and they can come down and share activities. We can also talk about children's learning journeys and explain aspects of the EYFS,' says nursery manager Gemma Manns.

'We are a small but close-knit team and we communicate well. Everyone gets to have their say about everything in the nursery and between us we bring different strengths and work experiences that contribute to the quality of the nursery.'