After opening her first nursery 11 years ago, former policewoman Jeanette Burke has expanded her Little People's Day Nurseries into a successful chain of three in the past two years. Her third nursery opened in Flint, North Wales, last May and is already self-sufficient.
'I had no intention of opening a third but then I received a letter from somebody who owned the property,' she says. 'It had been made into a nursery but was closing down. So we went to have a look and saw so much potential and very little competition; there was only one other nursery in the area. It looked too good a proposition to turn down.'
Despite a slow start, Jeanette is happy with the way business is progressing. She says, 'Because we're in this recession I thought, we're going to hit a brick wall here, but funnily enough we haven't. There are parents out there looking for good nurseries.'
The first Little People's Day Nursery opened downstairs in Jeanette's large family home with help and support from her builder husband and three daughters.
The idea of walking downstairs to work and having children in the home really appealed to her as a way to earn a living. 'I always believe you must open a nursery you would want your children and grandchildren to go to,' she says.
As she had no experience of formal childcare, Jeanette began in the roles of nursery nurse and owner, gradually gaining the skills she needed to manage the setting. She achieved her Level 4 qualification three years ago.
'I think what sets us apart is the size, because it's quite small numbers at all three settings. There are 20 places at our first two, and currently 17 at the new one, but once the upstairs is registered the total will rise to 30. That means a lot to parents, especially if you have a baby. Some have described walking into nurseries and seeing 12 babies sat in a row with two nursery nurses feeding them, which does look like a factory.'
Jeanette reports that feedback has been excellent. 'The setting is viewed as being lovely and calm, with such a happy atmosphere,' she says. 'It's important for the staff to hear that. A lot of people think it's an easy job and it's not.'
The importance of Jeanette's services to the local community is reflected by the success of her business. The family opened its second nursery due to a demand for places, after turning people away for years because the first nursery had reached capacity and had a strong reputation.
The second Little People's Day Nursery opened in March 2007 after the first perfect location presented itself on the outskirts of Flint.
'Community has been a big thing - our house, the first nursery, is in a village. Everybody knows everybody so that helps,' she says. 'Neighbours and friends will recommend me, which lends a personal touch.'
The fact that the new nursery has become self-sufficient so quickly can be put down to careful planning and the strength of Jeanette's business.
'It took a lot of work to bring the third nursery up to scratch in three months, but my husband is in the building trade. If I hadn't had that advantage I might have thought twice about it,' she says.
'It normally takes at least 12 months before you start seeing any revenue. Even if I'd known about the downturn I absolutely would have gone for it because the location had everything. Now it's standing on its own two feet.'
